Why Computer running slow? How to help speed up your computer

1. Too many programs are starting

Newly downloaded programs often try to squeeze into your Start menu (Windows) or Sign In (Mac) menu. If you don’t uncheck the enable box, you may have dozens of unnecessary programs up and running as soon as your computer boots up (as if it will happen quickly).

“”The most common cause of a slow computer is too many startup programs,” says Aaron Schoeffler, a computer repair doctor atLaptopMD. 90% of programs want permission to start when your computer boots, so you use them, and that can lead to five to ten minutes of boot time. When it finally started up, many programs were running in the background, and if you’re not on a newer computer, that can slow it down.

While some programs – like anti-virus software and firewalls – should be allowed to run from start-up, others – like iTunes or Microsoft Office – can quickly be closed until you need to access files from their digital depths.

Overcome

Mac: Go to Applications / Systems Preferences / User Groups / Login Items path, then uncheck the unnecessary programs. Remove desktop icons that you are not using by removing them or, in the case of files you have saved to your computer for convenience, rearrange them into the appropriate folder.

Windows 8 and 10: Windows Key + X / Task Manager / Startup tab, then right-click on the programs you want to remove and select Disable.

Windows 7 or later: Start button, then search for System Configuration. Go to the Startup tab, then uncheck each program if you don’t want to start when the system boots.

2. Your hard drive is faulty

A near-end of hard drive life is a common problem. Hard drives are made up of moving parts that rotate thousands of times a day, and they wear out. In general, after two to three years of stable use, there’s a high chance that a hard drive will fail.

In contrast, solid-state drives (SSDs) do not experience the same degradation as physical hardware and have a lifespan of eight to ten years. Solid-state drives are also ten times faster than standard hard drives, and you’re looking at boot times from three to five minutes to 15-20 seconds, according to Mr. Schoeffler. However, SSDs are more expensive per gigabyte of storage – that’s not a problem if you have a 2TB drive, but it can be expensive if you need the drive to store large photo or video files.

Overcome

Run the hard drive test:

Windows 7, Vista: Follow the path Windows Explorer / Computer / right-click on drive / Properties / Tools / Check Now . You can choose Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. This will prevent your computer from accessing any bad areas of the Hard Drive but may also increase scan times to several hours.

Mac: Go to Applications / Utilities / Disk Utility, then highlight the hard drive in question and click First Aid at the top of the screen.

In general, avoid dropping, throwing, or otherwise impacting the hard drive to prolong its life. You might also consider upgrading your hard drive: Bypass, we tend to recommend upgrading to solid-state drives.

3. Your hard drive is 95% full.

When your hard drive is 95% full, your computer can be 50% slow. At this point, there is no space to store the temporary files required for the programs to function, so if the OS doesn’t know how to run correctly anymore, he says.

Hard drive space is occupied by programs, program updates, and downloads, as well as temporary files and related files of deleted programs, so you can clear the right amount of space with just how to clean your trash. Check your hard drive’s status by (Mac) clicking Apple and selecting About this Mac or (Windows) pressing Start / Computer and right-clicking on the primary hard drive (usually C: ), then going to Properties.

Overcome

Deeply clean your computer of unnecessary files from unused programs to defunct downloads and temporary files. This can include bloatware manufacturers preloaded onto computers supposedly running utilities or cleaners. System backups and restore points can also take up a large amount of space, so don’t keep more backup versions than you need. To optimize the space, you may also want to migrate files to a cloud storage service. Recommended program CCleaner (Mac / Windows) Free to quickly delete unnecessary files, including temporary files created by browsers.

Are you wondering about ancient computer cleaning rituals? If you are still using Windows XP or higher for some reason – newer Windows PCs and all Macs don’t require manual defragmentation.

4. Your browser has too many add-ons

Browser extension scan helps fully enhance your web experience (like the adblocker or the unit converter I use) – but they can also be the culprits that slow down your computer. by eating up the handle’s power. All extensions are created equal – some might claim to be a pop-up blocker or search saver, but they could be browser adware. Can slow down your computer by downloading ads and pop-up them every time you open your browser.

Overcome

Disable or remove extensions and toolbars you don’t need:

Firefox: Press the menu button on the right side, select Add-ons / Extensions, then choose to disable or delete for each item in the list.

Chrome: Right-click any 3-dot button / Other Tools / Extensions, then uncheck the box to disable a specific item or click the trash can to say goodbye to it.

Safari:Tap Safari (top left) / Preferences / Security / Extensions, then select an item to uninstall. You can also turn off all Extensions here.

Internet Explorer: Tools / Add-ons Manager / Show all add-ons, select the offender (s) and click Disable or Remove.

Edge: Install and Add / Extensions, then remove anything you don’t need.

5. You are running too many programs at once

Doing a trillion things at once is why we have computers, but at some point, your little bundle of artificial intelligence will falter. Your computer’s ability to run multiple programs at once is based on RAM (random access memory), which allows it to switch from one program processing to another seems smooth. Still, if the need arises To open programs far exceeding your computer’s memory and processing power, you will notice a slowdown.

Overcome

Go into Task Manager (Windows; Ctrl + Alt + Del) or Activity Monitor (Mac; Cmd + Space, enter the bar), Spotlight) to see which programs are open and increase processing power.

Then turn off those you don’t need. For Mac, Windows 10, Windows 7, and earlier versions of Windows, you can close programs from the file menu. In Windows 10 and 8, programs are built to run in the background for a while, then automatically shut down. But if you want to manually turn it off once and make sure all the files associated with it are off, drag from the top of the screen to the bottom and hold there until the icon flips over.

6. Too many browser tabs open

If you’re in dozens of open tabs (You’re better never to lose a link, you assert), your browser is more likely to steal than its fair share of RAM. When you open a new browser tab, it will be saved in RAM. If you only have a little free RAM left, you run out of room to process everything active, so your computer slows down.

Multiple open browsers can also slow down work, and you’ll get an extra score of slowdown if any of the tabs refresh automatically (say, a live blog). What’s more, having so many informational browser tabs that are supposed to be critical doesn’t help our efficiency or our attention.

Overcome

Bookmark the necessary page links (in the Bookmarks folder) and disable those tabs. Even better, One-Tab for Chrome and Firefox do the job for you, compiling all your open tabs into a simple list on one tab, which can then be accessed as needed.

7. Rogue bots are stealing all of the processing powers

It’s not always a heavy video or music application eating out your computer’s processing power. Some system programs or processes might get stuck in a loop or have an error.

Overcome

Check how many programs and processes are in use by going to Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac). For both, click on the CPU tab to order the programs according to their processing level. If a program you are not actively using is still there in the top few, you can choose to exit the process.

8. You have an overheating anti-virus program

Having an active anti-malware program is an essential part of computer cleaning – but you may be running regular background scans at the worst possible times. Virus scanning slows down computers because they are running in the background. Some antivirus programs can be set to full weekly scans, which can take several hours and take up a lot of processing power.

Overcome

Go into your antivirus settings and choose to disable or configure it to scan late at night when you’re not using your computer. (That feature might not be available on some free antivirus programs – a good case for an upgrade.)

9. You have the virus

If it’s not anti-virus software, it’s probably a virus. Viruses, spyware, and other malware can slow down your computer as they mess up everything from hijacking your browser to pushing promotional or phishing sites, damaging them. Nowadays, viruses often install a malicious program that randomly runs ads, which is an easy way to generate income for their creators.

Overcome

Run a malware scan. It would be best to use Malwarebytes free (Mac / Windows) as your anti-malware cybersecurity tool. We also recommend  Bitdefender Total Security and Symantec Norton Security Premium.

10. Someone is using your computer for encryption

A sluggish computer can signal that a program or advertisement is using your system to mine cryptocurrency. This happens because the code is on a website and only works while it is open. Some legitimate websites like Salon use it as a system for generating income instead of users viewing ads (users can opt-in if they agree).

Without your permission, a website may have an extension that uses your computer’s processing power to mine cryptocurrency. This is a legal gray area as it doesn’t directly do or add anything to your system.

Cryptocurrencies (also known as cryptocurrencies) can also result from malware downloading to your computer – like the Digiminevirus spreading through the Chrome version of Facebook Messenger. Then running in the background, Exploit and resend the information to the creator.

Overcome

Shutting down your browser stops browser-based encryption. To determine if you accidentally downloaded encryption malware, head to Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) and see what is asking for your processor. Whether it’s a browser-based cryptocurrency or a virus, you’ll be able to know if something is using your processor for your own needs.

11. Your operating system is too smooth

It’s a battle for looks over performance: Enabling visual effects – aka the eyes like incredible transitions to minimize windows – can affect the speed of your PC. (and to a lesser extent, Mac) if its hardware slips within the minimum requirements for your operating system of choice.

If you have a good video card – that’s 1GB of RAM on the video card or better – you’re fine. But less than that, [turn on visual effects] can slow down your computer.

Overcome

Windows 7 or later: Path to Start / Control Panel / Performance Information and Tools / Adjust Visual effects, click Adjust for best performance, or manually select the effects you want to keep.

Windows 8 and 10:Windows key + X / System / Advanced System Settings / Performance Settings / then select as above

Mac: System Preferences / Dock to minimize apps, change that superhuman Genie effect to a practical Scale effect (basically disappears). Uncheck the Animate app to open it.

12. Your room is too dusty

Sometimes the problem isn’t the inside but the outside – is the back of your CPU case covered in dust? This can prevent the processor from cooling vents as they turn away to run Photoshop, Spotify, Outlook, and Skype. And no one wants a hot computer – heat increases the chances of crashes and crashes.

As for a laptop, whenever you notice your laptop heating up, you should check that its vents, usually on the sides, are not blocked. For example, please don’t place your laptop on something soft like a pillow where it could sink in.

Overcome

Blow the dust. If it’s severe, you can use a vacuum cleaner (carefully) or a can of compressed air.

13. You do not have enough memory

If you have deep cleaned your computer and modified your browser tab habits, but your computer is still slow (and you own a PC), you may want to consider a small upgrade in the form of additional RAM.

Some programs need a lot of RAM on your computer to run – for example, programs that work with large files like photo or video editing software. Many people trying to run Photoshop or some graphics-heavy program on an entry-level or intermediate computer can’t handle it.

Overcome

If you are watching videos and playing music, 2GB RAM should do; and 4GB-8GB if you do heavy graphics work on your computer. Luckily, upgrading the RAM on your PC is inexpensive, and most people can handle it independently. To find out what RAM upgrade options are available for your computer, try the Kingston memory preferences tool.

14. You need to restart your computer

Re rebooting seems to solve many tech problems because programs can hang for a multitude of reasons. A lot of things are compressed in the background.

Instead of manually digging into Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) to find the slowdown root, reboot the system, a potion for rogue programs, phishing resources, and a file.

Overcome

Bite the bullet and turn everything off. You even get the added benefit of applying critical system updates that could only happen during a reboot.

15. You are running in low power mode

Some Windows laptops give you the option to adjust power settings to maximize performance. Go to Control Panel> Hardware and Sound> Power Options and select “ Create a Power Plan “. If your computer allows you to adjust the speed of the components, you will see three options: “Balanced,” “Power saver,” and “High performance”. Select “ High performance ” and create a package name. You will then see a screen where you can choose your power pack. Choose your new plan. Creating a power pack based on ” High performance ” will automatically maximize your computer’s performance.