Why My Computer is Running Slow?



One of the most frustrating things to happen when using a PC is when your PC is running slowly. There are many reasons why this is happening to your PC and this article will explain why and how to prevent this from happening.

Start-up Overload

The more programs you have loading at start-up, the slower your start-up will be. Ways to avoid this would be to remove programs that are not necessary on boot up. Other methods to take would be to always update Windows and always use the disk clean-up application as well.

Spyware

Spyware is malicious software that sneakily embed themselves into your software. They are installed into your software without any of your knowledge, especially through emails. These must be removed from your computer before they cause damage to your operating system and your applications as well. If you do have spyware, enter safe mode and be sure you are disconnected from the internet. Delete temporary files and use an anti-malware application to scan your PC for any spyware or any virus for that matter. If the spyware appears to be gone, run a full anti-virus scan with your real time anti-virus program to confirm it is gone.

The Registry

If your registry is corrupted or overloaded, there could be a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) in your future. Corruption or overload of the registry can cause Slow Windows Start-up, Performance problems, Very slow shutdowns and a general disruption when you are processing your system. In order to keep your registry as clean as it can be, use a registry cleaning application like CC Cleaner.

 

Badly Fragmented Hard Drive

Over time, your computer files can be scattered all over your Hard Drive. This is called fragmentation and causes file searches to be slower than normal. Disk Defragmenter reduces data access time and allows storage to be used more efficiently, another way to see if your Hard Drive is healthy or not is to run chkdsk. This program will check for any bad sectors and directory errors in your hard drive. This will help keep your hard drive healthy. 

 

Poor Security Software

A lot of security programs are overloaded with software and demand a lot of system resource and memory. The constant search for malicious programs can cause your system to get sluggish.

Page File

Windows Page File is a temporary source of memory used by the system in processing functions. If your Page File is too small, your operating system will not have the room to move and the result of this will lead to poor performance and error messages. The average size of a page file in a computer is 1.5x the size of your RAM. To check this go to Control Panel>System>Advanced system settings>Advanced, then under the Performance tab select Settings and then select Advanced again and you should see the Virtual Memory option. Check to make sure it’s at least 1.5x the size of your RAM

 

Too Many Windows and Temporary Files

Your Hard Drive could be crammed with lots of useless files left over from re-installations and general usage. Be sure to use the Disk Clean-up application to get rid of temporary files.

 

Viruses

Be sure to have a bi-directional firewall and a good anti-virus program to protect you.  Always be sure to keep your anti-virus up to date and always run scheduled scans on your computer using the anti-virus software. Another way of preventing a virus is by keeping your Operating System up to date. Other forms of good practice to prevent viruses are to use multiple strong passwords and always have your files backed up.

Common Hardware Problems

Other issues why your computer is running slowly could be because you have a hardware problem. There are many common hardware problems to look out for such as:Blank Monitor: One of the most common problems with a blank monitor could be because of a loosened video cable. In this case, push the video cable back into place and see if this works.

Hard Drive Failure: Hard Drive failure is one of the major hardware problems. The only thing that can be done here is to try and recover as much data off the hard drive as you can unless you have a backup.    

                                                                                                                                                          

Error When Booting

Errors when booting usually happen during reboots. Some errors are straight forward but others can be very technical. Make sure that all wires leading to the computer are properly pushed in. Sometimes external drives can also cause errors. Remove them and try to reboot.

Starting Problems: If you are unable to start your computer, the best thing to do is to restart your computer and choose a configuration like Safe Mode or Last Known Good Configuration. Safe Mode is a great option as it gives the computer the chance to analyse what is actually wrong with the computer.

Overheating

If the heat inside the base unit gets hot enough, devices may fail to function or suffer permanent damage. Many computers are designed to automatically shut down at a certain temperature and prevent the CPU from suffering permanent damage.