Why is My Computer Slow? – How to Fix a Slow Computer

Everyone who uses computers has dealt with long bootups, long program startups and slow loading of internet connections. When you are on a tight deadline or require maximum productivity, the last thing you want is to be stuck waiting for things to load and asking yourself, “Why is my computer slow?”

Why is My Computer Slow?

Perhaps your computer is old, and it’s just getting too slow. Or maybe you’ve been using a new computer for a few months and suddenly find it’s slowed to a crawl. You are sitting in front of your computer wondering, “Why is my PC so slow?”

How to Fix Slow Computers

Don’t waste money on apps that promise to fix slow computers. Most of them are scams and don’t work, and many of them contain malware designed to breach your data. But before you invest in a new computer, you should take some relatively easy steps to speed it up.

• Restart Your Computer – The simple function of restarting your computer should be the first step. Restarts should be done daily in order to clear the RAM cache and remove unnecessary temporary files.
• Delete All Temporary Files – You can manually delete all temporary files to free up more space.
• Uninstall Programs You Don’t Use – We often have programs that came with our computer or were purchased for a specific project years ago. Besides taking up storage space on your hard drive, they might be running in the background without your knowledge.
• Remove Unnecessary Startup Programs – Do you ever get frustrated waiting for your computer to boot up? Reducing the number of programs that automatically load at startup can speed up the bootup process.
• Get More Hard Drive Storage – A hard drive is constantly searching its active storage regions to respond to your commands. If your hard drive storage is getting full, it will take your computer much longer to find what you are requesting and retrieve it for use.
• Get More RAM – Random Access Memory or RAM is what makes the programs and data you’re using readily available. If you need to have multiple programs open simultaneously, you need sufficient memory to efficiently allow you to access everything you need for your work. RAM has become relatively inexpensive over time, and adding more could be an easy fix for a slow computer.
• Run a Disk Defragment Utility – An overloaded hard drive can slow everything down. Running a Disk Defragment Utility organizes the data stored on different hard drive regions and removes blank regions to make retrieval of the data faster and more efficient. Defragging will also allow you to see what data is taking up the most space on the drive and help you make better decisions about what you need and what can be deleted.
• Run an Overall Disk Cleanup – Running Disk Cleanup searches your hard drive and then presents you with a “cleaning list” of items that you might want to delete, including:
  • Temporary files
  • Internet cache files
  • Unnecessary program files that can be safely deleted
• Install a Solid-State Drive – Solid-state drives use flash memory to store data, which affords your computer greater reliability and efficiency over hard drives. They also don’t have any moving parts, like a spinning hard disk, thus requiring less power to function. Drawing less power translates into longer battery life for users who use laptops.

Maintaining Your Computer – Security and Maintenance are Key to Efficient Computer Use

IT maintenance is essential to maintaining a fast, secure and smoothly running system and network. All devices connected to your business network or used for doing business must be maintained regularly. They must also be analyzed for ease of access and operation and have established security protocols and defenses in place to protect your hard-earned business and personal data. With the expanded use of remote and work-from-home employees, having a team of IT experts to support your systems is imperative for a small to midsized business. Your IT support team can show you how to fix a slow computer – and train your staff, update your software, inspect and monitor your hardware and provide iron-clad cyber security for all your devices and networks. GEEK-AID^® Computer and Network Support specializes in customized Managed IT Services for small to midsized businesses. GEEK-AID^®'s team of experts is comprised of top specialists in different areas of IT services, serving clients on-site and remotely. The GEEK-AID^® team is available 24/7/365, remotely or in-person, to ensure your computers, network and data stay healthy and secure. As your business grows its network and adds more devices such as smart controls, smart devices, wireless access and remote access, your network's vulnerability and need for cyber security grow. In addition to maintaining the hardware, software and security, employee training and regular IT support must be ongoing. New users and new devices will require additional training to use those devices efficiently. Hardware and software installation and maintenance, repair, cyber security and network protection are all related and must be consistent, proactive and not waiting for a system failure or data breach.

Call 877-GEEK-AID^® / 877-433-5243 to evaluate and discuss all of your IT needs. Remember, we are here for you 24/7/365.