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How to Fix a Slow Computer
Whether it’s taking forever to start up or the opening and closing of tabs are sluggish, a slow computer can make activities you love, like gaming, less enjoyable and completing work more cumbersome.
A slow computer may not be a challenging problem if you have a decent hardware setup.
This review will guide you through correcting basic issues that can cause your computer to slow down. These issues include corrupted updates, faulty programs, a full hard drive, insufficient RAM, or an overburdened processing unit.
1. Defragment Your Drive
How to Fix a Slow Computer – Defragment Your Drive
Some of that data becomes fragmented whenever you create, edit, or delete a file on your PC.
This means pieces of files are stored in various sections of your hard drive. Over time, this can cause your PC to slow down because the drive must search for each data piece.
To defragment a drive, click on the magnifying glass in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
Next, enter ‘Defrag’ in the text box and click ‘Open.’ Then click ‘Analyze’ to see the amount of space taken up by fragmented files.
If there are many fragmented files, click on ‘Optimize’ and allow your drive to reach 0% fragmented files before you start launching apps or opening files again.
2. Disable Some Startup Programs
Disable Some Startup Programs
To find out which applications launch when you boot up your computer, open ‘Task Manager’ and click the ‘Startup’ tab at the top of this window.
You will now see the application’s name, status, and startup impact.
Next, click on the header of the ‘Startup Impact’ column to view which apps slow down your PC the most.
Then select an app and click on the ‘Disable’ button.
This is an advanced setting. Do not disable critical applications such as Windows Explorer or your antivirus software. Disable the apps you understand and do not need to use.
3. Quit Apps Running in the Background
Quit Apps Running in the Background
If your computer is slow, one of the simplest things you can do is shut down programs. However, some programs continue to run in the background even after being closed.
Such programs will consume processing power, causing your PC to slow down.
You can use ‘Task Manager’ to shut down apps running in the background. To do this,
Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete on your keyboard, then click ‘Task Manager.’
Next, click ‘More Details’ in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
This will allow you to see which applications consume your computer’s memory and processing power.
4. Remove Malware from Your Computer
Remove Malware from Your Computer
If you see pop-ups on your PC or apps randomly crashing, your PC might be infected with malware. Microsoft Defender, the default protection for Windows OS, is quite sufficient for an average home user as long as it’s
up to date. You can also consider getting a third-party antivirus for PC or MAC.
Malware (malicious software) can come from emails from unknown contacts or files downloaded from suspicious websites.
To eliminate malware from your PC, click on the magnifying glass in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
Next, enter ‘Security’ in the text box and click ‘Open.’
Then click ‘Virus & Threat Protection’ and select ‘Quick Scan.’
This will check for and eliminate any malware detected on your PC.
5. Update Your Operating System
Update Your Operating System
You could miss essential driver updates and software patches if you haven’t updated your OS in a while.
This can slow down your PC and leave you unprotected from security vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.
To determine whether your PC needs updating, click on the magnifying glass in the bottom-left corner of your screen and enter ‘Update’ in the text box.
Next, click ‘Open’ and then ‘Download’ if any updates are available for your PC.
6. Upgrade Your RAM
Upgrade Your RAM
RAM (random-access memory) is a computer’s temporary storage. It keeps all apps and files you’ve opened on standby.
When needed, the RAM on your computer can quickly retrieve information and hand it over to the processor.
To find out the amount of RAM on your PC, click on the magnifying glass in the bottom corner of your screen.
Next, enter ‘About’ in the text box and click ‘Open.’ Under your device’s specifications, you’ll see the amount of RAM installed on your PC.
If you’d like to upgrade your PC’s RAM, ensure the RAM unit is interchangeable. Some laptops have RAM units soldered onto the motherboard, meaning you cannot change or upgrade them.
See Also: Best 32GB RAM for Laptop
7. Upgrade Your Storage
Upgrade Your Storage
If your laptop has an HDD (hard disk drive), upgrading to an SSD (solid-state drive) might be time. SSDs don’t have moving parts, so they read and write data faster.
Most laptops nowadays have empty M.2 slots, which can be used to install an SSD. All you need is a screwdriver. You can even leave your old HDD in place and use it as a backup drive.
Note: There are many ways to fix a slow computer, such as removing browser extensions and not running too many applications simultaneously. However, sometimes a slow computer might just be a sign that it’s time to save for a new machine.
Final Thought
As you can see, fixing a slow computer is relatively easy, and you can do it yourself. However, if you have attempted all the steps above and your computer is still slow, consider looking online for how to reinstall your operating system.
See Also