This is a question I recently got to my email account here at DomsTechBlog.com. This question makes for a great topic for a post. The simple answer is there are many things that can be making a computer run slow. Let’s take a look at the top reasons why your PC could be running slow and ways to remedy each problem.
Not Enough Memory
If your PC has less than 2GB of memory, than this is likely the cause or at least one of the causes of the slowness. Luckily, adding memory to your computer is a pretty simple thing to do. When it comes to buying the memory, I would recommend using the Crucial Memory Scanner since it will help you get the correct RAM for your PC. The RAM from Crucial is solidly made and their prices are reasonable as well. Here is a guide for installation as well.
Virus or Malware
If you are pretty sure you have enough memory, then the next thing that could be making your PC slow is a virus or malware. A bad computer virus can really decimate your PC. You should run a scan for viruses and malware using your virus protection program of choice. I would then recommend downloading malwarebytes and running another scan. It also would be a good idea to run another scan in Windows safe mode as well. If anything is found, make sure you quarantine or remove the problem. This may be easier said than done, however, there are a ton of resources on the Internet that can help with this. You may even be able to find a solution for removing a specific malware.
Too Many Programs or Services Starting up
If you have had your PC for awhile, it is quite possible that you have installed a ton of programs. If most of these programs are starting up when Windows starts up, it could be causing your computer to run slow. You can check out our article on disabling startup programs for help with this. Overall, I would recommend only having programs that you absolutely need automatically start up when Windows starts. Otherwise, you can just start a program when you need it.
Hard Drive Problems
Whether it be defragmentation or bad sectors, hard drive problems can cause your PC to run a little bit slower than it should be running. I would first recommend defragmenting your hard drive with the Windows Defrag tool. Then, I would recommend using the Windows Error-Checking tool to check your hard drive for bad sectors. Both of these tools can be found by opening up a File manager window, then navigating to the root where you see all your drives. From here, you simply right click on the hard drive, click properties, then click the tools tab.
Another possible hard drive issue to look out for is a lack of free space. If your hard drive is almost full, you may want to think about either deleting/moving some files and programs or adding more space by installing an additional hard drive.
Have another tip to add? Let us know in the comments!