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7 Causes for Computers Running Slow and How to Fix Them

published 5/7/2020

Computers are almost always a given in every home and office, making our lives and work easier. But eventually, problems will arise.

The biggest being computers running slow. Everyone has run into this problem from home to business. How do you fix it? There are a number of ways and today you can find out how.

Major Reasons for Computers Running Slow

Of course, there will always be problems that will arise related to specific situations, but these are the top issues that computers all around the world experience when running below optimal experience.

  • Hard Drive Problems
  • Equipment Mismatched
  • Lacking Resources
  • Virus Issues
  • Start-Up Lagging
  • Update Problems
  • Runtime Issues

A computer system is a collection of physical and digital systems and with that, there will always be a collection of problems.

Let's Get to Fixing the Problem

Many of the problems are interrelated so fixing one would very easily address others on the list. Here are 7 causes for computers running slow.

1. Keeping Order to Your HDD (Hard Disk Drive)

Delete temporary files. Always delete temporary files. You will not need them in the future and they take up a great deal of space.

It is important to defragment your hard drive, it will aid in the efficient access of information and efficient process of work in your general work in the system.

Another option would be to replace the HDD with an SDD (Solid State Drive). While HDDs tend to be a little bit cheaper they are slower and are more likely to have issues. They also consume more energy than SDD.

The HDD relies on spinning discs, physical media, to store data. These mechanical parts have to physically find data and because they are just that, mechanical parts there is the chance for failure.

We can offer you the best of both worlds if the price point of the SDD is out of your range at the moment. The hybrid drive is an upgrade from a standard HDD with much of the added safety and speed of the SDD

But you will find the drive far lower in cost with a huge upgrade in quality!

2. Mismatched Equipment

This can be a little tricky and requires some troubleshooting and inspection into the inner workings of what your computer is running.

The majority of the time it is related to the CPU. Your computer has top-end graphics processing trying to output high-end settings in a game for example. The graphics card can handle the workload just fine.

However, if the CPU is low or mid-level, the system is going to lag. The processor can't keep up with the rest of the work that it needs to.

A leading processor in the field, especially for gaming, remains the i7 from intel.

3. Lacking Resources

There are other hardware concerns aside from the CPU, especially if you work with any sort of design or production type of software. Anything that requires a lot of resources from your computer.

Active workplace files are essentially "saved" in the background as you are working and have the application open.

These take up a huge amount of system resources and if you are working with the bare minimum you will notice this very quickly. Upgrading RAM will be the quickest solution to this problem.

4. A Continuing Threat in the Computing World

Viruses can be a huge drain on the system resources and are more often than not an unseen threat.

The various types of viruses are constantly changing and for that exact reason is why it is important to keep your education and anti-virus updated.

These viruses will be running just as any process would be and because of that they are taking of system resources, the difference is that you will not see them in a guide such as a program manager.

5. Evaluate Start-Up and Processes Running

Many times when you set up new software it has an option to run at startup, depending on the type of program that it is.

You may be unaware of this and if too many of these programs are running as you start up your computer a lot of system resources will be eaten up before you even begin working.

Working with the system startup configuration is a particularly intricate process, if you need to work on that we can help. There is a collection of services that we offer to boost and strengthen your system.

6. Updates of Both OS and Commonly Used Applications

Any program running be it macOS or Windows eventually will need a proper update.

At some point not updating these things will cause the programs to lag and operate inefficiently. It is important to update any program you are using regularly as well as the operating system itself.

On the same page, you should remember to remove the update files themselves as they will take up essential cache space.

7. Simple Solution

Sometimes all a computer needs is a simple reboot and rest. These days many of us leave the system on regardless of the amount of time it is used and the amount of time we will be away from it.

Over time temporary files and cache files build-up. Applications continue their cycles and eventually, the computer just gets tired.

It may sound like common sense but often that is all it needs. Make that your first check and see how much of a difference it will make, you'd be surprised!

Working With a Healthier Computer System Today

There is a collection of issues that contribute to our computers running slow but we have resources like this to fix these things. All of these steps to take to make sure your system is running at top-notch.

If you need to get any further help, there is always help out there to make sure that the system will operate at full capacity