You’re sitting at your desk, clicking away, when your screen suddenly starts to freeze. You wait patiently – or not so patiently – and wonder why your computer seems to be working in nothing but slow motion these days.
As frustrating as it is to have to deal with a slow computer, you should know that certain factors can cause a PC to start operating at a snail’s pace, some of which are more avoidable than others. Chris Barber is the chief technician at Cheaper Than A Geek, a Crofton, Maryland IT company offering everything from PC repairs to data recovery services, and according to him, the following are some of the most common things that can cause a PC to slow down:
New programs
Sometimes, the act of installing and subsequently uninstalling a lot of new programs can cause a computer to start running slower. The more programs a computer has on it, the more time it will take to start up, as the presence of extra programs requires a computer to expend energy checking for updates. So will uninstalling those superfluous programs do the trick to speed things up? Not necessarily. Even when you uninstall a program, it still manages to leave little bits of itself behind that your computer will continue to look for after the fact. Your best bet in preventing any additional slowdowns is to therefore make a habit of only installing programs that you absolutely need.
Running too many programs at once
Running multiple programs at the same time can easily suck the energy right out of your computer, thereby causing it to slow down. To make the act of using your PC a lot more pleasant, try limiting the number of programs that are being run simultaneously.
Buggy programs
Sometimes, all it takes is a buggy program to cause your machine to slow down on a whole. By uninstalling a program with bugs in it, you can do your part to speed things up a bit. Just don’t be surprised if this doesn’t constitute a permanent fix, as programs do have a way of wreaking havoc even after they’re gone. To avoid buggy programs, stay away from beta versions (versions that haven’t been fully tested) and only install applications that your computer technician or a trusted expert can vouch for.
Viruses
One of the easiest ways to slow down your computer (and potentially destroy it in the process) is to inadvertently download a virus. While a virus will usually do more than just slow a computer down, one of the earliest signs that you might have one is a sudden decrease in PC speed. This is due to the fact that some viruses work by running spyware or malware in the background, which can cause your computer to be significantly slower. If you think you might have a virus, then it’s imperative that you contact a computer technician at once, as some viruses can be stopped early on.
Age
One of the most common causes of PC slowdowns is basic age-related wear and tear. At or around the five-year mark, the average hard drive tends to start losing some of its power, and as a hard drive degrades, certain portions of its data are bound to be impacted. These affected areas of the hard drive will then have to be internally recovered before they can be presented in the form of an on-screen response, which usually manifests in a noticeable delay between when you ask your computer for information and when you get it.
Perception
Sometimes, all it takes is a faster computer to make yours seem even slower. If your office upgrades its systems, then you might come to find that your older home PC can no longer compare to your efficient office model. However, it’s important not to mistake an altered sense of perception for an actual problem with your machine.
One thing to keep in mind when dealing with a sluggish PC is that it can be easy to confuse a slow Internet connection with a slow computer. If websites seem to take a long time to load but your PC tends to work just fine when you aren’t online, then your problem might very well have little to do with your actual computer and rather the speed your online connection.
Numerous factors could cause a PC to stop running at optimal speed, so if you’re tired of constantly having to wait for yours to respond, then it might be time to bring in an expert to evaluate the situation at hand. After all, computers are supposed to make ours lives easier, so the last thing you’ll want is a machine that slows you down and leaves you nothing but frustrated in the process.
