Patricia
Did you know that 85% of households in the U.S. reported having broadband internet and 78% had at least one desktop or laptop in their home? This means over three-quarters of the country has the chance to work from home, take online classes, order groceries remotely, etc.
Computers open up professional and creative avenues for adults and children alike. However, now that we’re living in a tech-heavy world, broken or slow equipment can cause a massive setback in our daily lives.
If your computer runs slowly, you might be stuck in this exact situation and searching for answers. So, how exactly do you fix a slow computer and get back on track?
We’re here to fill you in. Keep reading below to learn four reasons why your computer is slow and how to deal with them.
1. Long Periods Between Reboots
Frequent computer users often put their machines to sleep when they’re finished using them for the day. However, computers need to be rebooted more often than you might think.
When you reboot your computer, it clears its cache. Program sessions running in the background will be terminated, and your computer will have more free memory available when it’s restarted. It’s wise to restart your computer 2-3 times a week.
2. Nearly-Full Hard Drive
Sometimes the source of a slow computer problem is simply a lack of space on your hard drive. Additionally, the older the hard drive, the more likely it is to cause a lag as it gets fuller. If you want to have your current hard drive fixed, it’s best to get computer repair tips and services from tech professionals.
Alternatively, you can get a new one and then transfer the files from your old hard drive, either to the new hard drive or to a cloud-based storage system. If it’s relatively new and undamaged, you can perform a manual or automatic system-wide deep clean to free up storage.
3. Eliminate Automatic App StartUp
If you’ve rebooted your slow computer and it’s still lagging from the get-go, there are probably too many programs and processes launching during startup. You’ll have to review your programs and decide which you want to launch at startup and run continuously in the background. You can typically do this through either the task manager or by navigating to your system’s application settings.
4. Infected With a Virus or Malware
If your computer runs slowly but you have a slim number of files and programs, the problem may be an undetected virus or malware. The most efficient viruses and malware applications can run quietly in the background and consume large amounts of your computer’s power.
It’s important to have multi-faceted virus and malware protection software in place to prevent your computer from being infiltrated. Be sure to only download programs and files from trusted sources.
Understanding Why Your Computer Runs Slowly
In a digitally-driven world, there’s nothing more frustrating than a slow computer. Luckily, it’s usually pretty easy to identify the problem and take care of it from the comfort of your own home. With the list above, you’ll be able to figure out why your computer runs slowly and how to best fix it!
Looking for more? Check out the rest of our website for extra tech advice, along with everything from business trends to home improvement guides to health tips!
