What Can Slow Down Your Computer, and How to Fix It
Things that slow down your PC, and ways for fixing them.
Top Culprits That Slow Down Your Computer, and How to Fix Them
With the age of fast advancing technology, an ever-expanding cyberspace, and the necessity of the internet in a countless number of industries, it should be no surprise that the vast majority of people are using electronic devices, such as desktop computers, smartphones, tablets and other gadgets. People now work, communicate, and use entertainment right from the home, via their computer. As a result, it can be very annoying to a computer user when their device begins to slow down and become sluggish. When people use devices that are marketed as having lightning speeds with powerful capabilities, it can feel ironic when your computer begins to falter. And for those who cannot afford to, or do not want to throw away money on the latest, newest computers, it can be easy for a person to feel they are stuck with their device. However, there are many free and easy ways you can take, to make your computer much faster without having to sacrifice time, money and energy.
Common Suspects that Lead to a Slow Computer
In order to figure out how to make your computer faster, we should firstly take a look at the common suspects that can make your computer slower than its true capabilities. Once you identify the problems your computer is experiencing, you can then enact the solution to them. Common reasons for your computer being slow may include:
- bloatware,
- too many programs in the background,
- corrupted files and registry,
- antivirus taking too much of your PC's resources,
- too many startup programs,
- computer used for cryptomining without your knowledge.
Let’s take a look at each of them:
Bloatware is a term that refers to the software on a user’s computer that they do not use. Bloatware tends to come in a package of multiple software’s that came along with the main software, or a package of plugins that provide extra modifications to a software you use. Bloatware tends to “bloat” in your computer, as it takes up a lot of room on your hard drive. It also tends to suck up power from your computer when open even if the user never utilizes them, and some don’t even know that such software is on their computer. Bloatware comes in different forms, depending on its origin but they can be a large speed hog that affects your computer’s speed.
Another common item that causes slow computer speeds are corrupted files and corrupted registry files. Files that are corrupted in your hard drive are known to cause slow speeds, computer crashes and even blue screens. These files, since they are corrupted, take up an unnecessary amount of your computer’s power without doing anything, except slowing down your computer’s speed. When it comes to your registry, files that are store here can also be corrupted and cause trouble. Your computer registry is where your Windows operating system stores information, settings and other items connected to your computer’s software and hardware. And just like regular files on your computer, they too can be corrupted.
A known issue that also causes a computer to slow down is your own antivirus. We already covered how viruses and malware can cause a computer to slow down, so doesn’t seem ironic that your own antivirus can contribute to that? It might seem so but consider that antivirus software that are over-active in cleaning and protecting your computer from threats can suck up a lot of power as well, just like malware and viruses.
Another issue you should be vigilant in looking for are open software, and software programs that start upon you turning on the computer – startup programs. While the previous sections covered subjects that hold an abnormal presence on your computer, regular software that don’t pose an issue up front is normal. Which is why it might fly under the radar of some people. Remember that when you turn on your computer, it needs a lot of power to turn on, so when you have programs that start up automatically when you turn on your device, your computer has to allocate extra power to turn on the programs along with your operating system. Hence, it results in a slow speed. Furthermore, while using your computer, having too many programs opened can make your computer slow, as like with the startup programs your computer needs a lot of power to stably operate all those programs you have open. Here is more about How To Speed Up PC Startup.
Lastly, you should check if your computer is being used for cryptocurrency mining without your knowledge. As it takes a lot of time and power to mine cryptocurrencies using just one computer, malicious actors online are starting to harness other people’s computers to do the job without them knowing. Before, criminals would release a virus online that when installed on a computer, would start mining currency. But now, the process has become much simpler and lighter. These actors now infect websites with JavaScript files that run from the ads of the website. All it takes is for the user to open the website, and the mining begins. As mining cryptocurrency take sup a large amount of speed, it will cause very slow speeds to computer.
Simple and Affordable Hardware Upgrades to your Computer
While we usually cover solutions that involve the software side of fixing your computer, there are two solutions you can take to upgrade and speed up your computer when it comes to your hardware. You can do these easily and without breaking the bank. The two main hardware components you should upgrade to speed up your computer is your hard drive and your random-access memory cards (RAM). A stock hard drive is the usual stock storage device on your computer. It uses magnets and a rotating actuator to store your data and information. Since it has moving parts, it can be very limited in its speed and efficiency, especially if it’s a low-end one. Consider upgrading your hard drive to a solid-state drive (SSD). A solid-state drive has the same function, being your main storage device, but it has no moving compartments. As a result, it stores data with a much more fast and consistent speed. However, if you do not want to purchase an SSD, there are other options as well. You can find quality fast hard drives that are 7200 RPMs (revolutions per minute) or faster, at fair prices. This way you can save a few extra dollars while improving your computer’s speed.
When it comes to random access memory (RAM), these would be smaller storage devices that save, send, and receive data/information in any order, wherever it comes from. In essence, RAM saves data on a short-term basis. In essence, your RAM stores your data and information when you are actively using it. For example, your RAM will handle your data and information when using a web browser for a few hours, or when you are playing a video game. This is an easy component to upgrade because all computers and most laptops have an accessible port for RAM. You simply have to open your computer, take out your old RAM sticks and replace them with newer ones with larger storage.
How a Computer Optimizer like System Mechanic can Help your computer
With a quality computer cleaner and optimizer like System Mechanic, you will be able to see what is slowing down your computer the most and will help you out with simple solutions. System Mechanic can clear all the junk/temporary and corrupted files clogging up your hard drive, scan your computer for malware that is sucking up all your power, and let you know which software takes up the most of your computer. All this can minimize or fully eradicate PC crashes. Give your computer a good clean and optimization via System Mechanic, and you will certainly experience much faster speeds then before, all with a few clicks of your mouse!
