What makes my computer runs slow

When you turn on your PC, some programs start automatically and run in the background. Many programs are designed to start automatically when Windows does.

Sometimes you can determine which programs start automatically by looking at the program icons in the notification area on the far right of the taskbar. To try to find out the name of the program, point to the icon with your mouse pointer. Even after you check the notification area, you might still miss some programs that run automatically at startup.

To stop a program from starting automatically. Open Startup Apps settings. In the Startup Apps area, find the program you want to stop from starting automatically and set it to Off. Note: If you turn off a program and it continues to start automatically when Windows starts, you should scan for viruses and malware.

See the next section for more info. A virus, malware, or malicious software could cause your PC to run slowly.

Other symptoms include unexpected pop-up messages, programs that unexpectedly start automatically, or the sound of your hard disk constantly working. The best way to handle viruses and malicious software is to try to prevent them by running antimalware and antivirus software and keeping it up to date. However, even if you take precautions, your PC can still become infected. For more info, see How to protect your Windows PC.

If they are, choose the one you want to run, and then disable or uninstall any others. If you have another antivirus program installed and turned on, Windows Security will be turned off by default. To scan for viruses using Windows Security. Open Windows Security settings. On the Protection updates screen, select Check for updates to make sure you have the most recent updates.

Wait for Windows Security to finish scanning for viruses and malware. Run the recommended advanced scan. This scan takes longer but searches more extensively for threats on your PC. If no viruses are found, restart your PC and try to reproduce the performance problem you were having with your PC. To scan for malware and viruses with Microsoft Defender Offline. The scan might take 15 minutes or so, and your PC will restart again after that. Restoring your PC undoes recent changes that might be causing problems.

If you think a recently installed app, driver, or update for Windows could be causing problems, you might get things running normally again by restoring your PC to an earlier point, called a restore point.

Select Search on the taskbar, type advanced system , then select View advanced system settings from the list of results. On the System Protection tab, select System Restore. Select Recommended restore to go with the most recent restore point Windows has made automatically, or Choose a different restore point to select one yourself, then select Next. If you chose to select a different restore point, select one, then select Next.

Either way, select Finish to begin restoring. In the search box on the taskbar, type create a restore point , then select Create a restore point from the list of results. On the System Protection tab, select Configure. One of the best ways to get the most out of your PC is to make sure you have the latest version of Windows 10 installed.

Sometimes apps that were made for an earlier version of Windows will still run on Windows 10, but they might slow down your PC. In the search box on the taskbar, type troubleshoot , then select Troubleshoot settings , which has System settings listed underneath it. Select File Explorer from the taskbar. In the search box on the taskbar, type advanced system , and then select View advanced system settings , which has Control panel listed underneath it.

In the Temporary Files area, select Delete temporary files that my apps aren't using. Select which files you want Storage Sense to delete your choices are files in your Recycle Bin and in your Downloads folder , then select the corresponding time intervals. In addition to lagging, other signs may indicate that the hard disk of your PC is getting old. Are there any weird sounds coming from the computer with the lag? If your slow computer has frequent operating system freezes, then the hard disk is probably just too old.

You can replace an old hard drive. It can actually be more expensive to upgrade the RAM. If the rest of your PC hardware is as old as the hard drive, you might want to consider buying a new computer. There are different ways your computer stores memory. Generally, the PC stores files and installed programs in the storage drive. Typically, the storage drive is a hard disk. In computers purchased in the last one or two years, the storage drive could be a solid-state SSD drive.

PCs can slow down when the storage drive is full to the brim. Your PC needs a certain amount of available space in the storage drive. It allows the CPU to swap files and store temporary files.

Lack of memory makes these tasks difficult or impossible. That could cause the operating system to slow down. You can free up space on the storage drive by deleting old and unnecessary files. Delete temporary files to make room for new ones. Uninstall programs you no longer use.

You can also move photos and videos to an external storage device , like a USB stick. Your PC needs at least MB of free space on the storage drive. Ideally, there should be more than MB. Older computers still have GB hard drives. You can consider upgrading to a 1TB or more storage drive. Alternatively, connect an external hard drive to your PC to store files remotely. You can view a breakdown of extensions and tabs that could be to blame in Task Manager by clicking on the arrow next to your browser's name.

Alternatively, if you use Chrome, it has a built-in task manager of its own. If you find that your browser is often causing your PC to slow to a crawl, try a different browser or keep an eye on how many tabs or windows you have open at a given time. There's a wide range of methods available for troubleshooting and speeding up your PC. Below are some steps to take that should, at the very least, temporarily speed up your slow computer:. If none of the above suggestions speeds up your computer to a level that you're happy with, you can try reducing animations, changing themes and toggling other Windows specific settings.

If you're trying to get remote help, make sure you know the best way to take screenshots on Windows If you're more of an Apple household, you're in luck: We have recommendations for speeding up a slow Mac , too. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read.

Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. Slow PC? Browse the internet for the most recent drivers compatible with your computer hardware, download and install them or install driver updating software to locate and install the drivers for you.

If your computer has been in use for more than 5 years, then running slow is more of a natural progression rather than a problem. At some point, due to the frequent releases of updates for programs, your computer will fail to meet the minimum requirements for certain updates leaving you to work with old and outdated programs.

You only have several options. If none of the above issues are the reason behind your computer running slow, then hardware failure could be imminent hence causing a slow down on your machine. At Vintage IT services, we understand how frustrating the speed slump down must be to your productivity and business efficiency.

As a leading provider of managed IT services, we can help take the burden away by troubleshooting, installing, and supporting your PC, so that you can focus on your core competencies. Would you love to learn more about how we can help you manage your IT resources? Contact us today and let us do the legwork for you. Skip to content. Need To Restart When is the last time you restarted your computer?

The solution: Close all your programs and files, then restart your computer. How many tabs are active on your browser? The solution: Only open the tabs you need to use at that moment on your browser. The solution: Start by first knowing the amount of free space on your hard drive.

For windows: click on My Computer then right-click local disk C and go to properties. For Mac: click on the Apple then select About this Mac. Empty your trash bin. Unnecessary Software Updates Software updates are vital to keeping your installed applications running smoothly and secure. The solution: Find a proactive maintenance solution suitable for your computer. Too Many Apps Open Automatically When PC Starts Almost every program you download on your computer will come with a prompt requesting for permission to run when your PC starts, known as startup programs.

The solution: Always be keen when downloading new programs and ensure to uncheck the box giving it permission to run when your PC starts if it is not necessary.

Go to your Start Up tab, right-click on the program you want to remove then select disable.