Fix My Slow Computer

Why my computer is slow

If you are worried about “my slow computer” we will try and help by suggesting various reasons a computer is  slow, and offering solutions.

Firstly we assume that the PC used to run faster (i.e. it is not that your hardware is out of date or you have insufficient memory) and its performance has gradually degraded overtime.   If it has always run slowly it may be worth increasing the memory if the processor is reasonably fast (to 1Gb for XP and 2Gb for Vista/7).

Scan for Viruses

All computers attached to the internet need an anti-virus tool.  These should prevent any virus getting through but they can be over-ridden or mis-configured so if your computer is slow this is a good place to start.   If you don’t have an anti-virus system you should download Microsoft Security Essentials which is free from Microsoft.

Scan for Spyware

It is difficult to stop spyware getting onto your computer as you browse the web and this can affect performance (leads to “My slow computer).   There are a number of programs available to delete and prevent spyware.  A good standalone tool is “Ad-Aware”.

Defragment your hard disk

A hard disk will run slower overtime as data is written and deleted.  As time goes by the operating system cannot find enough contiguous space to store a file in one place and this could be another reason why a computer is  slow.   The operating system therefore splits the file and stores it in parts in smaller spaces on the disk.   This can be solved by defragmenting the disk.   There are commercial products to do this but windows has its own.  Right click on the disk in My Computer or Windows Explorer, select Properties – Tools – Defragment Now.

Before doing this it is worthwhile deleting files you do not need.  Many Registry Tools and Tune-up tools can find and delete unnecessary files including windows and internet temporary files.   If your disk is still nearly full it will also be worthwhile removing more files particularly video files which take up a lot of space (consider using an external hard disk).

If the above steps don’t improve matters you should try cleaning the registry

Clean your Registry

Overtime the registry can become cluttered and possibly corrupt (see “What is the Windows Registry“).   Getting rid of obsolete and incorrect entries will speed up the PC and correct “my slow computer”.   Most Registry Cleaners will include control of startup programs and some other system utilities (see “Our Recommendations“).

Startup Programs

When Windows starts up it automatically loads a number of programs, many of which you may not need.   As you install new programs the number starting automatically can increase without you realizing.   This is one reason why a computer is slow to startup and also is a drain on system resources.   You can disable startup programs using “msconfig” but is it probably easier to use a standalone tool like “Startup Inspector”.   A utility for controlling start-up programs in also included with many Registry Cleaners and Tune –Up systems.

The above steps should help understand my a computer is slow and enable you to fix “My slow computer”.