One of the most popular computer questions people ask is “Why is it running slowly?” Over our 34 years of business we have narrowed down the list of possible answers. We will assume that your machine is not new, nor is it a super computer. These are listed here in the order of importance.

1. It was born slow

Some computers are never destined to be fast. If it was cheap, then it will be slow. If you have an i3 or AMD then its started life as a slow machine. Imagine using a Citroen 2CV in a Formula 1 race and you get the picture.

2. Age
Computers slow down from the day you buy them. It can be age of the components (10%) but usually its whats been loaded on it since you bought it or your requirements have changed. A kettle is a kettle to the day it goes bang, no updates, no changes just the occasional de-scale maybe.

3. Slow anti-virus
If you have McAfee, Norton or Kaspersky then your machine will slow down, these are big lumbering AV systems, they might be better than nothing or AVG but try something nimble, light an effective such as ESET.

4. Too many programs running at once
Users download utilities, updates, apps and other programs that often run in the background. The more programs that are running – whether you see them or not – the less time your your computer has to do other things you are asking it to do. Web browser helpers, too many Anti-malware and Virus programs. As each one is added, it will slow down your machine’s processing speed

5. There’s not enough free or slow RAM
This isn’t as bad as it used to be but Random-access memory (RAM) is what your computer uses for temporary working and thinking space. The more programs running at a time, the more RAM is used. If it runs out is starts using the hard disk as temporary storage area and that s 100X’s slower. Slow RAM also affects performance, see 1. above.

6. You have a virus/malware infection.
Internet slowdowns and slow computer operation can be a symptom of an infection. Dont use the Antivirus that’s on your machine, it didn’t get it first time (Probably Norton, McAfee or a free one). Use ESET or Trend online scanners or talk to us.

7. You have low hard drive space.
Lack of hard drive space often affects older computers, or computers that do a lot of video editing or design work. Hard drives, which store all of your computer’s information, have a finite amount of space. Once they’re filled up, the computer no longer has the ability to manipulate files. The computer will slow down, eventually becoming unusable.

Generally, Windows will alert you to “low disk space” if this is the case. Moving some of your less-used files — such as pictures, music, and movies — to an external hard drive would free up some of your computer’s hard drive space and make it run faster. Deleting temporary files and performing a disk cleanup are also good ways to reclaim wasted space. Another solution? Install a bigger hard drive.

8. Restart your computer.
Every once in a while, it is a good idea to restart your computer. A computer cannot complete some of its updates until you restart. Restarting your computer can also free up memory resources tied up by buggy programs known as Terminate and Stay Resident.

9. Sharing or insecure wireless network.
If your internet is running slowly, but your computer is running quickly, you could have a lot of activity on your wireless network. Check to see if anyone else on your network is doing something that uses a lot of bandwidth (like streaming video or playing online games), as this can make your computer run slowly. You should also make sure your wireless network is secure so someone else isn’t using your Internet bandwidth.

10. Too many “bells and whistles.”
Animated pointers and hi-resolution images of your favourite snap shots may look nice, but they can also slow your computer down. Since animations and images load into memory every time you start your PC , there is less processing power available for more important tasks.

11. You have a scanning program running.
When a scanning program such as an anti-virus, anti-spyware, or automatic backup is running, your computer may respond slowly if your machine is prone to slow down. These programs should be run at least once a week, but don’t plan on using your machine while they are running.

12. Your computer barely meets your software’s minimum requirements.
Software usually has a list of requirements. These specifications are the absolute minimum levels needed to make the software run. If your computer just meets the requirements, the software will run, but it might not run well.

13. Fragmented hard drive.
Your hard drive is very busy so its low on time, it saves bits of a file all over the place, rather than all together. This works fine for a while, but everything is scattered, and it takes your hard drive longer to find everything and put it back together. Imagine scattering a novel in any space in your house and then going to get it all when you want to read it. It’s important to defragment your hard drive to help the computer organise itself better. Defragmenting your hard drive will put everything back in order and in the right place.

Those are the reasons but what can you do about it? Try talking to us, we have more knowledge and experience that most of the other IT companies in the area and we will give you that advice free of charge, just give us a call on the number below that is nearest to you and we will be happy to advise you.