The biggest complaint I hear about computers is when they begin to run slowly. Using your older computer is like trudging through deep snow, it takes a long time to start up, programs take forever to open, and error messages may appear, etc. Of course, there are many reasons why your computer might be running slower than it used to, but the most common reasons that I’ve seen on my house calls throughout the Berkshires are in this article.
Temporary Files
Temporary file buildup is by far the most common reason for a slow computer. These files are created by programs that you run on your computer, and many programs are not very good at cleaning up after themselves, so these files accumulate over time. Temporary files can slow down Windows and other programs simply because they have to load up thousands of these useless files every time they boot up. If you have never deleted them you may have thousands of these stored on your computer, wasting lots of space and killing your hard drive’s performance. I can show you how to use Disk Cleanup to remove these temporary files.
Fragmented Files
Fragmented files will also slow down your computer. Files become more fragmented over time because your computer has to constantly read and write files on your hard drive to operate. Files are stored in pieces (or sectors) on your hard drive, and after years of loading, saving, deleting and moving files, the pieces of your files get scattered all over the place. Disk Defragmenter is the built-in program that cleans up your fragmented files by reorganizing them into contiguous chunks instead of scattered pieces, improving hard drive performance. Windows Vista and newer versions of Windows will run Disk Defragmenter automatically, and on Windows XP and older computers it needs to be run manually, but despite how new your computer is, it should be run at least a few times a year manually to make sure that the job is getting done right. I can show you how to use Disk Defragmenter.
Too Many Startup Programs
Every time your computer starts, many unwanted programs also start up in the background, which will run constantly while the computer is on, and will take power from your computer processor and memory. This makes your computer start up slower, and will make it run slower. I can weed out these unnecessary programs for you to speed up your computer.
More Than One Antivirus Package
Obviously, antivirus software is essential nowadays, but you should never have more than one full antivirus package on your computer at one time. This will significantly slow it down, and may even cause crashes or failure when Windows is booting up. If you do have more than one antivirus program, then I can keep the one that’s current and uninstall the rest of them for you. This will greatly speed up your computer and make it less prone to crash.
Viruses, Spyware And Malware, Oh My!
As you may already know, I am a regionally-recognized expert at removing viruses, spyware, adware and other malware. I use free programs that are often more effective than the retail store paid versions at protecting your computer. Note that viruses and other malware like worms and trojans may slow down your computer, but this is usually the least of the problems they cause. You may find that you cannot open programs at all, that endless popup windows may appear while browsing the internet, or that you’re unable to get rid of messages warning you of all sorts of errors. The bigger concern is removing the malware for security reasons and to protect your data, and I can do this for you.
Not Enough Memory (RAM)
Your computer uses a hard drive as long-term memory storage, to remember things and to keep your files when the computer gets turned off. Also, your computer uses RAM chips for short-term memory and for assisting your computer’s processor while your computer is running. Lacking enough RAM is by far the most common cause of a computer running very slowly. I can assess your computer to determine how much RAM you have, how much you really need, and what specific kind of RAM you need for me to upgrade your computer, because there are literally thousands of types and capacities of RAM chips available for computers.
Remove Old Programs
Taking the time to remove programs and games from your computer that you no longer use is also worth the effort, as you could have programs on your computer that you haven’t used for years. These programs take up valuable space on your hard drive, and parts of these programs could be running in Windows in the background which will also slow down your computer’s performance. I can help you to weed out these older programs and uninstall them from the computer.
Hard Drive Problems
A failing hard drive will cause a computer to run extremely slowly. If your hard drive is failing the best solution is to replace it or to buy a new computer. If your hard drive is not failing but is just old (more than 4 years) it will be slower than modern drives. However, it is rarely worthwhile replacing it purely for a speed increase because the computer would still be limited by the other older and slower components (processor and memory). For these reasons, I normally recommend buying a new computer if yours is 5 years or older, and if your computer is less than 5 years old, then it would be worth the investment to replace the hard drive, which I can do for you.
Do You Want Me To Speed Up Your Computer?
If so, contact me for a house call today, and we’ll schedule an appointment for me to come and give your computer a performance tuneup.
