There are several reasons why your computer may be slow. If your system is old, you may need to upgrade it or replace it entirely. You may have a virus or malware on your computer. It could also be that your storage is at its capacity, slowing down your system.
Whatever the reason for your computer’s slow performance, a slow computer can be frustrating, and trying to figure it out and solve the problem can be even more so. Throughout this guide, we’ll cover ten common reasons why your computer might be running slowly, along with advice on how to fix them.
Your Internet connection is slow
These days, people spend most of their time online doing tasks and activities, sending emails, browsing the Web, playing online games, watching videos, etc. Those activities will feel much slower if you have a slow internet connection than a fast one.
The problem of slow internet connections is the fault of many users’ computers.
If you are experiencing slow performance on your computer, try watching some YouTube videos and browsing the internet to determine if it is your internet connection. After you’ve done that, run some programs that don’t require an internet connection (Word, Excel, or any other software you have) or browse around the files of your computer.
It is possible that your internet connection is causing your computer to run slower when you are doing activities requiring online access, but not when you do activities that do not require internet access.
How To Fix It: You Probably Need A Faster Internet Connection
You may be getting a weak signal from your router if you’re using a wireless connection. Therefore, if you are using a wireless connection, before upgrading your internet connection, first try moving your computer around to see if it’s simply the Wi-Fi connection causing you issues.
You Have Too Many Programs Running
Having too many programs running simultaneously is one common cause of a slow-running computer. Maybe you aren’t even aware that there are a lot of programs running – they could all be in the background.
If your computer has rebooted, it may not necessarily mean that these programs have stopped running. As soon as your computer restarts, it will immediately run again if you can start at startup.
How to Fix It:
New programs should be closed; unwanted programs should be deleted and not launched at startup. You might be able to speed up your computer by closing programs that you aren’t using, deleting programs you no longer need, and removing programs from the startup list that you don’t need.
You Have Too Many Browser Tabs Open
One of the most popular web browsers is Google Chrome. However, it is known for being a resource hog that slows down your computer. Chrome uses more memory when you have more tabs open. Chrome can have the same effect, although not always as bad as other web browsers.
How to Fix It: Close Unused Tabs!
Close all browser tabs that you aren’t using to solve this problem.
Your Browser Has Too Many Extensions/Add-Ons
You can slow your computer down by opening too many browser tabs at once, just as you can slow it down by using too many browser extensions/add-ons. Extensions and add-ons for browsers can be useful, but others are no better than spyware or malware. Therefore, it is best to remove any browser extensions that are not necessary.
How to Fix It: Remove Any Unnecessary Browser Extensions/Add-ons
Your browser’s procedure will vary. However, here are a few general guidelines:
- Go into your browser’s settings
- Find the Extensions or Add-ons section
- Go through and delete any extensions or add-ons you don’t need
You Don’t Have Enough Memory
You may find your computer sluggish to the point of being unbearable if you don’t have enough memory. RAM (random access memory) is used to store important data and files for the programs your computer is currently running.
The CPU can access those files and information quickly when RAM is accessible. The CPU must pull that data directly from your hard drive if you don’t have enough RAM for the tasks and programs you want to run on your computer. This takes a lot longer than pulling it from RAM. As a consequence, performance suffers.
Also, Read | How to Clean Your iPhone’s Charging Port
How to Fix It: Add More Memory
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to upgrade your computer’s memory.
But you should know that not all RAM is compatible with your computer before you purchase more RAM.