Computer & Technical Specialist

Low Cost Computer Experts

Help! My PC is slow

Can you knit a sweater or wash the car in the time it takes your PC to open a file? If your PC has suddenly started running slower than normal, there are a few tips you can use to make it run faster.

Have you done anything new?

Try removing any newly installed hardware, such as a printer, or uninstalling any newly installed applications, such as a computer game, and see if that resolves the problem. Make sure that your computer meets the minimum requirements recommended by the hardware manufacturer or software publisher before installing anything new.

Reboot your computer

Are you one of those people who leaves their computer on for days or weeks at a time? If so, temporary files will build up on your hard disk, taking up space in your computer’s memory and clogging up other resources. By rebooting, or restarting, your computer, you can clear out these temporary files and improve your PC’s performance.

Verify your system resources

People get computers for various reasons: e-mail, Internet access, games, word processing. Make sure your computer’s RAM (or memory), hard disk space, and other components are adequate for what you’re using the computer for.

Run the Windows Live OneCare safety scanner

The Windows Live OneCare safety scanner can help you increase your computer’s performance by removing temporary files, cleaning the registry, and fixing disk fragmentation. Such optimization can help your PC run more efficiently.

 

Get a free PC scan!

Find and fix safety and health issues on your PC now.

What does it mean?

malicious code
Software that fulfills the deliberately harmful intent of an attacker when run.

Trojan horse
A program that appears to be useful or harmless but that contains hidden code designed to exploit or damage the system on which it is run.

worm
Self-propagating malicious code that can automatically distribute itself from one computer to another through network connections.

To remove obsolete temporary files and invalid registry items that can accumulate on your hard disk over time and slow down your PC, go to the Clean Up Center and click Clean Up Scan. Temporary files and stray registry items can be safely removed without deleting any data needed by your computer.

To fix hard disk fragmentation, which allows your PC to find all the pieces of a file faster because it only has to look in one place for them, go to the Tune Up Center and click Tune Up Scan.

If you’ve never defragmented your hard disk or cleaned out temporary files, or if it’s been awhile since you’ve last done so, run the full service scan to do it all in one fell swoop!

Scan for viruses

Malicious code (also known as malware)—such as viruses, Trojans, spyware, and worms—uses your computer’s resources to do all sorts of nasty things to it, including causing it to slow down. One of the most important aspects of the protection scanner is its ability to check your PC for malicious software.

How long the scan will take varies, and can depend on such things as your processor speed, the amount of memory your computer has, and how many issues the scanner finds. Generally, a complete scan will take anywhere from two to five minutes.

Ideally, you should run the full service scanner at least once a month, but if your computer is running slower than normal or programs don’t seem to be behaving the way they should, you might want to run the scan before then.

Try starting in safe mode

Normally, when you start your computer, Windows loads a huge amount of data into your computer’s memory. In safe mode, however, you only have access to basic files and drivers (for example, mouse, monitor, keyboard, default system services, and no network connections). Therefore, the processor is only running at a fraction of its capacity.

If your system is significantly faster in safe mode, one or more applications or drivers may be causing the slowdown in normal mode. If you’ve recently added new software or a new device, try uninstalling it or removing the hardware to see if your computer speeds up.

To start in safe mode:

1.      Click Start, then click Shut Down.

2.      Click Restart, then click OK.

3.      As your computer restarts but before Windows launches, press F8.
On a computer that is configured for booting to multiple operating systems, you can press F8 when the boot menu appears.

4.      Select Safe Mode, then press ENTER.

 

When your computer comes from the factory with it's default settings, it has been optimized to run properly. Over time, as you add files and software - and just as importantly, remove files and software - your computer gets farther and farther away from it's optimal settings. To put this in perspective, it would be like adding parts to your car, and then removing some other parts and then adding more parts after that. Finally, your car doesn't run very well anymore.
More specifically, there are several primary areas that could be causing your computer to run slow. The most likely reason is that your registry has become corrupt and your system is essentially running in circles with its internal processing.
The second most common problem is that you have too many programs running behind the scenes. In this case, we're not talking about the programs you know about that are running at the bottom of your task bar, such as Outlook Express or your internet browser window. But behind the scenes, there can be literally hundreds of programs of various sizes running in the background. These are eating up your computer's available processing capacity and can bring your system to a literal stand still.
To determine if your system is in fact running slow because of problems in your registry, you will need to run a self diagnostic program such as Registry Patrol.  This easy to use program will perform a deep scan on your computer and will report back on any issues or problems it finds for you at no charge - which means you can figure out what is wrong without having to buy anything in advance or pay a technician to essentially perform the same function.  
Programs such as Registry Patrol work by scanning all of your files and hard drives and then creates a cue report of any problems if finds. It's not uncommon to find out that your computer has literally hundreds of irregular settings and errors - in fact when we did a test of the program on a computer in our office, it found 916 errors on the initial trial scan. 
The main advantage of using a registry repair program is it will instantly fix the majority of the problems that are slowing down your computer quickly and safely - and is a whole lot cheaper than having a technician look at your computer. It also has a feature that allows you to stop programs from loading when you turn on your computer which is often a problem for older systems with too many start up applications trying to get started every time you boot your machine up. In addition, Registry Patrol will also clean what is called your cache files which will dramatically speed up your internet performance.
For those of you running the Windows XP system, you might also want to consider the XP Medic program which offers several more advanced features than the Registry Patrol application, including the ability to completely optimize your entire XP operating system.   
 Registry Patrol and XP Medic are both free to install and operate and will likely solve many of the slow processing problems your computer may be experiencing.