Why Is My Computer So Slow?
A slow computer can be more troublesome than you can imagine. Have you ever felt like losing motivation to work because of continuous screen freezing, slow action response, and sudden screen crashes? A PC running slow can be really exhausting. Your PC is supposed to screen crash or freeze when overloaded. Why does it overload? It is when your random-access memory doesn’t support the file size of the functions you are running. It overall slows down the performance of your computer, which has a major impact on the performance.
If you are experiencing noticeable delays on simple tasks like scrolling, typing, and clicking, you really need to fix your slow computer. These lagging can be very frustrating for the user. Therefore, here in this blog, we are going to discuss the major reason why is my computer so slow? There are many reasons for a PC running slow, and there are multiple ways you can fix these issues.
Why is my Computer Lagging
If you are experiencing an extended delay while performing multitasking, or your PC begins to heat up your computer. There are many reasons that contribute to why a computer slows down. Some of the major components that directly influence a computer’s speed:
Central Process Unit (CPU):
The central processing unit plays an important role in defining your PC’s speed. The faster our CPU is, the speedier our computer will run. The central processing unit is in charge of handling all the functions of our PC. It takes instructions from the user and performs respective actions. One of the reasons why is my computer slow is because of our dated CPU. If we want our CPU to perform smooth multitasking, then we need to make sure we have an up-to-date central processing unit for that. When dealing with high-end graphic software and using an advanced graphic card for it, then make sure to have a compatible CPU that handles the requirements of other components.
Random Access Memory (RAM):
Another crucial element that ensures your PC’s performance is random access memory. If your PC is freezing upon opening a graphic file, software, or while browsing, most probably you don’t have enough RAM to handle that program’s files. Your PC RAM temporarily stores data as you perform different tasks. That’s why when you are opening too many browsing tabs or opening a memory-intensive task, you may need to have enough RAM to support those tasks. Random access memory is different from PC storage, that is, SSD and HDD. Random access memory doesn’t offer storage of files in PCs; it supports task files while you perform different actions. When your PC’s RAM is full or insufficient for a particular program, you may encounter slow response time, screen freezing, or sudden screen crashes.
How to fix Slow computer?
In the first part of this blog, I have discussed some reasons why is my computer lagging. However, reasons can be more than that; here is how to fix slow computers or laptops.
Restart Your Computer
One of the most common reasons why is my computer so slow is having many apps, programs, and web browsers open simultaneously. To keep the system efficient, keep closing the tabs and apps that you are no longer using, since these tabs only create confusion. Secondly, if you see your PC responding slowly or hanging while too many applications are running, restart the computer.
Go to the taskbar > click the power button > restart the PC.
Download the latest versions of the Application program:
If you experience your PC running slow while opening a particular application or program, while it does work perfectly fine with others, look for the updates. Sometimes, applications are made to be compatible with older versions of Windows; they may work slowly if you have an upgraded version of Windows. To resolve that, check your software’s updated version on the company’s official website and download the updated and compatible version with the available windows.
You can simply run a program compatibility troubleshooter.
Here is how you can do it:
- Go to the search bar and type “Troubleshoot.
- Open the Troubleshoot “settings” and select additional troubleshooters.
- Among the list of options in additional troubleshooters, select Program Compatibility Troubleshooter. This will find & fix the problems with older programs on the currently available window.
Is your Windows 10 running slow on updated programs? You also need to upgrade the window. You can resolve issues related to Windows updates as well, similarly by selecting “Windows Updates” in Additional Troubleshooters.
Disable Automatically Starting Up Programs
Your PC may be running slow because of automatically running programs in the background. Your PC may have application programs that automatically boost up whenever you turn on the PC; these programs take a lot of memory in the background, causing slow response on the application you are actually working on. However, you can free that space by stopping the unnecessary apps that are automatically opening. Here is how:
Tap on the window key; it will bring up all the applications installed on your PC.
Step-1: Go the settings Select “Apps”.
Step-2: Click on the Startup to find all the apps that automatically begin to run when you turn on the PC. Tap onto the given blue button to turn off unnecessary applications to free memory space.
Get rid of Viruses and Malware
I have noticed one of the reasons why is my computer so slow is because of the viruses and malware. If your computer is running slow, it may not always be about storage or outdated software versions. Often, the reason could be viruses and software malware. An unwanted program running on a computer is called malware; these programs aren’t just unnecessary but also harm your PC. Therefore, you must have antivirus software keep cleaning your PC automatically from time to time from those viruses and malware.
Turn off OneDrive Syncing
When you put your OneDrive on auto sync, it keeps taking up memory in the background. If you are using Microsoft OneDrive to store your data in the cloud, the sync remains on automatically. It keeps saving all the data on the cloud as well as your PC. Which keeps taking space and power from your computers and slows down the performance when actual tasks need them. You can unsync the OneDrive by going to settings and choosing a preference for how long you want to turn off automatic syncing.
Get Additional RAM
If you have already installed up-to-date Windows and software, and still your PC is running slow, this could be because of insufficient RAM that doesn’t support the upgraded version of the installed software. Your motherboard has more than one RAM slot that is to increase it whenever you need more memory. When your RAM is not sufficient, your CPU takes longer to process data between disc and RAM.
Check What Are My Specs!
To check if RAM is insufficient, go to the task manager. If the RAM is above 80%, you may experience your laptop running slow. It’s time to increase the RAM to support the workload. Be sure to use the compatible RAM in the slots.
Disk Drive Storage
One major element that determines your PC’s speed and performance is your disc drive storage. A PC has two major long-term storage options, i.e., solid-state drive and hard disc drive. One of the reasons why is my pc so slow could be full disc drive storage.
If your file is taking too long to open or there are noticeable delays in basic computing tasks like work, Excel, and so on, check the storage in your disc drive. Because every time you open a picture, file, or any other program, your PC reaches out to the disc drive to access data.
That’s why you should free up some space from your disc drive or add an additional local drive to the PC. SSDs are generally faster than HDDs. You can transition from HHD to SSD or simply increase your SSD.
If your SSD is full, it may slow down your PC performance. While SSDs don’t have fragmentation like HDDs, it may offer a deteriorating experience if the space is not enough to store new data. That’s why you upgrade to bigger storage capacity; it speeds up your slow computer.
Conclusion:
I have been experiencing a lagging computer for quite some time, and in this blog, I have listed some of the major reasons I found out about why is my computer so slow. If you are dealing with a slow computer fix it with the method mentioned above. You won’t need to get external help.
FAQ’s
Why is my computer so slow?
The reason could be insufficient storage, viruses, outdated software, or other hardware malfunctions. You can easily fix it by extending RAM, getting a new SSD with increased storage, and downloading antivirus.
Why is my computer so slow even though it has a lot of storage?
The issue may not be storage. Check if you have an antivirus to remove malware. Check if the application you are working on has updates to download. Another reason could be Windows compatibility with the program file.
How do I clean up my computer to make it run faster?
- Clean up disc space.
- Delete unnecessary media and files taking up space.
- Limit the automatically starting applications.
- Run a malware scan and delete unnecessary unwanted programs.
- Update Your Operating System and RAM.
- Get rid of old Windows update files.
