Few things in life are more aggravating than a slow computer. The biggest complaint that I regularly get from clients is that their computer is so slow to respond that they just can’t take it anymore! Believe me, I understand. We’re always in such a time crunch these days, that it just isn’t feasible to stop and wait for a computer to do what we want it to. At the end of the day, we should control these machines, they shouldn’t control us.
So, what causes a computer to slow down anyway? Well, as we get older we all slow down a little. Your computer experiences this same phenomenon. Malware may have been installed unbeknownst to you. Types of malware include viruses, spyware, adware, etc. Another factor is the number of programs that have been installed on the computer. Many programs when they’re installed automatically schedule themselves to launch when you log into your computer. Most of these programs are running in the background, and aren’t obvious to the user that they’ve begun. Windows Updates are often set to download and/or install automatically, and programs such as Adobe Reader regularly check to make sure that you have the latest version on your computer. With so much activity going on in addition to what you’re trying to accomplish, there’s no wonder why your computer might not be quite as “snappy” as it was when you first bought it.
Now that we know what slows a computer down, what can we do about it? First, let’s determine what the cause might be. Hold the CTRL ALT DEL keys on your keyboard at the same time. In the list that appears, click “Start Task Manager”. Next, look for “CPU Usage” and “Physical Memory”. Both numbers will be out of 100. Often, if the CPU Usage is high, you likely have some type of malware on your computer. Run some anti-virus and anti-malware scans and see if your performance improves. If the Physical Memory is high, you might have too many programs open. Close a few and see if that helps. You can also disable a few programs from starting with your computer. In Windows 7, click the “Start” button in the lower left of the screen. In the type “msconfig” in the box that says “Search programs and features”. In the System Configuration window that appears, click the “Startup” tab, and the programs that launch automatically will have a check mark next to them. Uncheck any that you recognize and don’t wish to begin automatically, and click “OK” when you’re finished. I recommend NOT unchecking anything that you don’t recognize. As a general rule, you’ll want to leave anything from Microsoft checked or your system may not start properly. To get to the System Configuration in Windows 8, look for a magnifying glass at the top right of the screen. In the search field that appears, type “msconfig”. In Windows 10. type “msconfig” into the search field at the bottom of your screen to the right of the “Start” button.
A slow computer is an annoying thing to deal with. Here’s another tip: don’t repeatedly click on something that doesn’t open automatically! That only makes things worse. Don’t be a compulsive clicker. We at Finish Line pride ourselves on speeding up even the slowest of computers. We’re always happy to work our magic for you if you’re faced with this scenario!