9 Reasons why your computer may be slow

It can be extremely frustrating when your computer is slow as it can reduce your productivity and make you job harder. There are many reasons why your computer may be slow, some of which are simple and easy to avoid.

1.    Your hard drive may be failing
This can happen over time as a hard drive is constantly moving and, as with anything that consists of moving parts, they can eventually wear down.

How to fix: Run a hard drive check.


 2.    Your hard drive may be almost full
If you hard drive gets to 95% full, your computer can slow down significantly. If there is insufficient space for the computer to save files required for the computer to operate, the computer will start to not work correctly.

How to fix:  Run a hard drive check to see what you can remove. Try checking your recycle bin first and delete what you don’t need.

3.    You have too many start up programs
When you install a new programme, the majority ask you for permission to start automatically when you switch on your computer. Although this is a good idea for certain programmes such as firewall and antivirus software, other programmes such as Microsoft Office and Spotify to not need to automatically run and should be left until you need them.

How to fix: Change your settings and don’t allow permission to start up automatically.

4.    You are running too many programs at once
Although computers are designed to work on multiple things at once, if there are too many things open, the computer will start to suffer and slow down. If you are using too much of its RAM, the processing power will decrease.

How to fix: Get rid of tabs you don’t really need.

5.    Your anti-virus software
It is important that all computers have anti-virus software, however in order for them to continue working effectively they have to perform regular checks to your computer which can sometimes take hours. Because these checks are using processing power in the background, you could notice your computer being slow.

How to fix:  Change the settings so long updates happen at night or after work hours.

6.    You have a virus
Viruses can immediately slow down your computer as they mess with a lot of different elements of your computer which can lead to the computer being slow or crashing.

How to fix: Run regular anti-virus scans.

7.    Your room is too dusty
Sometimes, something as simple as dust can stop your computer working as quickly. Computers need ventilation in order run correctly and not over heat, however this does mean dust can easily get in.

How to fix:  Use compressed air to clean the computer and don’t place a laptop on a soft surface such as a duvet or blanket which will block the ventilation.

8.    You don’t have enough memory
Even if you’ve got rid of anything you don’t need on the computer and checked for viruses, you may still find your computer being slow. If this is the case, you may simply not have enough memory to perform the actions you require.

How to fix: Consider buying additional memory.

9. You need to restart your computer
Although this seems like a simple method, switching a computer off and on again can really help. Sometimes programmes can get stuck and continue to process in the background without you realising. Restarting your computing flushes the system so you can start again.

How to fix: Simply restart your computer.

Here at ECL we have extensive experience in helping businesses find the right IT solutions as well as protecting them from the latest malware, virus and other cyber threats. For more information please call us on 01268 575300 or email us on info@ecl.co.uk