What if your computer is running slow

It could have been infected with malware, or you might have an outdated operating system. Also, there might be too many startup programs or too many temporary files. If you have an older laptop, you might have to replace your hard drive or memory cards. Here are the most common reasons your laptop is running slow, and how you can fix it. If your laptop is slow, one of the easiest things you can do is close as many programs as possible. However, there are some programs that continue to run in the background even after you close them.

These programs can eat up your processing power, which can slow your laptop down. The fix: You can use Windows Task Manager to close programs running in the background. Then make sure to click More details in the bottom-left corner. You can sort all the programs running on your laptops from the most to least resource-intensive by clicking the header of any column.

Then you can select a program and click End Task in the bottom-right corner of the window to force quit the program. However, there might be certain programs running in the background that are necessary for your laptop to work properly.

So, make sure you know what a program is before choosing to force quit it. If you want to know more about how to force quit an application on your Windows 10 laptop, check out our guide here. You might also have too many programs opening when you start your computer. Some of these programs will request permission to run when you boot your computer so that you will use them more often. However, there are some programs that will automatically run every time you turn on your computer without ever requesting permission.

The fix: To find out which programs are set to run when you boot your laptop, go to the Startup tab at the top of the Task Manager window. Here, you will see the application name, status, and its startup impact. Click the header of the Startup Impact column to see which applications are slowing down your laptop the most. Either way, select Finish to begin restoring.

In the search box on the taskbar, type create a restore point , then select Create a restore point from the list of results. On the System Protection tab, select Configure. One of the best ways to get the most out of your PC is to make sure you have the latest version of Windows 10 installed. Sometimes apps that were made for an earlier version of Windows will still run on Windows 10, but they might slow down your PC.

In the search box on the taskbar, type troubleshoot , then select Troubleshoot settings , which has System settings listed underneath it. Select File Explorer from the taskbar.

In the search box on the taskbar, type advanced system , and then select View advanced system settings , which has Control panel listed underneath it. In the Temporary Files area, select Delete temporary files that my apps aren't using. Select which files you want Storage Sense to delete your choices are files in your Recycle Bin and in your Downloads folder , then select the corresponding time intervals. Windows will take a few moment to clean up your files, and then you'll see a message indicating how much disk space has been freed up.

In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup , then select Disk Cleanup from the list of results. When you find an app to remove, choose it from the list and select Uninstall. Get more info about freeing drive space in Windows Windows 10 includes many visual effects, such as animations and shadow effects. In the search box on the taskbar, type performance , then select Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows in the list of results.

This can help improve PC performance if you reduce the number of files that are synced to your PC. Open About settings. Notification area with mouse pointing to show hidden icons. If you turn off a program and it continues to start automatically when Windows starts, you should scan for viruses and malware. To use the procedure above to stop a program from starting automatically, you need to have Windows 10 Version or higher installed. For more info, see How to protect your Windows 10 PC.

To scan for viruses using Windows Security Windows 10 Version or later. Wait for Windows Defender Security Center to finish scanning for viruses and malware. In the search box on the taskbar, type restore point , then select Create a restore point from the list of results. Select Next , then choose the restore point related to the app, driver, or update that might be causing the problem. Windows 11 Windows 10 More Make sure you have the latest updates for Windows and device drivers.

Check for Windows updates Do one of the following: If the status says "You're up to date," continue and check for optional updates. If the status says "Updates are available," select Install now. Select the updates you want to install, then select Install. Restart your PC and see if it seems to run better. Sometimes an optional update, like a new non-critical driver, will be available that may help. If your PC still runs slowly, continue to the next tip.

PC still running slowly? Continue to the next tip. To make sure automatic page file management is turned on Select Search on the taskbar, type advanced system in the search box, and then select View advanced system settings , which has Control panel listed underneath it.

You may improve performance if you free some disk space on your PC. Open Storage settings Your drives will be listed in the Storage area. To adjust the visual effects in Windows Select Search , type performance , then select Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows in the list of results. Restart your PC and see if that speeds up your PC. Restart your PC and see if your performance issues have improved with syncing paused. Disabling these can fix computer lag problems.

To see what programs are starting when you turn on your computer, press the Ctrl , Alt , and Delete keys at the same time. On the Startup tab, you can see the items that are set to open as soon as you start the computer.

Consider what you really need to open when you start up and disable the other programs. If you notice that your computer is running slowly, check to make sure that you have the most recent version of your web browser.

Although where the information varies by browser, there will be an About selection to show you the version number. If there is an option to install new versions automatically, enable it. Having too many add-ons and extensions can also slow your web browsing. Defragmenting, or defragging, your hard disk drive HDD can decrease the time it takes for the system to find each piece of data it needs to run programs and apps.

If you have an HDD as opposed to a solid state drive , the system records data in small groups in various places on the disk. It then takes longer for the system to find each piece of data. Defragmenting your disk will speed this process up. Find out more about defragmenting your hard drive. You can select the process to run on a regular schedule, or you can click Analyze Disk and determine if the process needs to be run immediately.

Identifying hardware that might be due for an upgrade can not only make an older and slower computer feel new again, it can also be significantly more cost efficient than purchasing a new computer. If none of the above issues are the reason behind your computer running slow, then hardware failure could be imminent hence causing a slow down on your machine. At Vintage IT services, we understand how frustrating the speed slump down must be to your productivity and business efficiency. As a leading provider of managed IT services, we can help take the burden away by troubleshooting, installing, and supporting your PC, so that you can focus on your core competencies.

Would you love to learn more about how we can help you manage your IT resources? Contact us today and let us do the legwork for you. Skip to content. Need To Restart When is the last time you restarted your computer? The solution: Close all your programs and files, then restart your computer.

How many tabs are active on your browser? The solution: Only open the tabs you need to use at that moment on your browser. The solution: Start by first knowing the amount of free space on your hard drive. For windows: click on My Computer then right-click local disk C and go to properties. For Mac: click on the Apple then select About this Mac.

Empty your trash bin. Unnecessary Software Updates Software updates are vital to keeping your installed applications running smoothly and secure. The solution: Find a proactive maintenance solution suitable for your computer. Too Many Apps Open Automatically When PC Starts Almost every program you download on your computer will come with a prompt requesting for permission to run when your PC starts, known as startup programs.

The solution: Always be keen when downloading new programs and ensure to uncheck the box giving it permission to run when your PC starts if it is not necessary.

Go to your Start Up tab, right-click on the program you want to remove then select disable. For Mac: go to either Login Items or Applications then uncheck the unnecessary programs. Viruses Or In-Effective Anti Virus If everything else in your computer is in order, then you should consider the presence of a virus or an in-effective antivirus that fails to detect and prevent viruses from attacking your computer as the reason behind your computer running slow.

The solution: Download a verified and recognized antivirus program as your cybersecurity tool. Select High Performance or Balanced and enable it as your new power plan.