Has your computer been slowing down these days? According to BusinessWire, 66% of people in America feel that slow devices are one of their biggest annoyances.
Computers can slow down for a variety of different reasons. It’s important to learn the root cause of your computer’s slowness to determine if the slowness is fixable or if your computer is simply on its way out.
Interested in learning what causes slow computers? Then, keep reading this article to learn the top 5 reasons for a slow computer.
1. Viruses/Malware
Viruses and malware are likely to cause a computer to run slowly. That’s because malware software can use a large amount of data on your computer.
The more energy that’s being used on your computer the more likely it is to run slowly or frequently freeze or crash.
A malware scan is a great way to see if your computer contains any viruses. Also, be sure to install anti-malware software to prevent future viruses from entering your system.
2. Hard Drive Full
A lack of storage on your hard drive can also lead to a slow computer. Check how much data you currently have on your internal hard drive.
If the storage is almost or completely full, this is likely the explanation for your computer slowing down.
Be sure to always leave at least 15% to 20% of storage left on your hard drive to keep things running smoothly.
3. Too Many Programs Running
Are you someone who keeps several tabs open and/or programs running while on the computer? While this is sometimes necessary for multitasking, too many applications running simultaneously can slow down even the speediest computer.
Try to only keep open tabs you need in the current moment and close any unnecessary tabs or stop any other programs you don’t need.
4. Restart Your Computer
Sometimes the best solution to fixing a slow computer is to simply restart it. Restarting your computer will give your system an entire refresh.
It will turn off any background programs that could be the culprit to your slow computer and it’s a much simpler process than doing it manually.
5. Computer Is Too Old
Unfortunately, sometimes there is nothing you can do about a slow computer. If you’ve owned your computer for several years or the model is out of date, slowness can be inevitable.
Your computer will not be able to update newer programs, files will build up, and your computer may be more susceptible to malware and other data corruptions.
In this case, it is far more worth it to purchase a new computer as there may be no effective solution to fixing your old one.
Fix Your Slow Computer
Those were the top 5 reasons for a slow computer. If you’re someone with a slow computer, don’t give up. One of these reasons could likely be causing it.
Utilize the solutions listed and fix your slow computer today.
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