Slow Computer?
One of the most apparent effects of a virus or malware infection is slow computer performance. Malware can consume a significant portion of a computer's resources, causing it to run slowly and take longer to complete tasks.
Frequent crashes and freezes: Malware can cause a computer to crash or freeze frequently, making it challenging to complete tasks and interrupt workflow.
Unresponsive software: Malware can cause the software to become unresponsive or crash, preventing users from opening or using specific applications.
Pop-ups and spam: Malware can generate pop-up ads, spam, or other unwanted content, which can slow down the computer and impede productivity.
Security risks: Malware can also create security vulnerabilities that put a user's personal information and data at risk. Cybercriminals can use malware to steal sensitive information, such as login credentials and financial data, which can lead to identity theft and financial losses.
15 Reasons Your Computer Is Running Slow & What You Can Do to Fix It
1. Need to Restart
When is the last time you restarted your computer? If your computer is running slow, this could be a sign that it needs to be restarted, especially if it’s been a long time since your last one. This is mainly because, as you use your computer, many processes run in the background. When too many of these background processes are not ended, they end up using huge amounts of your computer’s resources, causing your computer to slow down over time.
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2. Too Many Active Programs or Browser tabs
How many programs are you running at the same time? How many tabs are active on your browser? Every open tab and every open program takes up a certain amount of space on your Random-Access Memory (RAM). Having too many of them running at the same time means you are reducing the memory and processing power available for your computer to allow seamless transition from program to program or tab to tab. Yes, a computer is supposed to allow you to run several processes simultaneously, but that does not mean you should overload the system.
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3. Rogue Programs Hogging Processing Power
Sometimes, there could be programs running in the background and taking so much of your RAM’s memory and processing power, without your knowledge. These could be programs that encountered an error and did not completely shut down or programs stuck in a loop running in the background.
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4. Hard Drive/Memory Maxed Out
A hard drive that is at least 85% full can reduce the computer’s processing speed by up to 50%. This is because, at this point, the virtual memory required for saving temporary files that facilitate the seamless running of programs is barely available. The drive space is mainly taken up by programs, updates to applications, downloads, files of deleted programs, and temporary files. When it comes to RAM, the biggest culprits are programs that require a lot of memory to run. Such include graphic design software like Photoshop or other industry-specific applications.
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5. Unnecessary Software Updates
Software updates are vital to keeping your installed applications running smoothly and securely. However, some of these programs come with pre-installed automatic updates that keep running in your background unnecessarily, taking up valuable space on your hard drive and resulting in your computer running slow.
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6. Too Many Apps Open Automatically When the PC Starts
Almost every program you download on your computer will come with a prompt requesting permission to run when your PC starts, known as a startup program. This is how a lot of apps and programs on your computer end up automatically loading and running in the background as soon as you turn your PC on. This overload is what makes your computer slow right from the booting process.
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7. 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 ineffective antivirus that fails to detect and prevent viruses from attacking your computer as the reason behind your computer running slow. Viruses can present themselves in various forms, from random pop-ups to the unauthorized encryption of files. There are also viruses that run in the background stealthily that could be eating up your resources.
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8. Running in Low Power Mode
If you’re running your Windows laptop, in low power mode (power saver mode), then this may slow it down. Running in low power mode limits the performance of your laptop hence slowing it down.
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9. Too Many Browsers Add-ons
Do you really need all the add-ons extended on your browser? And do your browser extensions effectively perform their required tasks? Too many inefficient browser extensions could be slowing down your computer instead of enhancing your browsing experience.
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10. PC Being Used for Crypto Mining
It is very possible for your PC to be used to mine cryptocurrency without your knowledge or approval. This mainly occurs through downloaded programs that come with malware embedded in the background of the program to facilitate crypto mining through your computer. Also, certain websites contain codes that mine cryptocurrency on computers as long as the site is open.
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11. OS Visuals Too High
Enabling visual effects on your computer can make it run slower than normal if your RAM is not big enough to support the effects.
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12. Internal PC Dust
You may be dealing with a slow computer simply because you have forgotten to pay attention to the basic principles of proper ventilation. Accumulated dust in your CPU can prevent your processors from effectively cooling and prevent excessive heat from staying trapped inside your PC. This, in turn, can affect the speed at which your computer performs.
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13. Outdated Drivers
Your computer uses drivers to communicate with hardware devices connected to it. If you are using outdated drivers, then the communication will most likely be faulty and take your computer longer than it should to have the connected hardware devices working properly.
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14. Your PC May Be Too Old or out of Date
If your computer has been in use for more than 5 years, then running slow is more of a natural progression rather than a problem. At some point, due to the frequent releases of updates for programs, your computer will fail to meet the minimum requirements for certain updates leaving you to work with old and outdated programs.
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15. PC Hardware Failure
Your computer’s hard drive, RAM, and CPU are prone to damage. If none of the above issues are the reason behind your computer running slow, then hardware failure could be imminent hence causing a slowdown on your machine.