Feeling like you’re stuck at a standstill when your computer begins to slow or act up can be incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, it is completely normal for computers to become so slow all of a sudden—and equally as common that they get back on track with just some simple adjustments.
To help your computer regain optimum performance, we’ve curated this amazing guide with the best tips and tricks so you don’t have to spend hours searching online trying random solutions. Let us do all the hard work while your device goes from crawling speed into warp drive mode again!
Table of Contents
7 Reasons your Computer is Suddenly Slow
There are many reasons for computers to become laggy and slow. Some causes require a professional to look at the device, but you can also quickly resolve these problems! Several things can cause a sluggish PC.
Several factors might be slowing down the performance of your computer since your operating system needs to divide the resources of your computer (memory, disc space, and processor power) among all the programs running on it.
The main reason for a sluggish computer is poor resource usage on your PC. Here is an exhaustive list of all the possible reasons your computer’s performance might be slow.
Reason #1) Running Low on RAM
Your computer may randomly freeze if you have little to no RAM left on your computer. Your laptop will operate poorly and slowly when apps and programs eat up all or most of the RAM, sometimes leading to sporadic freezing or lagging.
Reason #2) Running Low On Disk Space
Insufficient disc space indicates that less space is available for storing data because most of your computer’s disc space has been used. When this occurs, the computer will display an error message to draw your attention to the problem. This error will occur more frequently when your disc space is down to fewer than 200 MB of storage.
If you ignore it, your computer may begin to operate slowly and malfunction if you launch a resource-intensive program.
Reason #3) Old Hard Drive
If you have an old hard drive, the chances of computer malfunction increase as well. Therefore if you’re witnessing cautionary signs such as overheating, loud noises, corrupted data, slowdowns, and system crashes – you need to buy a new hard drive immediately to restore your computer to its prime functionality.
Reason #4) Too Many Background Programs
This one is an apparent reason that most are aware of. If you have too many active and running background programs, your computer will glitch as its resources are being intensively used. In addition to slowness, you might experience fan sounds and excessive heat if too many background programs are running simultaneously.
Reason#5) Excessive Startup Programs
A startup program is an application or software that launches immediately after the system boots up. Services that startup upon startup are often run in the background. If you have too many startup programs enabled on your computer, you’ll experience lags and glitches frequently.
This is because these startup programs might consume your PC’s resources the moment you turn it on, causing the screen to freeze often.
Reason#6) Windows or Driver Not Updated
You need to keep your operating software up to date to ensure that you’re not allowing any bugs to display on your computer. It would be best to do these updates regularly; otherwise, your computer might glitch frequently or experience shutdowns. Henceforth, keeping the automatic updates on your computer is the best option for its healthy functionality.
Reason#7) Computer Infected With Malware or Virus
There are many inconspicuous ways for hackers to access your computer software these days. If your computer is acting unusually and slowing down, chances are your computer is infected with malware. In addition to the lagging, you might also notice other signs, such as unnecessary pop-ups and search engine misdirections.
If you’re experiencing these factors, you might want to invest in antivirus software or consider a computer reset.
How To Fix A Slow Computer?
Now that we’ve laid down all the fundamental reasons computers lose optimum functionality let’s discuss how to fix these issues.
Most of these fixes require you to tweak your settings or delete specific files, so it should be pretty convenient for you to try out all of these fixes if you haven’t been able to diagnose what’s wrong with your computer.
Fix #1) Reboot Your Computer
Before doing any of the instructions below, restart your computer if it has yet to be restarted lately. Keeping your computer for long periods is not suitable for its performance. Simply restarting the computer is a simple initial step that can solve many issues, such as overheating, slowness, and glitching.
Fix #2) Closing Background Programs
Programs operating in the background are one of the most frequent causes of a sluggish computer. TSRs and starting programs that launch automatically each time the computer boots should be removed or disabled. Ensure you enable only essential startup programs at all times.
Open Task Manager to check which applications run in the background and consume CPU resources. Run an application such as Resmon (Windows 7 or later) to accurately understand how your computer’s resources are being allocated to different programs within your computer. This way, you can confirm you’re only keeping critical background applications on.
Ensure that your antivirus software, spyware removal software, or other security tool is NOT checking your computer’s programs and files by running in the background. The overall performance of your computer is reduced while a scan is running. If this is the case, let the scan finish, and you should notice an improvement in the computer’s performance.
Fix #3) Erase All Temporary Files
While a computer runs its programs, temporary files are kept on the hard disc. Getting rid of these temporary files might enhance computer performance. Firstly, we advise utilizing the Windows Disk Cleanup tool to remove temporary files and other things from the computer that are no longer required.
Regrettably, the Disk Cleanup might not remove all files in the temporary directory. So, we also advise removing temporary files manually. To carry out the manual deletion of temp files, follow the simple instructions below.
- Launch the Start menu by clicking on the Windows key or by opening it manually
- Put %temp% into the search box
- A Temp folder should appear after pressing Enter
- You may erase all of the files located in this folder
- You can skip any currently used files and hence cannot delete them.
Fix #4) Free Up Space In Hard Drive
An almost complete hard drive can cause your computer to malfunction and lag frequently. To combat this, ensure that the hard disc has between 200 and 500 MB free space. Due to the free space, the swap file can grow, and you can store more temporary data on the computer.
You can free up space by following the tips below.
Tip#1) Delete Unneeded Programs
Don’t keep around unnecessary applications that have gone obsolete but take up space on your storage anyway. Delete unneeded programs to regain control over your storage space.
Tip#2) Clean Files On Desktop
Many of us save everything on our desktops by default and by habit. Your computer will run more slowly if your desktop is cluttered, as these files require working memory to show continuously. Ensure you’re cleaning up extra files from your desktop whenever possible.
Tip#3) Erase Unnecessary Files
With just one click, you may remove unused operating system files using Disk Cleaner Tool, which Microsoft includes in Windows 10 computers. Windows can identify them for you and delete those no longer required.
Tip#4) Clear Cache
Every time you visit a website, a trail of data is left behind, including text, pictures, and cookie files that speed up your return visit. There’s no need to keep these files around if privacy is a concern or if you require additional disc space. We suggest you delete temporary files that fill your hard drive’s space and are useless. You can also delete saved cache from your games and entertainment applications.
Final Thoughts
It’s relatively simple to fix a computer that runs slowly out of nowhere. All you need to do is diagnose it first and apply an at-home fix that will eliminate all of your problems. If the problem continues, you might need to take it to your device’s primary technician who can provide professional help.