Slow computer systems take much time to proceed through even the simplest of tasks. Often this is the case with older PCs, but even newer ones can get clogged up and perform not as well as expected. If you are embarrassed saying “my computer is slow, what should I do?” to your techie friend all the time, try the below tips to fix the computer running slow issues.

Uninstall Unused or Unwanted Programs

When one purchases a new computer with the OS, plenty of programs are installed. That is one of the reasons why part of the RAM and some hard disk space are already consumed, causing slight variations from that mentioned in specifications. Over time, the number of programs in a PC is subject to increase, thus consuming more of the same. It is likely some of the unwanted software can get clogged up in the background, in turn, slowing down the PC. If you feel that way, remove the unused programs following the below steps.

• Press the Windows key, and click on Control Panel listed on the right pane of the Start menu.
• On the top-right of the Control Panel window, you could see a search field. In that, look up Programs and Features and open that from the search results.
• When the list of installed programs on your computer pop up, see which are the ones you never use. Select them one-by-one, and click on Uninstall button at the top of the pop up window.

Remove Temporary Files

The temp folder in the C: drive stores the files that are required only temporarily. Everything from the browsing history of Internet Explorer to the backup files of Windows programs are temporary files stored in here. Apparently, if remained undeleted for a long period, the size of such files can consume much of the storage space and affect the system performance. Here is how to access the temp folder and delete the files. Note that it is recommended to delete them from time to time, and not just when you feel “my computer is slow”.

• Press Windows and R keys simultaneously to launch the Run dialog box
• In that, type %temp% and press Enter to open the Temp

• Select all files and folders contained in that by pressing Ctrl and A keys at the same time. Then, press Delete key and click on Yes to confirm the action. This will delete all the temp files; you might need to Skip the undeletable files in case Windows prompts about the same.

• Then, return to the desktop, right-click on the Recycle Bin icon, select Empty Recycle Bin, and confirm the same by clicking on Yes upon prompt.

Install an SSD

If you are here looking for answers to “my computer is slow to boot up”, then the hard drive may be to blame. Typically, the drive disk drive uses an actuator arm with a read and write head to read the information stored on the “platter”. Since an SSD uses flash memory and does not have moving parts, it can quickly read data and thus speed up system start-up.

Use External Hard Drive

If you have plenty of HD videos in the PC, at some point it may run out of storage. If so, buy an external hard drive with enough storage space, and back up the large files to it. This can free up the computer space. You can connect such alternative drives to the system via the USB port, and access the files whenever required.

Disable Unwanted Programs from Starting Up Automatically

Whenever you turn on a computer, certain software programs start to run automatically in the background, consuming the memory. So, if yours have such applications, change a setting to disable them from running upon startup.

• Press and hold down Windows and R keys simultaneously.
• In Run command box, type msconfig and press Enter. Then, a dialog box titled System Configuration will pop up on the screen.
• In the dialog box, select Startup tab to see the list of software programs that run when a PC starts up. If you do not want the listed programs in the tab to run automatically with the system startup, deselect the checkbox next to each item. Note that if you require an antivirus to run in the background from the moment you start the computer, then keep it enabled.

Perform Disk Defragment

Disk defragment can optimize the storage space’s efficiency, and is a very useful inbuilt tool to boost computer performance. Below is how to do it.

• Click on Start and choose Computer.
• Right-click on a partitioned drive, that is about to run out of storage, and choose Properties from the context menu.

• In the next dialog box, choose Tools tab, and click on Defragment Now Wait for the process to complete and restart your computer.

If you are still facing the same old computer running slow issues, call our tech support experts at the hotline for advanced troubleshooting.