We have all felt the stress of transitioning to a new normal during the coronavirus pandemic — a normal that now includes remote learning and working from home for a lot of folks. One of the last things we want to deal with is a slow or unresponsive computer.
The next time you launch an application, and your PC slows to a crawl, the best thing to do is to be partnered with an IT Support Company like Holistic IT, one that monitors your systems health 24/7, proactively spots slow or un-responsive PC’s and can fix the issues remotely, often before you even know there was or is a problem.
Below, you will learn what are the usual suspects as to why your PC could be slow. We will also cover some of the tried-and-true quick fixes you can try.
Common reasons for a slow PC
There are far too many applications and services to create a succinct list of what is likely slowing down a PC, but that does not mean there are not likely culprits such as the below:
- Antivirus scans – Antivirus software can slow down your system while it is actively scanning your computer for malware and viruses. Instead of letting your antivirus program scan whenever it sees fit, see if you can schedule it to run at times when you are not likely to be using your PC, such as overnight or during your lunch hour.
- Too many start-up apps – If your PC is taking forever to boot up, then you probably have far too many apps trying to run at start-up. Review your list of apps and services that begin running when you log in to your computer. Go through the list and remove anything that you do not need to have loaded and ready the moment your PC turns on.
- Browser overload – Your web browser could be the culprit, especially if you have lost count of the number of windows and tabs you have open. Each window and tab take’s up memory and processing power and over time that will begin to slow down your PC. Again, review and breakdown all the extensions and tabs that could be to blame. If you find that your browser is often causing your PC to slow to a crawl, then we recommend trying a different browser or train your team to become more aware of how many tabs or windows you have open at a given time.
- Old equipment – As operating systems and applications become more resource hungry, your IT equipment might not be able to handle them. On average the recommendation for most PC’s is they need to be upgraded or replaced every 3 to 5 years, adding more memory, more storage or even faster or the latest processers can help, so it could just be time to upgrade. Not enough compute resource has a serious impact on the user experience.
Tried and true suggested solutions
There are somethings you can try to troubleshoot and speed up your PC. Below are some steps to take that should, at the very least, temporarily speed up your slow computer:
- Close running apps when you are done and make sure they’re not running in the notification tray (next to the volume and Wi-Fi indicators). When you close some apps, they will keep running in the background continuing to slow down your computer, so you may need to log out totally.
- Check available storage space and hard drive health. If your hard drive or SSD is running out of space or is getting old, it could be failing. If you are not comfortable doing this, then give us a call.
- Turn off your computer. Do not just restart it, but completely power it off and walk away for a few minutes. This gives your computer a chance to clear out memory and start fresh the next time it turned on.
If none of the above suggestions speeds up your computer to a level that you are happy with, then there could be something more sinister that requires an IT Expert to look at it.
But do not worry we are here to help! Holistic IT offer a full range of Proactive IT support Services, monitoring and maintaining to make sure your IT equipment, systems and solutions are kept in tip top condition all the time.
Contact us now to learn more about our range of IT Support solutions by emailing info@holistic.it or call us on 01302 23 50 50 – www.holistic.it
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