Running Too Many Programs

The leading cause of computer slow down in
healthy systems is too many active programs running. The CPU and RAM
capabilities of your computer are finite, and it takes a certain amount of
resources to run each program on your computer. If you have too many programs
running at once, your computer’s performance will begin to suffer. Besides the
active programs in your menu bar, check for background processes, such as the
programs you see in the system tray icon. These programs may be running
services that aren’t necessary and should be turned off. Another thing to
consider is the programs that begin running when your computer starts up. In
addition to being behind-the-scenes programs that hog resources, they also slow
down your computer’s boot sequence.  You
can often find settings to disable these programs from initializing at startup.
You should also check your computer for bloatware; this is software that
manufacturers have bundled with your computer as part of an agreement with a
software distributor. If you don’t need these programs, you can uninstall them
to save resources.

Not Rebooting Your Computer

Because computers have become such a vital
part of our daily lives, people rarely turn them off.  We often leave them in standby mode or sleep
mode to conserve power when we aren’t using them. This can affect your
computer’s performance over time. There’s a reason why tech support often
recommends rebooting before troubleshooting any issue. These same factors can
contribute to computer slow down if you don’t restart your computer
periodically. Rebooting your computer flushes out the RAM, which can fix issues
that occur when your computer isn’t managing your resources as efficiently as
possible. Flushing the RAM lets your computer start with a blank slate which
helps it run more efficiently. Similarly, rebooting can address memory leak
issues that can occur when a program glitch allows an application to continue
using parts of the RAM, even after it’s closed. Finally, most operating systems
update a computer after a reboot. So if you haven’t rebooted your computer in a
while, it may be missing critical updates and security patches.

Remove Viruses, Malware, Spyware,
Adware, etc.

One of the perils of our internet society is
the constant attack from malware and viruses. Hackers and malicious actors can
insert these items into emails, documents, videos, and advertisements. The
amount damaged these programs can cause varies, but they always slow down the
computer while they’re operating. No machine is completely safe from malware
and virus attacks. Though some operating systems are more likely to be targeted
than others, that shouldn’t lull anyone into a false sense of security. 911 Computer can perform scans to detect malicious
programs and remove them entirely from your system. 

Too Many Browser Extensions

One of the most popular computer programs is
also one of the biggest hogs or resources. It takes a lot of CPU and RAM power
to operate web-based systems, like your browser. Your web browser can quickly
eat up much of your computer’s resources if you aren’t paying attention.  People often exacerbate the problem by adding
browser extensions, which require more resources to use. Some browser
extensions can be beneficial, but if your computer is running slowly when the
browser is open, you should remove the extensions that are unnecessary or that
you can move to live without.

Too many browser tabs are open

If you’re one of the people who loves to
browse the internet with many tabs open at once, stop it. Having too many tabs
open at once during a browsing experience is one of the most common causes for
computer slow down in otherwise nominal systems. Even though it’s a tab in the
same browser, every new tab you open requires more RAM and resources from the
computer. It’s even worse if you are using some of those tabs for pages that
constantly refresh, such as live streams and videos. To get past your multi-tab
lifestyle, try creating a bookmarks folder for links you want to revisit in the
near future. Google Chrome and other browsers also have a one-tab mode, which
tracks tab differently, so they use fewer resources.

Many other things could be slowing down your
computer, but these five items are simple enough that most computer users can
handle them on their own. If you would like any help with more advanced
computer speed solutions, 911 Computer can help. Our team will come to
your home or business and work on your computer on site. Send us a message online if you have any
questions about this or any other computer repair issue.