You have to be fully dependent on your machine for getting your jobs done if your computer is your daily driver and it becomes necessary that your machine works fast without exhibiting any lag. But if you own a PC that is extremely slow and you cannot complete your work on time, this can give you serious headaches. You will even want to throw away the PC or might plan to get a new one to replace the current one. But, you need to relax and try to find out what might be the reason why your PC is working slower. So, there can be uncountable reasons from software issues to slow hardware. There are also chances that your PC is infected by malware and viruses or you might have unnecessary add-ons in your browser. So, there is no fixed reason for this. You need to find the root cause by some troubleshooting methods and increase the speed of your PC. Let us know ‘Why Is My Computer So Slow All Of A Sudden?’.
Why Is My Computer So Slow All Of A Sudden?
There are a lot of reasons for a slow-performing PC which can be related to issues like low RAM, insufficient hard drive space, overheating of CPU, too many startup programs, ineffective antivirus programs, too many active programs, browser add-ons, etc. You can speed up your slow computer by closing unnecessary browser tabs, improving the wifi signal, turning off animations, clearing space in your hard drive, reducing the number of startup programs, updating windows, and upgrading your RAM. In this article, we have discussed in detail the most common reason responsible for a slow computer and also the possible solutions to speed up your computer.
Too many background programs
There can be programs running in the background which might eat up a lot of memory and processing power without letting you know. This is one of the major reasons for a slow-performing computer. You can use Task Manager to see what programs are running in the background and close the ones that are not being used currently. This can free a lot of RAM space making your machine run faster.
Overheating CPU
The performance of your computer can be affected if your CPU (Central Processing Unit) tends to heat up a lot. The defense mechanism of the CPU causes it to throttle to prevent burnout of the chip. Sometimes the CPU fan does not function properly and the airflow is blocked, which increases the temperature inside causing lags in the machine. So, if this is the case, try to clean the CPU fans from time to time and ensure that there is no blockage in the air vents of the cabinet fans. This can improve the speed of your computer to some extent.
Outdated software
If you are using a PC that is nearly a decade old then with that outdated hardware as software you cannot expect a good output from it. The old OS and hardware might not be able to run modern software as a result you will observe lags while working. This can also result in frequent system crashes. So, if your case is similar to this, you need to update the OS to the latest version as well as the drivers and software installed on that machine need to be updated as well. There is a lot of software that sends monthly updates for better optimization of the program and to provide a better experience while using the same. So, always install those updates so that you don’t encounter any issues while using those programs.
Low Physical memory or RAM
If you usually work with bigger files or use programs that are resource hungry then this can cause lag in your machine especially if you have low RAM (Random Access Memory). This temporary storage unit loads your programs when you start using the computer. The lower the RAM capacity, the slower it will load the applications, and vice versa. For example, RAM is frequently used when you launch a program, edit a document, watch a video or play video games on your computer. If you have a separate RAM slot in your desktop or laptop, increase the capacity and this will significantly boost the speed of your computer.
Unnecessary Software Updates
You need to update the software installed on your machine to get a smooth experience while working on them. But some software automatically updates in the background from time to time without letting you know. The installed updates can take up unnecessary space on your hard disk and this can result in slow performance of your computer. So you need to find out which software tends to update automatically in the background and turn on the auto-update option from the settings or get rid of those whose auto-update cannot be turned off by finding an alternative program.
Viruses and malware
Since the majority of computer users work online, computers have become prone to virus infections. Different kinds of malicious software get downloaded automatically with some software and start running in the background which slows down the machine. This malware then interferes with your browser and tracks important user data. This can be an important reason why your PC is taking a long time to boot up. Always install a good antivirus on your machine to stay safe from this malware. Some popular malware scanning tools are Bitdefender, Malwarebytes, Webroot, etc. Scan your PC with any of these tools and they will detect and remove any malware from your machine. It will improve the speed of your PC.
Anti Virus failure
If you notice that you are getting a high boot-up time on your computer then one reason can be the ineffective antivirus which does not work properly. As a result, it cannot prevent your machine from malware and thus your PC can work slower than usual. So check for antiviruses whose date has expired and renew them or purchase the full version of those antiviruses.
Unnecessary Software Updates
You need to update the software installed on your machine to get a smooth experience while working on them. But some software automatically updates in the background from time to time without letting you know. The installed updates can take up unnecessary space on your hard disk and this can result in the sluggish performance of your computer. So you need to find out which software tends to update automatically in the background and turn on the auto-update option from the settings or get rid of those whose auto-update cannot be turned off by finding an alternative program.
Too Many Browser Add-ons
There are a lot of users who tend to use a lot of ad-ons in their browsers. But you need to know that these ad-one might make your work faster but they slow down their pc rather than improve your browsing experience. Try to find out the unnecessary ad-ones that are not needed and either disable them temporarily or delete them forever. This can improve the speed of your PC.
Internal PC Dust
Because of poor ventilation in your computer, dust can get accumulated in the CPU fans as well as n the motherboard. This can cause the machine to behave sluggishly. The dust stops the CPU from cooling properly and excessive heat thus gets trapped inside the CPU. As a result, the booting time of your computer can get affected. So you need to clean dust from your computer’s internal fans as well as from the motherboard from time to time.
You have a PC that is out of date
If you are using your laptop or PC for more than 5 years, then experiencing lags can be very obvious. With time comes a lot of software updates and when you try to update the programs the old hardware in your machine is incapable of installing those newer updates. As a result, you are forced to work with an old Operating system and outdated software and drivers. This can significantly affect the speed of your computer. You have fewer choices left at this point. You can make a fresh purchase of a computer, upgrade your computer hardware like installing an additional RAM stick or using an SSD instead of the HDD or you can still use the old machine.
Outdated drivers
There is some software whose prime task is to communicate with the hardware and your Operating system. Drivers should be updated from time to time for better functioning of your computer. If you have outdated drivers then this can be a reason why your PC has become slower than before.
Conclusion
We need to ensure that we make use of the time spent productively working on our machines. But working on a machine that takes ages to boot up can be big trouble if this is not resolved in time then it might lead to bigger issues. Defective hardware and software-related issues are mainly responsible for a slow-working PC. But sometimes just a simple reboot can fix a lot of issues rather than trying to troubleshoot to find the issue with your machine then you need to take your pc to a repair shop or get a new one in case the above-suggested methods do not work for you.
