Five Odd Things That Can Slow Down Your Computer

One of the biggest, and vaguest, complaints most computer technicians hear is my PC is slow. Some users immediately fear they have a virus or other malware. Other users assume the machine is just out dated or old enough that something inside is starting to fail. The solution, however, may be simple and easily solved with a few quick steps. While you may indeed be dealing with malware or an old part, here are five things you may easily overlook when trying to resolve an issue with a slow PC, but should check out to save yourself some time and money.

1. The PC is trying to run updates. We all know that you need to update your PC, the anti-virus, and almost every other program to patch security flaws and other bugs that cause things to crash or not run as smoothly as they should. Software programs also know you are not likely to do that, so they now code the programs to update themselves. Many users are unaware that while they are surfing the internet on Chrome, it will update in the background, or that while you are playing solitaire, Adobe Reader DC or Java or iTunes is connecting to a server to download a new version. In some cases, such as iTunes, you do get an alert saying an update is available. But even Windows will now silently check and download updates as a background task. The problem is, the impact is far from a background task as these use up your computer’s temporary memory (the RAM) and this will slow the machine down if you are trying to do something complex, like edit photos or stream video. The obvious solution is to make time to run updates so you control when the PC will be slowed by the process. Given these background tasks can run without wasting your time, try leaving the PC on overnight and let the tasks run when you do not want or need to use the machine. This is especially helpful if you use the PC infrequently, perhaps only a few times a week or month, since turning it on will spur all the programs to check for and run updates in the background. A good rule of thumb is to leave the computer on sometime after the second Tuesday of the month, since that is the day Microsoft tends to release Windows updates. To clarify, when leaving it on, this means powered up and logged on, not in sleep or hibernate mode.
2. If you do tend to use the sleep or hibernate mode, you may also be causing a bit of a slowdown if you have not rebooted the PC in a while. Some of those updates may need a reboot to fully install, but you may also be filling up your RAM with a lot of temp files that just need to go to make the computer happy again. Every time you open a program or visit a website, some items do get parked in your RAM for future use. Over time, that reduces the amount of ready access memory you have to do new tasks, so a good reboot or shutdown clears all that space and give components a time to cool down.
3. Another way your computer cools down is via the fan. The warmer the insides of your computer get, the slower they will work. Most processors even have a failsafe that throttles them down if the internal temperature gets too toasty and could cause damage. The fans are usually well built and designed to run for hours on end for many years—just not in a ball of cat hair or dust, so you do need to check on them and try to keep them as clean as you can. When the computer is off, you can brush out the dust or blow it out with canned air. One thing you do not want to use is a vacuum, unless it is one designed for cleaning electronics, since the suction can actually dislodge internal components like cables. If the computer is in a high traffic area, on the floor, in a room with a carpet or just exposed to a lot of dust and pet hair, you want to make sure to keep the area around the computer clean as well. You also want to keep enough space around it to allow air flow in and out of the fans, so do not box the computer in or put it right up against a wall or piece of furniture. This also includes keeping it off of “squishy” surfaces like carpets, beds, pillows, or anything that can block the fans.

4. Speaking of keeping things clean, did you ever consider you might have a dirty mouse? If the main symptom of your computer’s slowness is hesitation to open a program or link when you click on it, you may just have a dirty or malfunctioning mouse. This can also manifest itself as a slow cursor when you scroll along the screen. If you flip your mouse over, look for dust near the laser or dirt on the pads on the bottom or on the mouse pad or desk. Removing it can make a huge impact on performance. You also want to make sure there is no build-up of dust or dirt around the buttons or scroll wheel. A little scrub with some rubbing alcohol will clean it up and a toothpick or even a piece of card stock can be used to clean any grooves. If a good cleaning does not seem to do the trick, it may be time to invest in a new mouse. Oh, and do not forget to check the batteries if it is a wireless mouse, you might just be low on juice if you are getting a lag time when you try to move the cursor.
5. Finally, we have the touchy touchscreen. If you are using a tablet or a touchscreen monitor, you may have dust or something else activating the touch feature. Keep an eye out for spots from spilled coffee, fingerprint buildup or even a stray hair. Of course, if you have pets, particularly cats, they may also activate the screen as they walk by. Like your mouse and the fan, it is a good idea to keep the screen clean and this can be done with a damp cloth and mild detergent, like dishwashing liquid. You do want to avoid alcohol on a screen. Also note that many touchscreens can be turned off if you are not using the feature so check the online manual for how to do this if you want to toggle it on and off when not in use.

—Laura N.