Troubleshooting a Slow Computer

Troubleshooting a Slow Computer
By Wolfdave

Computers are meant to be fast and reliable, they are meant to be used day after day without any dramas, or issues. And for most of the time, they obey this simple rule. But just occasionally however, they wake up in a bad mood, if they wake up at all that is. Or they may start to act in a strange way, slow down or just stop working for no apparent reason.

When your computer starts running slow, you could take your computer to the repair shop, or perhaps you have a friend who might be able to help you out. Or, you could have a go at fixing it yourself. It is a fact that the majority of slow computer troubles can be dealt with quite easily using your computers own, System Tools.

This article highlights the most common slow computer problems with tips and advice on how to get your computer working properly again.

Please Note: Before using any System Tools, you should Back-Up your files and also create A System Restore Point.

The Slow Computer

Is your Hard Drive cluttered up with unused programs and files?
Check your Hard Drive Space by clicking on Start, then My Computer. Next, right click on your hard drive icon and select Properties from the drop-down menu.
You will now see a Pie chart showing your Hard Drive. It will show how much Free Space you have left. Note also the ‘Disc Clean-Up’ button. This is a System Tool that will delete any files it considers you no longer need, like Temporary Internet Files.

If you are really short of space on your hard drive, you will need to take action to free-up some space. Windows needs a certain amount of hard drive space to move files around in, the less space available the more time it will take to load and run programs. Your computer also uses the free space on your hard drive as Virtual Memory, to supplement system memory. So, once again, the less space available means less available Virtual memory and a slower computer.

Click on the Disc Clean-Up button and Windows will examine your hard drive and advise you how much space it can free up. If, after running this tool your hard drive is still short of free space, then you will have to seriously think about freeing up some space by uninstalling any programs you no longer use. You should also consider copying some of your music files and photographs onto CD’s then delete them from your computer. Music files can take up a lot of disk space.

Another reason for causing Programs to load more slowly is the fact that files, sometimes end up in the wrong place, so Windows has to go searching for them. Your computer has a Tool for checking files and fixing any found to be in the wrong place, or damaged.

So after running Disc Clean-Up, click on the Tools tab, at the top of the same dialog box. The top one in the new window ‘Error Checking’ is the one we want. It checks your hard drive’s volume for errors and will attempt to fix any it finds.

Click on the Check Now button then tick both of the ‘repair automatically’ boxes. Your computer will probably advise you that it is unable to perform a disk check right now, so ask it to schedule the task for the next time you start Windows. This check can take up to an hour to complete and you will not be able to use your computer during this process. If you have the time, do it now or remember to allow for this task to complete when you next turn on your computer.

To remove any Programs you no longer need, use the Add/Remove tool found in Control Panel. After Windows populates all the programs on your computer, look for any you would like to remove, click on the Remove button and follow the instructions. Do not remove any Windows Updates or Security programs.

You may also want to consider stopping programs from automatically starting when you turn on your PC. Programs such as Music and Video editing for instance use a lot of system resources. Also the PC suite for your Mobile Phone and Digital Camera. There is no need for these programs to be running in the background all the time; you can easily access them when you want to through the Start button, then programs.

You can stop any program from automatically loading with Windows using another System Tool. After clicking the Start button, rest your pointer over ‘All Programs’ until the full program list appears. Near to the top of the list you will see Start Up. Rest your pointer on Start Up for a moment and you will see a list of all programs that automatically start with Windows.

To delete a program from the start up menu, right click on it and choose delete from the pop-up menu. This does not delete the program; it just removes it from the start up menu. If you make a mistake and delete the wrong program, immediately press ctrl+Z and the item is returned.

If you are getting messages advising you that ‘Windows is short of Virtual Memory’ there is a Tool for re-setting Virtual memory, found in Control Panel – System. I cover this process in more detail in another Blog, look for it in the right hand column of this page.

Another Tool found in Control Panel – System, is the Device Manager. If any hard ware devices are causing conflicts or are not properly installed, this will affect your computers performance. This tool will highlight them so you can rectify the problem.

There are many more System Tools but as well as Windows System Tools, most Security Suites also have utilities for checking your hard drive, files and programs. Sometimes these will do a more thorough job and can often repair any errors.

If you are a little nervous or are unsure about using any of these procedures, then seek help from a qualified Computer Technician. Or you could buy one of the many DIY computer repair guides available, which may give you more confidence to have-a-go yourself.

Many of these guides are aimed especially at beginners and often show in simple step-by-step detail how to fix most common computer issues. Some are available on CD; others are available as a digital download. However both of these types assume that your computer is working, otherwise how are you going to access them when you have a problem!

Personally, I would recommend you buy a computer repair book so that you have a clear, visible guide right in front of you, no matter what. And of the many choices available in book form, the best one I know of, and one which even I refer to from time-to-time is: Troubleshooting Your PC for Dummies.

This book is like having a first-aid kit for your computer, it will help you to diagnose the problem and get your computer running smoothly again, in a fun and easy way. It covers most types of hardware and software problems. With picture guides and explanations in plain English, this book is an essential reference for any home computer owner.

Check this book out yourself by following the Amazon link at the bottom of this page.