Why Is My PC So Slow? 6 Possible Reasons and How to Fix Them

he most likely reasons for a PC running slow are:

• The disk is too fragmented.
• Your computer is infected by a virus.
• Your Internet connection is too slow.
• Your Registry needs cleaning up.
• Not enough memory.
• Your CPU (Processor) is too slow.
• Video card is not up to your requirements.

You can use Windows Task Manager to check memory usage and CPU utilization. To open Windows Task Manager, right-click an empty space on the taskbar, and then click Task Manager. The Performance tab shows the CPU and memory utilization. Another useful tool is the Windows Management Console (Performance Monitor). To activate WMC click Start, then select Administrative Tools, then Performance

Disk too fragmented?

Use standard Windows tools (or other programs such as Ashampoo) to remove un-needed files, check the disk and defragment it if necessary.

• To run Microsoft Windows Disk Cleanup, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup, then follow the instructions. This removes un-needed files. You should aim to have at least 15% free space on each disk drive.
• To open Microsoft Windows Disk Defragmenter, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter. The defragmenter needs at least 15% free space on the disc to work properly.
• For information about using Disk Defragmenter, on the Action menu in Disk Defragmenter, click Help.

A virus?

Run a full system scan (first make sure your anti-virus software is up to date). If you are using free anti-virus software such as Avast maybe you should buy a better anti-virus program. Personally I use Kaspersky, which does not seem to slow the PC down as much as the others do.

Internet connection too slow?

The giveaway here is that surfing the web, downloading files and emails etc is slow but otherwise your PC is OK. Run a speed test (e.g. speedtest.net) to see what speed you are actually getting (usually a lot less than the advertised speed). If the speed is too slow complain to your provider and/or switch to another provider.

Windows Registry needs cleaning up?

In fact, if you don't clean up the registry regularly there may be 1000s of redundant entries in the registry, but they don't usually have much effect on performance. Ccleaner (piriform.com/ccleaner) is free and does a reasonable job of tidying up the registry. There are a couple of registry cleaners available to buy which are much more thorough, but they are very slow. Over-zealous cleaning of the registry can remove entries that are actually needed, which would cause problems. Personally, I don't think buying a registry cleaner is worth while. Ccleaner is free and perfectly adequate, in my opinion.

Registry cleaners usually include other tools such as removing unwanted files, defragmenting the disk, monitoring which programs and services are being auto-started, monitoring disk space usage, restoring deleted files, etc.

Time for an upgrade?

If none of the tips above help, then maybe it's time for an upgrade. This does not necessarily mean buying a new computer. First check whether the one you have can be upgraded.. Tower PCs are modular, made from standard components and in principle any component can be replaced by a similar but faster one without replacing the whole computer. However replacing the mother board or processor (CPU) is not likely to be cost effective as they are a large percentage of the total cost. Also your choice of motherboards that are compatible with all the other components may be limited. For a laptop, you can usually add memory (RAM) top but replacing other components is not as straightforward as for a tower PC.

Not enough memory?

This is the easiest and usually the most cost-effective upgrade. Many systems are sold with the absolute minimum of RAM (random access memory). If you don't have enough RAM it is usually quite easy to add more. The RAM is on small cards that clip into sockets on the motherboard. (there may also be RAM mounted permanently on the motherboard, and cache memory in the CPU and on the motherboard which cannot be changed) The amount you need depends on what operating system you are running, and what you use your computer for. The official minimum RAM for:

• Windows XP -256 MB (not really enough, in my opinion)
• Windows Vista home basic - 512 MB (ditto)
• Windows Vista - 1 GB
• Windows 7 - 1 GB (2 GB for 64 bit processors)
• Unix, and derivative such as Ubuntu - depends on version, 128 MB is typical

If you want to keep twelve tabs open in your browser, run email and instant messaging and edit photos, all at the same time, you will need lots of RAM. If you run games the game's own documents should indicate the minimum spec for that game. Remember that Windows Task Manager will indicate how much memory is being used. Another sign of too little memory is a lot of disk access for no obvious reason, due to virtual memory being swapped into and out of the page file. (This is known as 'thrashing'.)

For 32 bit processors the maximum memory is 4 GB less a certain amount reserved for hardware functions and video board memory. This limit is due to the design of the processor. It is not really a Windows limit, although Unix systems can use more than 4 GB if correctly set up. (this means in practise that if you install 3 GB of RAM it can all be used but if you install 4 GB some of the memory will not be usable).

For 64 bit systems the maximum memory is usually only limited by your budget and the number of slots for memory cards.

1. Find out how much memory is installed already, what type it is, and whether there any empty sockets to add more. If there are no empty slots you can replace a memory card with a larger one e.g. replace 256 MB with 1 GB.
2. Older PCs may only have two memory sockets and allow only 512 MB or 1 GB per socket. Laptops may have just one memory socket. Therefore you do need to check the PC spec carefully to be sure that you are getting the correct type. A utility such as CPU-Z will analyze your PC in great detail, telling you the type of memory used, how many slots, and much, much more. All PCs now use DDR DIMM (Double Data Rate Dual In-line Memory Module) cards. There are several types in use. The type you need depends on the motherboard:
   • DDR memory (184 pin DIMM, speed PC1600, PC2100, PC2700 or PC3200)
   • DDR2 memory (240 pin DIMM, speed PC2-3200, 4200, 5300, 6400, 8000, 8500 or 9600)
   • DDR3 memory (240 pin DIMM, but not interchangeable with DDR2, speed PC3-6400, 8500, 10600, 12800, or 16000)
   • Laptops normally use SODIMM (Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module) memory cards.

Once you have decided what type of memory is needed, chose the size, and also the speed. Obviously faster memory is better, but a little more expensive. You may see ECC (Error Correcting Code) memory offered for sale, but it is most unlikely that a desktop system will support it.

Buy a well known brand such as Crucial. RAM is not expensive and it's not worth while buying unknown brands to save a couple of $.

To replace RAM for a 'tower' PC:

Remove the computer's power cable. Do not just switch it off and leave the cable attached.

• Remove the side cover
• Add or replace the memory card
• Replace the cover
• Replace the power cable and any others you have disconnected. Reboot the PC.
• Check that the new RAM is working OK.

RAM replacement for a laptop is similar in principle:

• Power off,
• close the display
• turn laptop over
• remove battery
• remove the cover over the memory card slot
• insert or replace the memory card
• replace the memory card cover
• replace the battery
• power up and reboot.

Processor too slow?

If task manager shows that there is enough memory, but the CPU utilization is too high, you have to reduce the load or get a faster CPU. It may be possible to reduce the load by getting rid of programs that are auto-started when you boot your PC, or removing add-ons such as Google toolbar. These tools may be useful but if too many of them start tasks that are constantly running in the background they will slow your PC down. Unfortunately the anti-virus program must not be turned off, even though it may well be the worst culprit for slowing your PC down. You might also find a virus or Trojan program slowing your PC. Programs such as CCleaner or Ashampoo have tools to help remove unwanted programs.

Personally I find that Internet Explorer is very slow, Mozilla Firefox is quicker, and Google Chrome is faster still, but some applications won't work with Chrome. A few websites such as Microsoft Update will only work with Internet Explorer.

Replacing the microprocessor is beyond the scope of this article. It may well be possible to upgrade the processor without replacing the motherboard, but processors are expensive and need to be chosen and installed very carefully. Replacing a Celeron processor with a compatible Pentium processor should be straightforward but it is relatively expensive.

Replacing the Video card

This is mostly done to run newer games that require more graphics power than your PC has. This might be because it is an older model or the PC was not sold with top end graphics because it was not originally intended for playing games.

You will want a video card with an AGP (Advanced Graphics Processor) interface rather than a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) interface, even if the current video card uses a PCI slot. If your PC supports PCIe (PCI express) use that instead of AGP. Your PC may have video integrated into the motherboard which cannot be physically removed, but must be bypassed to use the new video card.

If your PC has a 32 bit processor and 4 GB of RAM then memory on the video card will reduce the amount of available RAM by the same amount. This is because addresses must be allocated to the video card memory which then makes part of the RAM non-addressable as there are not enough 32 bit addresses to access 4 GB of RAM plus the video card memory. E.G. if the video card has 64 MB of RAM on it, the maximum amount of usable normal RAM is reduced by 64 MB.

The most difficult part of upgrading a video board is not the physical card replacement.The updates to the driver software and BIOS settings must be done correctly, otherwise your new video board will not work properly.

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