Fixing a Slow Computer With MyTek’s Help

When your office is dealing with slow computers, it can seem like a small annoyance, but it can actually implicate a larger issue. Thankfully, this is something that can be easily fixed, so let’s go over some steps that can work great for fixing a slow computer so you can take proper action when it is giving you issues.

Try Turning It Off and On

This is the classic go to when your computer is giving you issues. Just like us, computers need some rest so they don’t get groggy. A proper reboot can be a good night’s sleep for your PC and can give it a chance to restart its functions that have been constantly running for days. To do this properly, save what you’re working on and click the windows symbol, and select Restart.

Determine What’s Slow

If a restart does not work, you need to figure out and understand what is making your computer slow in the first place. Here are some tricks to narrow it down:

• You can first test out different programs to see what is acting slower than other programs because there might be an issue without that particular software.
• Open an internet browser and flip between different web pages to see if the internet is slow, or if pages are loading slower than usual. You can clear out your web browser’s cache to see if that does anything.
• If the issue resides in you accessing files within your network, the problem at hand is most likely network-related.
• If the computer begins to act up at a specific time of day, it may be related to a daily virus scan or another resource-intensive task.

Run an Antivirus Scan

If you can’t identify a specific issue, there is an issue that your computer is infected by malware or a virus. Viruses and malware will use a lot of your system’s resources so it may be a reason you can’t identify a singular reason. It is a good time to start a scan to see what results come in, and you may be surprised about what you can find. You should actually be running scans regularly so you can make sure you’re keeping threats away from your device. You’ll also need to make sure that your antivirus is updated and maintained properly.

Close Programs Running in the Background

One issue that may be happening is overload. While you are working, make sure there are not too many programs working all at the same time, especially if they are not being utilized. You can see what programs are open by going to your Task Manager, by clicking Ctrl+Shift+Escape. You can use the processes tab to see how much of your resources in your CPU, Memory, Network, and Disk are being used. If any of the columns are significantly high, there might be an issue. 

Upgrade Your Hardware

Sometimes, it just goes back to your hardware being too old and needing to be updated. If a computer is too old, it won’t be able to run your operating system, you will need to upgrade your computer. While computers are lasting longer now than they ever did before, sometimes hardware upgrades are necessary after years. 

Switch to a Solid-State Drive

If your hard drive is having issues, you can switch to a solid-state drive (SSD) that doesn’t use mechanical parts. SSDs are faster overall and save energy because they don’t build up as much heat as hard drives. This also makes them less prone to failures and makes them last longer. While swapping out your hard drive will be some work, it can be worth the effort, so talk to your IT department to make this change happen.

For more assistance with fixing a slow computer, MyTek can easily help. To learn more, reach out to us at 623-312-2440.