Last week I was contacted by a client who had 3 computers (2Pcs, one laptop) that were all running slowly. Each had its own problems and between them they covered most of the reasons why a computer could be running slowly.
If someone contacts me and tells me their computer is running slowly – this is what I do, in this order:
1) Check to see how much space is left on the hard drive. Although, theoretically, a hard drive should work until it is all but full – in my experience a hard drive that is 3/4 full or more will reduce your computer’s performance.
2) Check to see how much RAM they have. 512Mb or less will be slow because your antivirus software takes up increasing amounts of RAM each time it updates itself.
3) Scan the computer for malware. No antivirus is 100% foolproof, and a lot of malware sneaks on because you have inadvertently agreed to install it. I use Malwarebytes and Superantispy.
4) Check to see if the hard drive needs defragging. Windows Vista and 7 do this automatically. Earlier versions don’t. If your hard drive gets very fragmented, it’s performance will decrease.
Full instructions, with screenshots, for all these steps are shown below:
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