Why your laptop is slowing down
7th Aug '16 • By Emily Ayers
Your laptop is usually one of your most important gadgets, but when it gets slow, it can create a lot of tension and stop you from completing your tasks. Here are several common reasons your laptop might be slowing down.
1# Storage
You have everything stored in the laptop. This is one of the major reasons that your laptop might becoming slow. Overtime, files and programs accumulate on your laptop with regular use. This slows your computers response time, meaning executing your commands takes longer, lowering productivity.
Fix a slow laptop with normal maintenance, such as running Windows utilities and free up hard drive space. Also prevent launching of unwanted programs and increase the performance by adding more RAM.
2# Background Programs
Another common reason your laptop might be slowing, is that background programs are running.
You can see what programs are running in the background via the programs icon on the taskbar (next to the clock). To close a program, right click and select Close. Be careful, if you end a program and you have unsaved data it will be lost.
3# Spyware Protection
Your laptop is slow even because of the spyware protection program or antivirus scanner.
Usually, your antivirus software will run in the background at all times. Unless, the program is currently scanning your computer, we recommend closing the program. You can also pause scanning to improve productivity and re-enable when you have finished working.
4# Temporary Files
When your computer is working and running programs, temporary files get stored. This can also make your laptop slow.
The temporary files should be cleaned using the Windows Disk Cleanup utility. This will keep your laptop free from piling temporary files. Unfortunately, even Disk Cleanup cannot clean everything for the temp directory. Deleting files manually may can be an option from here.
5# Hard Drive Space
If your hard drive space is full, it can also make your laptop slow.
Verify if there is 200-500 MB hard drive space free. If this is not available, delete unwanted files and ensure the speed increases. Also, eliminate bad or corrupted files on hard drives by running ScanDisk.
6# Malware
Presence of malware or infected with virus.
Today malware and spyware causes computer problems and also makes a laptop slow. Use Malwarebytes, free version and scan for malware your laptop. At the same time, if your laptop is infected with virus, your laptop may go slow. It is time to install antivirus program, so that there is an active protection from viruses.