Computer Slow?

Revitalize a sluggish PC or Mac with these simple tricks.

Difficulty

Easy

Time Est.

20-45 Minutes

Tools Needed

  • Task Manager
  • System Settings

Step 1: The Magic Reboot

It sounds cliché, but "Turning it off and on again" clears the temporary RAM cache and kills zombie processes that eat up memory. Do a full "Restart", not just "Shut Down".

Step 2: Check Startup Apps

Programs love to start automatically. On Windows: Ctrl+Shift+Esc > Startup Apps. Disable anything you don't use daily (like Skype, Spotify, or Cortana).

Step 3: Run Updates

An outdated system is a slow system. Run Windows Update or macOS System Settings to patch performance bugs and driver issues.

Step 4: Free Up Space

A full hard drive slows everything down. Delete old downloads and empty the Recycle Bin. Aim for at least 20GB of free space.

The #1 Cause of Slow Computers: Old Hard Drives

If your computer is more than 4-5 years old, it likely has a mechanical Hard Disk Drive (HDD) inside. These spin physically like a record player and wear out over time.

The single best upgrade you can make is replacing it with a Solid State Drive (SSD).

  • HDD Boot Time: 2-3 minutes
  • SSD Boot Time: 15 seconds

If you are seeing “100% Disk Usage” in Task Manager, your HDD is the bottleneck. No amount of software cleaning will fix it—you need new hardware.

Other Common Culprits

  1. Too Many Antiviruses: You only need one. If you have McAfee and Norton and Windows Defender running, they will fight each other and grind your PC to a halt. Uninstall the extras.
  2. Browser Extensions: Does Chrome feel slow? You might have too many toolbars or extensions installed. Remove anything you don’t recognize.
  3. Dust: If your computer fans are roaring like a jet engine, it might be clogged with dust, causing it to overheat and throttle speed to prevent melting. A can of compressed air can work wonders.