My Computer is Only 6 Months Old And Runs Slow – Why?

A common issue we see in the computer repair shop Sydney and our Richmond shop is the slow down -even for relatively new computer equipment.

It is extremely frustrating to buy a new computer only to have it slow down to “turtle run” speed within just a few months. But don’t worry, you didn’t make a bad purchasing decision,  and there isn’t something horribly wrong with your computer. No. In fact, this is a frequent customer problem we see in the computer repair shop Sydney, and also in the shop in Richmond. Unfortunately, PC equipment slowdowns happen for any number of reasons. These slowdown problems can at times even be very easy to fix yourself. But if not, you can always head over the phone and give us a call. Just be sure to check out these 10 simple reasons for a computer slowdown and make sure that the problem is not a very simple one.

1. Virtual Junk

A computer slows down with use, it’s just part of the game. When you download programs, install extensions or apps, surf the web, create files, save movies and music to your system, you build up virtual JUNK that bears down on the performance of your computer. So if you have been using your computer (as you should), you might just need to do a little cleanup, sort of like tidying up the house.

To delete temporary or junk files (not the files you save to your computer), do a search for Disk cleanup in the windows taskbar.  Select the option and choose Delete temporary files then just click on Delete and OK.

2. Your Browser Has Too Many Add-ons

Browser extensions can simplify a lot of things, but they are not all wonderful. A browser add-on is often bundled with a free software download and can install automatically on your computer. When you download a free program, they inform you of the add-on, but the information is easy to miss.These add-ons are often browser adware that slows down your computer, downloads ads and gives you pop up ads when you open the browser. The easiest fix to this problem is to remove all the browser extensions you don’t need.

3. Running too Many Programs at Once

We know, you have a computer so you can do lots of things at once but, at some point, your computer is going to falter. The computer’s ability to run multiple programs at the same time is dependent on the amount of RAM (random access memory) it has. RAM allows the computer to switch from processing one program to another quickly. But if your demand is higher than your computer’s ability to process, you will experience slow downs.

The solution to this problem is to add more RAM. Any of the Little Computer People PC techs can install new RAM and upgrade your computer’s processing ability. If you don’t want to upgrade the RAM, then we suggest you watch out for the number of windows you have open, or even the number of programs you have running in the background. Open applications can be processor hogs and eat up your RAM power.

4. The Hard Drive is Failing (Time to Call the Computer Repair Shop Sydney or Richmond)

Hard drives have moving parts, and they can fail, no matter how old your computer is. There is no way to guard against this failure except by backing up your files. In this case, you probably need to call the computer repair shop Sydney or Richmond to get a technician to run a hard drive diagnostic. If your computer is still under warranty, the technician can help you contact the manufacturer.

5. You Have Too Many Browser Tabs Open

If you have a ton of browser tabs open, your browser could be monopolizing a lot of the RAM. This can slow down your computer, and especially so when more than one tab is refreshing. So if you are the type to have 20 tabs open at a time, and are sometimes just too lazy to close out the browser windows, think again, this could be slowing down your processing speed. So how do you keep track of your Internet searches? The easiest thing you can do is to bookmark the links you want to keep track of and then shut the tabs. You might even want to get the One Tab Chrome extension to better organize your tabs automatically.

6. Corrupt Programs

You might think that movies and music take up a lot of the processing power of your PC, but that is not always the case. Some standard programs and even system processes can cause the problem. These programs can sometimes get stuck in a loop or become corrupt in some way and this can cause the slowdown. If certain programs are acting weird, won’t open or giving you problems. A quick fix might be to click the Windows icon in the bottom left-hand corner while at the same time pressing ctrl + alt + del simultaneously on your keyboard. Select Task Manager. This will bring up a window that shows you what programs are running. If you see a program or window that you are not actively using, select it and click End Task.

7. Your Antivirus is Overzealous (According to Our Computer Repair Shop Sydney Experts)

Yes, you want an antivirus program to protect your system and to run frequent scans but your computer may be running scans at the worst time for you. A virus scan will slow down your computer as it works and because it often runs a scan in the background, you may not even know it is working. Check your Antivirus settings and set the full scans to work on a schedule that best su8its you. You might want to consider letting it scan sometime late at night when you are not using your computer. You just need to leave the PC on so it can do the work for you at these times.

8. A Virus

Most of the time, a computer virus is not going to come up to you and say, “Hey, look I am here.” Instead, there are certain signs that will present themselves, and one of these is a slowdown. Viruses, spyware and malware can slow down a computer and mess around with the programs and browsers. They can push advertising and phishing sites but also crash and slow your computer down. You can try to run a malware scan or antivirus scan with your installed antivirus, but sometimes the virus has caused too much damage.  That’s when you need to call for a mobile PC repair service appointment at the computer repair shop Sydney. All of our mobile PC repair service technicians can visit your home or office in Richmond or Sydney.

9. There Are Too Many Startup Programs on Your Computer

When you download a program, especially a free one, the program often tries to get up into your Startup (Windows) or Login (Mac). This happens when you do not uncheck the box that gives it permission. This could mean you have many different programs trying to be ready to run as soon as your computer boots up and that could give you a longer boot up process. Performing Maintenance and eliminating some of your downloaded programs (other than your antivirus) could help solve the issue.

10. Your Computer Room Is Dusty or Overly Hot

Sometimes the problem is not your computer at all, but where you have it set up. Check the back of the computer case. Is it matted with dust? Put your hand on the case. Does it seem to be running hot? When there is dust or something obstructing the ventilation ducts, the ventilator cannot cool the processors. This heat causes the processors to slow. Check the vents and make sure they are unobstructed. Avoid placing a laptop on clothing or soft textile objects like pillows.

Bottom Line…

While the above 10 reasons can slow down even the newest of computers, they are problems that are easy to fix. Some of these issues are simply a matter of observance and doing a few things to prevent the slowdown. But if you continually notice that the computer is running slow, don’t hesitate to call our computer repair shop Sydney or Richmond. Slowdowns that are not simple to fix are an indication of a hardware or software issue, and the longer you wait to get it fixed, the more expensive and harder it will be to rectify the problem.