Computers and Technology

Many people ask the "Why is my computer getting slower?" question each day. Well, to be honest, they're asking because the computer probably is actually getting slower. As time passes, your hardware will age and as a result, it will slow down. Moreover, if you have filled your hard drive with junk files, then your computer will become really slow.

It is possible that you have a virus that is causing your entire system to become slower because it is screwing up vital files that your computer needs to run properly, but all in all, there are many things that can cause your computer to slow down and there are many things you can do to improve the situation.

Solution 1

One way to address the problem of your computer becoming slower is to clean out your temporary files. Over time, your temporary files can really add up, especially if you surf the net a lot. Windows writes temporary files for everything. If you are using XP, it is easy to clean out your temporary files folder.

Go to the start menu, then choose programs. After that, click on accessories, then choose disk clean up. This will help to remove all your temporary files and plenty of other junk files that may be hiding in your hard drive.

Alternative method: Click computer - right click your hard drive - select disk cleanup

Solution 2

You will want to keep your desktop free from shortcuts and icons. To clean up your desktop, you can delete the icons manually or you can clean it up through windows which is safer.

Begin by going to the start menu, and then to the control panel. Double click on display, and then click on the desktop tab. Click on the customize desktop button near the bottom. Next, click on the general tab, then choose clean desktop button, and this will get rid of the icons Windows feels you no longer use.

An even better solution would be to use a good registry cleaner, these programs will backup and then proceed to clean your desktop and registry for harmful junk files, the cleaning can have a dramatic effect on system performance.

Read our registry cleaner reviews by following the link at the bottom of this article.

Solution 3

Another problem of a sluggish computer is corrupt files within your Windows registry. The registry is a database that contains information for multiple users and contains all the settings for all of your software and hardware.

To clean this up, you can buy some registry cleaning software, always do a bit of research first. Lots of spyware programs mask themselves as registry cleaners, so it pays to find the best program on the market. On the other hand, you can try to clean your registry yourself, but you should only attempt this if you're tech savvy, be sure to make a backup copy first.

As mentioned above a good registry cleaner will quickly scan, detect and clean the registry within minutes, attempting this procedure manually can take hours and hours.

Solution 4

The easiest thing you can do when you begin to ask the "Why is my computer getting slower?" question is to increase the speed of your computer by defragmenting your hard drive. When your computer saves a file, it saves it to first free spot it finds, and when that fills up, it saves the rest of the file somewhere else. This is a fragmented file, and your hard disk is full of them. If your computer has lots of fragmented files, then it takes longer to retrieve your data.

To fix this, go to my computer, and right click on your main drive. Choose properties. When the next window pops up, click on the tools tab up at the top, and then click on defragment now. Even if Windows tells you that you don't need to run this application, it is still a good idea to do so. Keep in mind, though, that it does take some time, so do it before bed or before you go out for a while.

Solution 5

If you go online a lot, then your computer might contain malicious spyware and adware, and that alone can be the answer to the question of "Why is my computer getting slower?" It just seems to be the norm when surfing online these days that spyware and adware products make themselves at home on your machine.

There is software you can purchase to try and combat the onslaught of ads and spam you get while on the Internet. Spyware and adware can be hard to get rid of, and you almost need to purchase some software just to eliminate and prevent the problem. While you're at it, you should also purchase a good anti-virus program to keep your computer free of nasty viruses that can rob your system of precious resources.

Maintenance Summary

1) Clean out Temporary files

2) Cleanup your desktop

3) Clean the Registry

4) Defragment your hard drive

5) Check for Viruses - Spyware and Adware

To keep you computer running quickly after many years can be difficult. However regular maintenance can really help prevent your system from slowing down. If you do feel your computer is running slower, start with the easiest tasks before moving on to something more difficult.