It’s imperative to know the capabilities, proprietary limitations of video or sound cards, as well as properly reconciling different applications with specific requirements, so as to avoid potential conflicts. Troubleshooting a slow PC, requires to completely understand what the problem is, running a diagnostic utility to locate possible errors or unauthorized modifications to your computer, running utility, antivirus, or antimalware applications to clean up infected areas and last but not least implementing a process of elimination strategy.

Essentially, checking off of a list, the usual suspects (virus, spy ware, Trojans, etc), to narrow down the culprit. Running registry optimization software, memory enhancement apps, scandisk, defrag, disabling unnecessary programs from running in startup or in the background in general, checking through Task manager for unneeded memory allocations and unknown or hidden files that are always active.

Furthermore, updating video or sound drivers, operating system features, checking for leftover files of uninstalled programs that have taken up residence in the registry and have not been completely removed by utility software, is recommended.

It would also be advisable to run trusted, registered versions of applications for the most part, that are usually regularly updated for the latest threats, as opposed to just freeware. Additionally, being able to duplicate the problem on another computer, may go along way in successfully resolving the issue, because it may provide helpful hints that are uniquely suited to the problem at hand.

However, if this is not possible, this article’s general recommendations almost always will do the trick. There are instances, where computers simply need to be upgraded in terms of system memory and as a result adding more RAM, can also be the solution to a slow PC.

It’ important to keep in mind, that although there’s the potential for malware to wreak havoc on a personal computer, taking the proper precautions, having a regular maintenance schedule and keeping ourselves informed as to the latest breakthroughs in technology, will go a long way in enhancing our ability to understand how our PC works as well as be in a position to troubleshoot it successfully.

Laptop Computer

Also, make sure that it is the computer itself that is running slowly, and not your internet connection. Network congestion and problems with ISPs can look like a problem with the computer itself, but are not fixable on your end. If the problem re-occurs after rebooting, then there are a variety of things that could be going on which can be looked at by a user with no technical training.

1) There may be a program of some kind which is suddenly going out of control, using up memory and CPU time. Close all your running programs one by one, and see if the problem goes away when a certain program is closed. If all of the running programs are closed and the computer is still running slowly, then it may be one of the programs which are running all the time, such as anti-virus programs, and other tools with icons that typically reside in the system tray (in the lower right corner by the clock). Some of these programs can be exited or disabled by right-clicking on their system tray icon, but some of them may need to be uninstalled.

 2) Run a spyware/malware check using a trusted scanning tool. Malicious software can often use up computer memory and other resources in order to perform whatever tasks its creator gave it, and will often not show up in any list of programs to close or uninstall.

3) The system may be overheating and causing the CPU to slow down in order to avoid damaging itself. This is typically caused by bad ventilation or defective fans. Make sure that nothing is covering up air intakes or outputs. Opening up the computer to see if there are any broken cooling fans may void your warranty, so contact your computer manufacturer first if you believe this may be the case.

4) The computer’s memory may have developed a fault, causing the computer to stop using the defective memory stick. Check how much memory your computer says it currently has, and compare that to how much memory it should actually have. If it is smaller, contact your computer manufacturer for instructions.

5) A peripheral device may be malfunctioning. Try shutting down the computer and disconnecting all non-vital equipment, like scanners, external hard drives, USB thumb drives, webcams, printers, etc. If the problem goes away, reconnect them one by one and see which one causes the problem to return.