Is your computer running slow? Here are the reasons and solutions! [Your Ultimate Guide]

When your computer slows down for no apparent reason, stay calm. Follow this page, and we'll guide you through the process of identifying the cause of the slowdown and provide practical solutions to speed up your PC.

How can I fix the issue of my computer running extremely slow? Here, we provide you with a comprehensive solution to address this problem from multiple aspects:

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What is causing your computer to run slow?

If you're not sure whether your computer is running fast or slow, don't worry. There's a checklist of symptoms you can go through.

Symptoms of a Slow Computer/PC

One or two of these symptoms might mean your computer is running slowly:

• The computer is slow when shutting down.
• The computer runs slowly, lags, or fails to open programs.
• The computer runs slowly and frequently freezes.
• The computer performs slower after restarting.
• Your laptop is extremely slow and often gets stuck.
• The computer has become sluggish after updating to Windows 11.
• The computer runs slowly, lags, or stalls while transferring files.
• The computer is slow and experiences frame drops while gaming.

How to Troubleshoot Why Your Computer Is Running Slow

Here's a quick guide to help you identify what's slowing down your computer. Follow these steps to test and pinpoint the issues: 1. **Check Running Processes:** - Open Task Manager (press `Ctrl+Shift+Esc` on Windows or `Command+Space` then type "Activity Monitor" on a Mac). - Look for processes with high CPU, memory, and disk usage. - Research unfamiliar programs or processes, as they might be causing the slowdown. 2. **Clean Up Disk Space:** - Check your hard drive usage; a full disk can slow down your computer. - Delete unnecessary files, clear temporary files, and system junk. 3. **Update Software and Drivers:** - Ensure your operating system, browser, and other apps are up to date. - Update hardware drivers, especially for your graphics card and hard disk. 4. **Run a Virus Scan:** - Install a reputable antivirus and perform a full scan to rule out malware affecting performance. 5. **Disable Startup Programs:** - In Task Manager's "Startup" tab, see which programs run automatically at startup. - Disabling unnecessary startups can speed up boot time. 6. **Optimize Your Hard Drive:** - Defragment your hard drive on Windows, or optimize storage on a Mac by going to "About This Mac" > "Storage" > "Manage." 7. **Turn Off Visual Effects:** - In Windows settings, lower visual effects for better performance. - On a Mac, adjust energy settings to prioritize performance. 8. **Check for Hardware Issues:** - If the above steps don't help, it could be a hardware issue like faulty RAM, hard disk, or processor. Consult a professional for diagnosis. 9. **Consider Hardware Upgrades:** - Adding more RAM, upgrading to a faster SSD, or enhancing your graphics card can boost performance. By following these steps, you should be able to identify the reasons behind the slowdown and take appropriate action. If the problem persists, consider seeking professional assistance.

Step 1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and click on “Task Manager” from the window that appears.

Step 2: Check the following tabs to find out what's slowing your computer down:

• Processes - This helps identify which running programs are consuming the most of your computer's CPU, memory, disk, network, and GPU resources.
• Performance - This provides an overview of how your computer's CPU, memory, disk, network, and GPU are being utilized. If any of these resources are running at high usage or running out of space, you'll need to find a solution.
• Startup - This helps determine if too many applications are set to launch at startup. If so, this can slow down your computer's booting process.
• Users - This aids in discovering whether multiple administrator users are running and accessing data on the computer.

Here is a list of all possible reasons why your computer might be running slow:

• Lack of RAM (Random Access Memory).
• Low disk space, with error messages about low disk space (HDD/SSD).
• An aging hard drive or one with too many fragments.
• Outdated Windows drivers after updating Windows.
• Too many background processes running.
• Too many programs set to run at startup.
• Malware or virus infection.
• Special effects and visual features.

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You can check the symptoms and determine when your PC started running slow, such as at startup, after startup, while playing games, while transferring files, or during shutdown. Then, address the issue effectively with the relevant solution.

#1. Solving the Problem of Slow Computer Startup

There can be several reasons why a computer runs slowly when starting Windows. Here are some possible causes:

• You have too many programs set to launch at startup.
• Fast Startup is enabled by default in Windows, which can cause longer loading times.

To correct this error, you need to:

First, disable the startup programs.

Step 1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete or Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.

Step 2. Click on the Startup tab to view programs and services that start with Windows.

Step 3: Select the programs you don't need, then click “Disable.”

Repeat this process until you have disabled most of the unnecessary programs.

Next, turn off fast startup.

Step 1: Type “Power Options” in the search box on the Start menu, and then click “Power & sleep settings.”

Step 2: Click on “Change what the power buttons do,” and then click “Change settings that are currently unavailable.”

Step 3: Uncheck “Turn on fast startup (recommended),” and then click “Save changes.”

After that, you can restart your computer to see if it boots up more quickly.

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#2. Fixing the Issue of Slow Computer Startup

Many Windows users report that their computers boot quickly but then take a long time to start up. The culprits can include:

• Inadequate HDD/SSD disk space, especially when the system C drive is full.
• Too many background programs running.
• High disk usage.
• High RAM usage.

Please follow the troubleshooting guide below step by step to resolve the issues from your computer:

• Guide 1: Fix 'Low Disk Space' Error on Operating System Drive
• Guide 2: End Background Running Tasks
• Guide 3: Address 100% Disk Usage Causing Slow Computer Performance
• Guide 4: Resolve High (RAM) Memory Usage Issues

Guideline 1: Resolving the Error of Insufficient Disk Space on the Operating System Drive

When you receive the "Disk Space Running Low" warning on your Windows computer, it could be due to insufficient space on the System C drive or the operating system disk. To address both issues, you can rely on a trustworthy partition management software like AOMEI Partition Assistant.

**1. Extend the System C Drive**

Option 1: Extend the System C Drive using unallocated space

1. Right-click on the System C drive and select "Resize/Move Partition." 2. Drag the endpoint of the System partition to the unallocated space, adding it to the C drive. Then click "OK." 3. Click "Execute Task" and "Apply" to perform the operation and extend the C drive.

Option 2: Extend System C drive without unallocated space

1. Right-click on a large partition with sufficient space on the system disk and select "Allocate Space." 2. In the "Allocate space from (*) to" section, choose the system drive. Then, drag the end of the System C drive to the unallocated space. Click "OK" to confirm. 3. Click "Perform Tasks" to see the pending operations. Then, click "Apply" to save the changes and extend the C drive.

0:00-0:26 - Extending the system drive with unallocated space; 0:27-0:58 - Extending the system drive without unallocated space.

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**2. Upgrade the OS disk - Migrate the operating system to a larger HDD/SSD**

Steps to migrate your operating system to an HDD/SSD:

Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, and select "Clone" from the left menu. Tick "Migrate OS" and then click "Next". Choose the SSD or HDD as the target disk, then click "Next". Warning: All data and partitions on the target disk will be deleted. Make sure you have backed up your important data in advance. If not, please do it now. Then click "Yes". Preview the layout of the target disk. Click "Start" to begin migrating the operating system to the new disk.

Then click “Restart Now” or “Finish” to decide whether you want to restart the computer from the new disk immediately.

"Reboot Now" means to apply the changes immediately, and "Done" means you will need to restart your computer manually later.

Note: If there is not enough unallocated space on the target disk, migrating the OS to an SSD or HDD will delete and remove existing partitions and data on the target disk. Backup any important data to an external hard drive beforehand if it's saved there.

Guideline 2: Ending Background Processes

When there are too many programs running in the background, opening new ones or files can slow your computer down. The direct solution is to close unnecessary programs through the Task Manager:

Step 1: Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, and then click Task Manager.

Step 2: On the Processes tab, look for running programs that you don't need but are using a lot of memory, CPU, or hard disk space, and click End Task.

Repeat this process for all unnecessary running programs.

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Aside from Task Manager, you can also use Privacy Settings in Windows 10 or "Apps & Features" in Windows 11 to prevent programs from running in the background. For more detailed information, refer to this page for assistance: How to Stop Programs from Running in the Background on Windows 11/10.

Guideline 3: Fixing 100% Disk Usage Causing Slow Computer Performance

The most effective solution to this problem is to end high-priority processes that are consuming a lot of memory or CPU on your computer, as shown in Solution 2.

Aside from these, virus or malware infection and high disk usage by the Antimalware Service Executable are two other primary reasons that can slow down your computer. Here's how to deal with these issues:

**First, check and remove any viruses from your computer.**

Step 1: Detect and scan viruses or malware on your PC

1. Enter the Windows Settings, then click on "Update & Security." 2. Click on "Windows Security," and then choose "Virus & threat protection." 3. Click on "Scan options," check "Full scan," and then hit "Scan now."

Step 2: Remove viruses and malware that might be slowing down your computer.

Run an antivirus scan and select the option to scan your entire computer. Make sure to remove any viruses or malware that are detected.

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Next, disable Real-time Protection in Windows Defender.

Step 1: Go to Settings, click on Update & Security, and then choose Windows Security.

Step 2: Click on “Virus & threat protection,” then click “Manage settings.”

Step 3: Click on "Real-time Protection," and then double-click "Turn off Real-time Protection." Select "Enabled."

Aside from virus and anti-malware services, you might encounter other computer slowdown issues related to high disk usage on Windows. You can click on the links for assistance:

Guide 4: Addressing High (RAM) Memory Usage  

High computer memory usage can be caused by various issues. To speed up your computer, you can first try the steps outlined in Guide 2 and Guide 3 to see if the problem is resolved.

If the issue persists, try the following practical solutions:

**1. Increase Virtual Memory**

1. Right-click on "This PC", select "Properties", and then click "Advanced". 2. Under the Performance section, click "Settings". 3. In the Performance Options window, click on the "Advanced" tab. 4. Deselect "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives", choose drive C:, check "No paging file", and then click "Set". 5. Click "Yes", select a non-system partition, check "Custom size", and set both the Initial size and Maximum size to the same value. 6. Click "Set" and "OK" to confirm the changes.

2. Add more physical (RAM) memory

• Open the Task Manager, go to the "Performance" tab, and click "Memory."
• Check how much RAM you have and its speed.
• Purchase a new stick of RAM with the same or greater capacity and add it to your computer.

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#3. Solving the Issue of Slow Computer After Windows Update

When your computer significantly slows down after installing new Windows updates, it's likely due to a problematic update or corrupted system files.

To fix this, first try closing any apps that show notifications, as described in Fix 2 from Guide 2. If your computer is still slow to respond to commands or launch apps after a restart, try the suggestions below:

1. Use SFC/DISM to repair corrupted or damaged system files

1. Press the Windows and R keys at the same time, then type cmd into the Run dialog box and click OK to open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Type in sfc /scannow, then press Enter.
3. Type each of the following commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each:

• Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
• Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
• Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
These are commands used in the Windows Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool to check, scan, and restore the health of a Windows system image. Here's a brief explanation of each: 1. **Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth**: This command checks the overall health status of the Windows image. It examines the system files and identifies any potential issues. 2. **Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth**: This command scans the Windows image for corruption. If it finds any corrupted files, it reports them but does not fix them. 3. **Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth**: This command is used to repair any corruption found during the scan. It uses the System File Checker (SFC) and Windows Update to restore missing or damaged system files. Make sure to run these commands with administrative privileges in an elevated Command Prompt for them to work effectively.

**2. Roll back Windows updates to a previous state**

On Windows 10:

1. Go to "Settings" in Windows, click on "Update & Security," and then click on "Windows Update." 2. Click on "View update history," then click on "Uninstall updates." 3. Locate the most recent update, and select "Uninstall."

On Windows 11:

1. Go to "Settings" in Windows and click on "System" and then "Recovery." 2. Under the "Recovery" section, click the "Get started" button under the "Go back" area. 3. Follow the on-screen instructions to roll back Windows 11 to its previous state.

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**3. Defragment your hard drive to optimize computer performance**

1. Open File Explorer, right-click on the hard drive partition where Windows is installed, and select "Properties." 2. Switch to the "Tools" tab, and then click on "Optimize." 3. Select the drive you want to defragment and click on "Optimize."

#4. Fixing Slow Performance While Gaming Updated:

If you notice that your computer is running slow when playing games, the issue could be caused by one of two things:

1. Insufficient space on the system C drive; 2. The graphics card is too small.

To solve this issue, you can use a partition master tool to extend the system C drive and even upgrade your OS disk to an SSD as shown in Guide 1.

Then, you can upgrade your computer's graphics card with bigger, faster ones:

1. Turn off the computer and unplug all cables. 2. Locate the graphics card, disconnect its power cable, and remove the screws securing it in place. 3. Replace the old graphics card with the new one, secure it with screws, and reconnect all cables.

Upgrade graphics card to speed up pc

Restart your computer.

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#5. Solve the Issue of Slow Computer Performance While Transferring Files

If your computer slows down when transferring files to another local or external hard drive, the file system format of the target drive might not be suitable for moving large files. Additionally, a failing or damaged hard drive, or one with too many bad sectors, can slow down the file transfer process.

Here's how to address this issue:

1. Change the target disk's file system to NTFS/exFAT

Make sure you back up all important files on the target partition drive. Then, open File Explorer and do the following:

1. Open File Explorer, right-click the target drive you want to move the large file to, and select "Format." 2. Set the File System to "NTFS" or "exFAT" ("NTFS" for internal drives and "exFAT" for external ones with 64 GB or more).

If your disk is old and almost full, it might be time for an upgrade. When your disk is full and you continue to save files, the transfer rate on your computer will become very slow.

This issue can occur with Windows and external drives. To replace the drive, here's a simple guide:

1. Back up or clone your existing data to a secure location.
2. Remove the old hard drive from your computer.
3. Connect the new hard drive to your computer.
4. Initialize the disk and create a new partition on it.
5. Save all important files back onto the new hard drive.

For a more detailed guide, see: How to Salvage Data from a Damaged Hard Drive.

#6. Fixing the Issue of Slow Shutdown on Your Computer

Most of the time, when your computer is taking too long to shut down, connected external storage devices, power settings, and running background programs could be prolonging the process.

The solution is easy to state:

1. Close all running programs.

Note: If you have some documents open, save and close them in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. Then you can use the Task Manager to close all running programs, as shown in Solution 2.2 below.

2. Disconnect all external storage devices that are currently connected.

1. Open File Explorer. 2. Right-click the connected external drive, then select "Eject."

Safely remove the external storage device that causes slow shutdown

3. Run the power troubleshooter

The built-in Power troubleshooter in Windows might help fix some power issues that cause your PC to shut down slowly. Here's how:

1. Open "Settings" and click on "Update & Security." 2. Click on "Troubleshoot," then under the "Power" section, click on "Run the troubleshooter." 3. Wait for the troubleshooter to scan and fix any issues that might be causing slow hibernation or shutdown. Once finished, close the window.

After that, try shutting down your computer. It should turn off normally.

Conclusions

In this article, we list some common symptoms of a slow Windows computer and examine the possible causes.

Essentially, virus/malware infections, high RAM/CPU/disk usage, too many background programs, low disk space, file system corruption, and buggy new Windows updates could be the main reasons behind your PC's slowness.

Since different issues require different solutions, we recommend first identifying when your computer is running slow: during startup, after startup, while gaming, during file transfers, or during shutdown. Afterwards, you can refer to the corresponding solutions above to address these issues and successfully speed up your computer.