How to Fix a Slow Hard Drive in Windows 10/8/7

How to Fix a Slow Hard Drive: 8 Tips (Quick Navigation)

Applies to: Fix slow hard drive on Windows 10/8/7 PC or laptop

Is a slow hard drive speed, whether in file transfer, reading/writing, or response, confusing you? This may happen to everyone as the computer ages, but sometimes it can occur in a very short time, like several months. To fix a slow hard drive, you need to know clearly that there are mainly two causes: software and hardware damage. Once your hard drive and software become unhealthy, bad sectors, viruses, fragmentation, and many other severe issues will start to occur, leading to very slow speed that affects your life and work.

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How do I fix a hard drive that has suddenly become very slow?

"Suddenly, my LaCie external hard drive is running extremely slow. Is this normal? Particularly this afternoon, when I tried to copy some large files onto it, I noticed the transfer speed was almost 0.5MB/s... I'm sure it's not a network issue. Could it be that the hard drive is too old and can't function properly? Do I need to replace it? But I'm still looking for better suggestions to extend the life of this sluggish external drive."

Please note that virus infection, bad sectors, bad tracks, or a damaged MBR on the hard drive or USB external hard drive can contribute to its slow performance. There're various ways to figure out why your hard drive is running slow. On this page, we provide you with the most useful hard drive testing and fixing solutions, which are divided into two parts: Quick Fixes and Advanced Fixes. The quick fixes we offer at the beginning require less time and skills, so if you haven't tried them yet, it's recommended to check them out first.

Solution 1: Check and remove viruses from the slow hard drive

You can scan your hard drive for viruses using the built-in Windows Defender or a reputable third-party antivirus software like McAfee, Symantec, Kaspersky, Avast, and so on. Here's how to remove a virus using Norton:

Step 1: Download and run the Norton Power Eraser.

If a new version is available, Norton Power Eraser checks for it and downloads it.

Step 2. In the Norton Power Eraser window, click the Scan for Risks icon.

Step 3: Be patient while it finishes.

• If you see any files listed as “Damaged,” the “Remove” check box under “Action” is automatically selected. • If you see any files listed as “Unknown,” click the cloud icon that appears next to these files. This sends the file to Symantec servers, where it is scanned with a traditional signature-based detection engine.

4. After the risk has been successfully removed, click Finish.

You could also try removing the virus without antivirus software, by using the Command Prompt.

Step 1: Open the Windows Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 2: Enter the command:

H: Delete all .lnk files attrib -s -r -h *.* /s /d /l (This command removes the system attribute, read-only attribute, and hidden attribute from all files and subdirectories.)

If you're not tech-savvy, using the CMD might be a bit difficult for you. Because of this, share this article to help more users who might need this guide.

Solution 2: Replace the SATA cable to fix slow hard drive speed issue

Another quick fix for a slow hard drive, especially one that's slow at transferring files, is to switch it from the first SATA port to the last SATA port. Sometimes, a dusty or loose SATA data cable can cause an HDD to slow down.

Step 1: Disconnect the SATA cable from the first SATA connector.

Step 2: Plug the SATA cable into the last SATA port.

Fix 3: Disable Startup Programs to Speed Up Hard Drive

The more programs you have installed on your computer, the longer it may take to start or boot Windows. If your hard drive, which acts as the system drive, is running slowly, you can fix this by disabling some unnecessary startup apps.

Steps to disable startup programs in Windows 10:

Step 1: Open the System Configuration utility or Task Manager and go to the “Startup” tab.

Step 2. Scroll down and select all the programs you don't need, then hit “Disable.”

Fix 4: Check disk usage and restart certain programs

Some apps, like Photoshop, can cause high disk usage, which can slow down your hard drive. You can check the Disk usage in Task Manager and restart the program from there.

Step 1: In the Windows search bar, type "Task Manager" and then select "Task Manager."

Step 2: In the "Processes" tab, check under "Disk" to see which processes are using your hard drive.

Check disk usage and restart the program

Then restart the program, and see if your hard drive is running fast again.

Fix 5: Check for Hard Disk Errors to Solve Slow HDD Issues

For severe hard drive issues that might cause overload and slow performance, you need advanced help from professional hard drive diagnostic tools! Here, we recommend Partition Master Free. This free partition manager has a useful feature that can properly address the issue of a slow hard drive, called "Check File System." See how to use it in a simple way.

Step 1: Right-click the problematic partition.

Step 2: Choose Tools > Check File System.

Step 3: Confirm whether to hide the partition.

Step 4. In the Check Filesystem window, select the option to Try to repair if errors are found.

Click “Start” to begin checking your disk for errors.

Fix 6: Free up space and optimize your hard drive

If your hard drive is full of junk files like system cache or app caches, it can run as slow as a snail. You can use a free tool to get rid of these junk files. This free tool will easily clean up system junk and large files for you. Here's how to do a system cleanup:

Step 1. Download and install the Partition Master Package.

Step 2. Launch PC Cleaner and install the CleanGinus tool. Click on “Cleanup” and then hit “Scan” to begin the system cleaning process that will restore your computer to its original state.

Step 3: The software will scan your computer for idle data files that are taking up a lot of space on your hard drive. Select the unwanted large files, system junk files, and invalid Windows entries you want to get rid of, then click “Clean” to begin the cleanup process.

4. After the scan is complete, click “Finish” to get rid of the system junk files.

Fix 7: Defragment your computer's hard drive

To keep your hard drive running at its best, you should defragment it, or consolidate files. This will help improve your computer's performance.

Step 1: Open “This PC,” right-click on the hard drive, and select “Properties.”

Step 2. Go to Tools > Optimize. Select the drive again, and Windows will optimize it automatically.

Fix 8: Extend the C Drive to Speed Up Hard Disk

If your hard drive is the system drive – C drive, you can extend C drive to solve the problem that the hard drive is running slow. You can turn to the partition master tool again. Download the software and easily expand C drive.

Step 1: Free up unallocated space on drive C.

If there is no unallocated space on the system disk, go to the Partition Manager, right-click on the partition next to C: and select "Resize/Move Volume".
Drag the left border of the partition to shrink it and leave unallocated space behind the system C: drive, then click "OK".

Step 2: Increase the C drive space.

1. Right-click on the C drive and select "Resize/Move."

2. Drag the system partition's endpoint to the unallocated space to expand the C: drive, and click OK.

Step 3: Keep all changes to extend C drive.

Click “Run Task,” then click “Apply” to save all changes and extend your system C drive.

Conclusions

These 8 tips would be of great help when you try to solve the problem of slow hard drive. Among them, the disk partition software plays an important role in checking disk errors and expanding C drive space. If you still have problems, read the FAQ for more assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions - How to Solve the Problem of a Suddenly Slow Hard Drive

Basically, by removing bad sectors on the hard drive and optimizing the hard drive, you can recover a very slow and sluggish one. Otherwise, you have to perform a quick format with the software's format partition feature or even a low-level format as a last resort. Did you notice any improvement in your computer's hard drive speed? There are some other related issues and solutions that might give you a clue to boost your hard drive speed.

1. The hard disk reading speed is very slow.

Check the Task Manager for programs that are making frequent read/write requests. Make sure no unwanted programs are hogging your hard drive in the background. Here's a comprehensive solution to fix slow hard drive read times.

2. External hard drive is slow and unresponsive

Connect the external hard drive to another USB port on the new computer to see if it's really unresponsive. Sometimes, a faulty USB port can prevent the drive from showing up and responding to your PC properly. For a full fix on how to deal with an external hard drive not responding, check out this guide.

3. Fixing Slow External Hard Drive on Mac

Many factors can affect the performance of an external hard drive on macOS/Mac OS X and slow down file transfers or disk loading speed. Here are some tips to speed up an external hard drive on Mac, including using Activity Monitor, managing proper startup items, turning off visual effects, etc. A full guide on how to fix a slow external hard drive on Mac.

4. External hard drive takes too long to load

A hard drive not showing or being unrecognized is deemed one of the direct aftermaths of an eternal loading phase. To resolve the incessant loading issue and prolong the lifespan of your problematic old hard drive, you can update outdated disk drivers, format the disk, and more. For a comprehensive solution on how to fix an external hard drive that takes forever to load, refer to the guide.