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Home / Fix guides / Computer Running Slow? Here's How to Fix It

Computer Running Slow? Here's How to Fix It

A sluggish computer costs you real time and money. Before you spend $800 on a new one, try these fixes — most slow computers can be brought back to life in 20 minutes.

Common causes

Too many programs launching at startup
Hard drive is nearly full (under 10% free space left)
Old spinning hard drive instead of an SSD
Malware or unwanted background programs consuming resources
Not enough RAM for the software you're running

Step-by-step fix

1
Disable startup programs
On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, click the Startup tab, and disable everything you don't need open immediately when you log in. On Mac, go to System Settings → General → Login Items and remove unnecessary apps.
2
Free up disk space
On Windows, search for 'Disk Cleanup', run it on your C: drive, and check all boxes including 'Temporary files'. Also go to Settings → Apps and uninstall software you never use. Aim to have at least 15% of your drive free.
3
Check for malware
Run a full scan with Windows Defender (search 'Windows Security' → Virus & threat protection → Quick scan, then Full scan). If you're on Mac, run Malwarebytes Free — one scan is free and catches most issues.
4
Restart your computer (actually restart — not sleep)
A proper restart clears RAM and closes background processes that accumulate over days of use. If you haven't fully restarted in over a week, do it now before anything else.
5
Check RAM and CPU usage
Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) → Performance tab. If CPU or RAM usage is consistently above 85% while you're just browsing, your hardware may be genuinely under-specced. Consider upgrading RAM (often $40–$80) or replacing a spinning HDD with an SSD.

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