Issues related to slow computer performance are wide ranging and can be very technical in nature.  This article takes an overview of potential issues related to performance degradation and offers suggestions to improve computer performance.  If you come across some subject matter that is specific to your situation and you require more information, we recommend that you do further research.

Symptoms

There are several symptoms of a slow performing computer.  You could be experiencing one or more of these symptoms:

-          Applications are slow to open and slow to respond.

-          Browsing the Internet is slow and sluggish.

-          Although nothing seems to be happening, there is an excessive amount of activity on the hard disk (referred to as thrashing).

-          The computer system performs slowly (including start-up, shut down, and everything in between).

Possible Causes

There are several potential causes associated with slow computer performance.  It is highly recommended that you identify the bottleneck – the specific area that performs slower than all others areas and negatively impacts the functioning of the entire system.  This problem area has likely been overloaded in some way and the potential of performing effectively has been surpassed.  A simple analogy of this is highway traffic jam caused by three lanes of traffic having to merge into one lane due to an obstruction.

Hardware Issues

-          The hard disk drive is at, or near, full capacity; the system is running low on available space.  You may have many unnecessary or unused files such as temp files that are not required.

-          The hard disk drive is corrupt or fragmented.

-          The computer is overheating.

-          Possible failing hardware component such as motherboard, CPU, RAM or other item.

-          Insufficient memory.

Software Issues

-          The application you are running is corrupt.

-          Several applications or processes are running at the same time.

-          Operating system issues are occurring.

-          Your registry is bloated due to orphaned entries from installing and uninstalling applications.

Malicious Issues

-          Your system has been infected with spyware or viruses.

-          Remote access is occurring effectively turning your computer into a botnet.

Solutions

If you do not know the cause of your performance issue we recommend that you search out, evaluate, or use diagnostic tools.  For example, can you reproduce the issue even after restarting your computer?  Is the issue one related to a factor outside of your control?  For example, if you are experiencing Internet slow down, could it be that your Internet provider is experiencing issues or that Internet traffic is heavy? 

If you can identify and validate one or more of the above symptoms or issues, we advise considering one or more of the following solutions.

Hardware:

If you have a 2 GB hard disk drive you should free up at least 200 MB of disk space.  You can do the following: remove unnecessary files, empty the Recycle bin, and use back-up options such as an external hard drive.  Afterwards it is a good idea to use the Disk Defragment system tool.

If your hard disk drive is failing or corrupt, you should back-up your files immediately.  Microsoft provides a free synchronizing application called SyncToy that enables you to sync files to a back-up source.  The application is free, quick, and easy to use.  You can find it by searching for it here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/.    After safely backing up all your files you will have to replace your hard drive and re-install your operating system.

If your computer is overheating you might be faced with it shutting down automatically, running slow, or restarting.  In some cases you could be getting messages as this occurs.  In such cases you need to ensure that the environment is not detrimental.  Check that the computer fan is not blocked and that it is functioning properly.  It could be that you have the computer backed up to a wall or have objects blocking the air flow of the fan.

It is also advisable to add RAM to your computer.  This is a common and effective solution to speeding up your computer performance and works to resolve issues of hard drive thrashing.  Refer to your computer specifications or search for information online on adding RAM.

Another highly recommended solution for preventing security breaches is to create a firewall for your system.  A firewall is a way of configuring your system (using hardware, or software, or a combination of the two), to create and maintain a secure and private network.  The firewall permits only trusted data and works to block unauthorized or potentially harmful sources.

Software issues:

If a particular application is not working try closing it and restarting it to see if you can cause it to perform in the same way.  If it continues you may have to completely uninstall the application and reinstall it.   If there are many applications running at the same time you can look at closing ones you do not use.  Many times applications are automatically installed to the start-up folder.  We recommend removing all the applications not related to security from your start-up folder.

If you are having issues related to the operating system, it is best that you check that you have all the latest updates and service packs.  If you are running a recent version of Microsoft Windows such as Windows XP, you can use the Windows Update service.  If your operating system does not support this, we recommend going to the Microsoft site and checking for updates specific to your operating system.

If you have identified the issue as being one related to the registry it is likely that the registry is bogged down or bloated due to incorrect or outdated items that have not been removed.  Removing items or editing the registry manually is risky.  We recommend using an effective registry tool such as RegCure that include the ability to restore your computer to a previously functioning state.

Malicious issues:

It is very common to pick up malicious software items on your computer.  Studies have shown that many computer users inadvertently have malware items downloaded to their computer without any knowledge of it.  This can happen by simply browsing to an Internet site.  We recommend that you use effective and trusted anti-spyware solutions such as XoftSpySE Antispyware that include frequent database updates (so as to get the latest protection from the most recent spyware threats).

Glossary

Fragmented: the hard drive can get divided into separate sections due to adding, moving, or removing items from your computer and over time these inefficiencies in data storage can lead to slow access and degrade computer performance.

Botnet: Computers can be turned into botnets – a collection of infected computers that use broadband connections.  These hijacked computers are seeded with malicious code and connect back to servers controlled by remote attackers.  According to eWEEK, over 4 million computers were used for botnet purposes in the first 6 months of 2006.  These infected machines delivered spam or were used to further install malware on other computers or to even log keystrokes for the purpose of identity theft.

Operating system: the underlying software required to operate and manage a Windows personal computer.  This includes management of all resources including hardware devices and software applications. 

RAM: Random Access Memory; a type of memory used by computers to store data and program code.  It is considered volatile, in the sense that it is temporarily stored and will be lost when the computer is powered down.

Malware: a combination of the terms “malicious” and “software” – malware programs are developed for unethical purposes typically related to financial gain.