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Computer Woes Part 1: Speeding Up an Old and Slow Computer.

TheGreatCthulhu

Composer of the Night.
Joined
Jan 22, 2016
Location
United States of America
Gender
Very much a dude.
Going through this forum, I've been having a blast, however, I've been noticing more than a few users experiencing computer problems of various kinds. So I decided to create a series on diagnosing and fixing various computer woes including slowdowns, dealing with viruses and malware, various issues with software, firmware, and hardware.

The amount of problems a PC can experience are rather limitless, so I can't possibly fix every single computer problem that exists. But, I can assure you, my dear readers, that following along with this series can help you nip those computer problems in the bud, bringing your PC back to its former glory.

40051
The kind of tech support people may need!

Today, we'll be focusing on how to fix a slow computer.

CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS TO VARIOUS SLOWDOWNS:

Computers can become slow for various reasons, due to either the hardware being too weak to run the applications you want, firmware issues (problem with the BIOS), but most commonly, the cause of slowdowns in the majority of cases is related to software.

Viruses and other malware is no doubt what people assume might be the cause, but annoyingly, not always.

40054
Fixing a computer with a virus can be like this, sometimes.

Counter-intuitively, anti-virus software can really take away a lot of resources, causing a similar slowdown. I've seen McAffee anti-virus software use as much as 74% of your system's memory for periodically scanning, and updating its registries in the background!

On top of this, several other pieces of non-malicious software can really slow a computer down to a crawl.

For the anti-virus kind of slowdown, there's three main ways to prevent it from using too many of your system's resources.

  1. Schedule the software to run a scan when you're not using the computer much. For most people, this is usually late at night.
  2. If the free version of the software doesn't let you schedule scans, then upgrade to the paid version.
  3. Barring this, if it's still using too many resources, best to look at a different program, altogether.
Barring all of that, a solution that many people are uncomfortable with is not running an anti-virus program at all. Sounds weird, but Windows Defender these days is a really good anti-virus software that comes free with Windows, and using safe internet browsing habits are Kryptonite to viruses and other forms of malware.

So you have Malwarebytes (an excellent anti-virus software), and you're quite confident that it isn't a virus causing the slowdown. Further, you're also sure that it can't be the anti-virus program you're running, as it's both not taxing to your computer, and you have it scheduled to run when you're not using your PC much.

But you still notice your computer running agonizingly slow. What could be the cause of this problem?

Well, it could be the non-malicious software on your computer.

You may notice on a new PC, it only uses a few essential programs to keep the PC running as it should. Over time, some of the software you install elect themselves to run in the background 24/7, invariably eating into your system's resources. Eventually, this can cause dozens of programs running simultaneously, which negatively impacts performance.

40052
This is my nightmare.

My suggestion to fixing this issue is to remove and uninstall programs that you don't use, defragment and optimize your storage drives, and clearing away files that you aren't using.

If applicable, this includes bloatware. Bloatware is unnecessary, pre-installed software that doesn't have much practical application, but has huge memory and storage requirements. It is essential to remove these, as they unnecessarily chew into your computer's resources.

Annoyingly, some forms of bloatware is protected from the normal uninstallation process like any other programs, so you may have to search up a guide for your specific issue.

40062
Yikes! That's a lot of crapware! Removing that is gonna be tedious!

Uninstalling software is relatively painless. Windows 7 users can hit the Windows key, then click on "Control Panel" while Windows 8 and 10 users can hit the Windows key + X and then click on "Control Panel."

Once you're in the Control Panel, select "Uninstall a program," and then select the program you wish to uninstall.

Now, I have to jump in here and say, there are programs YOU DO NOT WANT TO UNINSTALL. Stay away from pieces of software from AMD, motherboard manufacturers (ASRock, Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, EVGA, etc) Nvidia, Intel, Microsoft Corporation, and such. Those are the operating system, and your hardware drivers. Stay away from these!

40063
Indeed, it is quite simple!

Even with all of the unnecessary, malicious, and bloaty software has been deleted, you'll notice some of your computer's programs have elected to start up automatically when you turn on your computer. You'll have to disable this feature manually.

For Windows 7 users, hit the Start button, then type in "msconfig.exe" into the search bar. Once the System Configuration window opens up, click on the Startup tab, and click on the checkboxes for the programs you wish to not startup when you boot your computer up.

Apply some common sense here. Do you really need Skype and Spotify to open up right when you get to the desktop?

If you're not sure about disabling a program from starting up when you boot up Windows, try Googling what that program does, and then decide for yourself.

Click "OK" once you're satisfied, and then restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

For Windows 10 users, the startup tab is found in Task Manager, which you can get to by hitting CTRL + SHIFT + ESC. Navigate to the Startup tab, then right click on the program you want to disable from starting up when you boot up your computer, and then click on "Disable."

Once you're done with that, close the Task Manager, and the changes will take effect automatically the next time you restart the computer.

PREVENTING SOFTWARE SLOWDOWNS IN THE FUTURE:

By now, you might have freed up a ton of resources, and the computer will feel quicker on its toes. But unless you change the way you install programs, you'll inevitably fall right back into this situation again.

By not having this information I'm about to share with you, is the number one cause of most Windows users reporting slowdowns within a year or two years of using their computer.

When we install free software, in order for the developers of the software to turn a profit, they often bundle their programs with third party programs that pay them for a chance to be installed on your computer. In every case, these bundled programs aren't required to have the software you want installed to run smoothly. In other words, they're bloatware. In some nefarious cases, these programs can take the form of spyware or adware, collecting your private information and sending it to an untrusted source.

In every case, these applications hide in the installer of the program you're currently installing. If you constantly are hitting "Next" these programs will get installed, and will inevitably chew into your system's resources.

So if you've ever noticed a program that's running that you've never heard of before, or a strange new toolbar in your internet browser, this is the reason.

Likely you hit "Next" and agreed to have these programs installed on your computer.

40053
Sure, you keep thinking that, sweety.

Next time you're installing software, stop, read what you are actually installing. Check each page of what you're installing and check for bundled software. If you don't want to install these bundled pieces of bloatware and spyware, uncheck them or click, "Decline." If you're unsure if that software is required to make the program you want to run smoothly, Google it. If it isn't, hit "Decline" or uncheck the box.

A minute or two of research can save you hours of frustration much later on. In the overclocking guides, I mentioned a piece of wisdom I learned from my grandfather, who's a former Marine, "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast."

In other words, take the time to do things, and you will be more efficient.

By taking your time and reading what you're installing, you will avoid having to uninstall, clean a hard drive, or go through the painful process of dealing with malware or viruses, and inevitably save yourself a lot of time, and keep your computer running the best it can, barring hardware upgrades.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, A CLEAN INSTALL OF WINDOWS IS IN ORDER:

If by following these tips and tricks your computer isn't running as snappy as day one, then a clean install of Windows might be in order. Don't worry, it's not that hard, and cleans up a ton of problems.

If you want a guide on how to install a clean version of Windows, let me know!

But at this point, you're armed with the tools, techniques, and preventative measures to prevent these problems in the future, as well as solve them when they do show up.
 
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