There are a couple of different reasons why your computer could be slow all of a sudden, but most of these issues are easily resolved.
I’m Anthony, I have been working on computers for the last 8+ years and have experience diagnosing and repairing slow computers for users. I have experienced a slow computer myself, and know some tips and tricks to get it faster again.
Today we’ll be discussing the main causes of sudden slowness in a computer, and where they will show up.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- You may have too many programs running at once, check to see if you can close some.
- Disk Space or Memory may be full, see if you can clear some out.
- Malware may also be an issue, try running a malware scan.
Reason 1: Too Many Programs
There are often times when a computer will slow down because there are too many programs open at once. This is often the easiest answer, with the easiest solution. Close any programs or services that you do not need running at the moment.
This can include tabs in your web browser. If your computer is running slow and you have several tabs open at the same time, it may be time to look at closing a few of them. I have seen some people with 40 tabs in a single browser, and their computers are slowed down by this.
Sometimes the programs may be hard to find. If you are looking for any programs that you can’t find open, checking out Task Manager can be an easy way to find them. This will also let you sort by which programs are using the most CPU power, and you can close them that way.
Services are also available in Task Manager, and may also suddenly slow down your computer.
Reason 2: Malware
Malware can play a big part in slowing down your computer all of a sudden. If you are working normally, downloading a file, or opening an email, and your computer begins to slow down suddenly then you may want to scan for malware.
Windows comes with a built-in security tool that you can use to scan for malware. The best option would be to do a full scan, and let it see if anything is on your device.
Sometimes malware can be harder to find as well, and it may be worth investing a small amount in a good anti-malware product. This can provide you with security and scanning now, as well as in the future when something tries to take malicious action on your computer.
Reason 3: Hardware Issues
Hardware issues can be a source of sudden slowdowns as well. If a memory stick fails, or an HDD is nearing the end of its life, you may experience sudden slow-downs on your computer. This may be fixed by replacing the piece of hardware in question.
The most common source of this problem will come from either RAM, or HDD’s. These are easily replaceable and will give you a chance to do a small upgrade to your system as well.
Reason 4: Disk/Memory Running Out
The last common issue is that the disk space or memory on your computer is running out. When a computer’s storage is almost filled, it will become slower. This is because some of the disk space is used for memory storage, called a cache.
If the cache is unavailable, some tasks will take longer because their data won’t be stored in a quickly accessible location prior to requesting that data. This is also true when RAM storage is almost full or filled. This will slow down a computer suddenly.
This may also be the issue if the sudden slowness comes intermittently. If the computer is suddenly slow at random times, it may be worth opening Task Manager to check if the computer is actually running out of disk space or memory.
FAQs
Here are some other questions you might have about the computer suddenly running slow.
How Do I Find Out What is Slowing My Computer Down?
How do you narrow down what is going on? You can take a look at the Task Manager. This is accessed by right-clicking the windows symbol and selecting the Task Manager. It can tell you which piece of hardware is currently being used the most and may help you narrow it down.
How Do I Find Disk Space?
You can find the total disk space and how full it is in File Explorer. This should be an icon on the task bar that looks like a folder. Upon opening it, you should see a screen that tells you with an icon how full your space is. A red bar means it is almost full.
What if Nothing Else Works?
If nothing else works then you may want to consider resetting your PC. This will allow you to make sure everything is virus-free and set up from scratch to avoid any programs that may have been slowing down your computer.
Finishing Up
The best thing you can do is check out the hardware and software aspects of your computer. If any of these tips help you out, leave a comment! Let me know what you think of these tips.
