From doing paperwork down to watching your favorite movies, a personal computer is indeed one of man’s best companions nowadays. It is everything you need merged into a single piece of electronics—which is why, it is truly essential to have one at hand, since everything is unarguably embedded into technology in this era.
While computers are indeed a reliable source of help and information, given the rise of the Internet, it is inevitable that these machines would eventually encounter some issues along the way. It is definitely important to note your computer’s issues before sending it to a reliable technical support team in your area so that you could understand firsthand what needs to be done.
When a computer seems to be running a lot slower than usual, its operating system—the most vital system software, and the sole program that manages the operation of a computer as a whole—should be the number one part of a computer that needs to be checked, since anything that affects the operating system are also the ones that keep your computer running slow. A lot of things may have contributed to your computer’s unsatisfactory performance that in turn took a toll on your operating system, so it is truly important to go through over these factors to pin down what went wrong. ;
Malware and Viruses
System and application softwares are particularly prone to various malwares, especially when the user does not take precautions against these viruses seriously. In such circumstances wherein a computer system indeed gets infiltrated by a malware, a computer would certainly experience one or even more multiple symptoms at once. Some of these include:
- Memory storage gets lesser than expected
- Corrupted files
- Disappearance of files and programs
- Appearance of random images, messages, and programs
- System properties keep changing
Malwares also have the power to glitch the operating system. The computer would sometimes not start up properly, or it just shuts down the system unexpectedly. If your computer exhibits any of these symptoms, there is a possibility that you might have a malware on your hands that needs to be treated.
Random-access Memory Running Out
Random-access memory or RAM, as we commonly know it, is the main memory of a computer that has memory chips that are distributed to and from a processor to other computers of any variation. RAM is considered as a temporary memory storage device on your computer that helps you run services and applications smoothly and without fail. However, when a user takes up too much RAM storage, the computer automatically switches to using hard drive storage to compensate for the needed lack of space. ;
But how does this slower down your computer? The answer is this: hard drive spaces have a much slower read/write speeds compared to RAM’s read/write speeds. While the computer’s switch to utilizing the hard drive space does not necessarily have any negative effect towards the operating system, it might definitely be one of the reasons why your computer keeps acting up.
Disk Drives Need Upgrading
There are two different types of disk drives embedded in a computer: the hard disk drives (HDD) and the solid-state drives (SSD). Solid-state drives are much more recommended for users nowadays as it is faster and efficient because it stores data and information on an instantly accessible flash memory. Hard-disk drives are older models that are purely mechanical in nature, so it is much slower and more fragile than any other parts of a computer—especially with the existence of fresher PC and laptop models on the market nowadays.
Finding out what your existing disk drive is might be one step to determining the issue that your computer currently faces. While hard disk drives are relatively cheaper, solid-state drives provide a much faster speed that would definitely keep your computer’s performance from falling down. If you think that you need to upgrade your disk drive, do opt and invest for an SSD one.
Overwhelming Amount of Startup and Background Programs
It is understandable that running too many programs in a computer would definitely contribute to its laggy performance as it would have trouble managing too many applications at the same time. These programs take up a lot of the computer’s system power, especially your startup programs that automatically opens up when your computer starts. Backup programs also take up too much space and power as some of them continuously run even when you have already manually closed them.
Try disabling your background and startup programs by opening the Task Manager, however, be careful not to end programs that your operating system might need to operate.
Windows/drivers Need Updating
A computer’s drivers are essential to have a smooth running computer as it helps its various hardware work efficiently. When it gets behind from its supposedly recent updates, it would definitely irritate a computer’s performance and will slow down productivity. One great advantage of updating drivers and systems is that it automatically elevates its security from cyber attacks and malware.
Updating is one way for your computer to catch up to a much faster speed as it would prevent more crashes and lessen computer issues generally. Make it a habit to update your computers whenever it is necessary.
One way or another, it is definitely important to identify your computer’s issues to provide a firsthand fixing of your own. However, when the issues seem too major, it is best to leave it to the nearest technician in your area. Finding what went wrong is one thing but worsening it is a whole other problem. So be careful.
