There are no viruses, but the computer is slow. The main reasons for computer freezes and slowdowns. Startup programs

Sometimes your computer suddenly starts running slowly or freezes for unknown reasons. To figure out what's wrong, diagnose and fix the problem, you can resort to several procedures. In this article we will look at what to do if the computer slows down and freezes, typical causes of malfunctions and describe ways to solve them.

Reason #1: A running process or service

Typically, a slow computer is caused by an unstable/memory-consuming process. Running applications can be seen in the Windows Task Manager, but the standard manager does not show some of them.
To see all the processes, it is better to use a special program. We'll look at the best app for this - Anvir. With its help, you can find the process that is slowing down your computer.

Download Anvir from the official website

After installing and running the program, you will need to:

To understand in detail what each process is, you can right-click on it and select two options:

Based on the information received, you can decide what to do with the running process, leave it or stop it.
In addition, running services can also cause your computer to freeze. To view them you will need:

As with processes, you can find information about services on the Internet or check for viruses. After deactivating unnecessary applications, you will need to restart your PC.

Reason #2. Startup programs

The system startup contains a list of applications that start after the OS starts. To speed up the system and prevent your PC from freezing, you can try to remove everything unnecessary from there.
For Windows 7 and its predecessors will need to do the following:

In Windows 10, startup settings can be found in the task manager, which opens by pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Delete and selecting the appropriate line.

Reason #3. Lack of free space

Sometimes your computer freezes due to lack of free disk space. This is usually partition C. To view information about available memory you will need:

Reason #4. Viruses

It is also possible that your computer is freezing due to a virus. To clean the system you can use

Reason #5. Overheat

Sometimes the computer freezes due to heating of individual parts. To check their temperature, you can use Speccy program
Install the utility and run it. You will see the temperature of your computer components. If any device exceeds the temperature of 70-80 degrees, while the computer is not busy with any activities, That this oh not normal .
You will need to check and fix the cooling system of the component that is heating up.

Reason #6. System unit contamination

It also sometimes happens that the computer slows down and freezes due to dust in the system unit. Clean it using a vacuum cleaner and a brush. Turn off the computer and blow it with a stream of air. After this, you can check all the cord connection contacts if necessary, reconnect them.

Reason #7. RAM

Often, unstable operation can cause your computer to freeze. You can check it using a standard Windows application.

Before turning on the PC again, a memory test will begin, after which the OS will boot and notify you of the results with a pop-up window in the Windows system tray.
If errors are found, you can clean the contacts connecting the RAM to the motherboard and repeat the test. If this does not help, then you will need to replace it with a new one.
In conclusion, it must be said that first check the temperature of the computer components and then move on to the software. Good luck.

It happens that the PC begins to work very unstable. Almost every user has encountered this kind of trouble. Even technically savvy people cannot always understand what to do if it freezes. Beginners often cannot do without the help of professionals. However, anyone can diagnose and correct some causes of malfunction. The article provides a detailed guide that will help solve most common problems.

Main reasons

To determine what measures you need to take to improve your PC performance, you must first find the root cause of the problems. What can cause your computer to slow down and freeze?

• Small amount of RAM.
• There is not enough free space on the system partition.
• Lots of unnecessary registry entries.
• Unnecessary programs in startup.
• Hardware overheating.
• Viruses.

Not enough RAM

Year after year, software requirements are only growing. A computer can become obsolete in a few years. If your PC has less than two gigabytes of RAM, you should add one or more additional sticks. Today, even browsers require about 1 GB, but usually the system runs several processes and several dozen OS services at once, which also require a lot of hardware resources.

To find out exactly how much RAM is used by the system, you need to right-click on the “My Computer” icon and select “Properties.” All the main characteristics of the hardware will be listed here.

Viruses

There is enough free space on the system partition, what should you do if the computer slows down and freezes? There is a high probability that viruses are to blame for the unstable operation of your PC.

To fix the problem, you should use an anti-virus scanner. Professionals recommend using Dr. tools. Web Cureit and Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool. Both utilities can be distributed free of charge, they can be said to be from official websites.

If you decide to use Cureit, after launching the program, click on the line “Select objects to scan” and check each available checkbox. Also click on the words “Click to select files” and check the box next to “My Computer”. After this, you can start scanning by clicking on the “Start scan” button.

Overheat

What to do if your computer slows down and freezes in games and other “heavy” applications? Most likely the cooling system is to blame. To check this fact, you should use programs that allow you to monitor the temperature of the main PC components. AIDA 64 is considered the best tool for such studies.

What to do if your computer slows down and Windows XP freezes, how can you check if the PC components are overheating? Install the AIDA 64 utility and run it. Find the chart icon on the top line. After clicking on it, a window called “Stress Test” will open. It will display temperature graphs of those system devices that have built-in sensors. On the left, check the boxes next to all items except “Stress Local Disk” and click on the Start button. Observe how the diagrams change under load. When critical values ​​are reached, the test should be completed by clicking on the “Stop” line.

The normal temperature varies from device to device. To find out which is considered acceptable for devices installed in the system, you should visit the manufacturer’s website.

FurMark

AIDA 64 allows you to check the temperatures of many components, but you cannot check the video system with it. The computer slows down and freezes, what should you do if you suspect the graphics adapter is overheating? FurMark is considered the best utility for testing video cards.

After starting the program, a settings window will appear on the screen. In it, check the box next to "Fullscreen" and select the maximum resolution supported by the monitor. After completing these steps, click on the "Stress Test" button.

A three-dimensional image will appear on the screen, but you should not look at it. The main attention should be paid to the graph that appears below. It clearly shows how the temperature of the graphics adapter changes. If it reaches a critical point, press the "Esc" button to complete the test.

Cleaning

Due to overheating, the computer slows down and freezes, what should I do to restore stable operation? First of all, you should clean all the radiators of the cooling system using a brush and a vacuum cleaner.

Turn off your PC and remove the side cover. Be careful not to bring the nozzle closer to the boards at a distance of less than 7-10 cm. That is why you should use a brush. It can be used to brush off caked dust that cannot be removed with a vacuum cleaner.

After cleaning, all software tests must be repeated. If the temperature values ​​have not returned to normal, you should think about replacing thermal paste or coolers.

Autoload

What to do if your computer slows down and freezes when you turn it on? To solve the problem, you should try removing most applications from startup. To do this, restart your PC. Before loading the OS, press the F8 button to bring up the menu. In it, select "Safe Mode".

After displaying the desktop screen, press the “Win ​​+ R” combination on the keyboard. The Run window will open. Write "msconfig" in the input line and click on the "OK" button. Go to the "Startup" tab and uncheck all the applications that you do not need all the time. If you find it difficult to choose, leave the checkboxes only opposite those programs that have “Microsoft” listed in the “Manufacturer” column.

Once completed, click on the "OK" button to save the changes.

Fragmentation

What should you do if your computer freezes and slows down while opening applications and files? It may be worth performing a defragmentation procedure. The fact is that the hard drive is divided into sectors. In this case, one recorded file can occupy several thousand sectors on the hard drive. Not always all parts of a separate document are located next to each other. Consequently, it decreases

To organize the information located on the HDD, you should regularly defragment it. To launch the utility built into Windows, open Explorer. Right-click on any partition and select Properties. Go to the "Tools" tab, then click on the "Defragmentation" button.

In the window that opens, select the disk and click on “Defragmentation”. It is advisable to carry out this procedure for all volumes in turn.

RAM hardware problems

For no apparent reason, the computer began to slow down and freeze, what to do if none of the above tips helped? Often, unstable PC operation is associated with damaged RAM. You can check the RAM strips using the utility built into the OS. Open Control Panel. Its icon is located on the right side of the Start menu. Click on "Administration". In the window that opens, find the "Memory Checker" item and run it like any other program.

The user will be asked whether to run the test after the next startup or restart the computer now. There is not much difference between them. The first option will allow you to save all documents if necessary.

After restarting the PC, the testing process will begin. Its operating time may vary on different systems. If messages highlighted in red appear on the screen during the test, it means that the RAM is to blame for the failure.

What to do if your computer freezes and slows down due to bad RAM?

First of all, to solve the problem, you should clean the contacts from dust and oxide. Remove the system unit cover. Remove the RAM sticks by pushing back the levers that hold the device and pulling it towards you. Take cotton swabs, dip them in alcohol or cologne and wipe the contacts. Once dry, put the RAM back in place and test it again.

What should I do if my computer freezes and slows down even after this procedure? Often, several sticks of RAM are installed in a system unit. Run the scan utility for each of them separately. This way it will be possible to identify which device is destabilizing the PC. Damaged equipment should be replaced or simply not installed.

Conclusion

The answer to the question “What to do if your computer freezes and slows down?” fully revealed. It must be said that first of all, you need to take measures aimed at optimizing the software part, and then move on to checking. In addition, unstable PC operation is rarely associated with only one factor. Usually, serious problems begin only when several causes come into force at the same time. Therefore, it is worth approaching the issue of computer repair in a comprehensive manner.

After using a Windows-based desktop computer or laptop for a long time, users may encounter a situation where the PC becomes very slow and runs slowly. There can be many reasons for a PC to slow down.

To understand in detail the problem of PC slowdown, we have prepared material in which we will consider in detail the methods and techniques that increase PC performance. By following our recommendations, you can return to its former performance desktop computer or laptop with Windows OS. By restoring the speed of your computer, you can enjoy various multimedia entertainment, computer games and work, while forgetting about the slowdown and various PC glitches.

Cleaning the system in Windows operating systems

The operating systems Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 have their own built-in system cleaning tools. The main disadvantage of such cleaning products is that they They only clean the trash, which the system itself creates, and even then, not all of it.

To execute complete system cleaning from garbage, where the OS and many programs will be cleaned, you need to use third-party software. One of the best cleaning programs is CCleaner. This utility is produced by Piriform LTD.

The utility is free and downloadable CCleaner on a PC from the official website www.piriform.com. The utility has been in use for several years first in the ranking from such well-known online publications as The Guardian, PC World, CHIP Online and many others. The utility works on the operating systems Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10. After installation, we will launch the utility on Windows 7.

To clean the system of debris, use the Analysis button located at the bottom of the window.

The image shows how much garbage the system found. This is the Explorer history when the user opens folders or copies folders. This is also the browser history and various garbage created by utilities.

After analysis remove garbage, which the utility found by clicking the Cleanup button.

In this simple way you can increase the performance of the system and its programs. The utility's capabilities don't end there. The program can also delete unnecessary registry branches, which were created by various software. To take advantage of this opportunity we need to open the “ Registry"and, by analogy with the previous example, click the Search for problems button.

After the search, click the Fix button and thereby delete unnecessary registry entries.

The functionality of the utility is not limited to this, but its coverage does not fit into the topic of the article, so we will move on. Having finished cleaning the system and registry, it’s time to take on defragmentation, which we will discuss in the following examples.

Defragmentation in Windows operating systems

The operating systems Windows XP, Vista, as well as the newer Windows 7, 8, 10, have their own built-in tools that allow defragmentation. The only disadvantage of the built-in defragmenter in Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 is its operating speed and weak functionality.

Therefore, it is better to use a defragmenter from third-party developers. The best defragmenter today is a free utility Defraggler. utility Defraggler developed by the same company as CCleaner Piriform LTD. Download Defraggler to the PC folder you can also from its official website www.piriform.com, like CCleaner.

Installing Defraggler is quite simple and comes down to a couple of clicks, so any PC user can handle it. Except Defraggler, there are many more high-quality defragmenters, but our choice fell on this one, as it will help us solve another problem due to which your PC can become very slow and run slowly.

Defraggler works with all current Windows operating systems from XP to Windows 10. Therefore, feel free to install and run it on any Windows. In our case, we ran Defraggler on Windows 7.

To start defragmentation, click the Defragmentation button at the bottom of the window. Next to this button there is a button that can start analyzing the disk for the need for defragmentation. After defragmentation starts, you can monitor it on the disk map.

This process can take a long time and depends on the disk size and the degree of disk fragmentation.

Utility Defraggler can defragment both the entire disk and individual folders and files. Its functionality does not end there. The utility can also:

• Do a quick defragmentation;
• Make the program work according to schedule;
• Defragment free disk space;
• Turn off the PC after defragmentation;
• Defragment the registry.

Of all the functions described, the last one is the most significant. Using registry defragmentation, you can also increase the performance of your desktop computer or laptop. To use this function, go to the menu " Settings» and activate defragmentation of the registry when starting the PC, as shown in the image.

By enabling this option, in your PC at system startup Defraggler will defragment the registry:

Now let's talk about the program's capabilities that we mentioned earlier. Defraggler can view the status of your hard drive, namely S.M.A.R.T..

S.M.A.R.T. is a built-in routine that can determine the status of the hard drive. Let's go to the " State».

The image above shows the parameters of a good hard drive. The following image shows a hard drive with bad sectors:

If this is exactly the situation you have, then the culprit in braking the system is Winchester. Based on this, The hard drive should be replaced with a new one. In addition, the hard drive will not last long in this condition, and you may unexpectedly lose a lot of important information. Probably all of it.

From the example it is clear that using Defraggler you can do:

• Disk defragmentation is long or fast;
• Registry defragmentation;
• Check the condition of the hard drive.

It is also worth noting that if you have an SDD disk type installed in your PC, then do not defragment it, as this may shorten its lifespan.

Solving RAM problems

Very often the culprit behind the PC slowing down and freezing is RAM. Operating systems from Windows 7 to Windows 10 have built-in memory checkers. For example, let’s run a tool to check the RAM for errors in Windows 10. To do this, use the search in the top ten and enter the phrase “ Memory Checker».

Now let's run the found utility.

In the window that opens, select the first item, after which the computer will reboot and RAM diagnostics will begin.

After a long check, the computer will boot and the user will be given the result of the check. If the test result is negative, this means that the RAM needs to be replaced with a new one.

Older operating systems such as Windows XP do not have a built-in memory check. It follows from this that on Windows XP, to check memory, you should use third party software. One of the most popular utilities can check your RAM. Memtest86.

Speeding up with ReadyBoost

Sometimes even all the steps taken to eliminate slowdowns and glitches in the PC do not help properly. This happens because your PC weak hardware. To solve this problem in OS, starting with Windows 7 and ending with Windows 10, the user has the opportunity to use technology ReadyBoost.

The essence of the technology ReadyBoost is to use fast USB drives for data caching. That is, using ReadyBoost, you can replace the default swap file on a screw, on a fast USB flash drive.

For example, we will use a PC with Windows 10 OS and a flash drive with the interface USB 3.0. You ask why exactly USB 3.0. The answer is simple, this interface very fast and is most suitable for our task. Let's insert the flash drive into the PC and go to it properties to the tab " ReadyBoost».

Now select the item in the window to speed up our system as shown in the image above and click the Apply button. The setup is done in the same way in Windows 7 and 8.

After these actions, the system should noticeably speed up, long startup times and slowdowns should disappear.

If you want to use the described technology on Windows XP, then use a third party program eBoostr.

Other ways to speed up a desktop computer or laptop and remove the brakes

If the examples discussed above did not help, then the following methods will help solve the problem with brakes and glitches:

• Changing the antivirus program;
• Disable visual effects;
• Stopping unnecessary services;
• Reinstalling the operating system;
• Updating seven to ten.

If you have a good anti-virus program installed on your desktop computer or laptop, then on a modern PC you are reliably protected and this does not affect the performance of the system. But if you have a weak laptop or desktop computer, then it will be noticeable how the antivirus began to slow down the system greatly.

To correct this situation, Panda Security SL has developed an antivirus Panda Cloud Antivirus, which practically does not waste system resources on a weak PC. The secret of this antivirus is that everything complex operations in it are performed in the cloud.

In addition to antivirus, the performance of a weak laptop or desktop computer can be affected by OS visual effects. Since Vista, Windows has used various visual effects that slow down the PC. To disable visual effects, for example, in Windows 10, you need to go to system properties. To do this in the program Execute Let's type the command “sysdm.cpl”.

Going to system properties, open the tab “ Additionally" In the performance text block, click on the Options button.

A window should open before us where we can disable and enable visual effects in Windows 10.

Visual effects are configured in the same way in Windows 7 and 8. If we talk about Windows XP, then it makes no sense to disable its visual effects, since they already consume few resources.

You need to be careful when disabling services, as this may lead to incorrect operation of the operating system. To stop unnecessary services, for example, in Windows 7, you need to go to the snap-in responsible for services. To do this in the program Execute Let's type the command “services.msc”. After execution, the snap-in “ Services».

In this snap-in you can disable any service. Before disabling an unnecessary service, make sure that disabling this service is absolutely safe for the system. For example, you can stop the service " Print Manager"if your PC is not using a printer.

Another way is complete system reinstallation. After reinstalling Windows, you will immediately notice how fast your laptop or all-in-one PC works. This happens because the OS is new and has a clean registry and no garbage. In many cases, reinstalling the OS helps revive a laptop or desktop PC and get rid of the brakes.

In addition to reinstallation, there are times when a 7 user upgrades the system to Windows 7 and after that it works slowly. The slow operation of the system is due to the way updates are distributed and to the hardware. In the first case, the slow performance is due to a new type of update delivery in the P2P network. That is, updates come from user to user. In the second case, slow operation is associated with old hardware. In this case, only updating components or buying a new laptop will help.

Let's sum it up

We hope that all the material presented in the article will help our readers and you will not have any questions about why the PC began to slow down or why the laptop or all-in-one computer began to freeze. I would also like to give a couple of tips to our readers.

If you continue to experience slowdowns and freezes in your system, then malware may be the culprit of your problem. In this case, you should perform a full system scan for viruses and remove them from the found folder.

In addition, if you own a PC with Windows XP, then it’s time for you to think about changing the OS to a more secure one. XP support has ended a long time ago and new antiviruses have not supported it for a long time. This means that the system is very unsafe and if you give such a system access to the Internet, you may encounter real problems due to viruses. Due to viruses, you may encounter system slowdowns, as well as theft and damage of personal information.

Video on the topic

If the device takes a long time to load and responds slowly to requests, you should conduct a thorough diagnosis and find out why the computer is slowing down. This can be caused either by a lack of free space on the disk or by overheating of any internal components. Most problems can be solved on your own without contacting a service center.

Reasons for a slow computer

You can solve the problem of slow operation on a computer with any version of Windows - from 7 to 10. Similar measures should be taken if problems occur on a personal computer, laptop or netbook.

Clogged registry

The registry stores the settings of all installed applications. After deleting files, unnecessary entries may remain in it. The accumulated garbage has a negative impact on the operating system, which has to spend more time accessing the registry, so the computer runs slowly. You can clean the registry using special utilities such as CCleaner, which can be downloaded from the Internet.

Low RAM

Often the system drive C on the computer is overloaded. The system cannot access a particular entry until sufficient memory is available on the hard drive. This problem also occurs on PCs where drives C and D are disconnected. This is due to the fact that initially less memory on the hard drive is allocated for the system disk. After installing new programs and updates, the space on the C drive is almost completely filled and the computer slows down greatly.

Windows boot speed is greatly reduced due to autoloading of some programs being enabled. Because of this, the computer may turn on not the standard 15-20 seconds, but several minutes. Some programs are added to startup automatically - without notifying the user. System overload is caused by antivirus programs, various Windows cleaning software, torrents, and video editors.

Malicious and unwanted programs

Many malicious programs work unnoticed, but because of them, the computer “glitches”. Some advertising modules are built into the browser, which leads to the constant appearance of unnecessary ads on Internet pages. If your computer is slow, it may have unwanted software installed that the antivirus does not perceive as a potential threat. Special tools for removing malicious services will help you identify it to completely clean your computer.

To avoid this problem, you should download programs only from official sources - developer sites. Before installing the software, you must read the attached instructions. You can check the program using bootable anti-virus flash drives.

The computer also runs slowly due to incorrectly installed drivers. For normal operation of the system, it is necessary to download only native software from the official websites of manufacturers and update them in a timely manner. Malfunctioning drivers are indicated by yellow or red exclamation marks displayed in the device manager.

You can find out why your computer is slowing down so much and whether drivers are affecting this by turning on your PC in safe mode. This way, the minimum number of drivers most necessary for the system is loaded. If everything works smoothly, the problem is not with the software.

Full hard drive or other problems with it

The hard drive has limited resources to work with. Gradually its sectors become damaged and the system sees them as broken. At first, these damaged areas are replaced by backup ones, but gradually there are more and more of them - the device freezes and fails. Despite the power of the installed system and components, the computer begins to boot slowly.

You can increase the speed of operation by installing a new hard drive if the old one is broken, as indicated by occasional strange sounds. But such radical measures make sense only in extreme cases. You can prevent such situations and extend the life of your hard drive by following simple rules:

• regularly defragment disks - at least once a month;
• check the hard drive and restore it in time if necessary;
• handle the system unit and hard drive carefully, protect them from mechanical damage;
• Periodically clean the hard drive from dust, preventing it from heating.

If the hard drive is full, its indicator turns red. In this case, you need to unload the system disk.

If your computer or laptop slows down, this may be due to some installed programs. A conflict between two antivirus programs causes this kind of freezing. In this case, the built-in Windows Defender and a third-party program can work together without causing such problems.

Plugins, extensions, and sometimes incorrect settings and cache slow down the Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome browsers. You can instantly speed up your browser by resetting it and then disabling all third-party extensions and plugins.

Viruses and infected software cause slow launch of Internet pages. In this case, a proxy server can be specified in the connection settings. A program downloaded from the Internet slows down due to its malfunction or incompatibility with the PC. It may lack the necessary drivers, and sometimes it may overheat.

Overheat

Overheating is one possible explanation for why the computer is slowing down. The system starts to slow down after launching a game or application. In extreme cases, the computer shuts down and becomes unresponsive to user input. If such a situation occurs, it is necessary to reduce the temperature of the processor and video card. If the mark reaches more than +50...+60°C at rest, the PC should be cleaned of dust or the thermal paste replaced.

Weak computer

A computer with an outdated system is not compatible with most new games and applications. Complex programs running on a PC cause the device to run slowly. Installing new components, a video card, and expanding the size of RAM will help solve the problem. When buying budget models costing up to $300, you need to keep in mind that they are only suitable for surfing, simple games, watching movies and working with documents.

Software determination of the reasons for slow computer operation

You can determine why your computer may be slowing down using the free WhySoSlow program. This program allows you to see the hardware nuances of the operating system. If an exclamation mark appears in the application window during diagnostics, then some components are causing the freeze. To identify the problem, the temperature and speed of the processor, the degree of its load are measured, and other system parameters are checked.

Actions to speed up your computer

Many users are interested in when the computer slows down and what to do to save the situation. By following some rules, you can speed up your PC by 25-50%. This can be done with both an outdated and a new device.

Cleaning your computer from dust

Over time, a large amount of dust accumulates inside the device, disrupting normal ventilation and leading to an increase in the temperature of the disk, processor, and video card. To prevent the computer from slowing down, it must be cleaned of dust; this can be done either manually or using a vacuum cleaner.

Before cleaning, you must disconnect the PC from electricity and disconnect the wires of the mouse, keyboard, speakers, and power cable from it. For mechanical cleaning, open the system unit by unscrewing the screws or bolts on the side panel with a screwdriver. Cleaning is carried out using an unnecessary plastic card, cotton swabs, and a brush.

In some cases, the cause of slow PC operation may be faulty thermal paste - the connecting link between the processor and its cooling radiator. When changing thermal paste, it is recommended to degrease its surface with alcohol.

Any computer can contain a virus that causes the system to become “stupid.” You can avoid all this by periodically checking your PC for threats and promptly cleaning infected files. A reliable antivirus program should be running on your computer at all times and should be updated regularly. One-time scanning programs such as CureIT from Dr. will also help you get rid of viruses. Web.

Recovering system files and updating drivers

It is recommended to regularly check for updates to installed drivers. The Driver Pack Solution program will allow you to find such updates and download them. You can also find the necessary drivers yourself and install them manually.

To check system files, you need to open a command prompt with elevated access privileges, enter the command sfc /scannow and press Enter. This will determine if all system files are protected. If necessary, damaged elements are replaced with their cached copy. You can do this manually.

Cleaning your computer from junk, viruses and other malware using special programs

A desktop antivirus program like Avast, which can be downloaded and installed for free, can help clean your computer of viruses and unwanted software. The Firewall will help detect the presence of programs built into the operating system and having access to the Internet. Antivirus and Firewall, working together, will protect your computer from most threats. You should be extremely careful when opening sites with suspicious content and not clicking on pop-up links.

The amount of RAM can be increased by installing 1 or 2 additional sticks on the computer. If necessary, you can expand the pumping file used to store temporary data. To do this, click “Start” and go to the “Computer” tab. Here you should open “Advanced system settings”, go to the “Advanced” section, then open the “Performance” window and click on the “Settings” button. You can confirm your actions by clicking “Change” at the bottom.

In the window that opens, you can see the size of the paging file and increase it to the desired value. You can save the changes by clicking the “OK” button and restarting the computer.

Free space on the system disk and its optimization

You can clear up space on your system disk by following these steps:

• by deleting temporary files from the disk using CCleaner;
• by uninstalling unnecessary programs;
• clearing the desktop;
• by emptying the Recycle Bin with previously deleted files.

It is also recommended to clean out the temporary TEMP folders. It contains only unnecessary files that must be deleted. The second TEMP folder also needs to be cleaned. It opens after pressing the Win and R keys simultaneously. In the window that opens, enter the command %TEMP% and click “OK”. Once you select all the files, you can delete them.

To unload drive C, you need to go to the “Computer” section and right-click on the system partition. In the list that opens, select “Properties”, and then go to “Disk Cleanup”. The system will analyze the data and offer to remove unnecessary garbage. To delete files, you need to check the boxes next to them and click “OK”.

Excluding unnecessary programs from the startup list

Some users are trying to figure out what to do to make their computer run faster. You can solve the problem by removing an unnecessary application from startup in 2 ways:

1. By downloading a healing utility to optimize the OS.
2. Launch the task manager by simultaneously pressing the Shift, Ctrl and Esc buttons and in the “Startup” tab, disabling unnecessary programs.

Windows services are programs that perform system functions and run in the background. Some programs are vital, they contribute to the correct operation of the PC, while others perform secondary tasks and can only be launched occasionally. To speed up the system, unused services can be disabled; visible changes will be noticed by owners of weak computers.

Reinstalling or restoring Windows

If your computer slows down, the reason may be the slow operation of an outdated version of Windows. Installing a newer system will help solve the problem. So, version 10 works faster than the previous ones and speeds up the PC. You can download the update from Windows Update. If the device is still slow, the system can be restored. This will help solve the software glitch problem.

Installation of more powerful components

Sometimes the question arises of what to do to prevent the laptop from slowing down. A weak PC cannot perform the tasks assigned to it. Replacing the device or its individual components: disk or processor will help solve the problem. Installing a more powerful video card will improve performance. A specialist will help you select hardware parts.

If all else fails and your computer or laptop still slows down

If the above methods do not help improve the situation, you should move on to more drastic actions:

• restore the system by first resetting it to its original state;
• reinstall Windows from the USB flash drive.

Reinstalling the OS will help solve the problem if the operating speed has decreased not due to a hardware failure.

One of the most pressing and probably eternal problems of all PC users is why does the computer slow down? After all, when you bought your brand new computer, it didn’t even show any signs of slowing down. There are many reasons that cause your computer to freeze, and that’s what I’ll write about today. I will also write methods for dealing with the most common problems. First, let’s make a rating of the most common reasons that cause your computer to freeze and slow down:

In fact, there are even more reasons why your computer may slow down; if such a need arises, I will write the second part of the article. Now let's look at each of these points in more detail.

Computer slows down due to viruses

– Problem This is one of the main reasons why your computer has become noticeably slower. You may not even think about the existence of viruses on your computer until you see the first reasons for their existence. such prerequisites may be:

• Computer freezes
• Files or folders are not deleted
• Error messages appeared
• Intrusive advertising appears while the browser is running
• Computer startup time has slowed down significantly
• Certain programs cannot be launched and folders cannot be opened
• Task Manager does not open (ctrl+alt+del does not work)
• CPU usage up to 100% with closed applications

At the first symptoms of a computer infection, you should take a number of steps to protect yourself from viruses:

– Solution If you suspect that your computer is infected with viruses, you should follow these steps:

check it for viruses with a scanner, for example, and don’t forget that you need to use . After checking with the scanner, it will show whether there is malware and scanners on your computer, if there is, we will treat/remove it, then install the stationary version of the antivirus. I can recommend a pretty good and free antivirus.

Enable the firewall (firewall) built into the operating system and configure it to work only with certain programs that use Internet access. A combination of antivirus and firewall will provide fairly strong protection against most threats.

Another very important tip! Most viruses and Trojans can be picked up on porn sites. So, if for some reason you visit such sites, be careful and do not click on all the windows that appear in a row. For example, an offer to update a flash player will most likely provoke the installation of a malicious program.

System disk is full

– Problem A very common situation is when the system disk of your computer (drive C:\) is full, and when you try to access the desired entry, the system waits for free memory on the hard drive.

The problem is relevant in those computers in which the system disk and the data disk are separated (on disk C and D, for example). In my experience, I often came across a situation where too little hard disk memory was allocated for the system disk and as it filled up (installing updates, installing programs, temporary files), the space on drive C tended to zero.

– Solution To solve the problem with the volume of the system disk, you should perform the following steps:

• Clear the disk of temporary files. The program copes well with this task
• Remove programs you don't use
• Clear the desktop (many people don’t even suspect that the desktop stores information on drive C)
• Empty the recycle bin (I encountered a situation where the size of the recycle bin reached 10 GB when the size of the C drive was 50 GB.)

Computer slows down due to overheating

– Problem Unfortunately, this is a very common and very dangerous problem for your computer. You need to monitor the temperature of the components! Especially if your computer is a repository of very important information. I think you will not be happy if your computer fails due to overheating and as a result of the failure you will lose all information from your PC.

How to determine if your computer is slowing down due to overheating? Very simple! If when you turn on the computer everything is fine and loads quickly, but when you start programs or games, the computer starts to slow down and reboot, then in 95% of cases the problem is with overheating

– Solution You need to pay attention to the temperature of the processor, chipset, video card and hard drive. You can monitor the temperature of components using special programs (for example Aida or Everest).

Periodically clean the system unit from dust. Yes yes, it needs to be cleaned! In my memory, there have been instances in which not only the color of the motherboard was not visible, but even the processor heatsink was not visible due to a dense “crust” of dust. Dust causes failure of coolers (fans), which disrupts heat exchange and raises the temperature.

Periodically you need to check the condition of the thermal paste between the active elements and their radiators. I advise you to do this once every 2-3 years. But, if the sensors show that the temperature of your elements (processor, chipset, video card) is normal, then everything is in order with heat transfer and, therefore, there is no need to change the thermal paste.

Computer slows down due to hard drive problems

– Problem Few people know that hard drives tend to exhaust their resources. We are not talking about the size of the disk (I wrote about this above), but rather about its life cycle, which, unfortunately, is not as long as we would like.

The speed of the operating system and programs depends 70% on the quality of the hard drive. I myself didn’t understand before how a computer with 4 GB could slow down. RAM, dual core processor 3.2 GHz, good video card? And during operation, significant slowdowns are noticeable. Only when replacing the hard drive was there a significant increase in operating speed.

The thing is that a hard drive consists of many layers of mirrored disks, all of these disks are divided into sectors. If, when accessing a certain sector, the hard disk controller does not receive a response, it marks this sector as “broken”. The more bad sectors, the closer to the end of your hard drive.

– Solution Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever! But life can be extended! Same with hard drives. If you follow the rules described below, you can significantly extend the life of your hard drive, and therefore your computer.

• Defragment your disks periodically (at least once a month)
• If you suspect the hard drive is working, take a set of measures to check and restore the hard drive (there are good tools at)
• Avoid any physical impact on the hard drive. Do not hit the system unit, do not knock on the table if there is a system unit or laptop on it
• When cleaning the system unit from dust, clean the hard drive thoroughly, as it tends to heat up

Small amount of RAM

– Problem One of the most common reasons why a computer slows down a lot is a small amount of RAM. Progress does not stand still and with new software comes new hardware that ensures comfortable operation of these programs.

You can see the RAM load in the task manager (ctrl+alt+del), in the “Performance” and “Processes” tabs.

However, not everyone can afford to upgrade hardware, and in particular RAM. After all, to find memory for an old computer (DDR), you will have to work hard. And the price for old memory sticks is much more expensive than for memory of the same volume, but of a new type (for example, DDR2 or DDR3).

And to install a new modification of memory, you need to change the motherboard and, in most cases, the processor.

– The solution is the most banal! Increase the amount of RAM. I also advise you to pay attention to running processes; perhaps most of the memory is being “eaten up” by processes that you did not start (for example, viruses).

– Problem Just like RAM, the processor directly affects the speed of the computer. The lack of processor power is most noticeable when working with a browser and when running high-quality HD video.

The processor load can be seen in the task manager (ctrl+alt+del), in the “Performance” and “Processes” tabs.

– Solution The solution is to install a new, more powerful processor.

There is a lot of unnecessary stuff in startup

– Problem As you work at the computer, you often have to install various kinds of programs; some of these programs are installed in startup so that they load when the computer is turned on.

I doubt that you often look into startup and remove unnecessary programs from there. But it would be worth it, because by cleaning startup, you can significantly increase the speed of turning on the computer and starting the operating system.

– Solution You need to open “System Configuration” and in the “Startup” tab, uncheck the programs you don’t need.

To open “System Configuration”, click “Start” - “Run”, for Windows XP, or for Windows 7, “Start” - and in the “Search programs and files” line write msconfig and press Enter.
Afterwards, go to the “Startup” tab
In my case, you can safely disable the “Intel”, “Adobe Reader”, “Java” items. You may have an office there, Winamp, various kinds of instant messengers.

Cleaning the registry from garbage

– Problem The Registry is the most mysterious and little-studied area of ​​the Windows operating system by ordinary users. The registry contains the parameters of all installed applications. And in case of incorrect removal of applications, entries remain in the registry.

Over time, due to such entries, the registry grows to obscene sizes. And when accessing it, the operating system spends more time than it would like.

– Solution: Cleaning the registry with a special utility, for example, there are no other options.

The computer slows down when using the browser

– Problem This is also a very pressing problem. It occurs mainly when opening several dozen tabs at once, or when launching an HD quality video in the browser.

Also, do not forget that each open tab is a separately running process that “eats” part of the RAM and part of the processor.

– Solution If your computer freezes when working in the browser, pay attention to the task manager to see which process is taking up the most resources. Perhaps this is some application running on a web page, or a frozen script. Do not forget that the browser may freeze due to a full cache, which is necessary.

If your computer slows down when watching videos on the Internet, the problem is insufficient processor resources; only a replacement will help.

Let's sum it up!

As you can see, there are a huge number of problems that can cause your computer to freeze and slow down. If you haven’t found the answer to your question or have tried everything but nothing helps, write your problem in the comments, we will try to help you. By the way, here are some more tips on

Now I suggest you watch a video on the topic “What to do if your computer is slow”: