Remember when you first got yo
ur new computer and everything was so quick to load? You would click that power button and everything was on and ready to go.
Now after a year or two, it doesn’t seem to be quite as quick. Are you just imagining it? No. It really has slowed down. One of the most annoying experiences of the 21st century is clicking on icon on the desktop and then watching the small circle or a disc rotate seemingly indefinitely. There is a measurable speed drop in speed and power that has nothing to do with worn parts. This may sound infuriating, but rest assured, with a little maintenance you can have your device running at top speed again.
A computer should be able to perform hundreds of thousands of operations and calculations in just a few seconds. Your computer is built to handle day-to-day use, however, as you continue to use your computer relentlessly, it becomes full of thousands of files that continuously hog system resources.
No matter what type of computer you own, you are bound to observe the gradual decline of your computer’s performance over time. Most people understand that this is a fact of technology life, but instead of just resigning to fate, have you given much thought as to why computers tend to get slower over time?
Let’s take a look.
Start-up applications:
Having applications start up automatically is super convenient. There are many programs that can be launched as soon as your computer turns on and having that ease definitely enhances the user experience.
Some of these programs are working a little too hard though. Take a look at what you have launching when you turn on your computer and make sure they are programs you are still using.
For example, iTunes helper loads in the background to speed things up when you connect your device, but when what the last time you even ran iTunes on your computer? Programs like this are taking up precious processing power and adding to speed issues.
Temporary junk:
Every webpage, image on said pages, programs your run, and games you play leave something behind. They leave temporary files and scraps of information all over your hard drive. This can come in the form of information called “cookies”, saved game files, auto-save/restore files, and other bits of information.
The more of this information that builds up, the slower your device becomes.
Viruses and malware:
We’ve talked a bit about viruses and malware. These infections can sometimes go unnoticed, sitting in the background consuming resources. They can be stealing your information, infecting other devices that are connected to your network, and spying on where you go online to access those accounts.
These are not things to mess around with. They can ruin devices and drain finances. This should be the first place you look if you suspect your computer is running abnormally slow.
Over-inflating:
When your computer runs a software update, it is doing so for a reason. There are plenty of security patches that come out, newer and better features, design improvements, etc. The downside to this is that the application becomes larger and larger with each new version. This puts more strain on your system and requires more resources to install and run, consequently slowing your computer down.
Just like a car, computers need regular maintenance – we offer a Tune-Up service to bring your computer back to its original speed and extend its life.
The reality is, your computer needs maintenance just like your car needs maintenance. We have to face the fact that as time goes on, our computers will get slow. Be sure to take the proper precautions if your computer is getting slow. There is a chance it could be infected, other times it could just need a little tune up.