Many factors can contribute to a slow computer, but it's not always clear which one is the immediate cause. There are, however, five causes that more often than not tend to be the culprits:
- Fragmentation
- Memory leaks
- Program misalignment
- Start up programs
- Unused extra programs (bloatware)
On their own each of these can slow things down, but if your PC is experiencing several of these issues at once it can seriously compromise how quickly you can surf the web, download pictures, open applications or even get your computer running at the beginning of the day.
Why do these 5 problems occur?
Let's take a closer look at just how these speed leeches result:
- Fragmentation: When you use a computer program to access a file or save information, the computer requests a chunk of memory to perform the task. When it's finished using it, the chunk is released back into the resource pool. Over time, as you access more programs and your computer blocks out pieces of your hard drive, it gets less efficient. This can lead to storage space being wasted, which can prevent your computer from processing efficiently.
- Memory leaks: During the memory retrieval process that happens when you perform a task on your PC, applications sometimes fail to release that chunk of memory back to the system, called a memory leak. This can use up all available memory, causing other programs to crash or shut down because there isn't enough memory to complete a task.
- Program misalignment: Your computer programs are made up of lots of different files. Over time, these can get scattered across your hard drive, making it more difficult to open the program.
- Start up programs: It takes memory to load computer programs when you boot up your computer. If you have dozens of different programs starting all at once, your boot up time will suffer.
- Unused extra programs: Your computer's hard drive has a finite amount of space available. Keeping unused programs on your hard drive can bog things down unnecessarily.
The good news is that because these problems are so common, there are tune-up products on the market, such as iolo's System Mechanic, that can help you address all of these issues and more with just a few clicks.
Stay tuned for more PC maintenance tips and tricks.
