Yahoo Finance Does your computer slow down after a few hours? Here’s why
You've probably experienced this yourself — you start working on your computer in the morning, and then a few hours later, your device seems to have slowed to a crawl.
Trying to click on a link or download files becomes a type of internet roulette: Will the download take three seconds or 30 minutes? Most days you don’t have time to hang about. You want to go where you click — now.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up four reasons why your computer might slow down after using it for an hour or two.
1 You're multitasking
Time for some tough love: You don’t need to run your streaming service, online conference software and web browser while downloading PDFs — all at the same time.
Having multiple tabs and open programmes running simultaneously could cause your PC to slow down.
“It’s common that applications or background tasks can soak up memory and power,” Richard Roth, founder and CEO of technology solutions firm Progressive Tech, tells Yahoo Life. “Go through apps and close things down, or restart the machine.”
One solution that can help identify why your computer is running slowly is a comprehensive system tune-up, like System Mechanic.
The software package helps provide real-time performance boosting by allowing users to turn off unnecessary background services with one click.
System Mechanic can also help locate resource-draining 'bloatware' - unnecessary pre-installed software - and delete temporary files, improving speed when you need it.
2 Your PC is running hot
Your operating system can work overtime, causing your hardware to overheat.
“As you use your system, it is constantly generating heat,” explains Roth. “The harder you work it, the warmer it gets. Eventually, to protect the integrity of the hardware, it will throttle down performance.
"To fix it, close everything down and walk away for a few minutes.”
As your device powers up, pay attention to start-up programmes that launch. Do you need them all to automatically open? If not, hop over to the control panel and change which apps run on startup.
3 Your tech is outdated
Nothing lasts forever. That applies to bad haircuts, fresh flowers, and hardware.
Experts say that outdated tech could cause your computer to slow down. “If the device is 3-plus years old, there’s a chance that a hardware or software failure/deterioration may be causing problems,” says Roth. “Consider an evaluation at a local independent tech support provider.”
4 Your computer has a virus
A slow computer can be a sign that your hardware could be compromised.
“An infection on your system can be exploited by hackers to send spam emails, use your system's resources to mine digital currency, or attack other systems — all of which can affect the performance of your system,” Roth says.
“It can be hard to know if you’ve been infected, as many threats are not detected or remediated by anti-malware software. A factory reset/restore can destroy most malware, but be sure to back up your data first!”
Shop now: System Mechanic | try for 30 days free*, then £3.90 a month
*to avoid being charged the recurring subscription fee, cancel before your free trial ends
Watch: 5 easy ways to improve your wifi when you're working from home
