Top 10 Causes of a Slow or Freezing PC
System Start-up packed with too many
applications (Start-up overload)
Over time, as you add more and more programs to your computer, many of these
applications automatically add themselves to your Windows Start-up folder.
Additionally, these applications can add themselves quietly to a hidden area
of your Windows Start-up system (accessed via the MSCONFIG run command). In
extreme cases your PC will appear completely frozen.
Limiting the number of applications loading themselves at start-up can speed
boot times considerably and increase overall system performance.
Manage your hidden Windows Start-up controls automatically with
Registry Easy PC
Optimizer Free Download (Recommended)
Spyware
Malicious programs that stealthily embed themselves into your Windows
Registry and core file system are the number two most common cause of a slow
PC or poor PC performance.
These applications are usually installed without your knowledge or consent
during the installation of a “free” application you’re trying out, or pushed
out automatically in the background when you visit websites that engage in
this practice without the user’s knowledge.
These spyware programs must be removed as soon as possible to return your PC
to top running speed, and before they damage your file system.
In some cases they can be removed by manually editing the Windows core file
system and registry or by using an automatic spyware remover like
XoftspySE,
our favorite pick for spyware removal and cleaning.
Click here to run a
free spyware scan (Recommended)
Corrupted/Bloated Windows Registry
The Windows Registry is the master control center for your operating system
and applications it runs. Corruption or overload registry issues can cause
all sorts of pc performance problems, including poor application startup
times, slow Windows start-up, extremely slow shut down, inability to resume
from computer sleep and more.
Cleaning, compacting, and optimizing your Windows registry can go a long way
to dramatically speeding up your computer’s performance, start-up and
shutdown speed.
Recommended: Run a Free Registry Scan Now to Detect Errors and Improve your
PC’s speed instantly!
Badly Fragmented Hard Drive
The sixth most common reason for a slow PC is hard drive and file system
fragmentation. Over time, your computer’s files can be scattered into bits
and pieces located all over your hard drive. This is called fragmentation.
Windows has a built in tool to help you with hard drive defragmentation:
Open My Computer,
Right-click once on your C: Drive and go down to “Properties”
Select the “Tools” tab and choose the “Defragment Now” option and follow the
step by step instructions.
Poor Security Software that is stealing system resources
Unfortunately, a large number of security software programs and suites out
there demand a huge portion of your system resources and memory. This can
lead to sluggish performance from the rest of your PC while your security
software is constantly scanning and monitoring your computer for threats.
While threat detection is essential, some security vendors go overboard with
their approach and drag your PC down with them.
To see how much memory and system resources your security software is using,
press and hold CTRL+ALT+DELETE and choose the task manager.
Once the task manager is open look at the “processes” section to see how
much of your system resources are being used by your security apps.
For recommendations on light-footprint security software, click here for the
BestRegCleaner.com recommended apps list.
Remnants of uninstalled programs
Uninstalling an application either via the control panel or the
application’s start menu folder has been known to leave behind remnants of
the uninstalled program. These remnants can slow down your computer while
Windows tries to figure out what to do with them. Additionally, residue of
old program stays behind in your system registry, clogging up your PC’s
core.
Recommended: Remove old uninstall entries with
Registry Easy PC Optimizer Free Download
Pagefile
The Windows page file is a temporary area of memory that your computer uses
to move files around while it processes functions. Basically, it’s a buffer
that your computer uses for wiggle room. If your Pagefile is too small, your
operating system won’t have enough room to move and you could end up with
poor performance and error messages.
To increase the size of your Pagefile:
Right-click on “My Computer” and go down to “Properties”
Click the “Advanced” tab
Click “Settings” under the “Performance” section
Click the “Advanced” button
Click “Change” under “Virtual Memory”
Hard Drive getting full and too many internet temp and windows temp files
If your hard drive has less than 10% free space, you will experience a
dramatic slowdown in the performance of your PC. To improve this, free up
some space by removing old documents you no longer use or programs that are
no longer needed.
Additionally, your Internet Explorer temp files folder can become jam-packed
and lead to extraordinary launch times for Internet Explorer. To clean this
folder out, try a PC temp file cleaner like WinClear: Free Download
(Recommended)
Virus
Closely related to Spyware, viruses can wreak havoc on your system’s
performance and severely limit your PC’s ability to do what you ask it to.
Typically, viruses get onto your computer via infected email or instant
messages, although they can also be installed via applications or files that
you download from file-sharing networks and other non-trusted web sites.
Manual removal of viruses is very difficult and rarely successful, and we
strongly advise the use of a quality anti-virus program like PC Tools
Antivirus - Free Trial Here.
Hardware Problems
The fourth most common cause of a slow or freezing computer is gradually
dying internal hardware components. These can often show up in the form of
slow boot and shut down, as well as poor program launches riddled with
errors.
There are very few hardware diagnostic utilities out there, so we recommend
careful removal of any newly installed pc components to see if they are
causing a problem or incompatibility. Other than that, taking your PC to a
certified, trusted hardware repair shop is usually a good idea.
Before taking it in to a shop with suspected hardware problems however, be
sure to try the suggestions on BestRegCleaner.com to see if you can isolate
issues you suspect are hardware failure related.
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