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Slow Computer Performance

Symptom

The computer is running noticeably slower than usual. Applications take a long time to open, or the system freezes intermittently.

Possible Causes

  • Too many applications running at startup.
  • Insufficient free disk space.
  • Pending or recently installed updates still processing in the background.
  • Malware or unwanted background processes.
  • A failing or nearly full hard drive.
  • Outdated drivers.

Step-by-step Resolution

  1. Open Task Manager and check CPU, memory, and disk usage to identify what's consuming resources.
  2. Restart the computer. This alone often resolves temporary slowdowns.
  3. Check for pending Windows updates and let them finish installing.
  4. Check available disk space and free up space if the drive is nearly full.
  5. Disable unnecessary startup programs.
  6. Run a full malware and antivirus scan.
  7. Check the drive's health status and run a disk check if the system supports it.
  8. Update outdated drivers, particularly graphics and chipset drivers.
  9. Confirm performance has improved with the user before closing the ticket.

When to Escalate

  • Task Manager shows high resource usage with no clear cause, or a process you don't recognize.
  • The drive health check reports errors, which points to possible hardware failure.
  • The issue persists after all standard steps, suggesting a hardware upgrade may be needed.
  • Malware is detected that basic tools cannot remove.

Still stuck? Submit a ticket and reference this article. The agent will already know what steps you've tried.