The computer has become very slow, what should I do? Computer is slow

A very common problem that occurs on operating system Windows 7 - “braking” of a laptop or computer. This manifests itself in such a way that the Windows 7 computer works slowly, and in the end the device simply does not want to work. What to do? First, let's divide the freezes into the following blocks:

Problems related to the hardware of a laptop or computer;
problems due to system malfunction.

Different measures must be taken in each individual situation. It is worth considering the most common problems associated with Windows and their solutions.

When system files are damaged

One of the possible reasons for the slow operation of a laptop or computer is the absence or damage of folders and files important for the operation of the OS. What could cause this?

• Incorrect installation of Windows 7.
• The presence of critical errors after prolonged use of installed Windows.
• The result of an OS infection by a malicious file(s).
• Improper use of a laptop or computer.
• Accidentally deleted important system files.
• Incorrectly removed third-party applications.
• Incorrect operation of the registry.

The easiest way to fix the above problems is to restore the operating system. The advantages of this function are as follows: programs installed on the computer by the user themselves (for example, drivers, other programs, various personal files) are not affected.

Only the integrity of the system is checked. If there is a need for this, the missing files are downloaded to the computer, and the system is no longer so slow. The results from such a procedure cannot be negative. After restoration, the machine will start working faster.

Presence of “garbage” in startup and registry

Another reason why a Windows 7 computer works slowly. While using the computer (when installing and uninstalling programs, copying files, connecting USB devices, etc.), system Windows registry accumulates various records.

Some may be duplicated, others may be entered there by mistake. Because of this, it is inevitable that system errors, “conflicts” between applications, “braking” and slow operation of the computer. In such cases, it is recommended to clean the registry. The free CCleaner utility is suitable for this. With its help, you can not only correct registry errors, but also configure startup settings.

If there are viruses

Typically, the virus operates in stealth mode and requires large amounts of system resources. This is why the system slows down. Symptoms of a laptop or computer being infected with viruses:

• 1) the device “freezes” during certain actions (for example, when opening “my computer”, the explorer takes a very long time to update);
• 2) folders and files cannot be deleted, they are missing, or cannot be opened;
• 3) critical errors appeared;
• 4) default changed Homepage browser, extraneous extensions have appeared, intrusive advertising;
• 5) You noticed the presence of third-party programs that are not removed;
• 6) CPU load – 100% when all programs are closed;
• 7) it is impossible to restore the system, start the task manager or complete the started process.

In viruses high priority. If the system is faced with a choice: to perform an action requested by the user or the virus, then the virus’s request will be executed. Solve this problem like this:

Install an antivirus if you don’t already have one;
scan your computer for infected files;
send found files to quarantine or simply delete them.

Blocking the launch or installation of an antivirus program
It happens that infected files change system settings. Because of this, it is impossible to install or run the antivirus. Then do this:

1) run the express check program. This software does not need to be installed, and it is free;
2) restore the system. If this also blocks the virus, then go to reinstalling Windows(using a disk or bootable flash drive);
3) before resetting the system completely, save important information on another flash drive (empty) and scan it for viruses using another device.

Presence of hardware faults

If the computer “freezes” and “brakes” is accompanied by creaking, knocking, or other noise, this may indicate an internal breakdown of the machine. The speed of the computer is affected by certain problems that can be identified by the average user:

1. cooler failure;
2. dust in a laptop or system unit;
3. overheating of the processor due to a failure of the cooling system;
4. Hard drive failure.

Hard drive failure

The operating speed of a computer depends more than 70% on the condition of the hard drive. The latter tends to wear out. When this happens, the system begins to “slow down”. A hard drive has sectors that store information. They tend to wear out and are also marked by the system as “broken.”

If the computer gets into a “bad” sector while reading information, the system crashes (characteristic sounds may appear). The computer may freeze until it moves to the next sector. Such “freezes” cause critical errors and system reboots.

The greater the number of “broken” sectors, the more often the system “slows down”, and the sooner you will have to change HDD. The problem cannot be avoided, but it can be delayed as much as possible.

Defragment (at least once a month).
When cleaning your computer from dust, do not forget about the hard drive. If it gets hot, it can have a bad effect on it.
Do not allow physical impact on the computer from the outside.
If you suspect that there is a “bad” sector, use special utilities to find and restore it.

If your computer overheats

It is not uncommon for computer components to overheat. This malfunction is easily diagnosed:

by fast loading of the computer and a sharp drop in its performance after a certain time;
due to the strong noise of the cooler or its completely silent operation;
unexpected computer shutdown;
by touch temperature of the laptop.
If the cause is overheating, then do this:

1) determine which component is overheating (chipset, processor, hard drive). Any free utility and even a gadget for a worker can figure this out. Windows desktop 7;

2) clean the laptop or system unit from dust. If necessary, change the thermal paste.

Follow prevention

The computer cannot slow down for no reason. All problems begin gradually. To avoid having to troubleshoot problems for as long as possible, strictly follow the following rules.

1. Control the amount of free memory.
2. Don't forget to sort your installed programs and remove them correctly.
3. Keep an eye on the error registry.
4. Do defragmentation.
5. Keep your computer free of dust.
6. Get rid of unnecessary “garbage” in a timely manner and clean the trash bin.
7. Check startup.
8. Monitor whether viruses have appeared in the system.

All this does not require much time, and it is not necessary to have special knowledge, but you will save your nerves. And the question of why a Windows 7 computer is running slowly will no longer bother or worry you.

As a rule, after the initial installation of Windows 10, the computer simply “flies”: pages open in the browser very quickly and any, even the most resource-intensive programs are launched. But over time, users load the hard drive with necessary and unnecessary programs, which create additional load on the central processor. This dramatically affects the speed and performance of a laptop or computer. A considerable amount of resources is taken up by all sorts of gadgets and visual effects that some inexperienced users love to decorate their desktop with. Computers that were purchased five or ten years ago and are already obsolete “suffer” more from such ill-considered actions. They cannot support at a certain level the system requirements that are necessary for normal operation modern programs, and begin to slow down. To understand this problem and get rid of freezes and slowdowns of devices based on information technology, you need to carry out a step-by-step diagnostic complex.

Why does a computer or laptop with Windows 10 start to freeze and slow down: reasons and solutions

To figure out what is causing the computer to slow down, you need to conduct a comprehensive check of the device. All possible ways are already known and tested, all that remains is to get to the bottom of a specific problem. By correctly identifying the cause of device slowdown, it is possible to increase performance by twenty to thirty percent, which is especially important for outdated models of laptops and computers.

The check will have to be carried out in stages, gradually eliminating the tested options.

Not enough processor power for new software

Excessive load on the central processor is one of the most common reasons that causes a computer to freeze and lead to a decrease in its performance. Sometimes users themselves create additional load on the processor. For example, install 64-bit Windows version 10 per computer with four gigabytes, which can hardly cope with the amount of resources consumed for this edition of the distribution, despite the 64-bit processor. In addition, there is no guarantee that when all processor cores are used, one of them will not have a defect in the silicon crystals, which will negatively affect the speed properties of the product. In this case, switching to a 32-bit version of the operating system, which consumes much less resources, will help reduce the load. The standard amount of RAM of 4 gigabytes with a processor clock speed of 2.5 gigahertz is quite enough for her.

The cause of a computer freezing or slowing down may be a low-power processor that does not meet the system requirements imposed by modern programs.

When several quite resource-intensive products are turned on simultaneously, it does not have time to cope with the flow of commands and begins to crash and freeze, which leads to constant slowdown in work. Check the load on the processor and get rid of unnecessary work this moment

1. applications in a simple way:

   Launch Task Manager by pressing the key combination Ctrl + Alt + Del (you can also press the key combination Ctrl + Shift + Del).

2. Click on the “Task Manager” menu item

   Go to the "Performance" tab and view the percentage of CPU load.

3. View CPU percentage

   Click the “Open Resource Monitor” icon at the bottom of the panel.

4. In the Resource Monitor panel, view CPU percentage and graphics usage
5. View CPU load in percentage and graphical form. Select the applications that you do not currently need to work and click on them right click

   mice. Click on the “End process” item.

Select unnecessary processes and terminate them

Often, additional processor load occurs due to the continued activity of a closed application. For example, the user was communicating with someone via Skype. At the end of the conversation, I closed the program, but the application still remained active and continued to load the processor with unnecessary commands, taking away some of the resources. This is where the “Resource Monitor” will help, in which you can complete the process manually. It is advisable to have a processor load of between sixty and seventy percent.

If the load is too high and the processor is clearly unable to cope with the volume of commands from running programs, there are only two ways to solve the problem:

• purchase a new central processor with a higher clock speed;
• don't run a large number of resource-intensive programs at the same time or reduce them to a minimum.

Before you rush to buy a new processor, you should definitely try to find out the reason why the performance has decreased. This will allow you to make the right decision and not waste cash. The reasons for braking may be:

After carrying out the initial steps to identify the causes of slowdown in work, you can move on to a more thorough check of the computer components and system software.

Video: how to disable unnecessary processes through the Task Manager in Windows 10

Hard drive problems

Braking and freezing of a computer or laptop can occur due to problems with the hard drive, which can be either mechanical or software in nature. The main reasons for a slow computer:

Video: what to do if the hard drive is 100% loaded

Lack of RAM

One of the reasons why your computer slows down is a lack of RAM.

Modern software requires more and more resources, so the amount that was enough to run older programs is no longer enough. The update is proceeding at a rapid pace: the computer, which until recently successfully coped with its tasks, is now starting to slow down.

To check the amount of memory used, you can do the following:

If your computer slows down and freezes due to lack of memory, you can try to fix the problem in several ways:

Video: How to optimize RAM using Wise Memory Optimizer

Too many programs in startup

If a laptop or computer is slow to boot, this indicates that too many applications have been added to startup. They become active already at the moment of system startup and additionally take up resources, which leads to slowdown.

During subsequent work, startup programs continue to be active and slow down all work. You need to check “Startup” after each application installation. It is possible that new programs will be added to autorun.

“Startup” can be checked using the “Task Manager” or a third-party program:

1. Using Task Manager:
   
2. Using Glary Utilites:
   

Video: how to remove a program from Startup in Windows 10

Computer virus infection

If a laptop or computer that previously worked at good speed begins to slow down, then possible reason This may result in the penetration of a malicious virus program into the system. Viruses are constantly modified, and not all of them manage to get into the antivirus program database in a timely manner before the user catches them from the Internet.

Many viruses are embedded in browsers. This becomes noticeable when working on the Internet. There are viruses created to destroy documents. So their range of action is quite wide and requires constant vigilance. To protect your computer from virus attacks It is necessary to constantly keep the anti-virus program turned on and periodically conduct a full scan.

The most typical types of virus infection are:

• many options on the page when downloading files. As a rule, in this case it is possible to pick up a Trojan, i.e. a program that transfers all information about the computer to the owner of the malicious program;
• many enthusiastic comments on the program download page;
• phishing pages, i.e. fake pages that are very difficult to distinguish from genuine ones. Especially those that ask for your phone number;
• search pages with a specific focus.

The best thing you can do to avoid catching a virus is to avoid unverified sites. Otherwise, you can get such a problem with your computer slowing down that nothing will help except a complete reinstallation of the system.

Overheating of components

Another common reason for a slow computer is overheating of the processor. It is most painful for laptops, since its components are almost impossible to replace. The processor is very often simply soldered into the motherboard, and replacing it requires specialized equipment.

Overheating on a laptop is easy to determine: in the area where the processor and hard drive are located, the case will constantly heat up. The temperature regime must be monitored so that any component does not suddenly fail due to overheating.

To check the temperature of the processor and hard drive, you can use various third-party programs:

• AIDA64:
  • download and run the AIDA64 program;
  • click on the “Computer” icon;

    In the AIDA64 program panel, click on the “Computer” icon

  • click on the “Sensors” icon;

    In the "Computer" panel, click on the "Sensors" icon

  • In the “Sensors” panel, view the temperature of the processor and hard drive.

    View the temperature of the processor and hard drive in the “Temperature” section

• HWMonitor:
  

If the temperature limit is exceeded, you can try the following:

• disassemble and clean the laptop or computer system unit from dust;
• install additional fans for cooling;
• remove as many visual effects and firewall communications with the network as possible;
• buy a laptop cooling pad.

Video: how to find out the processor temperature in Windows 10

Insufficient paging file size

The problem with an insufficient paging file stems from a lack of RAM.

The less RAM, the bigger size The swap file is created. This virtual memory is activated when the standard memory is insufficient.

The page file begins to slow down the computer if several resource-intensive programs or some powerful game are open. This usually happens on computers with no more than 1 gigabyte of RAM installed. In this case, the page file can be increased.

To change the page file in Windows 10, do the following:

1. Right-click on the “This PC” icon on your desktop.
2. Select the "Properties" line.

   Select “Properties” from the drop-down menu

3. Click on the “Advanced system settings” icon in the “System” panel that opens.

   In the panel, click on the “Advanced system settings” icon

4. Go to the “Advanced” tab and in the “Performance” section, click on the “Options” button.

   In the “Performance” section, click on the “Options” button

5. Go to the “Advanced” tab and in the “Virtual Memory” section, click on the “Change” button.
   

   In the panel, click on the “Edit” button

6. Specify the new paging file size and click OK.
   

   Specify the size of the new swap file

Video: how to resize, delete or move the page file in Windows 10

Impact of visuals

If the computer or laptop is outdated, then the braking can be greatly influenced by a large number of visual effects. In such cases, it is better to minimize their number to increase the amount of free memory.

There are two options for this:

1. Remove desktop background:
   
2. Minimize visual effects:

Video: How to disable unnecessary visual effects

Much dust

Over time, the processor or power supply fan personal computer covered with a layer of dust. Elements are subject to the same motherboard. This causes the device to heat up and slow down the computer, as dust disrupts air circulation.

Periodically you need to clean the computer components and fans from dust. This can be done using an old toothbrush and a vacuum cleaner.

Firewall restrictions

Even if there is no Internet connection, the computer accesses network connections. These requests are lengthy and consume a lot of resources. It is necessary to limit their number as much as possible to speed up performance. To do this, do the following:

1. Open Control Panel by double-clicking the corresponding icon on your desktop.
2. Click on the "Windows Firewall" icon.

   Click on the Windows Firewall icon

3. Click on the “Allow interaction...” button.

   Click on the “Allow interaction...” button

4. Click on the “Change settings” button and uncheck unnecessary applications.

   Disable unnecessary applications by unchecking the boxes

5. Save your changes.

You need to disable the maximum number of programs that have access to the network to speed up your computer.

Too many junk files

The computer may slow down due to accumulated junk files, which also use RAM and cache resources. The more garbage on the hard drive, the slower the laptop or computer runs. The largest volume of files of this type consists of temporary Internet files, information in the browser cache, and incorrect registry entries.

You can fix this problem using third-party programs, for example, Glary Utilities:

1. Download and run Glary Utilities.
2. Go to the “1-Click” tab and click on the green “Find problems” button.

   Click on the "Find problems" button

3. Check the "Auto-remove" box.

   Check the box next to “Auto-remove”

4. Wait until the computer scan process completes.

   Wait until all problems are resolved

5. Go to the "Modules" tab.
6. Click on the “Security” icon on the left side of the panel.
7. Click on the “Erase traces” button.

   Click on the “Erase traces” icon

8. Click on the “Erase traces” button and confirm the erasure.

   Reasons why certain programs slow down and how to fix them

   Sometimes the reason for the computer slowing down may be the installation of a game or application.

   Games slow down

   Games often slow down on laptops. These devices have lower speed and performance than computers. Additionally, laptops are not designed for gaming and are more prone to overheating.

   A common reason why games slow down is a video card for which the wrong driver is installed.

   To resolve the issue, you can do the following:

   
   

   Sometimes gaming applications can slow down your computer due to the activity of the uTorrent client, which distributes files and heavily loads the hard drive. To fix the problem, you just need to close the program.

   The computer slows down due to the browser

   The browser may become sluggish if there is a lack of RAM.

   You can fix this problem by doing the following:

   • install latest version browser;
   • close all unnecessary pages;
   • check for viruses.

   Driver problems

   The reason for the computer slowing down may be a conflict between the device and the driver.

   To check, do the following:

   1. Go to computer properties and in the “System” panel, click on the “Device Manager” icon.

      Click on the "Device Manager" icon

   2. Check for yellow triangles with exclamation marks inside. Their presence indicates that the device is conflicting with the driver and requires an update or reinstallation.

      Check for driver conflicts

      Vitaly Ovchinnikov

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The main reasons for a slow computer or laptop. Diagnosis and prevention of problems.

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Users of desktop computers and laptops with an operating system Windows 7 Quite often they encounter problems with the performance of their devices. At some point, the computer or laptop begins to frankly “stupid” or “slow down”. This is clearly expressed in the fact that the operating system begins to load much more slowly, folders and files on the computer open with a long delay, and in general all user actions do not receive an immediate response, as it should be. Ultimately, the computer either freezes or reboots, and sometimes stops working altogether.

Such “brakes” can arise for a huge number of reasons, which can be divided into two main groups: “ software" And " technical" Each problem is solved in a certain way. In our article we will look at the most common of them and tell you how to solve them.

Computer or laptop Windows 7 works slowly: software reasons

Lack of free hard disk space

• The most common reason for the appearance of “brakes” and “lags” on computers is associated with a small amount of free memory on the hard drive. As you know, to install the operating system Windows 7 minimum required 20 GB free space on your hard drive. However, this volume will not be enough for comfortable work. For the system to work without delays, you must have a memory reserve of approximately 20 – 40 GB, which will be used to store temporary files, browser cache data, installed drivers and other important system software.

• As a rule, a separate partition is created on the hard drive for installing the operating system, which is most often assigned the letter “ C" Unknowingly, inexperienced users install games and other third-party programs in this section, which take up the space necessary for the correct operation of the operating system itself.
• In order to avoid the appearance of “brakes” and “lags” while working on the computer, make it a rule to keep the system partition of the disk clean. Remove or move all unnecessary files, games and programs from it, clear the desktop of unnecessary shortcuts, empty the recycle bin and the “ Downloads" Make sure there is enough free space on your disk ( 20 – 40 GB) and try to maintain this level.

Registry errors due to incorrect removal of programs and incorrect handling of the computer

• While working on a computer, a huge number of different processes occur in the operating system. Since the computer works strictly according to the algorithm prescribed by man, incorrect completion of any of these processes leads to failures/errors in the file system (registry). They are damaged files with incorrectly written data, which clutter the file system and lead to a decrease in computer performance.

• Most of these registry errors occur when the user incorrectly shuts down the computer by turning it off using the power button. Also, quite a few errors arise from incorrect removal of programs. Many users simply delete folders from their hard drive with installed games and applications, without caring that their actions harm the computer.
• To avoid such errors, you should shut down the system correctly by going to the " Start" and selecting the item " Shutdown».
  Programs should be removed via " Control Panel" and section " Programs and components».

• But it also happens that errors in the registry occur through no fault of the user. Over the course of long-term use of a computer, a lot of them form in the system and sooner or later there is a need to fix them. There are a lot of specialized programs for this purpose, but the most popular of them is CCleaner. Also, using this utility you can easily get rid of unnecessary files and garbage. How to clean your computer and fix registry errors using CCleaner You can read in our article "".

Damage to system files or infection with viruses

It often happens that while using a computer, some important system files may become damaged. Most often, they are infected with viruses, and sometimes inexperienced users can unknowingly simply delete them. This can cause slowdowns, critical errors and other problems with the operating system. A standard function can help solve this problem Windows « System Restore" To use it, follow these steps:

• Step 1. Open the menu " Start", open " All programs", go to the folder " Standard" and in it to the folder " Service" Click on the item " System Restore».

• Step 2. Wait for the System Restore Manager to start and click " Further" Please remember that this procedure does not affect the user's personal files, including images, music, games and software. It checks and restores exclusively system data and, if necessary, downloads missing data from the Internet or disk.

• Step 3. After launching the manager, select a checkpoint (the date to which you want to roll back the system). If the required control point is not in the list, check the box next to “ Show other restore points", then click " Further».

• Step 4. The recovery process will begin, which may take quite a long time. Once completed, the computer will restart and a window with the recovery results will appear on the screen. If after this procedure the computer does not stop “slowing down,” then the only way out of the situation is to completely reinstall the operating system.

Incorrectly installed Windows 7 updates

As is known, in versions of the operating system Windows 7 and above there is a function automatic update system and its components. Often there are certain problems with these updates. For example, while downloading an update, the Internet connection is reconnected and, as a result, some components of the update package may become damaged or fail to load. Installing a “broken” update on a computer can cause noticeable “brakes”, failures in system services and many other errors. To fix this problem, you need to uninstall the last installed update, then download and install it again. To do this, follow these steps:

• Step 1. Through the menu " Start» open « Control Panel" In the window that opens, find the section “ Programs and components" and go to it.

• Step 2. In the list box installed programs you need to find the section on the left side “ View installed updates" and go to it.

• Step 3. The window that opens will display a list of all installed updates for the operating system and standard programs. You need to find the latest installed update package in the list (as a rule, it comes first in the list), select it with the left mouse button and press the “ Delete" or " Change" Next, you should wait until the uninstallation process is completed and restart your computer.

• Step 4. After you uninstall an update package, you must download it again. Make sure your Internet connection is stable first. Open " Control Panel" and go to the section " Center Windows updates ».

• Step 5. In the window that opens, click the button Check for updates" or " Search for updates" and wait for the process to complete. Once new updates are found, click the " Download updates" and after " Install updates».

If the updates are not installed correctly again, it is recommended to download from official website Microsoft full distribution Your operating system with all the latest updates and reinstall Windows.

Computer or laptop Windows 7 works slowly: technical reasons

Hard drive failure

• If you are sure that everything is in order with the software on your computer, then the problem almost certainly lies in a hardware failure. The performance of a computer or laptop is most affected by the hard drive, which tends to wear out over time, which ultimately leads to “brakes” and “lags” while working on the computer.

• The hard drive is divided into many sectors that are used to store information. Over time, they become unusable and the system marks them as “broken.” If, while reading data from the hard drive, the computer encounters a “bad” sector, a failure occurs in the system, which leads to “brakes” and freezing of the device. Reading bad sectors is usually accompanied by a characteristic crackling sound system unit or laptop.
• This problem cannot be avoided and over time any hard drive has to be replaced, but you can extend its service life by using a special program for hard drive recovery HD Tune Pro, which can be downloaded from this link .

• In addition, it is recommended to defragment your hard drive at least once a month. To do this, open the menu “ Start", find the folder " Standard", then open the folder " Service", and in it select the item " Disk Defragmenter».

Malfunction in the cooling system and overheating of the device

• Another common reason for “brakes” and “lags” of computers and laptops is their overheating. This problem can be identified by eye. Once turned on, the computer runs at a good speed, but after a few minutes, its performance begins to degrade rapidly. Also, an indicator of overheating is random shutdown of the computer, fan noise or its complete absence, and the temperature of the laptop case. Sometimes laptops get so hot that you can get burned if you touch the case.

• As a rule, standard cleaning of dust from computer or laptop components helps solve the problem of overheating. Inexperienced users are strongly advised not to open the device casing and clean it themselves. It is best to seek help from friends or a computer repair service.

• If cleaning the dust does not help, you should replace the layer of thermal paste, which is located between the cooler and the device’s processor. This should only be done as a last resort and only by a professional.

Results

Any of the above reasons for the appearance of “brakes” when working on a computer does not appear on its own. To prevent their occurrence, you need to handle your computer or laptop carefully, do not drop or hit it, clean it from dust and do not fill it with water, and also from time to time perform some procedures that will help significantly extend the life of your computer:

• Monitor sufficient free space on your hard drive
• Correctly remove and sort games and programs installed on your computer
• Perform registry diagnostics
• Run disk defragmentation at least once a month
• Clean your computer from unnecessary files and junk
• Provide your computer with constant protection from viruses and periodically scan the system for their presence with one of the antivirus programs

VIDEO: 7 reasons why your computer slows down

As a rule, every PC user has experienced a slow computer. At the same time, even the most mundane and simple tasks were no longer performed at the same speed as before. But as soon as you install a fresh OS, the speed returns to its previous level. And after some time everything repeats itself again - the computer works slowly. What to do in such a situation?

Ordinary users try to solve such problems by simply reinstalling the operating system. Usually this measure helps for a while. But this process is long, you can restore performance much faster if the problems are related to the software. If the hardware becomes corrupted, even installing a clean system will not help; other measures are needed. In both cases, the computer is slow. Read the article to find out what to do to solve the problem.

So, to put your electronic friend in order, you need to perform a number of actions. Remember that all measures must be applied comprehensively, only in this way the effect will be maximum.

Temporary files

If your computer is running slowly, it is advisable to first clear Windows 7 of completely unnecessary files. The operating system independently creates them during operation, but does not always delete them. To display them, you need to configure settings for showing hidden files and directories.

Open My Computer and press the ALT button on your keyboard to display the top menu bar. In it, select “Tools” - “Folder Options”. In the properties window, find the checkbox that is responsible for showing hidden and system files and directories. After this, all you have to do is click “OK”.

Go to the “Users” directory (there may also be “Users” or “Documents and Settings” options), which is located in the system disk cortex. Here you will see several folders that are named after the usernames in the OS.

Each directory hides each user, his settings, the “Documents” section, shortcuts located in the “Start” menu, and many system directories.

Over time, a great many of these directories can form, especially if the computer is on a network and each user uses their own unique login/password pair to connect to the computer.

Over time this trend will lead to two problems

1. Reducing the amount of free space on the system partition.
2. Slow OS.

Moreover, all this happens even if users do not save any files. But Windows still adds new elements to temporary storage for its needs while they are running. According to the developers, directories for storing temporary files should be cleared immediately after turning off the computer, but this does not always happen, and “garbage” accumulates there.

Go to any user's directory and follow the path "Appdata/Local/Temp". Typically, you will see a huge number of small files here. But since they exist, records about them are stored in MFT (a table that helps the OS find a particular file). And as the number of files increases, the table also grows, and this slows down the system. In addition, also look in the folders “Appdata/Local/Temporary Internet Files” and “C:/windows/temp”

If your computer starts to slow down, feel free to clear these three directories first.

Garbage removal is complete. Now uninstall all applications that you do not use at all. Consider this the main rule fast work computer - on drive C: there is only the system and essential programs. Remember that “Documents” and “Desktop” are also located on the system partition. Don't clutter these directories with heavy files.

Autoload

When optimizing system operation, it is not a bad idea to clear startup from unnecessary applications, because each running process reduces the speed of the computer. Click on Start and select Run. Here, type the command “msconfig” into the input line.

In the configuration window, go to the “Startup” tab. All items that are checked indicate which applications and programs are launched in the background immediately after Windows starts. Like any other, they take up space in RAM and use all other computer resources. The startup list is displayed in several columns:

1. Startup item (shows file or product name).
2. Command (path to the directory where the executable file is stored).
3. Location (registry key responsible for launching the element).
4. Manufacturer.
5. Shutdown date.

Uncheck everything that you consider unnecessary. Look in the tray on the taskbar. Perhaps there are too many icons that you don’t click on at all, and it is because of the work of unnecessary programs that the computer began to slow down. The main thing is to leave the antivirus program and elements of the Microsoft manufacturer in startup. The fewer resources are used in real time, the better the running and running applications will feel.

XP-AntiSpy

If your computer slows down a lot, you can use not only manual methods to solve the problem, but also automated ones. The xp-AntiSpy utility is distributed completely free of charge and works on all modern operating systems (except Windows 8). The application automatically disables unnecessary ones. It has full Russian localization. If you don't understand a menu item in the program, just hover over it and a tooltip will appear with a comprehensive description.

To enable any parameter, just tick it. After final setup, simply click on “Accept”. When finished, restart your PC.

Defragmentation

Often, users cannot understand why the computer began to work slowly, but they also do not remember about regular maintenance. If your computer is slow, do not forget about an effective means of optimizing access to local data - defragmentation. When the disk is used for a long time, the files become unorganized. Composed of fragments, one file can be distributed over the entire plane hard drive, rather than being stored on it as a sequential structure. Defragmentation reverses this process by moving parts of files to neighboring clusters.

To start maintenance, right-click on any local disk and click on “Properties”. After that, go to the “Service” tab. Here you can see several options, click on “Run defragmentation”.

Everything is simple here. In the window, you can select the disk that needs to be defragmented and, in fact, give the application a command to get down to business. Nothing extra. You can also configure defragmentation on a schedule. Before starting work, the program will test the disk, and if optimization is not required, it will say so; it will also warn the user if there is too little free capacity on the partition. Sometimes, if there is little free space, it is impossible to perform defragmentation; you will have to delete something. Do not defragment if you are using a solid state drive, this process may ruin it.

Defragmenting the paging file

There is a wonderful file in Windows operating systems called “pagefile.sys”. This can be considered to be a section of RAM that is located on the hard drive. There Windows stores data that it needs to work but is not critical in terms of access speed. This file is always occupied by the system, so defragmentation by standard means sometimes cannot be performed. If the swap file is fragmented, the computer is slow. “What to do in this case?” - you ask.

To defragment the page file, you need to use third-party utilities, such as System File Defragmenter. After launch, a window will open in which it will be written how many separate fragments “pagefile.sys” is divided into. To optimize access time, check the “Defragment” checkbox in the application and, as in any other program, click “OK”. After a reboot, the swap file is optimized automatically.

At the end of the work, the application will notify the user with the message “pagefile is already 1 fragment”. Also, during operation, some registry hives will be optimized, which will also help increase loading speed. No further action is required from the user, the OS will boot on its own.

Viruses

If your computer slows down a lot, perhaps it simply has a few (or many) friends. This happens especially often if the computer is often used on the Internet, if external flash drives or portable hard drives are rarely connected to it.

Most often, the virus is disguised, so it is not so easy to determine whether it is running. Don't try to do this by opening the task manager. Malware almost always spends most of its time in the active phase, looking for ways to spread itself or opening security holes, which slows down the PC. If the computer is already infected, checking for viruses using tools installed in the OS will not help. There is only one piece of advice - download a distribution that can create bootable USB flash drive or CD, such as Cureit.

Use only products with the latest virus databases. Malicious programs are constantly being improved by their creators to ensure the maximum level of camouflage.

Antivirus

We got rid of viruses, will we really now have to get rid of the antivirus, leaving us completely without protection? Such drastic measures, of course, are not required, but it must be said that antiviruses often consume a lot of system resources for their work, and as a result, the PC works very slowly. The computer would be happy to devote more time to applications, but it cannot; anti-spyware programs have higher priority. And it’s not at all necessary, the software fights against malware, often the antivirus simply conducts full surveillance, checking everything and everyone. It's rare to suffer from these problems, but if your workstation is considered solidly average, there's a reason to do some analysis.

First, go to the software manufacturer's website and check to see if there are any new versions that have addressed the performance issue. Also, if you are using the latest developments by programmers, it would be a good idea to study the information about the release of the program; it is quite possible that the latest developments have a beta or test version status.

If updates are not required, and there are no complaints about performance from other users, disable real-time protection in your antivirus. Work without it for a while. If the computer begins to slow down much less, the cause can be considered identified. Give up your usual application in favor of another manufacturer.

Be careful never to disable or uninstall antivirus software when surfing the Internet. Before deactivating the antivirus to work outside the global network, a full scan of all system partitions must be performed for viruses.

Remember - Windows usually starts to work slowly when several of the described software factors come into play at the same time; the hardware part is much less likely to sin.

Overheat

If your computer is running very slowly, it would be a good idea to check the temperature of its main components (HDD, CPU, RAM, video card). Due to high temperatures, computer components not only begin to work slowly, but also wear out faster; sometimes a week or even one day of such work can “burn out” the device, which will require its replacement.

Stress tests are used to check the temperature and overall stability of the system. One of these is offered by the AIDA64 program. You just need to click on the chart icon in the top menu of the application, select the temperature of which devices to display on the graph, then click on the “Start” button. Be careful, during this test all computer components are loaded with work “to the fullest”, and the program will not stop even if the temperature readings go beyond normal limits.

You can test your computer in a more gentle mode, without running the test, but simply leaving the window with the graph while you work. Just switch to it regularly to study the metrics, especially paying close attention to the charts during operations that require a large percentage of hardware resources. To find out what operating temperatures may be optimal for a particular component, look at the device data sheets or go to the manufacturers’ websites. Typically these sources provide the most complete information.

If the computer boots slowly and runs due to overheating, try blowing out all the radiators located in the system unit, replacing all dust filters and changing the thermal paste on the central and video processors. It should be noted that after some time, cooling fans may begin to perform their duties not as efficiently as immediately after purchase, due to wear and tear on the mechanical parts.

Hardware problems

If your computer is slow to boot and run, the problem may be due to a breakdown of major or minor PC components. Most often the culprits are RAM or HDD sticks. You can check these two components without much difficulty, but if checking them does not reveal any problems, you will have to contact a service center.

To test RAM, go to Control Panel through the Start menu and select Administrative Tools. In the list that opens, double-click on the icon labeled “Memory Checker”. Choose between immediate and delayed reboot. Once enabled, the testing process will begin even before the operating system boots. If errors occur while reading or writing to RAM, this information will immediately appear at the bottom of the screen.

To check the HDD for the presence of “bad” sectors, open by expanding the “Start” menu and typing “ command line" Enter the command “chkdsk c: /f /r /x” into it. A reboot will be required to complete testing. Instead of C:, the letter of any other section can be used, and it is advisable to check all of them. Bad sectors may be marked as unused, and the data from them is copied to the working part of the disk, but if the HDD begins to crumble, it is better to replace it as soon as possible. Recovering data from a drive that has failed is much more difficult than from one that is just showing the first signs of wear.

For experienced users who assembled their computer themselves, we can advise you to try changing each device separately and check whether the software component continues to malfunction. This method is quite effective, but requires a second computer, so it may not always be applicable.

Narrow places

It happens that we work on technology that is already an order of magnitude outdated. You don’t want to throw away such equipment, and it is mainly used for everyday tasks that are not too resource-demanding, but if your computer is still running slowly (do you have Windows XP installed, which is not resource-demanding, or any other OS), think about its configuration.

If a decent processor has taken up space in the system unit, but only 512 megabytes of RAM help it carry out all the user’s orders, most likely you need to add several sticks of RAM. The opposite situation also happens: 2 gigabytes of RAM are installed, but the old Celeron Northwood is working hard in the socket.

The equipment is outdated

Of course, this reason is often obvious, but it also needs to be said. If the computer began to work very slowly, and it was purchased quite a long time ago (3-5 years ago), then it could easily become outdated. Of course, if you do not update the software at all, do not run modern games on your machine, or are still working on an operating system that is outdated along with the computer, this problem will not affect you. But if you installed something new on old equipment, check whether the hardware meets the system requirements that apply to the software part.

Checking computer speed

If your computer is already fast, but you want to further optimize the system, you will not be able to determine whether it is faster or slower after changing the parameters. Special programs that are used by overclockers will come to the rescue to see even the slightest changes in the speed of the computer. And these programs are called benchmarks.

To check the speed of your computer, you can use the AIDA64 application. It has several benchmarks, mainly aimed at testing the speed of RAM and CPU; in addition to your own results, you can look at the results of other users and those that are considered reference by the software manufacturer.

If your car is slow, you have performed every imaginable software optimization and are absolutely sure that the slow operation is due to a hardware bottleneck, there are also special applications for this case. They are called stress tests. During such an event, many graphs and diagrams are displayed on the screen, for example, the temperature of each module, data exchange speed, processor load, voltage. By comparing the results of a similar test performed on your machine and comparing them with the reference ones, you can calculate which equipment requires repair, replacement or maintenance. Always monitor the indicators during such activities; it is better to stop the test if, during an increase in load, the processor temperature rises sharply or the voltage value drops.

To check the speed of your computer and understand which component has begun to work ineffectively, you can also use the tools built into the OS. Press the keyboard shortcut “Windows+Beak\Pause”. Here you will see a number indicating the overall PC performance index, the speed test was performed earlier. Usually you can't use the Aero theme without it.

1. Memory (RAM).
2. CPU.
3. HDD.
4. Graphics (Video adapter).

Remember or write down all the values, since it is impossible to know the current speed of the computer without rewriting the estimates. Look on the right side of the window for a link that says “Repeat assessment.” The benchmark will start running. During this time, it is recommended not to touch anything or use any other programs. If any of the updated numbers are much lower than the value from the earlier test, then the device has become ineffective in performing its duties. As a result, the computer runs slowly. What to do in this case? The answer is simple - change the element to a new one.

Good day everyone.

I will not be mistaken if I say that there is no such user (with experience) whose computer has never slowed down! When this starts to happen often, it becomes uncomfortable to work at the computer (and sometimes even impossible). To be honest, there are hundreds of reasons why a computer can slow down, and identifying a specific one is not always easy. In this article I want to focus on the most basic reasons, by eliminating which the computer will work faster.

What to do if your computer slows down

(a recipe that will make any computer faster!)

1. Reason No. 1: a large number of junk files in Windows

Perhaps one of the main reasons why Windows and other programs begin to work slower than before is due to the cluttering of the system with various temporary files (they are often called “junk”), incorrect and old entries in the system registry, from -for a “swollen” browser cache (if you spend a lot of time in them), etc.

Cleaning all this manually is not a rewarding task (therefore, in this article, I will not recommend doing it manually). In my opinion, it is best to use special programs for optimization and Windows acceleration(I have a separate article dedicated to this on my blog, where the best utilities are collected, link to the article below).

List of the best utilities to speed up your computer -

In any case, even if there are no exclamation marks in the device manager, I recommend checking to see if there are any updates for your drivers. To search and update them, I recommend using the following article:

- update drivers in 1 click -

Another good test option would be to boot the computer into safe mode. To do this, after turning on the computer, press the F8 button until you see a black screen with several options Windows boot. From them, select boot in safe mode.

Help article on how to enter Safe Mode:

In this mode, the PC will boot with a minimum set of drivers and programs, without which booting is generally impossible. Please note that if everything works well and there are no brakes, this may indirectly indicate that the problem is software, and most likely related to the software that is included in autoload (about autoload - read below in the article, a separate section is dedicated to it).

3. Reason #3: dust

There is dust in every house, in every apartment (somewhere more, somewhere less). And no matter how you clean, over time, the amount of dust in the case of your computer (laptop) accumulates so much that it interferes with normal air circulation, which means causes an increase in temperature processor, disk, video card, etc. any devices inside the case.

Rice. 3. An example of a computer that has not been cleaned of dust for a long time.

As a rule, due to an increase in temperature, the computer begins to slow down. Therefore, first of all, check the temperature of all main computer devices. You can use utilities such as Everest (Aida, Speccy, etc., links below), find the sensor tab in them and then look at the results.

I’ll give you a couple of links to my articles that will be needed:

1. how to find out the temperature of the main components of a PC (processor, video card, hard drive) -
2. utilities for determining PC characteristics (including temperature):

Causes of high temperature may be different: dust, or hot weather outside, the cooler is broken. First, remove the cover of the system unit and check if there is a lot of dust there. Sometimes there is so much of it that the cooler cannot rotate and provide the necessary cooling to the processor.

To get rid of dust, simply vacuum your computer well. You can take it out to the balcony or platform, turn the vacuum cleaner in reverse and blow out all the dust from the inside.

If there is no dust, but the computer still heats up, try not closing the unit cover; you can place a regular fan opposite it. Thus, you can survive the hot season with a working computer.

Articles on how to clean a PC (laptop):

Cleaning your computer from dust + replacing thermal paste with new one:

4. Reason #4: Too many programs in Windows startup

Can greatly affect Windows boot speed. If after installation “clean” Windows computer It loaded in 15-30 seconds, and then after some time (after installing various programs), it began to turn on in 1-2 minutes. - the reason is most likely in autoloading.

Moreover, programs are added to startup “independently” (usually) - i.e. without asking the user. The following programs have a particularly strong impact on downloads: antivirus, torrent applications, various Windows cleaning software, graphic and video editors, etc.

To remove an application from startup, you can:

1) use some utility to optimize Windows (in addition to cleaning, they also include editing startup):

2) press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC- start » and then disable unnecessary applications (relevant for Windows 8, 10 - see Fig. 4).

In Windows startup, leave only the most necessary programs that you use constantly. Anything that starts from time to time - feel free to delete it!

Many users do not even suspect that their computer already has dozens of viruses that not only hide quietly and unnoticed, but also significantly reduce the speed of operation.

The same viruses (with a certain reservation) include various advertising modules, which are often built into the browser and flash ads when viewing Internet pages (even on those sites where there has never been advertising before). Getting rid of them in the usual way is very difficult (but possible)!

Since this topic is quite extensive, here I want to provide a link to one of my articles, which contains a universal recipe for cleaning all kinds of virus applications(I recommend doing all the recommendations step by step):

6. Reason No. 6: the computer slows down in games (jerks, freezes, freezes)

A fairly common problem, usually associated with a lack of system resources on the computer when trying to run a new game with high system requirements.

The topic of optimization is quite extensive, so if your computer suffers from games, I recommend that you read the following articles of mine (they have helped optimize more than one hundred PCs 🙂):

The game is on jerks and slows down -

AMD Radeon graphics card acceleration -

Nvidia graphics card acceleration -

7. Reason No. 7: z launch large number processes and programs

If you run a dozen programs on your computer, which are also resource-demanding - no matter what your computer is - it will start to slow down. Try not to do 10 simultaneous things (resource-intensive!): encoding a video, playing a game, simultaneously downloading a file at high speed, etc.

In order to determine which process is heavily loading your computer, press Ctrl+Alt+Del and task manager select the processes tab. Next, sort it by processor load- and you will see how much power is spent on a particular application (see Fig. 5).

If a process is consuming too many resources, right-click on it and terminate it. You will immediately notice how your computer will work faster.

Also pay attention to the fact that if a program is constantly slowing down, replace it with another, because you can find plenty of analogues on the Internet.

Sometimes some programs that you have already closed and are not working with remain in memory, i.e. The processes of this program themselves are not completed and they consume computer resources. Either restarting the computer or “manually” closing the program in the task manager helps.

Pay attention to one more point...

If you want to use new program or playing on an old computer - it is quite expected that it may start to work slowly, even if it meets the minimum system requirements.

It's all about the developers' cunning. Minimum System Requirements, as a rule, only guarantee that the application will start, but not always comfortable work in it. Always look at the recommended system requirements.

If we are talking about a game, pay attention to the video card (for more details on games, see just above in the article). Very often, brakes arise precisely because of it. Try lowering it. The picture will become worse, but the game will run faster. The same can be said for other graphics applications.

8. Reason #8: Visual Effects

If your computer is not too new and not too fast, but you did not include it in the OS Windows various special effects - then the brakes will definitely appear, and the computer will work slowly...

To avoid this, you can choose the simplest theme without any bells and whistles, and turn off unnecessary effects.

Rice. 6. All control panel elements. Opening system properties.

3) Then click the “Options” button opposite the performance (in the “Advanced” tab, as in Fig. 8).

4) In the performance options, select the option " Provide the best performance", then save the settings. As a result, the picture on the screen may become slightly worse, but instead you will get a more responsive and productive system (if you spend more time in various applications, then this is quite justified).

That's all for me. For additions on the topic of the article, I am very grateful in advance. Happy acceleration :)