What do you do if that fast new computer starts slowing down?
That depends on what is causing the slowdown. Almost all computers will slow down a little bit over time. As you add software, and your data files get larger, your computer has more to do keeping up with what it is expected to do normally. Adding more software, usually means that there are more processes running all the time. This is true, even when you do not have that software open.
The reason for this is that many software packages, especially on a Windows computer, will have part of the package resident. Part of the software starts when you boot your computer, and is resident in memory all the time. Being resident in memory, your computer has to at least check on it every so often, even if it is not doing anything.
Of course, larger data files, mean that there is more information for your computer to keep track of, which takes more time.
When you see a significant slowdown, your computer should be checked out. This is often the first sign of a virus, or spy-ware, or possibly a piece of hardware is starting to fail. If your computer is infected, then it is spending much of it’s time sending spam emails, or sending information about you to a host site.
Identifying when the slowness occurs, is a big help. If it is much slower booting up, or slow all the time, then there is a high likelihood that it has become infected, or something is failing. This is especially true if no new software has been installed.
If your system seems slow only when you try to browse the Internet, then the problem may not be your system at all. It may be in your Internet provider, or at the site you are trying to go to. I do not know how many calls I have taken for "My Internet is down", only to find out that it is one particular site. Often, someone will open their web browser, and the home page will not load, so they think that they have no Internet access, when in fact they do. Try a different web site, and if it works, then Internet access is working, and the one site is down.
Being able to get to web sites, but they are slow to load, is a different matter. Unfortunately, there may not be much you can do about it. The problem in this case often lies within your Internet provider’s network.
If you have noticed a slowdown in your system, we can help you check it out. It may be possible to speed your system back up, with tuning, or cleanup. Even if we find the slowdown is just do to increased load, you will rest easier knowing that it is not due to a virus. Contact us to discuss this further.