Why Has My Computer Slowed Down?

The truth is, your computer probably hasn't slowed down at all. Except under very unusual circumstances, computer hardware does not slow down with age. Your computer is capable of running only at its designed speed; no slower, no faster. So why then does it seem so slow?

There are many, many answers to this question. Here's the best answer I can give you: Your computer is probably doing a significant amount of additional (and unnecessary) work.

What kinds of work?

To simplify greatly but meaningfully, your computer is either attempting to exceed the computational speed of its processor (CPU load), attempting to exceed the performance limits of its hard disk, or attempting to download data from the Internet faster than your Internet connection permits. Or all three.

Why would that be?

The list is nearly endless, but here are most of the primary causes:

• Automated antivirus scans
• Automated antispyware scans
• Automated hard disk defragmentation (Windows Vista and 7 only)
• Automated Windows Updates (security updates)
• Automated Windows Updates (feature and product updates)
• Automatic updating of installed Application software
• Excessive hard disk access (reads and writes) due to hard disk fragmentation
• Excessive hard disk activity due to insufficient installed memory
• Poor or degraded wireless connection quality
• Poor or degraded Internet connection speed

What can I do about it?

I plan to move this topic to another article entitled "How Can I Increase My Computer's Speed?", but in the meantime, here are some quick answers:

1. Install additional memory. Windows XP should have between 512MB and 1GB of RAM, and Windows Vista/7 should have between 2 and 4GB of memory.
2. Replace the hard disk with a faster and higher-capacity drive. This is one of the best and most frequently overlooked upgrades.
3. Reschedule antivirus scans for a different time when computer is lightly used.
4. Reschedule Microsoft Windows updates for a different time when computer is lightly used.
5. Defragment your hard disk, preferably when the computer is not being used for anything else.
6. Perform a good antivirus and antispyware scan, and eliminate all malware found during the scan.
7. Analyze your wireless connection speed and make sure it exceeds that of your Internet connection.
8. Uninstall all the programs you're not using and the pre-installed programs you have never used.
9. Reduce or eliminate all programs that automatically start up when your computer starts.
10. Install a different antivirus program. Many older antivirus programs significantly degraded the computer's performance, especially Norton, McAfee, and Symantec (the newest versions are fine).
11. Use a faster web browser, such as Mozilla Firefox 3.5 (there are many others, too).

One last thing:

Windows XP has a reputation for degrading over time. This should not happen, and does not make complete sense -- but it appears to be true nonetheless. If you'd like, I encourage you to Google this subject and read the various theories which might explain this phenomenon. But the bottom line is this: Some experts recommend re-installing Windows XP every few years, especially if you've (1) installed, uninstalled, or reinstalled a significant number of different programs; and (2) installed, uninstalled, or reinstalled a number of different devices, such as printers and scanners.