Small Town Tech, Inc.
  • Home
  • Pro+Tech
  • Partner Client
  • Online Store
  • Backstage
Report Emergency

Why Do Computers Slow Down Over Time?

4/30/2021

Comments

 
Picture
Why Do Computers Slow Down Over Time?
Remember the awe you felt when you turned on your new computer and it loaded in a flash? Your computer was the envy of your friends and you weren’t afraid to bathe in that glory. Button on, ready to go, those were the days!
After a year or two though, it doesn’t seem to be quite as zippy…no, you’re not imagining it. It really has slowed down, not just in comparison to newer models and your expectations…There’s a measurable drop in speed and power that has nothing to do with worn out parts. The good news is a little maintenance can have that baby cruising at top speed again. Let’s take a leisurely walk through the system and spot the culprits:
Start-up applications: It’s super convenient to have Skype start automatically and your anti-virus too. In fact, many of the applications starting themselves with the computer are essential to your experience. But some of them are getting a little too ‘helpful’.
For example, iTunes helper loads in the background to speed things up when you connect your device – but if you can’t even remember the last time you ran iTunes on your computer, then it can go. Programs like that are holding onto a portion of your processing power and adding to your speed issues. The average home computer automatically loads around 75 programs at start-up!
Temporary junk: Computers are kind of messy. They leave temporary files and snippets of information all over your hard drive, each action leaving a trail rather like a roaming toddler with a sticky sandwich. Every webpage, every image on that webpage, every program you run and every game you play leaves something behind.
It may be the tidbits of information called “cookies”, saved game files, auto-restore files or even a log so that you can hit the undo button 100 times while it remembers your actions for you.
The more junk your computer builds up, the slower it gets.
Viruses and malware: These infections sit in the background consuming resources while doing various nightmarish things. They may be spying on your actions, stealing your information or reaching out through your network to infect others. Occasionally, the impact is limited to seeing your computer slow to a crawl, however the flow-on financial costs of an infection can easily reach into the thousands.
Bloating: With every new version of software comes a new set of features, introductory sequences and design improvements. The problem with this is the application becomes larger and larger with each new version, requiring more system resources to install and run – and slowing your computer down.
Just like a car, computers need regular maintenance - we offer a Tune-Up service to bring your computer back to its original speed and extend its life. 
Give us a call at (218)-240-8802 to book in a Tune Up.

This article was authored with the assistance of artificial intelligence and has been reviewed by Ted Saxton, a co-owner of Small Town Tech.

Comments
    More Pro+Tips

    Pro+Tips

    We aim to provide helpful and easy to understand tech articles. 

    Some article relate to products that we sell, so we may link to products or services that we offer.

    Good advice is good advice whether you purchase our products or a competitors.
    ​Our main goal for Pro+Tips is to give you advice and best practices.


    Categories

    All
    Backup
    Business
    Email Security
    Facebook
    Guides
    Hardware
    Network Security
    Online Security
    Safety
    Windows

    Archives

    March 2023
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021

Help & Support

 218-240-8802
304 3rd Street
​International Falls, MN 56649

Ticket Status

Open Monday through Friday 9AM-5PM

Closed Saturday and Sunday

We appreciate your business.

Thank you for choosing Small Town Tech!

Company

About
Careers
Partners
Terms
Privacy
Small Town Tech Inc
Protech Complete Technology Care
  • Home
  • Pro+Tech
  • Partner Client
  • Online Store
  • Backstage