My Computer Is Running Slowly

Author: John Phillips (Ocean Computing Solutions)

One of the main problems we deal with is computers that aren’t working as quickly as they used to.  When the computer was new, Outlook would open in the blink of an eye, saving a file was a non event and system start up and shut down ran without errors.  But over time, the performance of the computer degrades to a point where it becomes unbearable.  That’s generally when I get a phone call.

There are a number of reasons why a computer doesn’t run as well as it did when it was new after a couple of years of use, including:

• Software installed on the system which starts with Windows, runs quietly in the background, and takes system resources away from other tasks
• File fragmentation
• Faulty Hardware
• Working with very large files, such as email databases
• The presence of a virus

There are many more reasons, but the list above would cover 80% of the problems I encounter.  It is possible to resolve some of these problems without calling your IT support company.

File fragmentation occurs because of the way data is physically stored on the hard disk.  Your hard disk is divided into millions of little magnetic blocks called sectors.  Each sector holds a tiny piece of data with a file being spread across many sectors.  If a file is stored on non contiguous sectors, that is there are sectors which contain no data, or contain parts of other files in the middle of those holding a file, the file is fragmented.  Fragmented files take longer to read from the disk than those which are not fragmented.  Defragmenting the hard drive moves files around on the disk with the goal of making as many files as possible reside on contiguous sectors.

You can access a defragmentation tool which comes with Windows by clicking the Start Menu, selecting All Programs => Accessories => System Tools and launching Disk Defragmenter.  The process takes a couple of hours to run and in many cases results in a significant improvement in system performance.

Determining which programs are launching with Windows and stopping them from doing so requires specialist knowledge and experience, so it’s best to consult your IT support professional if you think this could be a problem.  The same goes for diagnosing hardware problems and detecting and removing viruses.

If Outlook is taking a long time to load, it is possible you are storing a lot of email.  Large email databases are prone to corruption and can reduce system performance.  It is best to delete un-needed email, trim your sent items, and clear your deleted items before you close outlook.

As always, if you’re unsure of what to do when it comes to computer problems, it is best to seek professional advice.