Why Windows PC gets slow over time and how to speed up it

There are few things more frustrating than a PC that starts running slowly. You know how it goes — you buy a brand new Windows PC and it runs smoothly and speedily, doing everything you need it to without a hitch. Then, gradually, your PC runs slower and slower until you find yourself sitting waiting for applications to open, documents to save, or even just for Outlook to display email.

Why does Windows PC slow down?

There are a number of reasons your PC slows down over time. For example, as time passes and hardware improves, updates to Windows and to drivers and applications are designed to take advantage of the improvements. That can leave older hardware struggling to keep up. In addition, hard drives, with mechanical moving parts that are used hundreds of times a day, get slower as they get older. But ageing hardware is far from the only reason you have a slow Windows PC. 

One big factor is the software you run on it. As you download updates and install new applications, you fill up your hard drive with all sorts of files. The more space these files occupy on your hard drive, the less room there is for virtual RAM. This will slow down your computer.

In addition, the more software and other files you have on your computer, the more time Windows has to spend checking for updates, which slows things down even more. And the more apps and other software you have installed, the larger Windows’ registry becomes and the longer it takes your PC to sift through it and find the data it needs when you run an app that uses it.

Finally, browser extensions can be a cause of a PC slowing down. If you have lots of browser extensions installed, it can make your web browser sluggish. And as most of us spend a large chunk of our time on a computer working in a web browser, that can feel like the whole PC is running slowly.

How to speed up Windows and fix a slow PC

Now that we’ve established the main reasons you have a slow computer, it’s time to explain how to fix a slow PC. There are a number of drastic steps you could take, such as:

1. Install more RAM
2. Fit a larger hard drive
3. Re-install Windows as a clean installation

These will all speed up your PC, but it’s likely that none of them are really necessary. There are lots of other things you can do that will speed up your computer without taking a huge amount of time or costing a lot of money.

Check that you’re running the latest version of Windows and latest drivers.

1. Press the Start button and search for Settings app
2. Click on Update & Security then Windows Update
3. Choose Check for Updates
4. If the status says “Updates are available”, click Install Now
5. Select the updates you want to install and select Install
6. Restart your PC

If you are running the latest version of Windows and all your drivers are up to date, or if your PC is still running slowly after you update, there are a number of other steps you can take. These include: optimizing Windows registry, uninstalling applications, and disabling autorun items.

How CleanMy^® PC helps to speed up a slow computer

You could fix each of these things one by one on your PC, but there is a much quicker and easier way. CleanMy^® PC can do all of that, and delete browser extensions, disable the hibernation log file, and securely delete sensitive data. It’s very easy to use and you can download it for free here.

To start using CleanMy^® PC, follow these simple steps:

1. Download it from the link above
2. Launch the installation bundle and follow the on-screen instructions
3. Double-click on the CleanMy^® PC icon on the Desktop or launch it from the Windows Start menu

How to perform registry maintenance with CleanMy^® PC

This will reduce the size of the database and make it easier, and therefore quicker, for Windows to find what it needs.

1. Click on the Registry Maintenance utility in the left hand sidebar in the CleanMy^® PC window
2. Wait for it to scan your PC
3. When it’s finished scanning, click Fix Registry to clean up the database
4. Click Refresh to re-scan the registry
5. If CleanMy^® PC needs to repair it again, click Fix Registry

How to uninstall apps with CleanMy^® PC

Uninstalling apps will free up space on your main disk, making more room for virtual RAM.

1. Click on the Multi Uninstaller utility in CleanMy^® PC’s sidebar
2. Wait for it to scan your computer
3. Once the list of installed applications appears, click on up to ten of them
4. Click Uninstall
5. CleanMy^® PC will go through each app, locating its uninstaller and running it. You will need to confirm that you want to uninstall, for every app you’ve chosen. So don’t go off an make coffee!

How to manage Autorun for applications

When applications are set to autorun, the launch immediately after your PC boots. This can add to the time it takes for Windows to be ready to use and slow down the experience of using your PC.

1. In CleanMy^® PC, click on the Autorun utility
2. Locate the application you want to stop running automatically in the list
3. Toggle the switch next to the application to the off position
4. Repeat for all the applications you want to prevent from autorunning

You can switch it on again at anytime by repeating the process above and toggling the switch to on.

As you can see, there are a number of reasons why your Windows PC might be running slowly. Very often, it’s because there are lots of applications or extensions installed and lots of files lying around your hard drive.

You can remove those files and any applications you no longer need very easily by downloading, installing, and running CleanMy^® PC. CleanMy^® PC can also improve privacy by securely shredding sensitive data and make your PC start faster by disabling autorun for some applications. In short, if your Windows PC is running slowly, give CleanMy^® PC a try!