The computer is slow and often slows down. What to do if the computer slows down and freezes

Many have noticed that a computer with the Windows operating system installed, after some time, starts to work worse and worse. And even if you do not install applications that try to register at startup, the computer still slows down. If you also noticed this with your computer, then this article will help you figure out what's what. Indeed, in fact, there can be quite a few reasons for slow work. I will show 11 ways that will help you noticeably speed up your computer both at boot and at work.

Find resource-intensive applications

The computer is running slowly because one of the applications is using too many available resources. One of the processes can use up to 99% of the processor resources. Or the application may be experiencing a memory leak and using a large amount of random access memory, causing the computer to access the paging file. Also, the application can occupy the hard disk with a large number of reads and writes, as a result of which the entire disk subsystem experiences problems and the computer is called "slows down".

To find out which of the computer's resources are "bottleneck" when it is running slowly, open the task manager. To do this, click right click mouse on the taskbar and select the option Task Manager or press the keyboard shortcut ctrl + Shift + Escape. In Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 operating systems, the updated Task Manager, which has a modernized interface that highlights applications that use a lot of resources in different colors. Click on the columns CPU, Memory And Disk, sorting the applications in descending order each time. In each of the 3 times you will see at the top of the list the applications that use the most resources. This is the reason for the slow operation of the computer, which gave almost all the resources to this application or several applications.

Task Manager

If an application is using too many resources, you can close it. To do this, select the appropriate line and right-click. In the context menu, select End task.


Close programs in the system tray

Sometimes quite a few applications hang idle in the system tray on the taskbar. These applications often remain running in the background when the system boots. If you want to see all the applications in the tray, click on the up arrow icon to the left of the taskbar.

system tray

If you do not need an application, right-click on its icon and close it. This operation will free up some more resources.

Disable startup programs

Significant resource savings can be obtained by turning off unused applications in startup. Perhaps this is one of the most better ways speed up the computer boot process.

In Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 operating systems, the startup manager is built into the Task Manager. Open the Task Manager as described above. Click on the tab and disable the launch of applications that you do not need. You can disable applications either by pressing Disable, or by calling context menu and select item Disable.


In the operating room Windows system 7 Startup manager is part of the snap system configuration, which can be opened by calling the window Run and writing in it msconfig.

Turn off visual effects

Windows uses quite a few visual effects that can significantly slow down a "weak" computer.

To visual effects, press keyboard shortcut windows key + X or right click on the button START and select the item System. Next, click the link Extra options systems, and then in the window that opens, click the button Options In chapter Performance. Select an item Provide best performance for better performance, which will disable all visual effects. Or experiment with effects, turning off only some of them. For example, leave the checkboxes enabled only for Drop shadows on desktop icons And Smoothing jagged screen fonts.

Visual effects

Making the browser faster

If you use your web browser more often than other applications while sitting at your computer, then you probably have a bunch of add-ons and extensions installed that can slow down your web browser.

Analyze the installed extensions and add-ons for your web browser and decide to remove those that you do not need.


Extensions and additions

Scanning for malware

It is worth checking your computer for viruses, trojans, worms and other malware. Working in the background, the virus can consume a significant amount of resources, thereby slowing down the computer. Even the opening ad windows of the web browser slow down the work. If you have an antivirus installed, try downloading a free virus scanner and scanning your computer as a whole. For these purposes, Kaspersky Security Scan or Dr.Web CureIt is quite suitable.

For greater security, I advise you to read the article What is the best antivirus for Windows 10?

Freeing up more disk space

If your hard drive is almost full, then this is usually the reason for the slow operation of the computer. I advise you not to fill logical drives completely to zero, but always leave 2-4 GB of unallocated space on each of the partitions. To free extra bed on your hard drive, follow the instructions: 7 ways to free up hard drive space in Windows. If the disk is still filling up to the end even without your intervention, then you need to look for the reasons why this is happening and which application is taking up free space. As mentioned above, the Task Manager will help you track down the problematic application.

Disk Cleanup

Defragmenting the hard drive

Defragmenting a hard drive is not really an urgent need in modern Windows versions. The operating system, starting with Windows 7 and higher, will automatically defragment hard drives in the background. Solid State Drives do not need traditional defragmentation at all. Although modern versions of Windows will optimize them, you can no longer call this process defragmentation.

But if you still want to defragment your hard disk, then I advise you to first analyze the disk, after which you decide whether to defragment the disk or not. The defragmentation process usually takes from several hours to two or more days, depending on its capacity.


Disk defragmentation

Remove unused programs

open Control Panel, find the list installed programs and delete the ones you don't use. This can help speed up your computer as programs may include background processes, have entries in startup, contain system services, have context menu items, and so on. Moreover, the security of the system as a whole will only benefit from this. For example, why should we have installed package Java if we don't need it. And this is an additional loophole in the security system. Therefore, I advise you to clean up the list of installed programs and continue to be attentive to what you install on your computer.


Uninstalling programs

Enlarge the paging file

The Windows operating system itself determines the size of the paging file and the hard disk on which it is stored. This is usually the disk containing the operating system. The paging file in this case is usually equal to the size of the installed RAM in the computer. For better performance, I recommend increasing the size of the paging file by at least twice. In addition, I advise you to move the paging file from the system logical partition to another partition, if any.

For example, if I have 4 GB of installed RAM in my system, the operating system is located on drive C:, then I distributed the paging file to drive E: and set it to 8192 MB. For drive C: chose the option No swap file.

swap file

Factory reset PC / Reinstall Windows

If all of the above tips did not fix the problem of a slow computer, then you need to try resetting Windows to the state as if it were just installed.

In modern versions of Windows 8, 8.1, and 10, this operation is called Reset your computer. Now you don't have to search installation disk with the operating system and reinstall the system from it. You can do it with the click of a button - Begin. In this case, you will have the opportunity to save your personal files on the disk with the operating system, if they are there.


Reset Windows

Following all these tips, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much faster your computer will work. If the performance of your computer still does not please with speed, it may be time to think about upgrading its components, or maybe replacing it entirely.

Sometimes the computer suddenly starts running slowly or freezes for no apparent reason. To understand what's wrong, diagnose and fix the problem, you can resort to several procedures. In this article, we will look at what to do if the computer slows down and freezes, typical causes of malfunctions and describe how to solve them.

Reason #1: A running process or service

Usually, an unstable/memory-hungry process causes a computer to run slowly. Running applications can be seen in the controller Windows tasks, but some of them are not shown by the standard manager.
To see all the processes, it is better to use a special program. We consider best app for this - Anvir. With it, you can find the process that slows down the computer.

Download Anvir from the official site

After installing and running the program, you will need to:

To understand in detail what each of the processes is, you can right-click on it and select two options:

Based on the information received, you can decide what to do with the running process, leave it or stop it.
In addition, a computer freeze can be caused by running services. To view them you will need:

As in the case of processes, you can find information about services on the Internet or check for viruses. After deactivation unnecessary applications you will need to restart your PC.

Reason number 2. Startup programs

System startup contains a list of applications that run after the OS starts. To speed up the system and prevent the PC from freezing, you can try to remove everything unnecessary from there.
For Windows 7 and its predecessors will need to do the following:

In Windows 10, startup settings can be found in the task manager, which is opened by pressing the keyboard combination ctrl + Alt + Delete and select the appropriate line.

Reason number 3. Lack of free space

Sometimes the computer freezes due to a lack free space on disk. This is usually partition C. To view available memory information, you will need:

Reason number 4. Viruses

It is also possible that the computer freezes due to a virus. To clean up the system, you can use

Reason number 5. Overheat

Sometimes the computer freezes due to heating of individual parts. To check their temperature, you can use Speccy program
Install the utility and run it. You will see the temperature of the components of your computer. If any device exceeds the temperature of 70-80 degrees, while the computer is not busy with any activity, That this oh not okay .
You will need to check and fix the cooling system of the component that is heating up.

Reason number 6. Pollution of the system unit

It also sometimes happens that the computer slows down and freezes due to dust in the system unit. Cleaning should be done using a vacuum cleaner and a brush. Turn off the computer and blow it out with air. After that, you can check all the pins for connecting the cords, if necessary, reconnect them.

Reason number 7. RAM

Often, a computer freeze can be caused by unstable operation. You can check it using standard application Windows.

Before turning on the PC again, a memory test will begin, after which the OS will boot and notify you of the results with a pop-up window in the Windows system tray.
If errors were found, then you can clean the contacts of the RAM connection with motherboard and repeat the test. If this does not help, then you will need to replace it with a new one.
In conclusion, it must be said that first check the temperature of the computer components and then proceed to the software. Good luck.

If you do not monitor your computer, then sooner or later you will have to answer a nasty question?

Responding to this question Here are 6 steps, following which regularly, you will forget what a slow computer is or a computer slows down.

To avoid overheating of components, it is necessary to regularly clean other contaminants. As a result of overheating, the protection mechanism is activated - throttling. As a result, performance decreases and the computer starts to think for a long time - to slow down.

This is noticeable under load. Let's say you're working in Word, then you turn on a high-definition movie or a game and slowdowns begin. At the same time, you can hear a lot of noise from those who are trying to blow air through the radiator fins clogged with dust.

Therefore, the first thing to do is to look at your own or into the cooling system at least once a year and clean it.

Before cleaning, be sure to unplug the power cord from the computer and remove it from the laptop.

It also needs to be dust free. Blowing is best with an old vacuum cleaner, and not sucking, namely blowing. The effect is much better. You can see and read how to clean a computer from dust.

More great option is to connect the drive to another computer with an updated antivirus and check everything. This is especially true if you can't even log into . In this option, it is possible and , which are not deleted when loaded operating system, because at the time of disinfection, infected files are used and occupied by the operating system.

Step number two is to remove viruses, install antivirus and update it daily.

Restoring system files

In short, then:

  1. Run command prompt as administrator. and choose Command line(administrator).
  2. We write sfc /scannow and press Enter.
  3. We are waiting for completion.

If corrupted system files were found and they were not restored, read carefully.

Cleaning up your computer with Glary Utilites

The fourth step is to optimize the computer using the program Glary Utilities and the like. The program is an analogue, with the help of which you can also do almost all of the following actions.

You can download the latest version of Glary Utilities from the official website http://www.glarysoft.com/

If you want to quickly clean the system, then go to the tab 1-Click. Click .

We wait until the program detects problems and click

We are waiting for Glary Utilities to fix the problems.

In the window that opens, we look through the entire list of programs, find unused ones, single out and press them .

To make it easier to find unused programs, you can select Rarely used in the left part of the window.

Unnecessary programs have now been removed clean autoload. .

In the upper table (Programs that start with Windows), we look through all the elements and uncheck those that should not be loaded. For example . You can also turn off those that you do not always use. These programs can be launched from a desktop shortcut or from

And the most interesting. Table Programs with delayed startup. We've already speeded up the loading of the operating system as much as possible using delayed start. There we used the Task Scheduler. Here, probably, it is also used, but the interface is much more convenient.

For that, so that the program does not start immediately highlight it in the top table. Click Insert (button between tables). Double-click on the delay time (default is 30 seconds) and set the desired one. In the figure above, you can see how my loading is spaced out by time. I'll probably return. He is needed immediately. In order to remove the delayed start of the program, select it in the table and click Cancel.

We have optimized autoload (you can read more about autoload).

Now, if you did a 1-Click cleanup, then you don’t need to clean the disk either. If not, then run and then Disk Cleanup. I'll show you an example of cleaning the registry

In the window that opens on the left, click Search for errors. We are waiting for errors to be found. Click Fix registry

Now it would be nice update remaining programs to the latest versions. Let's hope that these latest versions will be faster and more stable. Click on the icon .

Below on the same page there is an opportunity to download beta versions of programs. I don't usually do this. I download and install only normal versions.

For even more thorough cleaning, you can remove , Empty folders and Broken shortcuts. These points are located.

The fourth step turned out to be voluminous. Here we removed programs, optimized startup, updated outdated programs and deal with duplicates. The main part is done.

RAM and swap file

The fifth step is to have enough RAM in your computer. If there is not enough memory, then the system has to work with . The paging file, or , is a place on your drive where data from RAM that is not currently in use is placed.

It's no secret that hard drives magnetic disks are the slowest device in our computers. And when using the paging file, the entire computer is slowed down. Therefore, there is only one recommendation, but leave the swap file. On the system drive, it is desirable that there be a 200 MB paging file. This will be enough to write memory minidumps. The latter are required for .

The seventh step is to manage visual effects operating system.

Conclusion

In this article, we have provided 7 steps to speed up your computer. The main points, it seems to me, are and and checking system files. Try to regularly follow at least part of these recommendations and your computer will never cease to please you.

The computer began to lag heavily and you no longer know how to fix the problem? This article gives practical advice, which will help get rid of all sorts of lags on a Windows computer.

Agree, it’s not very pleasant when the computer lags and nothing can be done on it. And finding out the reason is sometimes not so easy, because there can be many of them. But in this article we will analyze all the main reasons and try to eliminate lags from the computer.

So what needs to be done so that the computer does not lag? Please read the tips below carefully. Maybe, to eliminate lags it is necessary to use several of the listed tips, because using one is unlikely to help.

Check your computer for viruses.

What's the first thing that comes to mind when a computer lags? Of course, this is the presence of all sorts of viruses, trojans, worms, so the first thing you need to do is check your computer for . You can use Dr.Web CureIt, the link above will find where to download and how to use the data virus scanner. Viruses are the main cause of computer lags, so I do not advise you to miss this item, but use it in the first place.

Clean the system of debris.

If it turns out that the computer is not infected with viruses (you have scanned the system before, of course), then the next cause of computer lags may be extra files and any garbage in the system. There are quite a few cleaner programs, but perhaps the best with this problem handles CCleaner.

Remove unnecessary programs.

Are there many programs that you don't use? Delete them. The article will help you with this. Feel free to remove any Yandex.Bar and [email protected], which are sometimes secretly installed when installing other programs.

Clean up the registry.

After cleaning up the garbage, you need to do the same. After any manipulations in the system, the registry leaves all sorts of unnecessary branches that can cause computer lags. To do this, you need to clean the registry, as described in the article at the link above. Attention: before editing the registry, it is recommended to create it, so that in which case you can quickly restore everything from backup.

Do a defragmentation of the HDD.

You can read about hard disk defragmentation in, everything is described here, what it is and how to use it. If you do not defragment for a long time, then lags may appear. hard drive. I just want to say that this can extend the life of a hard drive, not an SSD, but a hard drive (HDD), although the lags may not be so serious, this can lead to a low write / read speed of the hard drive.

Remove programs from startup.

When you turn on your computer, many programs and utilities are automatically loaded along with the operating system. It is recommended that prevent the system from booting normally.

By default, in Windows, you can remove programs from autorun as follows:

  1. Launch the context menu "Run" (Start-Run), or using "Win + R".
  2. Enter the command in the dialog box msconfig, press the OK button.
  3. In the window that opens, go to the "Startup" tab.

Now you just need to uncheck those programs that should not start with Windows.

Unfortunately, this way you can not remove all programs. The easiest way to do this is CCleaner, which gives access to complete list installed programs on the computer.

Disable unnecessary Windows services.

Like the programs windows services can cause lag when a lot of them are running. Therefore, it is necessary to disable unnecessary services.

You can disable unnecessary services in the same way as removing programs from startup, you just need to go to the "Services" tab. Now, in the same way as in the paragraph above, disable unnecessary services that load the system in vain.

Check hard drive for errors.

The cause of lags can also be a malfunction of the computer's hard drive. To do this, you need, which is installed by default in the Windows operating system. Of course, you can also use third party utilities, such as MHDD or powerful program Victoria.

Clean your computer from dust.

Dust is very dangerous computer technology. And the computer can lag due to dust, first you need to measure the temperature of the computer components - how (you can also find the optimal temperature for each component there). Further, if overheating of one or another component is noticed, measures must be taken. In this case, if there is overheating, you will have to clean the computer from dust, only a laptop is an example there, but I think there will be no problems with the system unit either. That's all.

In this way, you can find out the cause of computer lags and instantly solve the problem. If you can't fix this problem, I recommend unsubscribing in the comments below, together we will solve your problem with computer lags, all the best.

22/08/2015 12:13


Most common problem any user - a slow computer. But if the power was not enough initially - this is one thing. But what if suddenly in the process of running the program they began to frankly freeze and slow down? How to understand what exactly causes such an unpleasant effect?
In fact, there are a lot of reasons why the system is running slower. Let's look at the most common and methods of dealing with them at home. We will first list these problems, and then we will try to understand how to deal with them.

So, slowdown can be called:

Of course, not all are listed here. possible reasons slowing down the system. True, the remaining options are relatively rare and are known only to specialists. But first you need to deal with the points above. With a probability of 98%, this will return the former agility to your system.

virus attack

Problem

This is one of the most frequent and most dangerous reasons for slowing down the system. Even the latest modern antivirus programs do not always cope with it.
The existence of viruses can be reported by indirect signs, such as:
  • system freeze during operation;
  • pop-up error messages;
  • the appearance of intrusive advertising when working on the Internet;
  • increase the turn-on time of the computer;
  • individual programs do not open or stop running;
  • the task manager stopped opening by combination;
  • The dispatcher shows an increased (up to 100%) CPU usage when applications are turned off.

Solution

If infection is suspected, a number of safety procedures should be followed:
  • update antivirus databases (if installed);
  • check for viruses with another antivirus application or scanner;
  • download and install latest version scanner(). If, after scanning, there is an indication of the presence of malware, scanners, trojans, and so on, select Treatment / Removal.
  • If the antivirus is not installed, you can download the latest version.
  • Connect the firewall (aka firewall) built into the OS. Configure it in such a way that it allows only certain, predefined programs (browsers) to access the network. And for any other network connection was limited. combination of firewall and antivirus program Gives good protection against most attacks.

Most often, viruses, scanners and other and malware posted on adult sites. When visiting them, try to be more attentive to what you click on with the mouse. Do not download updates on such sites, in particular, most often viruses hide under the offer to “update the flash player”.

System disk full

Problem

Drive C:\, or system disk, suddenly turns out to be so full that there is absolutely no free space left on it. As a result, there is no free space even for service files that ensure the operation of the system. Unfortunately, this situation happens quite often. As a result, the system is forced to spend a lot of time freeing up the necessary space in tiny portions and processing these “pieces” in turn.

This problem occurs when incorrect setting update mode and save points (backups) of the system itself, when there is not enough space for the C:\ drive, when unnecessary temporary files are not deleted in a timely manner, and so on. If there is no disk space left, the system starts to slow down very significantly.

Solution

  • remove unnecessary programs;
  • clear the desktop (its data is also stored on the C:\ drive);
  • Empty trash;
  • delete temporary files. Best of all, using the program;

Braking due to overheating

Problem

This problem is not only common, but also poses a significant danger. The computer can not only stop, but even fail. And in doing so, you risk losing all the information that it contains.

Determining that overheating is to blame is quite simple. If at the beginning of the day everything works fast and flies, and at startup additional programs or games in the middle of the day suddenly starts to reboot or slow down, then most likely (by 95%) we are talking about overheating.

Solution

Signal about overheating of the hard drive, video card, chipset or processor will help special programs. You can download and install them for free (this is, for example,);

It is necessary to open the system unit, and clean it from dust with a vacuum cleaner (or brush). Dust creates an excellent heat-insulating pad on the heat exchangers and can even disable the fans (coolers) of the processor and video cards. And the worsened heat transfer causes overheating and disruption of the system elements;

Once every couple of years, it is worth updating the thermal paste, which is laid to ensure better heat exchange between active (heating) elements and cooling radiators. This is especially true if the sensors show a regular increase in the temperature of the video card, chipset or processor.

Hard drive problems

Problem

Regrettably, but computer hard drives have their own lifespan and their resource is eventually exhausted. It's about limited life cycle disk.

The speed of the system largely (about 70%) depends on access to the hard drive. You can make a system of a 2-core processor with good performance, several gigabytes of RAM, a good video card. But having saved on the hard drive, we get the slowdown of all this chic hardware.

The point is the principle of the hard drive. HDD mechanically it is a multilayer "sandwich" of thin layers, each of which is programmatically divided into sectors. When making a request for information located in a particular sector, the controller requires a response. And if there is no answer, the sector is placed in memory as an idle (broken). Gradually, in the process of work, the number of such sectors accumulates.

Solution

It is also possible to solve this problem. To do this, periodically carry out the following work:
  • Drives should be defragmented monthly.
  • if suspicions creep in that the hard drive has started to work worse, use a special tool to check and restore it (for example, using);
  • try not to expose the hard drive to physical impact, especially during operation. Don't knock on system unit or a table with a laptop on it.
  • When cleaning the computer from dust, clean the hard drive as well, it can also overheat.

Not enough RAM

Problem

Sometimes the reason for the slowdown of programs or games is banal - the system simply does not have enough memory at its disposal. New programs often require more resources, which old computer cannot provide.

To see how much memory is loaded, it is best to enter the task manager (ctr + alt + del) and look at the "Processes" and "Performance" tabs

Solution

There is only one solution to the problem - to increase the amount of memory. Alas, this is not always easy. Especially for an old computer, components for which are discontinued. Yes, and the old-style memory line (DDR) costs much more than the new one.

And if you want to install more modern memory, then you have to change motherboard, and processor. And also a video card. Therefore, such repairs are equivalent to buying a new computer.

We can advise another solution - to carefully look at the processes that take up memory. Among them, you can find non-urgent, useless and even harmful (for example, the same viruses).

Low power processor

Problem

The problem is largely similar to the previous one. Processor power is simply not enough to perform tasks. Most often, this manifests itself when working on the Internet (browser) or when watching a video in high resolution.

To estimate the processor load, you should also call the task manager (" ctrl+alt+del”) and evaluate the tabs “Processes” and “Performance”.

Solution

Unfortunately, there is only one solution - to purchase and install a more powerful processor.

Too many programs running at startup

Problem

During work, it is often necessary to install various programs. But at the same time, not everyone pays attention to the fact that when installing programs, there are checkboxes that set them to autoload. And that they turn on automatically when you start your computer.

This is not always bad, but if you are not careful, it can cause certain difficulties, since each of the programs diverts some of the system's capacity to itself.

The average user rarely looks into the configuration of the startup file to remove programs from there that are not needed to work constantly and daily. But in vain. With the help of such a simple action, you can significantly (at times) reduce the boot time of your computer and increase the speed of the system.

Solution

Open the "system configuration" section, find the "Startup" tab and simply uncheck the programs that are not vital.

If you're having trouble accessing this section, just click " Start" And " Run" (Windows 7 or XP), and the field "Search programs and files" enter the name msconfig and click "OK".


Often office, Java, winamp, instant messengers act as unnecessary applications various types and so on.

Registry filled with junk

Problem

For regular user the registry is the most mysterious and little-studied area of ​​the system. In fact, the parameters of all installed applications are registered there. And in case of their incorrect removal, entries about these applications in the registry remain.

Although the volume of such entries is small in itself, the system accesses the registry every time, and the time of such access (especially if it does not find the programs indicated there) turns out to be indecently long.

Solution

You need to clean the registry with special utility. Eg, . You don't have to do it manually.

Braking when working with the browser

Problem

This problem often occurs when running several (or several dozen) tabs at the same time in the bowser - for example, in search mode. Or when viewing HD video files over a network.

It should also be borne in mind that each such tab launches a separate process that takes up part of the processor power and RAM.

Solution

If your computer slows down while browsing the network, open Task Manager. Pay attention to which of the processes requires the most system resources. It may turn out that this is some kind of hanging script or an application launched by the browser.

Also, freezing when working with the browser can be caused by a cache overflow. It also needs to be cleaned periodically.

If the slowdown is caused by watching a video High Quality, then this may be due to the low performance of the processor. In this case, only its replacement will save.

Results

As you can see, there can be many reasons for a computer to slow down. Following the above recommendations will help in most cases, but if all else fails, contact the workshop, and qualified craftsmen will help to cope with any problem.

Loading...
Top