Computer Going Slow - Why This Happens and Simple Solutions to Get the Speed Back

New computers are speed machines depending on the type of hardware and software you have. You can click on a shortcut icon and before you know it the splash page for the program is appearing and you are working away. However, as time goes on the computer slows down. This is inevitable unless you spring clean every so often. So if a computer is going slow what is the most likely reason and how can you fix it to get the speed back ?

On rare occasions a computer will go slow because of a hardware failure or more precisely an imminent hardware failure. This is rare however. Most hardware failures mean that the computer doesn't turn on or doesn't work, period.

A computer that seems to be working fine but is so slow that it may as well be not working, is generally because it has collected all sorts of stuff, relevant and irrelevant to it's ability to operate, and this is slowing it down.

In fact you could use the analogy of a boat that is at sea for 12 months. Over that time it's hull collects all sorts of souvenirs, like rust, barnacles, scratches and dents. And when combined together they slow down the cruising speed of the vessel as they provide resistance as it passes through the water.

Well, your computer has been cruising around for a while and picked up it's own barnacles. And they are slowing it down. Digital barnacles are things like redundant links to a location where a program can be found in the computer memory. Some programs are split up and stored in a diverse range of locations. This means that the CPU has to go from one location to the other to run the program successfully.

In the case of a Windows operating system, the processor gets it's information about where to go from the database known as the registry. The registry can also become encrusted with barnacles and needs a wire brush taken to it form time to time. The wire brush for a computer is better known as registry cleaning software. By running a registry cleaner and implementing the advice it gives, you can remove things like redundant links and this will improve the speed of your computer.