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Why Is My Computer So Slow? 5 Fixes That Actually Work

We've all been there. You're trying to get work done, and your computer has other plans - spinning, freezing, taking forever to open anything.

Before you throw it out the window (or spend £800 on a new one), try these fixes. They work 90% of the time.

1. Actually restart it (properly)

"But I shut the lid every night!"

That's not restarting. That's sleep mode. Your computer has been "on" for weeks, accumulating junk in memory.

Do this:

  • Windows: Start menu → Power → Restart (not Shut Down)
  • Mac: Apple menu → Restart

Yes, there's a difference between Restart and Shut Down. Restart clears more stuff out.

Do this once a week minimum.

2. Check what's hogging your startup

Half the slowness is programs loading when you turn on your computer. Spotify, Dropbox, Adobe, Zoom - they all want to start immediately.

Windows:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc (opens Task Manager)
  2. Click "Startup" tab
  3. Right-click anything you don't need immediately → Disable

Mac:

  1. System Preferences → Users & Groups
  2. Click your name → Login Items
  3. Remove anything you don't need at startup

Safe to disable: Spotify, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Teams (if you open it manually anyway), Dropbox, OneDrive.

Don't disable: Antivirus, graphics drivers.

3. Clear out the junk

Temporary files pile up. Browser cache grows. Downloads folder becomes a graveyard.

Quick cleanup on Windows:

  1. Press Windows key + R
  2. Type cleanmgr and press Enter
  3. Select your drive, click OK
  4. Check all boxes, click OK

On Mac:

  1. Apple menu → About This Mac → Storage → Manage
  2. Use recommendations to clear space

Also: Empty your Downloads folder. Right now. You don't need that PDF from 2019.

4. Check your storage

If your hard drive is more than 90% full, your computer will crawl. It needs breathing room.

Windows: Open File Explorer → Right-click C: drive → Properties

Mac: Apple menu → About This Mac → Storage

Below 10% free? Time to delete stuff or move files to external storage/cloud.

5. Check for stuck updates

Windows especially loves to download updates in the background and get stuck halfway. This eats resources.

Windows:

  1. Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update
  2. If something's stuck, click "Retry" or "Download"
  3. Restart after updates finish

Mac:

  1. System Preferences → Software Update
  2. Install anything pending

Still slow?

If none of this helped, the problem might be:

  • Hardware dying (hard drive failing, not enough RAM)
  • Malware running in the background
  • It's genuinely old (8+ years is pushing it)

At this point you need someone to look at it properly.

Need help? I sort out slow computers remotely for small businesses. No jargon, fixed in hours not days.

Get in touch →

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Your work computer shouldn't take 10 minutes to start up.

If you're staring at a spinning wheel more than your actual work, here are 5 things that actually fix slow computers (no IT degree needed):

1. Restart it properly (not just close the lid)
2. Check what's running on startup
3. Clear out the junk
4. Check your storage space
5. Make sure updates aren't stuck

https://alexsusanu.com/blog/slow-computer-fixes/