Another Day With My PC

Viruses and spyware are often blamed for computer slowdowns. Analysts and experts would usually prescribe a full system scan whenever they’re being bugged (pun unintentionally intended ) about laggard PC performance. But is malware the sole guilty party when it comes to a slacking PC?

Unwanted and pernicious programs are not the only ones putting a sack on the back of computers. Sometimes, even legitimate programs could be the burden that slows down PC performance. Applications that demand CPU attention would definitely make your PC run in slow motion. Running multiple programs at the same time could also produce the same effect.

Aging hardware could also be the culprit. Current applications are either already too big or too demanding for old processors and peripherals to handle. Running Vista on a Pentium II processor is like asking a turtle to overtake a rabbit. Your system will either try in vain or just simply expire trying.

There are many other reasons why computers tend to be slowpokes. However, it is conceded that malware is the most likely cause of it. Hence, don’t think twice in getting your antivirus and registry cleaner to work whenever your PC seems to be slowing down. Check your hardware and other programs, too, while you’re at it so that every nook and cranny is swept.

Does your PC spend a lot of time loading software applications like Excel, Word or any commonly used application? This strange behavior is equally true for newly purchased as well as old PCs. Here are the Top 10 most probable reasons why your PC is slow.

1. Spyware is a name given to a software program that has malicious intentions and downloads itself without the user’s consent or knowledge. They can do all sorts of nasty things and slow down the computer considerably.
2. Installation of many programs under the StartUp menu. As you install applications on your system, some of them take up start-up status discreetly. This results in slower start up times as all of them take up memory for initialization. As a result, booting up a system consumes a lot of time.
3. Corruption of the Windows registry. The Windows Registry is regarded as the master control center of the operating system and all the applications that it executes. If it is corrupted, it can lead to a variety of performance problems like slow Windows start ups and shut downs along with general disturbance in Windows processing activities.
4. Fragmented memory. When you use your PC on an every day basis files stored on the computer gets ‘scattered’ and thus consumes noticeable time for file searches.
5. Security software may aim to protect you but their constant surveillance against all kinds of malicious software can actually contribute to slow PC performance because they take up a lot of main memory. By all means install and use security software but ensure that settings are at its best for you (e.g., using the Ignore List, etc.) so that it does not meddle with your everyday PC tasks.
6. Improper removal of programs. When programs are not uninstalled properly, they leave certain things behind. This results in cluttering the Windows registry with invalid and obsolete data, occupying plenty of unwanted space.
7. Page file size. This is known as the temporary work area in the memory used by a system for efficient processing of various functions. Think of it as a buffer used by the operating system. If you allocate only a small portion of memory for this, the consequence may be poor performance and system instability.
8. Permanent Internet files. If your Temporary Internet folder is never emptied, all the used memory will make your PC slow.
9. Viruses are software programs with malicious intentions and cause irreparable damage to computers. It is also the most prevalent reason of reducing the speed of computers as they can sap down computer performance and cause frequent shut downs.
10. Hardware problems. Last but not the least, hardware problems as a result of dust, overheating and wear and tear of components can cause sluggish PC performance.

I hope the above helps you understand just how many factors can cause slow PC performance.

Hungry for more info? Here is an extra interesting read for you -> Slow Computer? Speed Up Your PC By Disabling Unnecessary Windows Services.

“15 seconds just to load Microsoft Word? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

I’ve heard this a lot of times, especially during the days when Intel’s Celeron was reigning it over the other processors in terms of sales. It’s not surprising why applications ran slower a few years ago. There used to be a time when 64MB of RAM was an impressive spec already.

You may argue that the programs back then were not that big or complicated. True. However, multitasking was already as heavy and demanding three years ago as it is today. And with just 64MB of RAM, you shouldn’t wonder why it was hard running several applications simultaneously during the years when Shaq and Kobe were still together.

As you may have noticed, IT years are like dog years. Your Pentium IV may just be a year old, but it has actually reached its prime already. Dual core processors are the way to go today. Never has there been a time when the computer was so fast and powerful. For the first time, chip makers can claim that they have outpaced software manufacturers. No application today can complain that the available processors are not that powerful enough to satisfy its demands.

With all this computing power at your disposal, does this mean that applications should load up or run in a heartbeat? Theoretically, it should. However, the shriek at the beginning of this article continues to reverberate, and a number of them even come from people who have the best commercially-available laptop or desktop in the market.

How is this possible?

Well, for one thing, applications continue to get bigger and more complicated. But with a Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of memory, size shouldn’t really matter. So what’s really causing the slowdown?

Chip manufacturers blame software developers for faulty programming. They claim that there are applications which don’t terminate properly or completely. As a result, the RAM that it uses doesn’t become free. It continues to get occupied. This virtually and effectively reduces the size of your system memory. And if you’re physical memory is heavily clogged with programs, Windows will now use virtual memory. In case you don’t know, virtual memory is slower since it is just a space in your hard drive.

What if you’re just running one application and your system is acting as if it is running ten?

Don’t blame the software developer on this one. If your Core 2 Duo PC is performing like a Pentium II, then chances are that it’s infected with spyware. Spyware is often blamed (and rightly so) for most cases or incidents of computer slowdowns. No amount of optimization or hardware upgrade could fully improve the performance of your PC if it is infested with malicious programs.

Removing spyware can be challenging. However, there are many third-party programs out there which could make this task as easy as deleting a file from your hard drive. PC World has just featured a great article on how to determine if your PC is plagued by malware and how to remove them.

Don’t automatically tag spyware as the guilty party whenever your PC’s stamina is dropping. Malware infestation is just one of the many causes of computer slowdown. Determine the problem first before performing the remedy.

• Nov 21 : Microsoft Delays IE8 Release
• Nov 19 : Mac Fans are Just as Vulnerable as PC Users
• Nov 19 : Samsung Beings Mass Production of 256GB SSDs
• Nov 17 : Geneva Sound Systems Releases a Funky iPod Speaker
• Nov 14 : BlackBerry Storm Comes in Nov. 21