Why is My Computer Slow to Start and What Can I Do About It?
Posted: Tuesday, September 30, 2008
by Ed Lathrop
Ed Lathrop
Everyday, we go to our desk and start up our computers. Most of us have the luxury of having it start up right away and fairly fast. However, others can go through a very slow and frustrating start-up. This can be annoying, especially if you need to check something on your computer quickly, or don't have much time to sit around and wait for it to begin. After all, time is money!
One common problem that puts a drag on your speed is programs that automatically start up. A lot of programs installed on your computer have an option to open when your computer starts up, and a lot of them have the option selected automatically without you realizing it.
Having a lot of programs running when your computer starts up is the same thing as trying to get a hundred people in one door at the same time; it's very crammed and very slow. So, this will tend to use up your onboard memory (RAM) when it could better be served accommodating your operating system.
Look for the little icons on the lower right hand corner of your screen. Right click each of these and see if you can select the option to turn off their automatic start-up function. It is no big deal if these programs don't open automatically, you can always start these program from start-all programs, when you need to.
Corrupt registry
Another cause for a slow computer start-up is problems with the registry. The registry is the single most important part of your operating system. It deals with system preferences and hardware and software configuration, as well. If the registry gets bloated and has corrupted files, this can be the cause of a slow start-up and a slow computer in general.
Keep in mind; none of this is your fault. Everything you do with your PC changes the state of the registry. The only way you can prevent your registry from getting any corruption of any kind is to not use it. This is, of course, a ridiculous solution.
There are, however, registry cleaners that are made to put your registry back in line after it has been altered. Most of these cleaners offer a free scan, so you will know before you purchase one whether or not it is registry corruption slowing you down.
Delete temporary Internet files
There are other possibilities that will slow a computer's start-up. One of these causes is your computer's temporary Internet files. Cleaning these out on a regular basis can speed up your computer.
With Internet Explorer 6.0, you would go to the IE window and click tools-delete browsing history and the delete temporary Internet files. This step will save the computer from loading a lot of extra stuff the next time it starts up.
Low on RAM?
Another reason for a slow computer start-up is you might not have enough computer memory. Upgrading your computer's memory or RAM is a good thing to do for your computer in general and results in faster speeds and better performance. However, if your computer has just started to rapidly loose speed, it wouldn't be lack of memory, it is more likely registry corruption.
Too little RAM generally, manifests itself after a new program has been added to the computer and the performance suffers when this program is running.
The causes of slow computers start-ups can be a little bit more serious as well. For instance, you could have a virus or your hard drive could be failing. Either one of these things could indicate big problems. Before you become too scared however, it is my experience a hard drive usually starts becoming very noisy when it is on its last legs. Still, it is a possibility. And yes! Youshould scan for viruses and malware/spyware regularly.
Of course, there is no need for alarm if you back up your files regularly. If you do, you can't be too concerned because restoring your computer will be easy. So... you do back up your files regularly. Right?
The author, Ed Lathrop is a comp TIA A+/Network+ certified computer technician familiar with the operation, repair and upkeep of today's PC's. His free site, Repair Slow Computer takes you step by step to getting a slow running computer back up to speed again. Also, what is the best antispyware/antivirus software available today? Find out at Best Antispyware .
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)hi ed,this was a well written, easy to follow article with great tips for the computer addict who doesn't have a clue about all you wrote about. thank you for sharing with us, and i hope you keep writing,best regards,sue thom
hi Ed Lathrop,
it is really an amazing article with a lot of useful information, actually, recently I've found another way to speed up my poor PC, the software "tuneup360". It’s very easy to handle and of course very powerful, my friends and I all use it now, maybe you can have a try.
best regards
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