Issue 44.15
A very common experience most computer users have is noticing that their computer runs slower than it did when it was new. This is a real issue, but there are a number of different possible causes.
The most common reason that computers slow down is a combination of age and changes in the software you run. As a computer gets older, the main processing chip (CPU or Central Processing Unit) is exposed to a number of environmental problems. The most common are heat and voltage variations. The circuitry in a CPU is made up of filaments that are thinner than human hair. They carry voltage which creates heat. Computer manufacturers install a heat sink (which is a large metal block) that absorbs heat from the processor. On top of that is usually a high speed fan which blows cooler air through the “fins” on the block which dissipates the heat. If the air flow is impeded or especially if the fan quits for any reason, the cooling does not occur efficiently and the chip heats up beyond what is safe. The small filaments inside the chip can corrode or even melt which creates serious problems with the functioning of the computer. If your computer starts acting strangely or locks up after it has been on for 20-40 minutes, it is likely because of heat build-up on either the CPU or the chip that controls the Video output.
Software changes over time as updates and upgrades are made to create more options and capability. All these changes create a greater demand on the CPU which in turn creates more heat and uses more of the capacity. That in turn causes the computer to seem to run slower because it is actually doing more than earlier versions of the software required. For example, when Windows 7 was released it worked with about 400 megabytes of RAM (Random Access Memory). After a few months they released upgrades and changes that moved that minimum requirement to about 750 megabytes. Now the minimum is around 1 Gigabyte of RAM (1000 megabytes), but to run efficiently, the recommended memory is 3 Gigabytes or more.
That is just the Operating System. Many programs have created similar issues as they add features and options. One program I purchased 5 years ago recommended 2 Gigabytes of memory but now, with the newest version of the same program, recommends 8 Gigabytes of memory to run optimally.
The other common reason for slower computers is the invasion of viruses, malware and multiple search engines to toolbars. Each of these things run in the background, taking up valuable resources and processing power. If you anti-virus is decent and is up-to-date, that helps a lot. I also recommend having a good anti-malware program because most anti-virus programs don’t address malware efficiently. I use the free version of Malwarebytes, but there are many other good ones out there and sometimes they improve performance as much as anything else you can do. Most computers with newly installed anti-malware software find 100-600 files or pieces of malware and remove them. Individually they don’t do much, but collectively they can really slow you down. I have one computer that had over 12000 pieces of malware and it would take 15 minutes to boot up and 2 or 3 minutes to open a program. It worked much better once the malware was removed (which took a few hours because of the massive amount it had to process). If you see a number of toolbars on your browser page, you are slowing the system down. If you have more than one anti-virus program, they conflict with each other and can seriously drop your performance.
These are just a few suggestions that you or your computer professional can look at. Work on these and your performance may well improve – and, as always, make sure you always have a backup of anything important.
Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 33 years, 26 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently works as a computer consultant. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or shaun@musicomp.net.