Common Helpdesk Requests – Issue 4 – Slow PC

Here at Magikos IT we thought it might be helpful to cover some of the most common reasons why customers submit IT Helpdesk requests and outline some of the steps we recommend to try and resolve them. Whilst these issues are common, it does not diminish their importance and we understand that they often cause frustration, inconvenience and downtime for our customers. Additionally, problems that appear to be relatively simple can quickly escalate into a major organisational crisis. For these reasons, we thought that highlighting some of these common issues might raise awareness and help our customers be proactive about preventing these issues in the first place.

Issue 4: Slow PC

We’ve all experienced the frustration of a slow running PC, where you press the power button and have enough time to make coffee, check your phone messages, and contemplate your life choices before the desktop finally stutters into view. It’s a world where “Not Responding” is a daily mantra and switching between two browser tabs requires the kind of patience usually reserved for people waiting for a bus in the rain. These daily struggles take their toll and at some point you will need to take action before you end up throwing the machine through the window!

When a computer slows down, it’s rarely due to a single catastrophic failure. Instead, it’s usually the result of a mismatch between the hardware resources available and the software demands being placed on them. Here are some of the common reasons why a PC may run slowly:

• Software Bottlenecks: Many applications automatically configure themselves to launch the moment your PC boots up, running silently in the background. If dozens of apps are competing for resources before you even open a browser, your system will instantly feel sluggish. Likewise, having too many browser windows open can completely drain your system’s temporary memory.
• Hardware Limitations: RAM is your computer’s short-term memory. When you run out of RAM because you have too many programs open, the operating system is forced to move data to your hard drive instead. This process, called “swapping,” drastically reduces performance. This is particularly problematic if your operating system is installed on an older mechanical hard drive with spinning platters rather than a modern Solid State Drive (SSD) since data retrieval will be significantly slower.  
• Operating System and Maintenance Issues: Your operating system requires a buffer of free disk space (usually at least 10% to 15% of the drive’s capacity) to manage temporary virtual memory files. If your main drive is completely full, the system will struggle to function. Likewise, outdated drivers, corrupted files and failed system updates can introduce software conflicts that degrade overall stability and performance.

What Should I Do?

Before assuming you need a new computer, try these four straightforward maintenance steps:

1. Restart Your PC:

It may be a cliché but ‘turning it off and on again’ is good advice in this case. A simple reboot flushes your RAM, closes runaway background apps, and allows pending system updates to complete.

2. Manage Your Startup Apps:

Open the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) on Windows, click the “Startup apps” tab, and disable any high-impact programs you don’t need immediately when turning on your PC.

3. Empty the Recycle Bin:

When you delete files or folders they are moved to the recycle bin but they remain on the hard drive and continue to take up space. The bin should be emptied on a regular basis BUT it is good practice to keep files in the bin for up to a week just in case you suddenly realise you’ve deleted something by accident!

4. Run a Disk Cleanup: 

Use the built-in Disk Cleanup tool to recover storage space by safely removing temporary files, caches and system junk. The way to access these system tools will be different depending on whether you are using a Windows machine or a Mac. If you are unsure of the process, always check with your IT provider beforehand.

How Can Magikos IT Help?

Whilst the steps above can temporarily improve your PC’s performance, there will come a point where you need to consider longer term solutions, especially as newer operating systems demand more memory (for example, a minimum of 16Gb of RAM is required to run Windows 11 effectively). 

Magikos IT can audit your machine and offer advice regarding how to improve performance. Depending on the age of the machine, a simple RAM upgrade may be a possibility. For older machines, it may be more cost effective to replace them. We can assist with selection, purchase and setup of new PCs to make the process as pain free as possible.