[social_warfare]
I hear this question all the time. People want to know why their computer has slowed down. It ran great when they first got it but now it runs slow. Just an aside but they usually use terms like “It runs like garbage”, except replace garbage with any number of profanities. There are many reasons.
Failing or old hardware
If you bought a $300-$400 computer five years ago the components where likely 3-4 years old at the time. You are trying to access a modern site with a computer whose parts where designed 8-10 years ago. If your computer “locks up” sometimes or has frequent pauses it could be your hard drive is failing. Most hard drives have moving parts that can wear out over time. Heat can damage the circuit boards. Dropping your laptop with a drive that spins at 7200 RPM may cause issues if it doesn’t just outright quit working. Even new computers can have bad parts. If your computer is 2-3 years old and is running significantly slower run a hardware test to see if it is damaged. If there is no damage then that it could be software related.
Bad Software
What? Software can be bad? Yep its true your software could be bad. You could be running an older version of software that isn’t compatible with your OS (Operating System). Your programs need to be updated regularly and checked for compatibility with your current programs. If you update your programs but not your OS or update your OS but not your software your system may run slower overall. There are little small programs or pieces of code that your programs use to run called “Libraries”. Depending on the OS your Library files may be damaged, outdated, or may conflict with another computers libraries. Try updating everything to the latest version. If that fails try rolling your system back to a time when you knew everything worked well. Remove newly installed programs. If that doesn’t work then the problem could be from outside sources.
Malware and Viruses
Some people do not have anything better to do that write programs that mess up your computer. Most antivirus companies are able to keep up with these threats but occasionally they will miss one. Try running a different virus removal software from the one you normally run and see if it catches anything. Malware removal tools like Malwarebytes and Sophos are good alternatives to Norton or McAffey. If that doesn’t work then you can always Reinstall from Scratch. A fresh reinstall of your operating system will usually perk it right up. Make sure you have all the license keys and password to web subscriptions or you could be in trouble.
Compared to other modern conveniences computer really do not require a lot of back breaking labor to keep them maintained. What they lack in hard work they make up for in time they can consume and frustration when they don’t work well. If it isn’t working right don’t waste your mental stability waiting for it to start working right because most time it won’t. Fix it or toss it so you can focus on the important things.
