Nerd Cave
You're not imagining it
Almost everyone notices their computer feeling sluggish after a year or two. The good news is it's rarely a hardware problem.
The main culprits
Software updates add features and those features use more memory.
Startup programs pile up quietly over time.
Storage filling up slows everything down.
Temporary files accumulate in the background from Windows,installers, and apps — and most of them are never cleaned up automatically.
Browser cache grows over time and can actually make browsing feel slower instead of faster when it gets too large or corrupted.
The easy fixes
- Restart your computer regularly
- Check your startup programs
- Clear out files you no longer need
- Run Disk Cleanup or clear your temp folder (
%temp%in the Run box) - Clear your browser's cache and cookies from its settings menu
- Keep Windows Update running
If none of that helps, give us a call.