There are typically several things that can slow a computer down. On older computers the most common culprits are a failing hard drive or not enough memory. On a newer computer, slow performance is often caused by a malware infection, or simply not enough memory. Find out what might be causing your computer to be slow, and what you can do about it.

  • Spyware/Viruses

    • How to tell: Strange things happen, pop-ups open by themselves, unknown programs saying “viruses detected”, programs asking for credit card information.
    • What you can do: Keep virus scan software up to date, be careful when clicking on pop-ups from the internet, watch for unusual behavior.
    • When to call: As soon as you think you may have something wrong call immediately.
    • Why it is important: The worst viruses can actually delete files, cripple your computer, or permanently damage your system. Additionally many types of viruses and malware can spread to other computers through your network or by emailing itself to your entire contact list.
    • Cost to repair: $100 – $250

  • Not Enough Memory

    • How to tell: Computer becomes slow after working on it for a while, when many programs or windows are open things become slow.
    • What you can do: Have fewer open programs at one time.
    • When to call: If you find yourself constantly going over your usable memory (RAM) call to have more added.
    • Why it is important: While at first it is simply an annoyance if you continue to use more memory then you have you can permanently damage your hard drive. When all of your usable memory is used the computer uses your hard drive as a secondary source of memory (virtual memory). The constant reading and writing required of virtual memory causes your hard drive to wear out prematurely.
    • Cost to repair: $200

  • Old Hard Drive

    • How to tell: Computer is always slow from boot to shutdown and the hard drive light is always on.
    • What you can do: Watch for this problem after 3 – 5 years after purchasing, make regular data backups.
    • When to call: Call immediately to replace your hard drive.
    • Why it is important: The deterioration of your hard drive can lead to a catastrophic disk failure which could mean that you lose everything on your drive. Once your computer no longer starts up properly there is less than a 25% chance that we will be able to recover your data.
    • Cost to repair: $300 + $275 for data recovery (if necessary)