Your computer running terribly slow? Want to know the possible reasons why and how to get your computer back to its former high-speed glory? The Apple Guy looks at the top reasons why your MacBook could be running slow, and what you can do to fix it.
There is simply nothing worse than battling your computer while it takes a slight snooze into the slow zone. Typically, this occurs when you are super busy or in desperate need to send information for an important situation. Whether it be for work, school or social requirements having a reliable computer that works up-to-speed is vital. As specialists in MacBook speed, we have a few top tips that can help
Unfortunately, many people simply do not have the time to understand or consider having their computer fixed. Many simply adhere to the concept that perhaps their computer is old, and a complete upgrade is required. Only to find themselves in the same boat a few months down the track. The fact is your computer can be brought back to its former fast glory. With a little understanding, and some expert advice your computer can be running at full speed and causing you much less stress when it comes to functioning at its best.
So, what are the top reasons computers and MacBook’s suddenly become slow and sluggish? There can be a range of reasons, however, the biggest issue normally comes down to space on your machine. If you are running too many large programs your computer can quickly become sluggish.
Many computers are loaded with applications and programs that run in the background. These are normally pre-installed and are sitting in the background the second you purchase the device. Interestingly many do not even use these programs, so they are just sitting there encroaching on all that wonderful storage space your computer has. A quick check and delete can free up a huge amount of space on your computer and allow it to run more seamlessly in the future.
It’s also a good idea to check what applications are running in the background on your computer and regularly quit these.
Space Issues
If your computer is having space issues – or you are constantly getting a message stating that you are running out of free disk space, consider popping some files onto another source. It’s important to remember that even if you utilise the many programs that store your files online, these also take up a huge amount of space on your actual device. Particularly if you can access these files without having to go online. Checking how much room these programs actually hold on your computer is always a good idea.
Consider putting old files onto an external hard drive and removing them completely from your device. This is particularly important for images. Getting into the habit of backing up your photos to another hard drive and removing those from your computer can help hugely when it comes to the speed of your computer. Many times, we download our images from our phones onto our computers then ponder why they are running so slow after a period of time. Having an external hard drive that is only for your treasured photos will keep them safe, and free up a whole load of much-needed space on your devices.
Also, do a good clean of your computer. Go through every folder, your desktop and remove anything you no longer require. This is also important for your download folder. Many times we download images or folders, cut and copy them, leaving the original file sitting in our download folder. This can cause a huge number of unwanted folders just sitting on your computer, taking up much-needed space and making your device work much harder – and slower. Having a good clean-out once a month is highly recommended to keep your machine working well.
Also, clear your history and cache often on your internet browsers. Many times these cookies and caches – that do speed up the loading process when you return to certain pages – also create log files. These temporary files can remain on your computer even when you no longer need them. This can cause your computer to slow down.
The Importance of Updates
It’s vitally important that you keep your device updated alongside your applications. Running the correct updates can help your computer run at its absolute best. So, before you consider hanging off, or doing it later, ensure you make it a top priority to have all your applications and operating systems updated to the latest available.
The best practice is to set your device to update at night when you are no longer using the computer. Just remember to keep checking on the device as some will require passwords to continue. Shut down all your applications and hit go. This is particularly important for operating systems. These can take a large amount of time to update and may require passwords and applications to be closed before they can start. Ensuring this is done correctly will prevent you from hopping back on in the morning to find it still has a few hours to go.
Other Reasons
- Your computer cannot support the new update
- You have too many browser tabs open
- You are running out of RAM
- The computer is possibly overheating
- Malware
If you have attempted to clean and clear your computer and it’s still not functioning to its capability, call in the experts. Having someone take a good in-depth look at your computer can be invaluable and help prevent you from the huge costs an upgrade may attract. A computer expert will be able to advise exactly what you need to do, and your other options to get your machine back up to full speed.