A slow running computer is worth checking out if the administrator and owner have not done anything to it that would warrant such a slowdown. The slowdown itself may not be a symptom of a computer problem at all, but with something else going wrong.

One common delay is the event when a standalone computer is scanned for viruses and malware by a program that initiates an Internet connection to report back to its sponsoring website with the results. On a standalone computer, such an Internet connection is impossible so the computer will appear to freeze and lock up. Therefore, always uncheck ( remove the checkmark from ) options to anonymously report the scan results to an Internet server when you run the program on a standalone PC and when you otherwise choose not to open a connection to the Internet. This should eliminate some delays and apparent slowdowns.

More noticeable in computers with low cycle speeds, some slowdown can be attributed to increased memory usage, whether the random access kind, or the read-only kind. Computer code of all sorts will be found active in RAM or ROM and contribute to slowdowns.

One trick is to decide what does not need to be running on the computer and can free up memory for use by the remaining important programs. Once the administrator and owner decide what programs not to run, they can remove them entirely for the computer, or leave them in a dormant but ready state for calling when finally needed. A similar process will work with unnecessary services that are installed and running; some can be removed or turned off to give the same benefit of less memory operations and increased apparent speed of the computer. This category also includes checking and verifying all autostarts and autorunning programs that may occur during system boot. Remove any programs that are not frequently accessed from such startup lists.

Another issue to check out is the possibility of spyware, malware, or viruses running on the computer. Such infestations of viruses and malware are renowned for slowing down computers. In this case, running antispyware and antivirus detection scans will determine the scope of any problems. Where a detection of an infestation is announced by antivirus and antispyware software, then it is important to remove the offending software as quickly as possible. A successful cleaning usually results in much faster computer response to the needs of the operator.

If all the above issues are covered

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