Self-Assessment: How Serious Is Your Problem?

Consider these questions to determine the severity of your issue:

• Did your computer suddenly become slow, or has it gradually declined over time?
• Does the slowdown occur all the time or only when performing specific tasks?
• Have you recently installed new software or hardware?
• When was the last time you restarted your computer?
• Is your computer making unusual noises?

Sudden slowdowns are often easier to resolve than gradual performance decline, which may indicate hardware issues requiring professional assessment.

Step 1: Restart Your Computer

It sounds simple, but a restart can solve many performance issues by:

• Clearing temporary files and memory leaks
• Ending background processes that may have stalled
• Applying pending updates

How to properly restart:

1. Save all your work
2. Click the Start menu (Windows) or Apple menu (Mac)
3. Select "Restart" (not shutdown)
4. Allow the computer to fully shut down and start up again

Step 2: Check for Resource-Hungry Programs

A single program can sometimes consume excessive resources, slowing down your entire system.

For Windows users:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager
2. Click "More details" if in simplified view
3. Click the "CPU" or "Memory" column to sort processes by usage
4. Look for any applications using high percentages of resources
5. Right-click and select "End task" for any non-essential programs using excessive resources

For Mac users:

1. Press Command+Space and type "Activity Monitor"
2. Click the "CPU" or "Memory" tab
3. Look for applications using high percentages of resources
4. Select any non-essential programs using excessive resources and click the "X" button

Step 3: Remove Startup Programs

Many programs automatically start when your computer boots, slowing down startup and consuming resources.

For Windows 10/11:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager
2. Select the "Startup" tab
3. Review the list of startup programs
4. Right-click items you don't need at startup and select "Disable"
5. Focus on items marked as "High impact"

For Mac:

1. Click the Apple menu → System Preferences → Users & Groups
2. Select your user account and click "Login Items"
3. Select items you don't need at startup and click the minus (-) button

Step 4: Clear Disk Space and Temporary Files

Low disk space can significantly impact performance, especially on your system drive.

For Windows:

1. Type "Disk Cleanup" in the start menu search
2. Select your system drive (usually C:)
3. Check boxes for "Temporary files," "Recycle Bin," and other suggested items
4. Click "OK" to remove these files
5. For more thorough cleanup, click "Clean up system files"

For Mac:

1. Click the Apple menu → About This Mac → Storage → Manage
2. Review recommendations and click "Optimise" or manually remove files you no longer need

Step 5: Check for Malware

Malware can consume system resources and cause significant slowdowns.

For Windows:

1. Run a scan with Windows Security (built-in) or your installed antivirus software
2. Ensure your security software is up to date

For Mac:

1. Use the built-in macOS security features or a trusted third-party security solution
2. Check Activity Monitor for suspicious processes with high resource usage

Step 6: Update Your Operating System and Drivers

Outdated software can cause compatibility issues and performance problems.

For Windows:

1. Type "Check for updates" in the start menu search
2. Install all available updates
3. Restart your computer after updates are installed

For Mac:

1. Click the Apple menu → System Preferences → Software Update
2. Install available updates
3. Restart your computer after updates are installed

When to Seek Professional Help

Consider booking a professional support session if:

• You've tried all these steps and your computer is still running slowly
• Your hard drive is making unusual clicking or grinding noises
• Your computer is more than 5 years old and generally sluggish
• You notice your computer overheating or shutting down unexpectedly
• You have important data that needs to be preserved during troubleshooting