Quite often
I hear from customers “my device is now so slow I think its time to change it”.
Before you dump a device it might be worth giving this article a scan to see if
your device is suffering from avoidable slowdown issues.
Laptop/Desktops
Performance Issues
The most
common causes for poor performance in laptops/desktops are:
#1
Defective or failing hard disk drive
#2 Full or
nearly full hard disk drive (not as common as you might imagine)
#3
Overloading the device with too many memory resident apps.
#4 Not
enough Ram (memory installed)
#5
Virus/Spyware infections
#6 Non
Functioning or Poor Performing Anti-Virus
#7
Defective or slow broadband connection
#8
Operating system upgrades that were not viable (Windows 7 to Windows 10)
#1
Defective or Failing hard disk Drive
On laptops
and desktop the hard drive is one of the few moving parts in the device. The
only other devices that physically move are the cd/dvd drive and the fans used
to cool the device or the parts installed therein. Thus hard drives do wear out
over time and contributory factors that shorten the length of time they last
include most of the items listed 2 to 8 above. A failing hard drive will
cripple your system and it is surprising the new leash of life you will receive
when a new drive is installed to replace it.
Failing
hard drives were never a huge cause for concern with technicians up until
recently as , unless you had a catastrophic failure, with the right equipment
and software all of the contents could be retrieved. This era unfortunately is
ending due to the introduction of solid state hard drives into laptops and in
some cases desktop computers.
Solid State Drives
You are
all, unwittingly, familiar with solid state technology. If you operate/own a
tablet or smartphone that’s the technology that enables you to store all those
precious apps and photos filling your phone. Fast and efficient solid state
technology is memory which when the device is powered off does not lose its
contents. There are no moving parts and you would think this is a panacea for
desktop/laptop computers. The truth is a little less palatable as that truth is
that when the solid state fails it fails spectacularly and usually all data
resident there on is lost forever.
Next Month,
God willing, I will continue on this and the other topics listed.
Oliver Reidy is a computer technician and has been in the industry since 1981.You
can contact him via email at help.desk@reidyonline.com or at the telephone numbers listed on this page. This article, and all
previous articles, are available to view online at http://reidyonline.blogspot.ie/ or www.reidyonline.com/blogspot.htm