If you've invested a lot of money in your computer, it can be frustrating when it starts to run slowly. There are a few different problems that can cause your computer to run slowly, so here are some places to start when looking for a software or hardware problem. 

Computer Hasn't Been Rebooted in a While

Let's start with a simple fix that could help you avoid a repair; try rebooting the computer. Sometimes, programs store a lot of files in your computer's memory, and these aren't cleared out until you restart the system. If you haven't restarted in a while, you may simply have a lot of extra baggage that is weighing the system down. 

Too Much Wasted Space

Your computer operates the best when it has some free space to work with on the hard drive. You might try deleting files that you no longer need to free up space. For instance, locate your temp folder and delete the large files there. 

Computer Has Malware

Even if you have the latest antivirus and malware protection programs, it's still possible for new viruses to infect your computer and cause it to run slowly. If you don't have the expertise to do a thorough malware check, you can bring the computer to a computer repair shop to check for viruses and other malicious programs. 

Fan Isn't Working Properly

Another reason that computers can run slowly is that they are overheating. The internal fan is responsible for keeping the parts cool so that they can perform optimally. If you don't hear a fan running during high task loads, then it might be broken. Your computer repair shop can cheaply replace this part.

Your Computer Doesn't Have Enough Power

If you have gradually added more and more high-powered programs to your desktop, it may be that your computer doesn't have enough processing power to run all of these programs. As technology advances, newer programs are starting to require higher memory and hard drive requirements; if your computer is more than a few years old, it may need some upgrades. A computer shop can add additional memory or a more powerful hard drive to an existing computer without changing your programs. 

These common issues with computers can gradually slow down their performance. A great computer repair shop like Ardmore Computer Repair can help you diagnose the reasons that your computer is running slowly as well as fix any of the problems above.