HP ENVY All-in-One - 24-n014 (Touch) running like a dinosaur.

[Lisa438]

My desktop is aged. It's not capable of an 11 upgrade. I have an enormous amount of space because over the years I haven't used it much. I still love it and want to make use  of it before purchasing a new one. However it runs completely slow. It takes over 15 minutes to load when turning it on. When surfing the web it also takes a while to load the sites. I really want to keep it before investing in a new model. I'm surprised that it runs this slow with so much storage capacity left. I wonder if I should take it to a computer repair tech? When I run diagnostics, the results state no issues. Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated. 

[Nal_NR]

Hi @Lisa438,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be glad to help you! 

I completely understand your attachment to the HP ENVY All-in-One and your desire to keep it running smoothly before considering an upgrade. Given that the diagnostics don’t show any issues but the system is still running very slowly, there are several potential causes that might not show up in basic tests. Let’s try to address this systematically with some recommendations that could help improve its performance.

Check and Free Up Storage Space

• Even though you have a lot of space left, it’s possible that fragmentation, old files, or temporary files are taking up space and causing the system to slow down.
• Run Disk Cleanup:
  • Open the Start Menu, type Disk Cleanup, and select it.
  • Select the drive (usually C:) and check off items like Temporary files, System files, and Recycle Bin to clear out unnecessary data.
• Defragment your hard drive (if it's a traditional HDD):
  • Type Defragment into the Start Menu and select Defragment and Optimize Drives.
  • Select the C: drive and click Optimize.

2. Check for Malware or Unnecessary Programs

• Run a Full Virus Scan using your antivirus software (or Windows Defender).
• You might have background programs or malware consuming system resources.
• Disable unnecessary startup programs:
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  • Go to the Startup tab and disable any unnecessary programs that may be running on boot-up.

3. Update Drivers and Windows

• Outdated or missing drivers could cause performance issues. Ensure that your graphics, network, and chipset drivers are up to date:
  • Go to Device Manager (type it in the Start Menu) and check for any yellow exclamation marks indicating outdated drivers.
• Windows Update: Even though your PC may not support Windows 11, make sure you're on the latest version of Windows 10, as updates can help optimize performance.
  • Go to Settings > Update & Security and check for updates.

4. Check the Hard Drive Health

• Since you mentioned diagnostics showed no issues, ensure the hard drive isn’t experiencing slow read/write speeds:
  • Run CHKDSK by typing chkdsk /f in the Command Prompt and pressing Enter. This checks for file system errors that might be slowing things down.
  • If you're using an old HDD, consider upgrading to a Solid State Drive (SSD). SSDs are much faster and can significantly improve boot and load times.

5. Perform a Clean Boot

• Sometimes, third-party software or background services can conflict and cause slowdowns. You can try a Clean Boot to identify the culprit:
  • Type msconfig in the Start Menu and open System Configuration.
  • Under the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services and then click Disable all.
  • Under the Startup tab, click Open Task Manager and disable all unnecessary programs.
  • Restart your computer and check if it speeds up.

6. Consider Upgrading RAM

• If your system is equipped with low RAM, upgrading to a higher capacity (if possible on your model) could improve performance when multitasking or browsing the web.

7. Factory Reset (as a last resort)

• If nothing seems to help, and you’ve backed up your important files, consider performing a factory reset. This will return the system to its original state and may resolve underlying issues.

If after all these steps, your system is still slow, it might need service. 

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @Lisa438,

Kindly try all the steps patiently and keep me posted. Take care

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.