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HP Recommended
Desktop PC

I’ve had my computer for a while and it’s started slowing down in general. Is there anything I can do to make it faster?

 

Bill

I am an HP employee
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
HP Recommended

There’s a variety of steps you can take to improve performance on your computer and make it run faster. First off, I would recommend checking your hard drive space – you should have at least 15% free space available, preferably more for best performance. If you have a lot of large media files (movies, photos, music) stored on your hard drive, moving those to an external hard drive can help speed things up. Also empty your recycle bin to free up space. Here are some other tips:

 

  • Update software and drivers using HP Support Assistant and Windows Update
  • Update the BIOS
  • Defragment the hard drive (do NOT defrag if your computer has a solid state drive [SSD], because this can damage it)
  • Run a virus scan and remove viruses/spyware
  • Close any apps you aren’t actively using, and try not to leave a lot of things open at once
  • Use Task Manager to identify what is using the most system resources
  • Clean the computer fans and vents to reduce heat
  • Upgrade memory

These solutions are explained in detail, along with other helpful suggestions, in the following troubleshooter:

 

Computer Is Slow

I am an HP employee.
Please click the thumbs up button to say "Thanks!"
Clicking "Accept as Solution" on a reply that solves your problem makes it easier for other people to find solutions.

View solution in original post

2 REPLIES 2
HP Recommended

There’s a variety of steps you can take to improve performance on your computer and make it run faster. First off, I would recommend checking your hard drive space – you should have at least 15% free space available, preferably more for best performance. If you have a lot of large media files (movies, photos, music) stored on your hard drive, moving those to an external hard drive can help speed things up. Also empty your recycle bin to free up space. Here are some other tips:

 

  • Update software and drivers using HP Support Assistant and Windows Update
  • Update the BIOS
  • Defragment the hard drive (do NOT defrag if your computer has a solid state drive [SSD], because this can damage it)
  • Run a virus scan and remove viruses/spyware
  • Close any apps you aren’t actively using, and try not to leave a lot of things open at once
  • Use Task Manager to identify what is using the most system resources
  • Clean the computer fans and vents to reduce heat
  • Upgrade memory

These solutions are explained in detail, along with other helpful suggestions, in the following troubleshooter:

 

Computer Is Slow

I am an HP employee.
Please click the thumbs up button to say "Thanks!"
Clicking "Accept as Solution" on a reply that solves your problem makes it easier for other people to find solutions.
HP Recommended

was very helpful. thank you.

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