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Everyone who has ever used a computer has experienced those days where everything slows to a grind: the images on the screen freeze, pages are slow to load, and programs respond slowly to commands. Fortunately, in most cases it is nothing serious, and is usually easy to fix.
If the computer is just running slowly and not going from page to page with its usual speed, try clearing its cache. To do this, simply click on the “tools,” “options” or “internet options” (depending on your browser) tab at the top of your browser window. In Internet Explorer, click on “general.” In Firefox, click on “privacy.” From there, check the boxes of the items you wish to clear, such as temporary files, history or cookies. These all contain copies of websites you have visited, which helps them to load faster when you visit that page again. Computer memory is limited, and these files can take up too much space if they are allowed to accumulate.
Also try deleting regular files that you no longer need. Very large files such as photos and other graphics take up a great deal of memory. When the computer can’t access much free memory, it takes much longer to perform tasks. After you have deleted unwanted files, be sure to empty the recycle bin.
Finally, be sure to keep a reliable anti-malware program running at all times. Real-time anti-virus scanning and firewalls keep your computer protected from viruses and other harmful programs while you are online. While a slow computer does not necessarily mean you have a virus, viruses, Trojans and other malware can cause system instability and harm your system.
