Will adding memory fix the slowness?

Only if the memory really fills up. If in the Performance tab of Task Manager the memory is far from the ceiling, more memory will not change much, and the problem is probably the disk or the programs running in the background.

Do programs that promise to speed up the computer help?

Usually not. Windows 11 includes its own tools for cleanup and for managing startup programs. Some speed-up programs add background processes of their own, and some come bundled with unwanted software.

The computer is slow only in the morning and then sorts itself out. Is that normal?

Partly. In the first minutes Windows runs updates, scans and cloud sync. If it lasts fifteen minutes or more on every startup, it is worth checking the startup programs and the disk type.

Computer running slow? 8 checks you can do yourself

October 13, 2026 · A guide by ChipLab Computer Lab

This guide is for anyone whose computer has become slow and it is not clear why. In about fifteen minutes of checks you will know what is slowing it down, what you can fix yourself, and when it is already a hardware matter.

Why did my computer become slow?

In most cases the cause is one of five: too many programs starting with the computer, a nearly full disk, an old hard drive, heat, or malware and browser extensions. A virus is only one of the possibilities, and not always the most likely one.

Before any check, do one simple thing: click Start, then Power, and choose Restart, not Shut down. Windows has a feature called Fast Startup, and because of it a regular shutdown does not fully clear the system. A restart does. If the computer has not been restarted in weeks, that may be all that was missing.

How do you check what is slowing the computer down?

Windows Task Manager shows exactly what is consuming resources right now. This is how you open and read it:

Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc together. Task Manager opens. If a small window opens, click More details.
Go to the Processes tab. You will see a list of programs with four columns above it: CPU (the processor), Memory, Disk and Network.
Click each column header to sort. The program consuming the most will rise to the top of the list.
Look for a column whose header is colored red or orange and is close to 100%. That is the bottleneck.
Go to the Performance tab. Here you see a graph over time, and that matters: a momentary spike is normal, a constant load for minutes is the problem.

What does this mean in practice? CPU at 100% because of one program: close it and check whether it is really needed. Memory close to the ceiling all the time: too many programs open, or genuinely not enough memory. Disk at 100% for long minutes: usually an old hard drive, more on that below.

Which programs start with the computer, and can you turn them off?

Every program that starts with the computer lengthens startup and takes memory even when you are not using it. Most of them do not have to start on their own.

In Task Manager, go to the Startup apps tab.
In the impact column you will see how much each program weighs on startup: Low, Medium or High.
Right-click a program you do not need right at startup and choose Disable.

Disabling does not delete the program. It just will not start on its own, and you can open it when you need it. Microsoft explains this too in the official guide to configuring startup applications.

What to keep: the antivirus, and the manufacturer’s programs related to audio, the touchpad or the graphics card. If you do not recognize a name, look it up before you disable it.

The disk is full. How much free space should you leave?

Windows needs free space to work. Microsoft itself recommends on its troubleshooting page leaving roughly 10 to 15 percent of the disk free. When the disk is nearly full, even updates fail.

This is how you check and free up space:

Open Settings > System > Storage. You will see how much space is used and by what.
Go through Cleanup recommendations: temporary files, the Recycle Bin, large files that have not been opened in a long time.
Check the Downloads folder. Installer files you no longer need pile up there.
Turn on Storage Sense, which cleans temporary files automatically. The full explanation is on Microsoft’s page about Storage Sense.

How do you know if the computer has an old disk (HDD)?

Task Manager says so explicitly. In the Performance tab, under the disk’s name, it will show HDD (a mechanical hard drive, with a spinning platter) or SSD (a solid-state drive, with no moving parts).

The clear sign of a mechanical disk slowing the computer down: after startup the disk sits at 100% for long minutes, even when you have not opened anything. Windows 11 does run on a mechanical disk, but updates, scans and sync running in the background load it, and it becomes the bottleneck of the whole computer.

If you have an HDD, replacing it with an SSD is usually the upgrade that makes the biggest difference in an old computer, far more than adding memory. The details are in the guide to upgrading from HDD to SSD, and if you would rather we do it, we have a computer upgrade and SSD replacement page. Hearing ticking or clicking from the disk? That is no longer a question of speed. Read the guide about a clicking hard drive first and back up immediately.

Is the computer slow only when it is hot?

Yes, that happens, and it has a name: thermal throttling. When the processor heats up beyond its limit, it lowers its own speed to avoid damage.

The signs: the fan is loud all the time, the bottom of the laptop is very hot, and the slowness gets worse after half an hour of work or on a hot day. In Haifa’s hot, humid summer it stands out more. A laptop on a bed or a blanket blocks the vents, and dust that builds up inside over the years does the same thing.

What to do yourself: work on a hard surface, and make sure the vents are not blocked. Internal cleaning of the fan and heatsink requires opening the computer. The details are in the guide about a laptop that overheats, and our service is computer dust cleaning and thermal paste replacement.

Is the slowness only in the browser?

If only the browser is slow and everything else works, the problem is almost always in the browser itself: too many open tabs, or extensions.

Type chrome://extensions in the address bar in Chrome, or edge://extensions in Edge.
Go through the list. Any extension you do not recognize or do not use, turn off or remove.
Check in Task Manager how much memory the browser takes. Every tab is a separate process.

An extension that was installed without you asking, and changes the home page or the search engine, does not just slow things down. It is a sign of unwanted software.

And what if it is a virus after all?

If the checks above did not explain the slowness, or there are pop-ups and changes you did not make, it is worth scanning. Windows 11 has a built-in antivirus:

Open Windows Security.
Choose Virus & threat protection, then Scan options.
Choose Full scan. If there is a specific suspicion, there is also Microsoft Defender Offline scan, which runs before Windows loads.

An explanation of the options is on Microsoft’s page about virus protection. More signs to look for are in the guide about signs of a virus on the computer. And if a message appeared saying the computer is “infected” with a phone number, that is a scam, not a diagnosis. Read the guide about fake virus warnings before you call anyone.

Decision table: what is the cause and what do you do?

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do yourself	When to bring it to the lab
Startup takes long minutes	Many startup programs, or an HDD	Disable startup programs, check the disk type	If the disk is an HDD and you want an SSD
Disk at 100% for long minutes	Old mechanical disk	Check in the Performance tab	When you decide to switch to an SSD
Memory close to the ceiling all the time	Little memory or too many programs	Close programs and tabs	If it is full even with few programs
Slow and loud when hot	Dust or blocked vents	Hard surface, clear vents	If the fan is loud even at rest
Only the browser is slow	Extensions or tabs	Remove extensions	If extensions come back after removal
Pop-ups, strange changes	Malware	Full scan in Windows Security	If the scan does not clean it, or the problem returns

What not to do when the computer is slow?

Do not install “speed-up” or “registry cleaner” programs. Some add background processes, and some come bundled with unwanted software.
Do not buy memory before you have checked. If the memory does not fill up, it is not the problem.
Do not enthusiastically disable every startup program. The antivirus and the manufacturer’s programs need to start.
Do not format as a first solution. Reinstalling without a backup deletes files. If you are still considering it, start with the guide to backing up before something happens.
Do not ignore clicking noises from the disk. Slowness together with ticking can be a sign of a disk that is starting to fail.

If the computer is very old and you are considering moving to Windows 11, first check the guide about Windows 11 on an old computer.

When to bring the computer to the lab

When you have done the checks and it is still unclear what is slowing the computer down. When Task Manager shows an HDD and you want to move to an SSD without reinstalling everything. When the computer is hot and loud even when it is doing nothing. And when a virus scan finds something that does not go away, or comes back.

With us, it starts with a diagnosis, you get a price before anything begins, and we repair only after you have approved. If the problem is hardware and not software, we will tell you straight.

Did it not work out?

The goal of this guide is for you to get the computer back to a reasonable speed yourself. If you tried and it is still slow, we will find the cause and deal with it. You can start from the virus removal and slow computer page.