A slow and laggy PC can cause a lot of hindrances to our daily work. And these problems of lagging always occur suddenly and unexpectedly without any warning. When a computer faces lagging issues, it faces the following problems:
- Poping up of error messages at the time of file writing.
- Slow opening of programs.
- The OS taking longer times to start or shutting down.
- Appearing of Windows error messages.
- Converting files and saving documents takes longer times.
- The dropping of frame rates, stuttering, and flickering of graphics.
Due to lagging issues, everything on your computer becomes slower. So, now you may be asking the question ‘why is my computer lagging?’ Only by understanding the reasons behind the cause, you will be able to understand how to fix lag on your PC.
10 Reasons for Lagging of your Computer
These are the most common reasons for which your PC can become laggy and slow. So, along with the reason behind the lagging issues, let’s see how to fix a slow PC?
1. Overloading of your PC with unnecessary software updates
Your computer comes with many pre-installed software. Some of these come with the default setting of the auto-update. These updates take up huge spaces on the hard drive of your computer and make it slow.
You can solve this problem by turning off the auto-update setting of these softwares. Or, if you want to auto-update this software without making your computer slow, then you can also use some third party maintenance solutions. These solutions will help you to manage the time when you want your update to get installed. You can set the time for when you are not working on your PC.
2. Bad performance of the CPU
If you are using an old CPU, or one which is overheating frequently or a slower CPU, then you will see a bump in the CPU usage. This will result in the lagging of your computer. If you use a CPU which is better in performance, then your computer will also run smoothly.
You can make perform a CPU stress test to make sure that the CPU of your computer is running on its full power. If the result you are getting is poor, then you should consider replacing the old CPU with a new and powerful one. This is one of the ways of how to fix lag on your computer.
3. Insufficient or corrupted RAM
If your computer has an RAM which is insufficient for the work you do then you can face the lagging issues. You can also face this issue if your RAM gets corrupted. If your RAM is corrupted or damaged, then it will not be able to handle the services and the processes you need your RAM to do.
If both of these cases, the solution is to replace the old RAM with a new one. While selecting the new RAM, you have to make sure that it is sufficient to handle the process and services which you need it to do. This is one of the effective ways of how to fix a slow pc & speed up performance.
4. The memory of your hard drive have maxed out
The thing about the memory of the hard drive is that it will get affected before it reaches 100% of its capacity. According to the IT experts, even when the memory is at 85%, your performance will get affected. This will make your computer slow.
The primary factors behind the slowing down of your computer are the temporary files, application updates, programs, and internet downloads. There is also some industry-specific software for those who are in engineering, architecture, and graphic design world. In simple words, if you want to use photoshop, you will not be able to do it in a computer of entry-level specifications.
You can solve this problem by clearing the storage and moving them to the cloud. Deleting files that are not needed will also help you.
5. Damaged Hard drive
Your computer will run slow if your hard drive is facing some problems. Problems in your hard drive can even result in the failure to start the computer. You can check the status of your hard drive when you are facing some lagging. With this, you will be able to determine whether the problem is occurring due to the physical or the logical damage of the disk. After that, you can solve the problem accordingly.
To check the hard drive, you have to open the command prompt. After that, you have to use ‘chkdsk.exe’. This will tell you whether the error occurring is due to physical or logical errors. This is one of the effective ways to learn if you want to know how to fix lag on your computer.
6. You are still using HDD
The loading time of your windows depends on the speed of the hard drive you are using. If you are still using the old hard disk, then you have a great chance of facing lag while playing games or running programs that demands speed.
You can solve this problem by upgrading to SSD. Since the SSDs do not have the mechanical parts, they are considerably faster than the HDD. With the correct configuration of the SSD, you can get a dramatic increase in the speed of your computer.
7. OS is not properly maintained
You must upgrade or properly configure and maintain the OS if you want your computer to run smoothly. The lag you are facing may be due to some programs which you do not use. You immediately uninstall such programs as they putting a load on your OS.
The temporary files can also be deleted to clear the space. These are the cached files of the software installed on your computer. Also, you should regularly check for the system updates for your OS. These updates will help solve the problem of a laggy computer.
8. Drivers are outdated
One of the common answers to the question ‘why is my computer lagging?’ is the outdated drivers. The drivers play an integral part in smoothly operating your PC and it is advised to keep them updated. By keeping them updated is the process of how to fix slow PC.
9. Poor connection of the internet
The internet is one of the most important things in the world of the computer. A poor connection during the sending of data, or at the time of updating the OS, cause the computer to lag. With a poor connection, the computer tries to receive more signals and hence has to work extra hard. This results in the slowing down of the PC.
Hence, you should always make sure that the computer is receiving a strong and uninterrupted internet signal.
10. A virus has infected your computer
If your computer gets infected by a virus, you will experience a slow and lagging computer. You can solve this problem by running a full scan of your computer with the help of antivirus software. This is one of the common processes of how to fix slow PC.
Conclusion
I hope that you have got your answer to the question ‘why is my computer lagging?’. All of the above discussed are among the commonly occurring cause for the slowing down of PCs. So, now you know how to fix lag on your computer. Analyze the reason for your problem and solve them accordingly.