My computer is running slowly: quick checks before you call IT
Five-minute fixes for a slow Windows PC or Mac
Most slowdowns have a simple cause. Work through these checks in order. Each one takes a minute or two.
1. Restart properly
Closing the lid isn't a restart. Save your work, then choose Start → Power → Restart on Windows, or Apple menu → Restart on a Mac. A restart clears memory and finishes pending updates. It fixes more problems than anything else on this list.
2. Install waiting updates
- Windows: Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates.
- Mac: Apple menu → System Settings → General → Software Update.
Half-installed updates often run in the background and slow everything down until you restart.
3. Close what you're not using
- Browser tabs: dozens of open tabs can use more memory than all your other apps put together.
- Find the culprit: open Task Manager on Windows (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) or Activity Monitor on a Mac, then sort by CPU or Memory. Anything near the top that you're not using can be closed.
4. Check you have free space
Computers slow down badly when the main drive is nearly full. Aim to keep at least 10–15% free.
- Windows: Settings → System → Storage.
- Mac: Apple menu → System Settings → General → Storage.
Empty the Recycle Bin or Bin, clear out Downloads, and set big cloud folders to online only. See Getting started with Google Drive for desktop.
5. Trim apps that start automatically
- Windows: Task Manager → Startup apps, then disable anything you don't need at login.
- Mac: System Settings → General → Login Items.
Don't install "PC cleaner" or "speed booster" software. Most of it is useless at best and malware at worst. Ask us instead.
Still slow?
Raise a ticket and tell us when it's slow (all the time, at startup, or in one app), roughly how old the computer is, and what you've already tried. A failing drive or too little memory can look exactly like a software problem, and we can check for both remotely.