Introduce to Fix Lagging Computer Windows
Computer running slow is a common and painful issue for many Windows users. This issue always results in computer lagging for freezing, especially when you are playing games or multiple programs run at the same time.
Actually, there are many reasons that can lead to a lagging computer, which may manifest itself in different ways, like programs slow to respond, games flicker and delay, slow to begin and shut down computer, kinds of Windows error messages, etc.
If you are suffering this problem, don’t worry. In this post, we’ve summarized 8 practical methods to fix lagging computer. Let’s have a look.
Reasons for Lagging Computer and How to Fix
1. A Bottlenecked CPU
If your CPU is old, it may be overheated easily and cause high CPU usage. Or when you configure high-end hardware with a low-end CPU, your CPU bottlenecking may also happen. Under these circumstances, you will get a lagging, even freezing computer.
How to fix:
To make sure your CPU is working with full power, making a CPU stress test is necessary. At the same time, monitor AMD CPU by System Monitor to see whether Processor is running normally. If it is shown with poor performance after testing, you may consider replacing it with a new one.
2. Insufficient Storage Space on Computer
Computer will slow down if there is low storage space. In general, 200-500MB free disk space is the least space that allows your computer to have enough room for swap files and temporary files. So, if the disk drive doesn’t have enough free space, operating system will slow down.
How to fix:
To get more free space, you can remove old and useless data manually, such as unnecessary programs, similar photos and junk files. If the hard drive capacity is limited, try moving some files to an external device, like SD card and USB drive.
3. Lack of RAM Memory
RAM memory is a kind of memory on your computer. Different from hard drive memory, RAM memory works only when your computer is running. The performance of operating system heavily relies on RAM work to meet the demand of computing needs.
In the end, not having sufficient RAM memory for processes you are running will lead to lagging computer.
How to fix:
If you are sure lack of RAM memory is the cause of computer lag, you can choose to upgrade RAM or replace old RAM sticks to improve overall performance of computer.
4. Corrupted or Fragmented Hard Drive
When there is something wrong with hard drive, especially the system drive, your computer speed will drop largely, even unable to boot. Don’t worry. Here are solutions for you to fix bad sectors and shield blocks.
How to fix:
Method 1 – Via Command Prompt
① Open Command Prompt by typing cmd in Windows Run dialog and pressing Enter.
② Type chkdsk g: /f and hit Enter. g is for the drive letter of target drive.
③ Then, type chkdsk g: /r
Method 2 – Via MiniTool Partition Wizard
This partition manager can help you scan and fix errors related to file system and test bad sectors. You can do it by following this guide.
① Install it on your computer and run it to get the main interface.
② Select the target drive and click Surface Test on the left pane.
③ It will automatically scan the disk surface and then show you the result.
Note: This software can only display the bad blocks. You may fix the error by using chkdsk /r command to shield them.
5. Corrupted System Files
System File Checker is a Windows inbuilt tool that scans and fixes corrupted system files. As your lag computer may be caused by system file error, you can run SFC to see whether it will work.
How to fix:
① Open Windows search box. Type cmd and press Enter. Click Run as administrator.
② In the Command Prompt window, type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
③ Now, Windows will scan system files and fix found issues automatically. Exit the window when the process completes.
④ Restart computer to check the result.
6. Outdated Operating System
If you don’t maintain or upgrade operating system periodically, many programs or tools may be installed on your computer, so that computer will become slower and slower even though it’s a new computer.
How to fix:
Method 1 – Uninstall Unnecessary Programs
Except for the pre-installed programs, you may install many other apps during the process of using the computer. As time goes by, computer may become lagging since the computer memory is limited.
Under this circumstance, you can uninstall unnecessary apps directly to free up more disk space.
Method 2 – Defragment Hard Drive
① Enter My Computer or This PC.
② Right click your C drive and click Properties option.
③ Go to Tools tab, click Optimize to start the optimization.
Method 3 – Upgrade Windows System
Periodical system update is helpful to solve many computer problems, including lag issue. Thus, upgrading operating system regularly is a practical solution to computer lagging.
7. Unnecessary Background Programs
As you know, there are multiple programs running in the background when computer works. Actually, some of them are not needed while still running without your permission.
How to fix:
① Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys together to open Task Manager utility.
② Go to the Processes tab, where you can see all running programs.
③ Scroll through and choose the programs you don’t need to run to end.
8. Virus Invasion
Virus and malware are the main threats that endanger computer normal performance. Computer can be infected with viruses easily even though antivirus apps are installed. Then, it may cause computer lagging problem.
How to fix:
Open the antivirus program to have a full scan on your computer to detect and remove viruses and malware.
In addition, check your firewalls to see if it is low-quality. If so, turn off or upgrade it to see whether the lag issue still occurs.
Conclusion
These are the feasible methods to fix lagging computer. Just try one or some of them if you are caught in computer lagging or freezing issues. Hope this post can help you out.
If your computer is old, the lag issues will be normal. You may try upgrading CPU or purchase a new computer directly to enjoy the quick boost in performance.
