My computer or connection seems to be running slow, what can I do?

There are many things that can make your computer run slowly and we'll cover the most common here. First lets cover your internet connection and some misconceptions concerning a high-speed internet connection.

First, your internet connection is only as fast as the slowest link. What does that mean you ask? Well, simply stated if your internet connection is capable of 3Mbps but the server that is serving up the web page you are looking at is connected to the internet with a connection of 1.5Mbps, you won't be able to access that page faster than 1.5Mbps. Make sense? Now, this is not that common unless the website is being hosted by a small business or maybe an individual, but it does happen. Secondly, and the most common issue, a website's traffic at a given time can cause your connection to seem slow.Take for example You Tube (http://www.youtube.com) a website that receives millions of hits per month. At any given time there may be thousands of people viewing the very same video that you are trying to view and although You Tube has tons of bandwidth to handle such use, at times you will experience slower page loads etc at one time than you do another time.

Now lets talk about computer issues that can cause your computer to operate more slowly and thus make your internet connection seem slow. When you visit a website your computers browser "requests" a page (usually the sites index page) from the server "hosting " the website. Once the server receives your request the server "serves" up the page to your computer. With a highspeed connection, this happens in a flash. But...your computer's browser now has to "render" the information it receives and display the information (webpage) on your screen. Now...all this happens very quickly with a high-speed connection, but what happens when your computer is busy doing a ton of other stuff at the same time? You guessed it, your computer is slow displaying the information you requested. As you can see, the slowness in this case isn't caused by the internet connection, it is caused by the computer trying to do to many things at the same time and can only process your web request when it gets to it.

What can cause a slow computer(?)...well, alot of things but lets look at some of the most common.

1. To many programs open at the same time. It is always best to close programs you are not using so those computer resources can be used elsewhere.
2. To many applications running in the background. Applications such as the "weather bug" and toolbar addons run in the background and take up system resources that can slow your computer. With all the neat gadgets and apps available online it's not uncommon to have several of these running without being aware of it.
3. System Registry Errors  - This is a common issue that can cause a computer to start running slow. Many computer users have no idea about what a computer registry is, or how to maintain it.

   The registry keys in the registry are just as important as any other part of the system. They contain instructions that tell the hardware or software in your computer how to run. Over time, your computer's registry entries can become very messy, because the computer does not always restore the default settings after running the programs. Over time the problem becomes worse, and your programs will take a very long time to find the instructions to run properly.

   If you suspect that you might have errors in your computer registry too, try downloading the free software available here: http://www.thswireless.com/kb/?View=entry&EntryID=9 , it will help with registry repair. 

4. Virus - Your computer could be infected with a virus if you download files from the internet regularly. This is another reason why a computer may run slowly. If you do not have an anti-virus software installed on your computer, you can download an antivirus software   from here: http://www.thswireless.com/kb/?View=entry&EntryID=8. 

5. Spyware and Adware - Your computer may be infected by too many spyware and adware . These files cause your computer to slow down. These spyware are meant to sit on your computer and track your browsing activities. They then send back the information to their main sites.

   To remove all the spyware on your computer, you can download a spyware cleaner from their internet and it should be able to detect and remove all of the spyware and adware . You can download free Anti Spyware and Anti Adware software here: http://www.thswireless.com/kb/?View=entry&EntryID=8.  

6. Insufficient RAM - Insufficient RAM is also one of the reasons why your computer may be running slow. If this is really the main cause for your computer to run slow, you will need to upgrade the RAM on your computer. If you have purchased your computer yourself, you may already be anticipating this problem if you know that the RAM is low.

   For a Windows XP computer, any amount of RAM lower than 512mb is probably insufficient to provide a good user experience. To check your own computer RAM , you can go to the "My Computer" icon, right click it and choose "Properties".

7. Leaving your computer on all the time - this fills up the system RAM over time and doesn't give it the opportunity to empty. It is always best to shut your computer down when not in use. If you have a slow running computer, power off the computer (Not Just a Restart) wait about 30 seconds and power the computer back up. That will empty the RAM and alot of times will clear up your issue.

The items we have listed here account for 99% of the cause of a slow computer. If you feel your computer is running slowly or feel your internet connection is working slowly, give us a call and we will help you.

We monitor the health of our wireless network 24/7, but problems can occur. We can help you quickly identify the root cause of your issue.