Why is pc so slow

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JBTX
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Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

I'm getting really frustrated with my desktop. At times it seems so slow. It tends to be slower for some amount of time after restarting. Browsers take a while to open, etc.

It is an hp pavilion 5-6 years old, i7 and 12mg RAM. Plenty of hard drive space (HDD). I don't think an SSD is compatible. Windows 10.

I occasionally clean it with CCleaner, and run malwarebytes and hitman pro. Only anti-virus is windows. I also run carbonite which may be a bit of drag. I occasionally look at startup programs and take anything I don't need in startup out of startup.

I also have a laptop, probably more than 5 years old, AMD chip (i5 equivalent I think) and it runs so slow it is barely even usable. Upgraded to windows 10.

It always seems like after a few years pcs get ridiculously slow

Thoughts?
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by cacophony »

Bloatware installed by the manufacturer? Hard drive dying or in need of defragmentation? An SSD would make a big difference, and should be compatible. Use the opportunity to install a clean version of Windows 10 that came directly from Microsoft.

I use a 9 year old laptop as my primary computer (i7-2760QM with 12GB of ram, SSD, and Win 10) and everything is lightening quick. Boots in about 5 seconds and apps open instantly. I never notice any slowness at all, even with a large number of apps open.

Trying opening task manager and looking at your CPU, memory, and disk access percentages (in Performance tab). Also look again when things are slow. In mine while browsing the web in Chrome, my total CPU usage is only about 1-5%, total memory usage is at about 28%, and disk access is around 0%.
Last edited by cacophony on Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:37 pm, edited 2 times in total.
02nz
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by 02nz »

JBTX wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:12 pm I'm getting really frustrated with my desktop. At times it seems so slow. It tends to be slower for some amount of time after restarting. Browsers take a while to open, etc.

It is an hp pavilion 5-6 years old, i7 and 12mg RAM. Plenty of hard drive space (HDD). I don't think an SSD is compatible. Windows 10.

I occasionally clean it with CCleaner, and run malwarebytes and hitman pro. Only anti-virus is windows. I also run carbonite which may be a bit of drag. I occasionally look at startup programs and take anything I don't need in startup out of startup.

I also have a laptop, probably more than 5 years old, AMD chip (i5 equivalent I think) and it runs so slow it is barely even usable. Upgraded to windows 10.

It always seems like after a few years pcs get ridiculously slow

Thoughts?
Well 12 megs of RAM is definitely not enough. :happy

The HDD is 100% the problem. And your system is 100% compatible with an SSD.

Sure a clean install of Windows will help, too, but even just cloning the HDD over to an SSD will result in a dramatic increase in responsiveness.
123
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by 123 »

If you've got a desktop with a hard disk an SSD will be an easy improvement. A 1TB SSD runs about $100 and generally comes with a software download that can copy the entire existing HD to the SSD. Then you just replace the HD with the SSD.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by RickBoglehead »

There should be zero reason to run CCleaner or Hitman. Uninstall them. Disable Carbonite and reevaluate.
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JBTX
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

RickBoglehead wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:46 pm There should be zero reason to run CCleaner or Hitman. Uninstall them. Disable Carbonite and reevaluate.
They aren't running in background. Occasionally help clean up malware.
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Watty
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by Watty »

It would be good to run a full scan with windows defender to see if that finds any viruses.

A couple of years ago Microsoft made it super easy to basically reload Windows 10 and then start over with a fresh system.

I don't know how that might work with Carbonite.

You want to back up your computer first then follow the instructions here. It would likely be best to use a local external drive to do a complete fresh backup since that will be a lot faster than Carbonite.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... c1fbceb8dd

That should make your PC pretty much like it did when you first got it.

It has been a while since I have done this but as I recall it may have taken a long time to run if it needs to download large files.

You will need to reinstall any software that you previously installed so make sure you have the disks and license keys you will need to do this.

As I said before make sure that you have a good backup, and having multiple backups of any important documents would be a good idea.
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JBTX
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

123 wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:40 pm f you've got a desktop with a hard disk an SSD will be an easy improvement. A 1TB SSD runs about $100 and generally comes with a software download that can copy the entire existing HD to the SSD. Then you just replace the HD with the SSD.
02nz wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:34 pm The HDD is 100% the problem. And your system is 100% compatible with an SSD.

Sure a clean install of Windows will help, too, but even just cloning the HDD over to an SSD will result in a dramatic increase in responsiveness.
My 2 TB HDD has almost 1 TB used. 2 TB SSD?

Is it worth it to upgrade components at this age or just get new PC?

I'm assuming you can have both HDD and SSD?
hi_there
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by hi_there »

Have you opened Task Manager and checked which applications use a lot of RAM and processor capacity when your system is slow?
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by raisinsaregrapes »

Yea, HDD. I had a 9 year old mac mini that was basically unusable. Put in a SSD and did a fresh install. Works a champ now.
02nz
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by 02nz »

JBTX wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:09 pm
123 wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:40 pm f you've got a desktop with a hard disk an SSD will be an easy improvement. A 1TB SSD runs about $100 and generally comes with a software download that can copy the entire existing HD to the SSD. Then you just replace the HD with the SSD.
02nz wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:34 pm The HDD is 100% the problem. And your system is 100% compatible with an SSD.

Sure a clean install of Windows will help, too, but even just cloning the HDD over to an SSD will result in a dramatic increase in responsiveness.
My 2 TB HDD has almost 1 TB used. 2 TB SSD?

Is it worth it to upgrade components at this age or just get new PC?

I'm assuming you can have both HDD and SSD?
2 TB SSD will cost about $200. But buying a new PC you'll almost never find one with an SSD that large, so you'd have to upgrade that anyway. Your desktop almost certainly has enough space and ports for 2 drives, 1 SSD and 1 HDD. Or get an external HDD to hold photos, videos, etc.

I think it's at least worth trying swapping in a 256GB or 500GB SSD (probably less than $40), you're likely to see a HUGE difference in speed. I have two PCs, a desktop from 2015 and a laptop with the newest Ryzen processor. Without running benchmarks, there's no difference in responsiveness in everyday tasks, even though the laptop's processor gets 3x the benchmark scores. CPU performance essentially ceased to matter (above a certain level) for normal tasks.
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Watty
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by Watty »

A SSD can make a huge difference but it sounds like there is something else going on since the PCs are both running a lot worse than when they were new.

Software does get more demanding with each version that comes out things like browsers should run just fine on that hardware.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by RetiredAL »

JBTX wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:09 pm
123 wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:40 pm f you've got a desktop with a hard disk an SSD will be an easy improvement. A 1TB SSD runs about $100 and generally comes with a software download that can copy the entire existing HD to the SSD. Then you just replace the HD with the SSD.
02nz wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:34 pm The HDD is 100% the problem. And your system is 100% compatible with an SSD.

Sure a clean install of Windows will help, too, but even just cloning the HDD over to an SSD will result in a dramatic increase in responsiveness.
My 2 TB HDD has almost 1 TB used. 2 TB SSD?

Is it worth it to upgrade components at this age or just get new PC?

I'm assuming you can have both HDD and SSD?
One of the best things I did many years ago was adding a 2nd hard drive to hold all of our pictures. Today my system drive uses 106GB and my 2nd drive holds 600+ GB of pictures.

Go with a 1TB SSD and re-purpose your existing HDD to hold things you don't need daily, like photos/movies, because even on a slower drive you'll likely never notice. The performance bang you'll see and like everyday with a SSD is the booting, swap file (virtual memory), and the major program loading speeds.

On caveat, it would be best remove all those pictures/movies to a removable USB drive first before imaging your HDD onto your SSD.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by bog007 »

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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by YeahBuddy »

This is exactly why I left windows for apple and never looked back. It was a battle and I was constantly wondering if I was doing everything possible to keep running optimally. At work we have hundreds if not thousands of windows devices and I'd say most are slow. Maybe make Apple a consideration for your next machine? Typing on my 2012 mbp.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by RickBoglehead »

hi_there wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:12 pm Have you opened Task Manager and checked which applications use a lot of RAM and processor capacity when your system is slow?
This. ^^^
JBTX wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:02 pm
RickBoglehead wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:46 pm There should be zero reason to run CCleaner or Hitman. Uninstall them. Disable Carbonite and reevaluate.
They aren't running in background. Occasionally help clean up malware.
Why do you have malware? Do you visit sites that put in on your computer? Do you click on unknown links? Do you accept attachments from people that haven't told you what they are sending and why?

I have been using computers for over 4 decades. Never run any cleaner. No need.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JupiterJones »

02nz wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:34 pm Sure a clean install of Windows will help, too, but even just cloning the HDD over to an SSD will result in a dramatic increase in responsiveness.
I'd consider at least starting with a clean install, if you already have a storage device to use to back up everything. Mainly because it's free (other than your time/effort).

I recently did this on my dog-slow, ancient Mac, as a last-ditch effort before breaking down and buying a new one. It worked wonders. Should keep me out of the Apple store for another year at least. 8-)
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by oldcomputerguy »

JBTX wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:12 pm It tends to be slower for some amount of time after restarting.
When I was still working, I would notice this very thing on my office PC running Windows 7. It got so bad that, if I needed to reboot my computer, I would reboot then get up and go up to the third floor to the coffee machine to get a cup of coffee while the machine loaded all the start-up stuff that Windows 7 needed. After it finished loading, it was generally okay, but it took upwards of five to six minutes to get to that state.

My home machine would demonstrate the same behavior when I would boot up the Windows 7 partition (it's dual-boot Win7/Linux). Last year I replaced the Windows hard-disk drive with a solid-state drive and cloned my Windows install over to it. Windows now boots up to full-operation state in around twenty seconds.

I suspect that your problems are two-fold, namely the inherent slowness of the hard drive compounded by a bunch of excess cruft being loaded at start-up time from that drive. Cleaning up the cruft will likely help to a degree, but (as others have noted) you likely will see a much more dramatic improvement if you swap out the hard disk for a solid-state drive.

You indicate that you think your machine is not compatible with an SSD. If the machine currently uses SATA drives, it should be compatible. SSDs generally are SATA and should plug in and be recognized just like a SATA hard disk. Of course, you will need some sort of cloning software to migrate from the HDD to the SDD. Unfortunately, I can't advise you there, as I used some built-in filesystem tools from the Linux side to do my migration.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by Yarlonkol12 »

As others have suggested, a clean install of Windows will probably make a big difference. Given the time required to do a new Windows install, why not spend $50 on a new 512gb (unless you need more space?) SATA SSD and then install Windows on that? Keep your old HDD in a drawer for awhile incase you missed backing up some important files. Doing both would probably make an enormous difference

Also if you have any important files on your computer, but not backed up anywhere else that would be another concern. While your doing the above, you could also address this issue by using a service like Google Drive (free for 15gb), upload all of your important files to Google Drive and then use Google Backup and Sync to replicate your files to a local folder on your computer that you could work from (working from the local folder will automatically sync with Google Drive cloud once configured in Google Backup and Sync app).

This post is for entertainment purposes only, but that's how I helped my Dad setup his PC
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by Independent George »

JBTX wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:09 pm My 2 TB HDD has almost 1 TB used. 2 TB SSD?

Is it worth it to upgrade components at this age or just get new PC?

I'm assuming you can have both HDD and SSD?
I don't recommend buying a new PC right now as (1) supply chains are still disrupted, leading to weird spikes in memory prices, drives, etc. and (2) we're actually right at the tail end of a few technology old standards, and about to transition into new ones next year (DDR5 memory, PCIE 5.0 interface). You'll be fine if you buy top-end hardware (as I just did), but that sounds like expensive overkill for your usage; the new tech will be out in 2022 with the usual early adopter tax, and then gradually make its way down the product stack in 2023-2024. That's not to say everything will become obsolete overnight (it won't), but in terms of total life of a modestly-priced machine, an SSD makes the most sense to me.

Yes, you can have an HDD and SSD, and in fact the easiest upgrade would be to have a boot disk on an SSD (along with your programs), and a HDD with all of your documents. This lets you get away with spending less on an SSD, but, I think it's worth it to spend the $200 or so on a 2 TB drive and just recycle it into your next machine when you buy a new one. There's no such thing as too much storage, or too many backups.

My old PC was top-end in 2009, but not so much in 2020. Upgrading to an SSD in 2017 kept it going an additional three years, and if I hadn't gotten back into gaming, I would probably still be using that machine. I meant to use it to experiment with linux, but haven't quite gotten around to it yet.
oldcomputerguy wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 7:07 am You indicate that you think your machine is not compatible with an SSD. If the machine currently uses SATA drives, it should be compatible. SSDs generally are SATA and should plug in and be recognized just like a SATA hard disk. Of course, you will need some sort of cloning software to migrate from the HDD to the SDD. Unfortunately, I can't advise you there, as I used some built-in filesystem tools from the Linux side to do my migration.
Macrium Reflect has a free version. It took me about twenty minutes to clone my OS into my new system earlier this year.
Last edited by Independent George on Wed Aug 04, 2021 7:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
bugleheadd
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by bugleheadd »

if its 5-6 years old, it should have SATA connection type for harddrives. then that means you can install SSD drive. I'd do a clean win 10 install on the new drive.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by rich126 »

It is just sad that all these decades after Windows, these problems persist and non-tech people have to deal with them in Windows but not much in Apple systems or Linux. Sure things like SSDs, more memory, etc. can help but shouldn't be needed.

And while windows does have some built in tools to help remove bloatware, the articles I've read indicate they aren't flawless in all cases. In some cases important drivers can be removed. Also not all of Microsoft's own bloatware is removed. You can also use Powershell and other tools to remove bloatware. There are a number of web pages that you can find via a search online that explains how to do so. Just make sure you back up critical files before you do anything.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by zlandar »

If you are running a backup program like Carbonite and have a slow internet connection it will affect all the devices in your home that require internet access when it's trying to backup to the cloud. What is your upstream speed? Unless you have fiber most internet connections have a much slower upstream speed then downstream. You can check the speed of your connection by googling "internet speedtest". I use the Ookla website.

A simple test would be if your PC is slow opening a browser try opening a website on your smartphone. If the smartphone is having the same issues then the issue may be related to your internet connection.
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JBTX
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

mhalley wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:31 pm Have you defragged lately?
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... 00c4ec702a
I did that a while back. Didn't make much difference that I recall.
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JBTX
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

RickBoglehead wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:16 am
hi_there wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:12 pm Have you opened Task Manager and checked which applications use a lot of RAM and processor capacity when your system is slow?
This. ^^^
JBTX wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:02 pm
RickBoglehead wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:46 pm There should be zero reason to run CCleaner or Hitman. Uninstall them. Disable Carbonite and reevaluate.
They aren't running in background. Occasionally help clean up malware.
Why do you have malware? Do you visit sites that put in on your computer? Do you click on unknown links? Do you accept attachments from people that haven't told you what they are sending and why?

I have been using computers for over 4 decades. Never run any cleaner. No need.
I've seen this type of response before. Frankly I don't use a pc as much these days. Mostly I use my iPhone. Pc I use mainly for quicken, occasional excel use, occasionally internet. But I used to use it for browsing (no, not porn) and googlingnstuff and once every couple of years I might pick up something. Mostly likely it was kids who would occasionally get on pc. Or it could be other forums thst give a bad link or even get themselves infected.

It's been a long time since I had a full blown malware but occasionally Pups pop up.

To your point when I had work computers and laptops I don't ever recall having problems with them.
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JBTX
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

JupiterJones wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:39 am
02nz wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:34 pm Sure a clean install of Windows will help, too, but even just cloning the HDD over to an SSD will result in a dramatic increase in responsiveness.
I'd consider at least starting with a clean install, if you already have a storage device to use to back up everything. Mainly because it's free (other than your time/effort).

I recently did this on my dog-slow, ancient Mac, as a last-ditch effort before breaking down and buying a new one. It worked wonders. Should keep me out of the Apple store for another year at least. 8-)
How do I do a clean install? It came loaded with windows 10. I know how to do a "reset" and I know how to reset to factory settings. I recall factory settings requires you to sit through a gazillion windows updates.

Based on this thread I'm probably going to do the 2 gig SSD route. I thought about doing a reset before I do that.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

zlandar wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 7:48 am If you are running a backup program like Carbonite and have a slow internet connection it will affect all the devices in your home that require internet access when it's trying to backup to the cloud. What is your upstream speed? Unless you have fiber most internet connections have a much slower upstream speed then downstream. You can check the speed of your connection by googling "internet speedtest". I use the Ookla website.

A simple test would be if your PC is slow opening a browser try opening a website on your smartphone. If the smartphone is having the same issues then the issue may be related to your internet connection.
We don't have fiber, but do have some like like 256 Meg, but yes upload is much slower. I'll probably fiddle with carbonite settings. We also now finally have fiber available bit different carrier Frontier which gets terrible reviews, although it did seem to work fine at my daughters apartment.

My iPhone works fine, much faster. Ookla speed tests usually give expected results.
Last edited by JBTX on Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by hudson »

JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:25 am
JupiterJones wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:39 am
02nz wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:34 pm Sure a clean install of Windows will help, too, but even just cloning the HDD over to an SSD will result in a dramatic increase in responsiveness.
I'd consider at least starting with a clean install, if you already have a storage device to use to back up everything. Mainly because it's free (other than your time/effort).

I recently did this on my dog-slow, ancient Mac, as a last-ditch effort before breaking down and buying a new one. It worked wonders. Should keep me out of the Apple store for another year at least. 8-)
How do I do a clean install? It came loaded with windows 10. I know how to do a "reset" and I know how to reset to factory settings. I recall factory settings requires you to sit through a gazillion windows updates.

Based on this thread I'm probably going to do the 2 gig SSD route. I thought about doing a reset before I do that.
Have you been to HP's website for your computer. They may have directions AND a download that will do most of the heavy lifting.
What exact model is your computer?
Is there a local place that can do this for you? Maybe get a quote? SSD's are a plus. Somebody that does this all of the time can do it fast and right.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

As to ability to have both SSD and HDD this seems to indicate I can't. This is the make and model

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktops- ... -p/5866135
Last edited by JBTX on Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

hudson wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:31 am
JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:25 am
JupiterJones wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:39 am
02nz wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:34 pm Sure a clean install of Windows will help, too, but even just cloning the HDD over to an SSD will result in a dramatic increase in responsiveness.
I'd consider at least starting with a clean install, if you already have a storage device to use to back up everything. Mainly because it's free (other than your time/effort).

I recently did this on my dog-slow, ancient Mac, as a last-ditch effort before breaking down and buying a new one. It worked wonders. Should keep me out of the Apple store for another year at least. 8-)
How do I do a clean install? It came loaded with windows 10. I know how to do a "reset" and I know how to reset to factory settings. I recall factory settings requires you to sit through a gazillion windows updates.

Based on this thread I'm probably going to do the 2 gig SSD route. I thought about doing a reset before I do that.
Have you been to HP's website for your computer. They may have directions AND a download that will do most of the heavy lifting.
What exact model is your computer?
Is there a local place that can do this for you? Maybe get a quote? SSD's are a plus. Somebody that does this all of the time can do it fast and right.

HP Pavilion Desktop - 510-p114
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by dziuniek »

JBTX wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:12 pm I'm getting really frustrated with my desktop. At times it seems so slow. It tends to be slower for some amount of time after restarting. Browsers take a while to open, etc.

It is an hp pavilion 5-6 years old, i7 and 12mg RAM. Plenty of hard drive space (HDD). I don't think an SSD is compatible. Windows 10.

I occasionally clean it with CCleaner, and run malwarebytes and hitman pro. Only anti-virus is windows. I also run carbonite which may be a bit of drag. I occasionally look at startup programs and take anything I don't need in startup out of startup.

I also have a laptop, probably more than 5 years old, AMD chip (i5 equivalent I think) and it runs so slow it is barely even usable. Upgraded to windows 10.

It always seems like after a few years pcs get ridiculously slow

Thoughts?
Have you monitored your tempurate at all?
Dust in fans can be a problem too.

A clean install of windows every few years is a good idea too.

As for SSD, I bet it is.

You don't need the fancy m2 ssds either, a sata ssd will do the trick - so you can definitely swap your hdd for the sdd.
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by dziuniek »

JBTX wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:09 pm
123 wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:40 pm f you've got a desktop with a hard disk an SSD will be an easy improvement. A 1TB SSD runs about $100 and generally comes with a software download that can copy the entire existing HD to the SSD. Then you just replace the HD with the SSD.
02nz wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:34 pm The HDD is 100% the problem. And your system is 100% compatible with an SSD.

Sure a clean install of Windows will help, too, but even just cloning the HDD over to an SSD will result in a dramatic increase in responsiveness.
My 2 TB HDD has almost 1 TB used. 2 TB SSD?

Is it worth it to upgrade components at this age or just get new PC?

I'm assuming you can have both HDD and SSD?
Nope.

Get a smaller SDD for the windows drive and programs and move all your other files to the HDD.
Think photos, movies, music, games etc...
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by 02nz »

JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:25 am
JupiterJones wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:39 am
02nz wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:34 pm Sure a clean install of Windows will help, too, but even just cloning the HDD over to an SSD will result in a dramatic increase in responsiveness.
I'd consider at least starting with a clean install, if you already have a storage device to use to back up everything. Mainly because it's free (other than your time/effort).

I recently did this on my dog-slow, ancient Mac, as a last-ditch effort before breaking down and buying a new one. It worked wonders. Should keep me out of the Apple store for another year at least. 8-)
How do I do a clean install? It came loaded with windows 10. I know how to do a "reset" and I know how to reset to factory settings. I recall factory settings requires you to sit through a gazillion windows updates.

Based on this thread I'm probably going to do the 2 gig SSD route. I thought about doing a reset before I do that.
There are detailed tutorials online. You can go one of 2 routes: 1) clone your HDD to the SSD, and then reset your PC, on the more recent versions of Windows 10 you should be able to choose to download the latest version, so that you don't have to go through a million updates; or 2) make a bootable USB drive with the installation media (again, latest version so minimal updates required), boot to that and go through the install.

Option #2 is probably more straightforward if you are swapping to the SSD anyway. It's not hard, the trickiest part is probably figuring out how to get your computer to boot to USB, again Google for directions ("HP pavilion boot menu"). The actual clean install itself typically takes less than 10 minutes on an SSD. Windows is pretty good now about drivers, most likely it'll download most or all automatically.

ETA: You likely don't need to go to HP for anything, even drivers (since Windows Update will likely get them all), but do check their support site for any BIOS updates. This can be performed before upgrading Windows or swapping to SSD>
Last edited by 02nz on Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
MindBogler
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by MindBogler »

rich126 wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 7:43 am It is just sad that all these decades after Windows, these problems persist and non-tech people have to deal with them in Windows but not much in Apple systems or Linux. Sure things like SSDs, more memory, etc. can help but shouldn't be needed.

And while windows does have some built in tools to help remove bloatware, the articles I've read indicate they aren't flawless in all cases. In some cases important drivers can be removed. Also not all of Microsoft's own bloatware is removed. You can also use Powershell and other tools to remove bloatware. There are a number of web pages that you can find via a search online that explains how to do so. Just make sure you back up critical files before you do anything.
This isn't a problem specific to Windows. Macs can and do suffer from the same issues under some conditions. This could be an issue with an old spinning HDD, a low quality SSD or, possibly, from installed applications. Even worse, most of the SSDs in off the shelf Windows laptops are not performant or durable. SSDs need proper TRIM and wear-leveling algorithms or they go to hell quickly. Newer Macs ship with high quality SSD drives by default, which helps avoid most of these problems. This is also why they sell at a much higher price point. Any Windows PC built with similar components will also function similarly.

I use a 2 year old Macbook Pro for work and an AMD + NVMe disks as my personal desktop. The desktop runs circles around the Macbook which boots slow and becomes sluggish with even a couple applications open -- some of this is due to corporate spyware. My point is that Macs aren't immune. Any computer underspec'd for its purpose will experience similar issues at some point.
hudson
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by hudson »

JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:33 am
hudson wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:31 am
JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:25 am
JupiterJones wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:39 am
02nz wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:34 pm Sure a clean install of Windows will help, too, but even just cloning the HDD over to an SSD will result in a dramatic increase in responsiveness.
I'd consider at least starting with a clean install, if you already have a storage device to use to back up everything. Mainly because it's free (other than your time/effort).

I recently did this on my dog-slow, ancient Mac, as a last-ditch effort before breaking down and buying a new one. It worked wonders. Should keep me out of the Apple store for another year at least. 8-)
How do I do a clean install? It came loaded with windows 10. I know how to do a "reset" and I know how to reset to factory settings. I recall factory settings requires you to sit through a gazillion windows updates.

Based on this thread I'm probably going to do the 2 gig SSD route. I thought about doing a reset before I do that.
Have you been to HP's website for your computer. They may have directions AND a download that will do most of the heavy lifting.
What exact model is your computer?
Is there a local place that can do this for you? Maybe get a quote? SSD's are a plus. Somebody that does this all of the time can do it fast and right.

HP Pavilion Desktop - 510-p114
I looked it up and didn't find a good solution. HP support only wanted to do the Recovery Manager, which you already know about.
https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp ... 598/how-to

I was hoping for a clean install download....no such luck.

Consider calling HP Support or even Microsoft Support. I got stuck because of a windows update a few years ago and microsoft support held my hand
over the phone; we reloaded Windows 10 together....no charge.

Did you say that your computer was upgraded to the max with windows updates?

What you want to do, can be done; it might take a while; it won't be easy. A pro from a local shop can do it in his/her sleep.
realclemsongrad
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by realclemsongrad »

In my case the culprit was Carbonite. I had enough of it and cancelled the subscription. Since then it has been much better.
02nz
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by 02nz »

hudson wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:59 am I was hoping for a clean install download....no such luck.
OP does not need to go through HP. In fact don't even bother.

I described two options above. 1. Reset and choose cloud download (whether this is available depends on the version of Windows 10 you're using, but most users should have it): https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use- ... 020-update. Or 2. Create installation media (USB flash drive) https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/softwar ... /windows10
hudson
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by hudson »

02nz wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:05 am
hudson wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:59 am I was hoping for a clean install download....no such luck.
OP does not need to go through HP. In fact don't even bother.

I described two options above. 1. Reset and choose cloud download (whether this is available depends on the version of Windows 10 you're using, but most users should have it): https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use- ... 020-update. Or 2. Create installation media (USB flash drive) https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/softwar ... /windows10
Wow! Extremely useful stuff....bookmarked!
rotorhead
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by rotorhead »

OP, a lot of good suggestions have been posted to help solve your problem. There was a thread back in May regard similar issues; and I posted at the time.
Re: Windows 10 + Chrome = Slow and Sluggish
Post by rotorhead » Wed May 12, 2021 8:48 pm

OP, I am currently using a Dell Latitude D630 laptop, that was manufactured for use in China; and was built with Windows XP installed. It was given to me by a relative in 2006. Over the years I upgraded to Windows Vista, then Windows 7, which both worked fine; then Windows 10. I reverted back to Windows 7 to do a trial; and have stayed with 7 for the time being. I don't really like the "plainness" of Win 10; but it works fine on my HP desktop.

I upgraded the Wi-Fi card to max supportable, the RAM to max, put in a Digital Hard Drive; and the computer is working like a champ. I use DuckDuckGo as my web browser; and it works just fine. It only has a 14" screen, and is pretty heavy; but works just fine. I use it primarily in the evenings when I'm watching TV. There are lots of U Tube videos with help to do all these upgrades. Just takes a little searching.

In this day and age, there is no need to tolerate a slow, sluggish computer. I might add I enjoy "fiddling" with this stuff.
Your problem is imminently solvable. Just takes a little effort; or if you prefer, you can pay someone to do it for you.
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JBTX
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

Is there any reason to increase RAM beyond 12? Everything I read says no. I don't do gaming or movie editing or anything like that.
02nz
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by 02nz »

JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 11:05 am Is there any reason to increase RAM beyond 12? Everything I read says no. I don't do gaming or movie editing or anything like that.
Nope, especially since you'd have to throw out some of the existing RAM to upgrade. (12GB means you have one 8GB module and one 4GB module installed, and you only have 2 slots total.)
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JaneyLH
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JaneyLH »

dziuniek wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:37 am
JBTX wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:09 pm
123 wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:40 pm f you've got a desktop with a hard disk an SSD will be an easy improvement. A 1TB SSD runs about $100 and generally comes with a software download that can copy the entire existing HD to the SSD. Then you just replace the HD with the SSD.
02nz wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:34 pm The HDD is 100% the problem. And your system is 100% compatible with an SSD.

Sure a clean install of Windows will help, too, but even just cloning the HDD over to an SSD will result in a dramatic increase in responsiveness.
My 2 TB HDD has almost 1 TB used. 2 TB SSD?

Is it worth it to upgrade components at this age or just get new PC?

I'm assuming you can have both HDD and SSD?
Nope.

Get a smaller SDD for the windows drive and programs and move all your other files to the HDD.
Think photos, movies, music, games etc...
I added a 2TB SSD to my HP Envy Windows 10 laptop and now it works better than new! It had gotten so slow I was ready to replace it. Boots in about 15 seconds. The computer tech who did this for me left the original 1TB HDD in place as the D drive so now I have placed things there that I rarely use. So at least I have both SSD and HDD and it works great. And I love the 3 TB storage!
main_line_scum
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by main_line_scum »

JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 11:05 am Is there any reason to increase RAM beyond 12? Everything I read says no. I don't do gaming or movie editing or anything like that.
That depends on your system configuration, but 12GB is generally enough.
Independent George
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by Independent George »

JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:32 am As to ability to have both SSD and HDD this seems to indicate I can't. This is the make and model

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktops- ... -p/5866135
I stand corrected. I checked the manual here, and it looks like your machine was not designed to be serviced or upgraded.

How much are you willing to spend on a new machine? Honestly, a Mac Mini might be the best choice for you. Yes, you can get an equivalent or better Windows PC for less, but you'd have to dig through specs to find one, and even then OEMs tend to cheap out on components (such as having a motherboard without extra SATA slots or physical space to add a new drive).

I'm generally not a fan of Apple, but their entire product stack always meets a minimum quality standard, so you won't get stuck with a slow-as-molasses spinning HDD, or an improperly configured machine filled with bloatware.
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JBTX
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

Independent George wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 12:37 pm
JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:32 am As to ability to have both SSD and HDD this seems to indicate I can't. This is the make and model

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktops- ... -p/5866135
I stand corrected. I checked the manual here, and it looks like your machine was not designed to be serviced or upgraded.

How much are you willing to spend on a new machine? Honestly, a Mac Mini might be the best choice for you. Yes, you can get an equivalent or better Windows PC for less, but you'd have to dig through specs to find one, and even then OEMs tend to cheap out on components (such as having a motherboard without extra SATA slots or physical space to add a new drive).

I'm generally not a fan of Apple, but their entire product stack always meets a minimum quality standard, so you won't get stuck with a slow-as-molasses spinning HDD, or an improperly configured machine filled with bloatware.
Does this mean I can't replace hdd with ssd?
cacophony
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by cacophony »

JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 1:02 pm
Independent George wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 12:37 pm
JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:32 am As to ability to have both SSD and HDD this seems to indicate I can't. This is the make and model

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktops- ... -p/5866135
I stand corrected. I checked the manual here, and it looks like your machine was not designed to be serviced or upgraded.

How much are you willing to spend on a new machine? Honestly, a Mac Mini might be the best choice for you. Yes, you can get an equivalent or better Windows PC for less, but you'd have to dig through specs to find one, and even then OEMs tend to cheap out on components (such as having a motherboard without extra SATA slots or physical space to add a new drive).

I'm generally not a fan of Apple, but their entire product stack always meets a minimum quality standard, so you won't get stuck with a slow-as-molasses spinning HDD, or an improperly configured machine filled with bloatware.
Does this mean I can't replace hdd with ssd?
That thread is talking about adding a second drive, not replacing the existing one. You should be able to replace the existing HDD with a SSD.
Last edited by cacophony on Wed Aug 04, 2021 1:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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JBTX
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

cacophony wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 1:28 pm
JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 1:02 pm
Independent George wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 12:37 pm
JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 9:32 am As to ability to have both SSD and HDD this seems to indicate I can't. This is the make and model

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktops- ... -p/5866135
I stand corrected. I checked the manual here, and it looks like your machine was not designed to be serviced or upgraded.

How much are you willing to spend on a new machine? Honestly, a Mac Mini might be the best choice for you. Yes, you can get an equivalent or better Windows PC for less, but you'd have to dig through specs to find one, and even then OEMs tend to cheap out on components (such as having a motherboard without extra SATA slots or physical space to add a new drive).

I'm generally not a fan of Apple, but their entire product stack always meets a minimum quality standard, so you won't get stuck with a slow-as-molasses spinning HDD, or an improperly configured machine filled with bloatware.
Does this mean I can't replace hdd with ssd?
I don't see how that thread is relevant. It's talking about adding a second drive, not replacing the existing one.
While I just ordered an ssd so I guess we will see.
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JBTX
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by JBTX »

Thanks all so far for the advice! :sharebeer

I'm currently doing a reset on the desktop. Ordered a ssd 2tb.

Will also do a reset on laptop. It is an acer. How hard is it to swap to an ssd on a laptop? I've never opened up a laptop before.
cacophony
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Re: Why is pc so slow

Post by cacophony »

JBTX wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 1:33 pm Thanks all so far for the advice! :sharebeer

I'm currently doing a reset on the desktop. Ordered a ssd 2tb.

Will also do a reset on laptop. It is an acer. How hard is it to swap to an aad on a laptop? I've never opened up a laptop before.
What's the exact model?
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