My work PC is slow: what to check before calling a technician.

A slow computer means lost time and real frustration. Before calling a technician, a few quick checks can often get things running smoothly again in minutes. Here is the process, step by step.

Have you simply restarted the PC?

This is the first question to ask, and the most often overlooked. Many business PCs are never restarted: they go to sleep and accumulate processes that pile up in memory.

A full restart (not sleep) clears RAM and starts fresh. If your computer has not been restarted in more than a week, start there. Give it 3 to 5 minutes after booting before judging its speed.

Which programs launch automatically at startup?

After a restart, some applications start without being asked and consume resources immediately. To see them and disable the ones you do not need:

1. Right-click the taskbar, then select Task Manager.
2. Go to the Startup tab (or Startup Apps depending on your Windows version).
3. Look for programs marked High impact that you do not use daily.
4. Right-click each one and choose Disable.

Spotify, Teams, OneDrive, and peripheral manufacturer utilities can all wait until you open them yourself.

Is there enough free disk space?

Windows needs free space to work properly. If your drive is nearly full, the system will slow down noticeably.

To check, open File Explorer, click This PC, and look at the bar beneath your C: drive. If it is red or you have less than 10 percent free, that is a priority issue.

Quick actions:

• Empty the recycle bin.
• Run Disk Cleanup (search for it in the Start menu) to delete temporary files.
• Move large archives to an external drive or cloud storage.

Are Windows updates pending?

A Windows update installing in the background can monopolize the processor and slow the entire machine. Check under Settings > Windows Update. If an update is in progress or pending, let it finish and then restart.

Also keep your main applications up to date (Office, your browser, your business tools): outdated versions can be slower and less efficient.

Is your browser overloaded?

The browser is often the main culprit behind slowdowns on business machines. Common causes:

• Too many open tabs: each tab consumes memory. Close the ones you are not using.
• Too many extensions: go to your browser settings (Chrome: chrome://extensions) and disable any you do not use.
• Overloaded cache: clear the cache and cookies through your browser settings (Ctrl+Shift+Delete in Chrome and Edge).

Is the antivirus running a full scan?

An antivirus doing a full scan puts heavy load on the processor. Check the antivirus icon in the system tray (bottom right). If a scan is running, wait for it to finish.

To avoid this in the future, schedule full scans for nights or weekends from your antivirus settings.

When the hardware itself is the problem

If none of the above helped, the issue may be hardware:

• Insufficient RAM: if your PC has 4 GB of RAM and runs Windows 10 or 11, it will be slow as soon as you open several apps. Task Manager (Performance tab) shows memory usage percentage.
• Aging mechanical hard drive: older HDDs are much slower than modern SSDs. Replacing the drive with an SSD is often the best upgrade for a PC more than 5 years old.
• PC too old: if the machine is 7 to 8 years old or more, investing in a replacement is usually more cost-effective than repeated repairs.

When to call a technician

Contact a professional if:

• The PC is still slow after a restart and cleanup.
• It shows unusual error messages.
• You hear abnormal noises (clicking, grinding).
• The drive is nearly full despite your efforts.
• You suspect a malware infection.

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At iokoo, our experts can diagnose and fix this type of problem remotely or on site. Check out our pricing, browse our expert pool, or create an account to submit your request.