So what causes a PC to run slow?  There are many causes.  Too many to name them all, but there are specific groups of causes that are most common.  Chances are you are affected by one or more of these categories right now.   A few primary causes of a troubled PC will be addressed below.

This doesn't just mean the programs you have open right now in front of you.  It include programs running that you don't even know are running.  This category encompasses other categories such as spyware and ad ware as well.  Its probably the most common problem people have.  Every program, whether it's legitimate or not, takes up valuable resources on the PC.  Dealing with this issue can make big gains in performance.  Read More

Spyware / Adware
Far too common a problem

Unless you know how to avoid it and/or combat it, you probably have it on your computer.  Just about every PC has something that fits this category running on the PC, eating up resources, or worse yet, spying on your activity, collecting data from you.  Read More

Viruses

They're out there by the tens of thousands, being passed from PC to PC by all sorts of methods invading millions of new PCs every year.  What's the best way to combat them and how do you avoid them?   Read More

Using (Free) Online Virus Scanning Services

Browser Hijacks

Who Changed my Homepage??  Why do these damn popups keep coming??  One of the vulnerabilities of web browsers can be a hijack.  Something plugging into, replacing part of, or compromising your window to the Internet, the web browser.  These can be stubborn problems.  Read More

Hardware Issues
You can't make a Hugo perform like a Ferrari but you can Tune up that Hugo.

#1 Issue ... Not Enough Memory.  You only have so much memory in your computer.  When you use it all up, the computer starts to use hard drive space as virtual memory, at a fraction of the speed of actual memory.  The good news is, you can usually add more.  Beyond that, other things determine the overall speed and performance of your PC, such as the CPU, the bus speed, the hard drive's access time, and much more.  Read More

  
Damaged Operating System

With enough abuse, any operating system can malfunction.  

In most cases, it can be corrected.  Read More