My Computer is Running Slow — What Can I Do?

    A slow computer is one of the most common frustrations for home users. The good news is that most slowness issues have straightforward causes and can often be improved with a few simple steps. This article walks you through what to try before raising a support ticket.

    Step 1 — Restart Your Computer

    This sounds obvious but it's genuinely the most effective first step. Restarting clears your computer's memory, closes background processes that may be hogging resources, and applies any pending updates.

    Windows: Click Start → Power → Restart (not Shut Down) Mac: Click the Apple menu → Restart

    If you haven't restarted in several days — or if you just close the lid rather than shutting down — this alone may resolve the issue.

    Step 2 — Check What's Running in the Background

    Sometimes a single program is using most of your computer's resources, causing everything else to slow down.

    Windows — Task Manager:

    1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
    2. Click the CPU column to sort by usage
    3. Look for any program using a high percentage (above 50%)
    4. If it's a program you don't recognise or aren't using, right-click it and select End Task

    Mac — Activity Monitor:

    1. Open Finder → Applications → Utilities → Activity Monitor
    2. Click the CPU column to sort by usage
    3. Look for any process using a high percentage
    4. If it's something you don't recognise, note the name and email help@lanclub.nz

    Step 3 — Check Your Storage Space

    If your hard drive is nearly full, your computer will slow down significantly. As a general rule, try to keep at least 10–15% of your storage free.

    Windows:

    1. Open File Explorer
    2. Click This PC in the left sidebar
    3. Check the storage bar under your main drive (usually C:)
    4. If it's showing red or nearly full, you need to free up space

    Mac:

    1. Click the Apple menu → About This Mac
    2. Click Storage
    3. Check how much space is available

    To free up space:

    • Empty your Recycle Bin / Trash
    • Delete files in your Downloads folder you no longer need
    • Remove programs you don't use
    • Move large files like photos and videos to OneDrive

    Step 4 — Check Your Internet Connection

    If websites and online services are slow but your computer itself feels fine, the issue may be your internet connection rather than your computer.

    Try these steps:

    1. Restart your router — unplug it from the wall, wait 30 seconds, plug it back in and wait 2 minutes
    2. Check if other devices in your home are also slow — if yes, it's likely a router or internet issue
    3. Try connecting your computer directly to your router with an ethernet cable if possible — if this is faster, the issue may be your WiFi signal

    See our My Internet is Slow article for more detailed steps.

    Step 5 — Check for Updates

    Pending updates can sometimes cause slowness, especially if Windows or macOS is waiting to apply updates in the background.

    Windows:

    1. Click Start → Settings → Windows Update
    2. Click Check for updates
    3. Install any pending updates and restart if prompted

    Mac:

    1. Click Apple menu → System Settings → General → Software Update
    2. Install any available updates

    If you're on the Pro plan, LanClub manages updates automatically — you don't need to do this manually.

    Step 6 — Check Your Browser

    If slowness is mainly in your web browser, try these steps:

    Clear your browser cache:

    Chrome/Edge:

    1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete
    2. Set the time range to All time
    3. Check Cached images and files and Cookies
    4. Click Clear data

    Firefox:

    1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete
    2. Select Everything from the time range
    3. Check Cache and Cookies
    4. Click Clear Now

    Safari (Mac):

    1. Click Safari → Clear History
    2. Select All history
    3. Click Clear History

    Disable browser extensions: Too many browser extensions can slow your browser down significantly. Try disabling them one by one to see if any are causing the issue.

    Step 7 — Check for Malware

    Malware running in the background is a common cause of sudden slowness. If you're on the Pro plan, LanClub's endpoint protection is monitoring for threats automatically.

    If you're on Essentials or Standard and you suspect malware, submit a ticket at https://help.lanclub.nz and we'll run a scan for you.

    When to Contact LanClub

    If you've tried all of the above and your computer is still running slowly, it's time to raise a support ticket. Please include:

    • How long the slowness has been happening
    • Whether it affects everything or just specific programs
    • Whether anything changed around the time it started (new software, updates, power outage)
    • What you found in Task Manager or Activity Monitor if you checked

    Submit a ticket at https://help.lanclub.nz or email help@lanclub.nz and we'll investigate.

    Could it Be Hardware?

    If your computer is several years old, slowness may be due to ageing hardware rather than a software issue. Common hardware-related causes include:

    • Insufficient RAM — not enough memory to run modern software smoothly
    • Failing hard drive — an older mechanical hard drive that is degrading
    • Overheating — dust buildup causing the processor to throttle its speed

    If we suspect a hardware issue during a remote session we'll discuss your options with you — sometimes a relatively inexpensive upgrade like adding RAM or replacing an old hard drive with a solid state drive (SSD) can make an older computer feel like new again.

    Questions?

    If you'd like us to take a look, submit a ticket at https://help.lanclub.nz, email help@lanclub.nz, or call us on +64 22 573 3469.

    Published