We’ve all been there – you’re in the middle of your work day and suddenly your computer decides it wants to run slower than a turtle in molasses. Before you throw your computer out the window or decide to contact us for help, here’s a few quick tips you can try that might just speed things up and save you time.
Restart Your Computer
It sounds obvious, but more often than not it’s the fix. If you haven’t rebooted your computer in a while, your device is likely bogged down by a generous amount of background processes. Restarting your computer clears memory, closes unused programs, and gives your system a fresh start. We recommend restarting devices every few days at a minimum, even if everything seems to be working fine.
Check for Software Updates
Sometimes slowness is caused by outdated software. Check to make sure your device is currently up to date by following these steps:
Windows Devices
- Press the Windows button, search “Check for Updates”, and press Enter.
- Click Check for Updates in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Now, click on View Optional Updates and select Driver Updates.
- Once selected, press Download and Install.
- Once all OS and driver updates are finished downloading, press Restart Now in the Windows Updates screen.
MacOS Devices
- Click the Apple menu button in the top-left corner of your screen.
- Choose System Settings, then scroll down the left sidebar and click General.
- Select Software Updates.
- Your Mac will automatically check for updates.
- If updates are available, click Update Now or Upgrade Now.
- You might be prompted to enter your password, and your Mac may restart during installation.
If you receive managed services from Canopy, then your device will automatically receive OS and driver updates.
Check Your Storage Space
Low disk space can significantly affect computer performance, especially with traditional hard drives (HDDs). When a hard drive is nearly full the read/write speeds slow down and fragmentation is increased. To check if your computer’s storage is almost full, follow these steps:
Windows Devices
- Press the Windows button, search “Storage Settings”, and press Enter.
- The following window will show you how much space your device has free.
- If your storage is nearly full, select Cleanup Recommendation.
- This will bring up temporary files that you can more than likely delete to gain a few extra GB.
- Select from downloads, system recovery logs, and recycle bin, and press Clean Up XX GB.
- If you need more free space, you can always clean up your documents in File Explorer or remove unused applications in the Add or Remove Programs tab in system settings.
MacOS Devices
- Click the Apple menu button in the top-left corner of your screen.
- Select About This Mac, then click the Storage tab.
- The following window will show you how much space your device has free.
- If your storage is nearly full, select Manage….
- Here you’ll see a menu of recommendations to clean up storage – here are the most helpful:
- Store in iCloud
- Empty Trash Automatically
- Review Files
- If you need to free more space, try removing unused apps and clear out old files in the Downloads folder.
Still Slow? We’re Just a Click Away!
If you’ve tried these tips and your computer is still slower than rush hour after the first snow storm, don’t worry – that’s what we’re here for! Reach out to our support team either through our ticketing system or by phone and we’ll jump in to troubleshoot in no time. Sometimes slowness can be caused by more complicated issues, like exhausting physical memory, having outdated hardware, or running malicious software. No matter the issue, we’ll get to the bottom of it.
If you aren’t currently supported by Canopy, feel free to reach out to us and request services for your business!