We have all gotten used to computers that can perform amazing tasks at the click of a button. Over time, though, our amazement has given way to impatience, especially when computers don’t perform as quickly as they are supposed to. Few things are more annoying than wasting 15 minutes in the morning just waiting on a slow PC startup. You can’t work without your computer, and yet it seems sleepier than you are at 8:00 in the morning. If you have had this experience, then you need to know how to fix a slow PC startup time.

Reasons Behind a Slow PC Startup Time

Your slow PC startup time could happen for any number of reasons. The problem that prevents your computer from behaving normally will, of course, affect the methods that you use to fix the machine so that it can start more quickly.

Some of the most common reasons for slow PC startup include viruses, low memory, and hardware malfunctions.

Diagnosing a Slow PC Startup Time

You will have to diagnose the reason behind your slow PC startup before you can fix it. Start with the simplest explanation first: too little memory. You can check the amount of memory that you have by looking at your C drive. If it is nearly full, then that might be the reason behind your slow startup. If you still have plenty of free space, though, then you should start to suspect a virus. You can hunt down viruses by running a reliable antivirus program. If you still cannot identify a problem after scanning your computer for malware, then you can make a reasonable guess that your problem is hardware based.

Fixing Slow PC Startup Time

If your computer is running out of space, then you basically have two options to improve your slow PC startup time. You can either delete files to make more room or you can add more memory to your computer.

In general, it is a good idea to remove files that you are never going to use. If you have an old video that is just taking up space, then go ahead and delete it. Programs with lots of intense graphics take up a lot of room on your computer, and that can quickly sap the machine’s resources.

If you really cannot bring yourself to delete lots of files and programs, then you can improve your slow PC startup by adding more memory to the computer. External hard drives are excellent for this. All you have to do is plug them in to your USB drive, move your unused files to the new hard drive, and keep them stored for when you might need them in the future.

Most viruses and other malware are fairly simple to eradicate because there are plenty of free antivirus programs that will scan your computer and delete malware that could potentially cause problems. Be sure to choose a recently updated antivirus program that will catch all of the malware to improve your slow PC startup time.

If these suggestions do not work, then you will probably have to take your computer to a professional who can diagnose hardware problems. This is often the most expensive version, but it can significantly improve the experiences that you have with your computer.