There are plenty of things that can slow your computer down.
Among other things, there are unwanted programs (known as “bloatware” or “crapware”) that can bog down your system resources. We’ve seen some computers with dozens of these programs installed! There’s also dust that can build up in the ventilation system. This dust can block the vents and cause heat to build up inside your computer, eventually causing your computer to slow down and at some point fail entirely, burning up the components. In laptops, especially, it can be extremely difficult to clean this dust out properly.
Not to mention viruses, malware, spyware, and possibly even aging and failing hardware.
The Computer Cellar’s technician team are experts at diagnosing and fixing these issues, by inspecting your computer’s software and hardware thoroughly, testing components, and helping you make changes and improvements to optimize the performance and behavior of your system.
What’s Included in a PC Tune-Up?
A tune-up at The Computer Cellar covers your whole machine — hardware and software. We check for and remove bloatware and startup programs slowing things down, scan for malware, clean up the drive, check your RAM and storage health, and clear out the dust clogging your fans. If something’s failing under the hood, we’ll find it.
Common Reasons Your PC Slows Down Over Time
- Too many programs set to run at startup
- Bloatware installed by the manufacturer or sneaky installers
- Dust buildup causing overheating and thermal throttling
- Near-full hard drive reducing read/write performance
- Malware or adware running in the background
- An aging hard drive starting to fail
Sometimes an Upgrade Makes More Sense Than a Tune-Up
If your computer is more than 5–6 years old, there may be a point where a hardware upgrade — like adding more RAM or switching to an SSD — makes a bigger difference than software cleanup alone. We’ll give you an honest assessment and recommend the best path forward, whether that’s a tune-up, an upgrade, or both.
