What is the work-from-home enemy #1? That would be an utterly slow computer. 

This week is hell: while my brain is shifted to high gear, my computer is as slow as molasses. 

As if a slow computer is not enough to ruin my tasks, my noise-canceling headphone went mum.

My work-from-home job, while mostly about writing and editing, still requires a high-productivity computer setup. I typically have multiple applications opened at once (not to mention I watch a lot of Kdrama on my breaks), so a slow computer simply won’t do.

Unfortunately, buying a new computer is out of the question now, so I reached out to a friend for help on fixing whatever I have and making it work. Here’s what I was told to do.

Check what makes computer slow

I was told to check what makes my computer slow. I checked what version of Windows and RAM size I have to see if they match. Since my friend say they do, I went on to see if there are any thermal issues by checking on airflow and ventilation. So far, so good. 

It then boiled down to one thing, bloatware or unnecessary apps that run in the background. Once I determined this, I moved on to the next step–cleaning my computer.

Turn off unnecessary applications and features

I first disabled some applications that open during startup for my computer to boot properly. I went to the startup tab in the task manager and disabled programs that I don’t want running in the background while my Windows starts up. 

Then, since I am not so much for eye candies, I turned off Windows 10’s visual effects. I just typed in sysdm.cpt in the Windows search box and went to the advanced tab, then settings in the performance section. There, I unchecked those that I feel I don’t need. I restarted my computer before proceeding with the next step.

Then I removed bloatware. These are apps that I don’t need but came bundled with other software that I truly need. I just headed to the Control Panel and on to “uninstall a program” section. I scanned the list for unnecessary programs, which I then uninstalled.

Organize files

I often delete files that I don’t need and upload to my cloud storage the ones I think I’ll need later. Still, I did a defrag of my computer just to remove fragmented files. Then I set scheduled defrags as well. 

Just to be even more sure that everything’s well, I checked my folders and re-organized files. Doing this allows my computer to locate files easily (not to mention easy for me too).

Dust the computer

Finally, after checking for heating, I knew there was no problem with thermal throttling. However, I was told that dust could be accumulating already, so I cleaned my computer. I borrowed a can of compressed air (I need to buy one for myself) and blew away the dust, dirt, and grime. I know a cleaning brush with soft bristles could do the job, but my friend said blowing away dust would be better. 

After all this cleaning, my computer did not become as fast as a gaming computer, and I was not expecting it to be so. What matters is I was able to accomplish my work adequately. 

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