Why your computer got slow (and what actually fixes it)

Almost every week someone tells us their computer 'was fine last year.' It usually still is — underneath. What changed is everything that quietly piled on top of it.

The usual suspects

Programs set themselves to start with Windows. Cloud accounts sync in the background. Browsers collect extensions. Updates run when you're trying to work. Individually none of it is a problem; together it's the difference between a machine that opens instantly and one you have time to make coffee during.

When it's hardware, not clutter

• A mechanical hard drive in a machine that should have a solid-state drive
• Not enough memory for how you actually use the computer
• Dust and failing fans causing the processor to throttle itself
• A drive that is beginning to fail and retrying reads

That last one matters. A drive on its way out looks exactly like 'slow' right up until it looks like 'gone.' If your computer has started hanging at random, back up your files before you do anything else.

What's usually worth paying for

If a computer is otherwise healthy, a solid-state drive plus a memory upgrade is the single biggest change you can make, and it costs far less than replacing the machine. If the board or processor is the bottleneck, we'll tell you that honestly — sometimes the right answer is to put the money toward a new computer instead.

Not sure which side of that line your computer is on? That's what the diagnostic is for. Repairs start with a $120 upfront diagnostic fee, and you get a clear recommendation before anything else happens.