Most computer users feel like they have no idea what to do when their computer decides to stop doing whatever it is supposed to be doing. They aren’t very comfortable with troubleshooting, and frankly some don’t feel like they have the time. However, there are a few easy things you can try before you decide to take a hammer (or keyboard) to your desktop.
This series will examine four areas where knowing some basic troubleshooting steps can help you find and fix what is wrong and may help mitigate some of the stress that comes along with dealing with a malfunctioning PC.
Part 2. Slow or unresponsive applications or programs
In our previous post, we looked at how to troubleshoot a poor or broken internet connection. But as we all have experienced at one time or another, any program or application can sometimes slow down or become suddenly and mysteriously unresponsive. This article will show you how to figure out what’s going on and, hopefully, how to fix it.
First, let’s try to narrow down the scope of the issue. Is it just one program or app that’s running more slowly than usual or is it multiple apps or even the whole operating system? What exactly does “slow” mean for you? Does it take a long time to respond when you click or enter something? Is the cursor moving sluggishly or in fits and starts? Does animation progress extremely slowly? Exactly what is happening? Learning to pay attention to precisely what’s happening on your screen can not only help you narrow down and resolve issues on your own, but will also help you to better describe what’s going on to someone else if you end up needing outside assistance.
If you’ve narrowed it down to a single application, then try reinstalling the application. If that doesn’t work or if there are multiple applications giving you trouble, try rebooting the system and see if and how that affects the way things are running.
If you are still having issues with responsiveness after a simple reboot, make sure the application(s) and the operating system are fully up-to-date.
If none of the above works, try restarting your computer in Safe Mode.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STARTING WINDOWS IN SAFE MODE
Go to Settings, then Update & Security
Click on the Recovery tab from the left hand side menu
Go to Advanced Startup, then click on “Restart now”
You will be taken to a screen titled “Choose an option” with three choices.
2. Click on Troublsehoot,
3. Then click on Startup Settings
4. Click Restart and your PC will restart
5. After restarting you will see a screen with several options for working in Safe Mode. Press the number 5 key on your keyboard to enter Safe Mode with Networking. Keep in mind you will need to login using your Microsoft Account credentials; login in with your PIN isn’t available in Safe Mode.
To reboot in Safe Mode on a Mac:
1. Start your Mac. If it was on, restart it.
2. Press and hold the Shift key.
3. You’ll see the Apple logo appear on the display.
4. Release the Shift key when the login window appears.
That’s all you need to do to reboot in Safe Mode on a Mac.
So what exactly does rebooting in Safe Mode do? It boots the operating system without loading all the little special programs, apps, and utilities which normally load up at boot time. Doing this tells you if one or more of these (most commonly an antivirus application) is conflicting or corrupted. If everything seems to work fine and without any speed issues after rebooting into Safe Mode, then you most likely have a utility software conflict or corruption.
If you still have problems, even in Safe Mode, then you may have a hardware or memory issue and you should contact us for a professional consultation.
