# Slow computer response **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 20, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slow-computer-response/746630 "2016-02-20T17:55:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slow-computer-response/746630/1 "2016-02-20T17:55:08Z")
OK my computer gets so slow sometimes I can’t believe it’s right. I have multiple screens open in the same application and it takes time to respond, I get a white screen when I return to one that was already open, I get nonresponsive messages to wait or kill, and then it comes back. Sometimes I’m sure it’s that I have a DVD in and maybe it’s on pause. But that’s not always true. I have a computer that I bought in 2007. It has 2 drives on it about 66-75 % in use. Most of my storage is on a remote terra drive. What is the most effective way to address this? Do I need to just format it all? Does it make a difference to open multiple screens together rather than separately? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slow-computer-response/746630/2 "2016-02-20T18:08:28Z")
How much RAM is being used and what’s the load on your CPU? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slow-computer-response/746630/3 "2016-02-20T18:15:12Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > How much RAM is being used and what’s the load on your CPU? Looks like installed memory, RAM is 4 Gb. How do you gauge the load? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slow-computer-response/746630/4 "2016-02-20T18:37:08Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Looks like installed memory, RAM is 4 Gb. > > How do you gauge the load? Open Task Manager (Ctl+Alt+Del in Win 7), along the bottom you’ll see CPU load and % of RAM in use. You can also choose the “Performance” tab. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slow-computer-response/746630/5 "2016-02-20T20:22:32Z")
Have you deleted all your temporary files? (Run %temp% and select all.) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slow-computer-response/746630/6 "2016-02-20T23:56:45Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Open Task Manager (Ctl+Alt+Del in Win 7), along the bottom you’ll see CPU load and % of RAM in use. > You can also choose the “Performance” tab. The Usage is running at around the high 60s. Down to 63, and up to 72, with one spike to 99 momentarily I don’t see a load figure or entry You mean physical memory 77%? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slow-computer-response/746630/7 "2016-02-20T23:58:54Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > Have you deleted all your temporary files? (Run %temp% and select all.) I don’t usually use run. There isn’t another way to empty the files? I usually have it set to not hold files in memory. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slow-computer-response/746630/8 "2016-02-21T19:42:26Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > I don’t usually use run. There isn’t another way to empty the files? > > I usually have it set to not hold files in memory. Well, use it. Or search "%temp%. them select all and delete. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slow-computer-response/746630/9 "2016-02-21T23:11:59Z")
Open Task Manager and see whats eating your memory. I had some pesky windows file manager thing that kept running up to 99%. Deleted it and all’s well now.