Fixing slow computer problems on Windows

There are many reasons why your computer might be slow. Over time, regular use builds up unnecessary files and may fragment your hard disk. You may also notice a performance degradation if your computer is infected.

Ensure that your computer is not infected

To check if your computer is infected, we suggest running advanced scans with Norton. Run the following scans with advanced settings and the highest sensitivity.

Note: These settings may increase scan duration depending on your system speed and file volume.

Run a Startup Scan:

1. Open your Norton device security application.
2. On the left panel, click Security.
3. On the Scans tile, click Open.
4. In the Preset scans tab, next to Startup Scan, click Set Up.
5. Wait for the Startup Scan to complete the setup, then click Restart Now.
6. When the system restarts, the Startup Scan progress screen appears. Wait for the scan to complete and check the scan results.

After completing the Startup Scan, proceed with a Full Scan to ensure thorough device check.

Run a Full Scan:

1. Open your Norton device security application.
2. On the left panel, click Settings.
3. Select Scans.
4. Hover the mouse pointer over Full Scan and click the settings icon.
5. Scroll down and select Scan all archives.
6. Click Save to confirm.
7. Click Start next to Full Scan.
8. Wait for the scan to complete and check the scan results.

Run File Cleanup to remove unwanted files

File Cleanup helps remove temporary and unused files from your computer.

1. Open your Norton device security application.

2. On the left panel, click Performance.

3. On the Performance dashboard, in the File Cleanup tile, click Open.

4. In the File Cleanup window, click Check Now or Check Again.

5. Wait for the scan to complete.

6. Select the file categories you want to remove and click Clean Selected/Delete Selected. If you chose all categories, click Clean All.

7. When the activity is complete, click Done.

Improve your computer startup time

Startup Manager helps you manage and control your startup programs, enhancing your computer's performance at startup.

1. Open your Norton device security application.

2. On the left panel, click Performance.

3. On the Performance dashboard, in the Startup Manager tile, click Open.

4. In the When to launch column, select one of the following for each listed program:

   Your options are:

   • Startup: Launches the program during device startup.

   • Disabled: This option prevents the program from launching when your device starts. Select this option for programs that you do not use.

   • Delay: This option allows the program to load only after the device startup completes. You can use this option to delay the start of a program when you turn on your computer. The program will run at a later time.

     You can use the Launch Delayed Apps option to run all the startup programs you chose to delay manually.

Optimize and defragment your computer disks

Your computer's files may become fragmented over time, making them slow to load or run. Run the Optimize Disk feature to check if you need to defragment your files.

1. Open your Norton device security application.

2. On the left panel, click Performance.

3. On the Optimize Disk tile, click Open.

4. On the Optimize Disk window, select the drives that you want to optimize.

5. Click Optimize Selected/Optimize All.

6. When the optimization task finishes, click Done.