Why is my Internet connection so slow?

A slow Internet connection can be caused by any number of reasons. Below is a short list of some of the more common reasons your Internet connection may be slow. As mentioned at the bottom of this page, there is no magic program or tweak to increase your overall Internet speed, and reading this can help you know why.

Tip: If everything on your computer is slow including the Internet, this may be another issue.

Slow Internet connection

If you are using a dial-up connection or a modem, this will be much slower than any broadband connection or connection you may be using at work or school. If you are using a modem, no matter how fast your computer is, the speed of the Internet will remain the same or very close and can cause some users to believe their computer is slow.

If a broadband connection is available in your area, and you would like a much more enjoyable experience on the Internet, we highly recommend getting it. See the broadband definition for additional information on this term and the broadband available.

Tip: If you are using broadband consider an alternative broadband solution if available. For example, Cable is much faster than DSL. Also, Cable companies such as Comcast offer boosts in some areas that can give your connection even more speed.

Your Internet connection may also be slow due to connection issues. You can perform an Internet speed test to determine if you are getting the speed you should be getting. If your download speed is significantly lower than the speed you should be getting contact your ISP and ask them to run a line test to determine the cause of the speed loss.

Note: Many connections (e.g. Cable, DSL, and wireless broadband) have a slower upload speed in comparison with the download speed. If you are having issues with uploading (e.g. doing a video chat) it is a slow upload speed and not the download speed.

Virus or malware infection

Check your computer for a virus or malware infection. Internet speed can be reduced because viruses and malware are corrupting essential operating system files using up system resources (memory) that would otherwise be for Internet function.

• How do I remove a virus and malware from my computer?

Site or download

Depending on the web page or website you are visiting or the download you are receiving, your Internet connection may appear to be slow. The composition of the page or site, including text, images, and videos make a difference on how fast your Internet speed appears to be. A site such as Computer Hope, which is 90% composed of text documents loads faster than a website such as YouTube, which is mostly pictures and movies.

Downloading while browsing

If you or someone else in your house is doing more than one thing on the Internet, your Internet will appear to be slower. For example, if you or your kids are downloading a game, movie, music, or playing online games your browsing experience is going to be slower.

Time of day or day

The day or time of day affects the overall speed of the Internet, as well as your individual connection. When more people are online, servers and Internet connections can become overloaded and cause delays in the response time. Users who are using a broadband cable to connect to the Internet share an individual cable with neighbors who are also subscribed. If all your neighbors are on at the same time, you will notice a decrease in speed.

Times when people are at home, e.g. off from work or school (after 3 PM) or weekends (Saturday and Sunday), are often slow times. Sites like Internet Traffic Report report the flow of data around the world. This site can give you a rough idea of busy times.

Slow computer

If the overall speed of your computer is slow or has performance issues with doing tasks such as watching videos, it may appear as if your Internet connection is slow. If you have another Internet device (e.g. a smartphone or tablet) that can connect to your Internet use it to test the Internet to see if is your Internet or computer having the problem.

• My computer is running slow, what steps can I do to fix it?

Server or website location

The location of the web page you are visiting can also determine the speed of the Internet. If you are accessing a web page that is in a different part of the world, it will be much slower than a page that is hosted closer to your location.

Network or site maintenance

If your Internet service provider or the host of the website is performing maintenance on their network, computers, or network equipment, this can cause speed related issues.

Amount of visitors on a site

A server and website can only handle so many users at once. If hundreds, thousands, or millions of people are trying to visit the site at the same time, that page will be much slower and, in some cases, pages may not even respond or load.

If a major event is occurring around the world, it may cause speed related issues. During the tragic events of September 11, 2001, news sites were so overwhelmed with visitors that they would take several minutes to load or not load at all.

Third-party programs and tweaks

No matter how many web services or programs you see advertised, there is no magic program or tweak that is going to increase your actual overall Internet speed. There are some tweaks that can be done and some programs that can help with the speed of downloading certain files or increase your local network speed (not Internet). However, no software program will increase the overall speed of your Internet connection.

Some programs such as download managers can help get downloads faster by downloading bits of the downloaded file through different connections. However, this does not increase your Internet speed or browsing experience and will not work with all Internet web pages.

You or your ISP is under DoS or being attacked

Although not a common situation, a slow Internet connection can also be caused when you or your ISP is being attacked, e.g. a DoS attack. With a DoS attack, computers and routers become so overwhelmed with requests that it causes your connection to be slow or time out. If you believe you are under such an attack, contact your ISP for additional recommendations. If it is your computer that is under attack, one way to escape these attacks is to change your IP address.

• How do I change my IP address?

Check with ISP for improved performance

Some broadband providers also offer different tiers of service. If your Internet has always been slow, call your provider and see if they offer a boost or business plan for increased speed.

My computer is running slow

My computer is running slow, what steps can I do to fix it?

Tip: This page only covers an overall slow computer and not a computer that has a slow boot up or slow Internet.

Below are steps for Microsoft Windows users that can help speed up the computer or determine why the computer is running slow.

Reboot

If your computer has not been rebooted recently, make sure to reboot it before following any of the steps below.

Background programs

One of the most common reasons for a slow computer are programs running in the background. Remove or disable any TSRs and startup programs that automatically start each time the computer boots.

Tip: To see what programs are running in the background and how much memory and CPU they are using, open Task manager. If you are running windows7 or higher, run Resmon to get a better understanding of how your computer is being used.

If you have an antivirus scanner on the computer, spyware protection program, or another security utility, make sure it is not scanning your computer in the background. If a scan is in progress, it can decrease the overall performance of your computer. If this is the case, allow the scan to complete, and the computer's performance should improve.

Delete temp files

As a computer runs programs,temporary files are stored on the hard drive. Deleting these temp files can help improve computer performance.

First, we suggest using the Windows Disk Cleanup utility to delete temporary files and other files no longer needed on the computer.

Unfortunately, the Disk Cleanup may not delete every file in the temp directory. Therefore, we also suggest deleting temporary files manually. To do this, open the STart menu and type %temp%  in the Search field. In Windows XP and prior, click the Run option in the Start menu and enter %temp% in the Run field. Press Enter and a Temp folder should open. You can delete all files found in this folder and, if any files are in use and cannot be deleted, they can be skipped.

Free hard drive space

Verify that there is at least 200-500MB of free hard drive space. This available space allows the computer to have room for the swap file to increase in size, as well as room for temporary files.

Bad, corrupted or fragmented hard drive

• Run ScanDisk, chkdsk, or something equivalent to verify there is nothing physically wrong with the computer's hard drive.
• Run Defrag to help ensure that data is arranged in the best possible order.
• Use other software tools to test the hard drive for any errors by looking at the SMART of the drive.

Scan for malware

Today, spyware and other malware is a big cause of many computer problems, including a slow computer. Even if an antivirus scanner is installed on the computer, we recommend running a malware scan on the computer. Use the free version of Malwarebytes to scan your computer for malware.

Scan for viruses

If your computer is infected with one or more viruses, this can cause your computer to run slow. If your computer does not have an antivirus program installed, you can run Trend Micro's free Housecall online utility to scan for viruses on your computer, as well as remove them. It is also recommended that you install an antivirus program for active protection against viruses.

Hardware conflicts

• Verify that the Device Manager has no conflicts. If any exist, resolve these issues as they could be the cause of your problem.

Update Windows

• Make sure you have all the latest Windows updates installed on the computer.
• If you are on the Internet when your computer is slow, make sure all browser plugins are up-to-date. You can also try disabling browser plug-ins to see if one of them is causing the slowness.

Update your drivers

Make sure you have the latest drivers for your computer hardware, especially the latest video drivers. Having out-of-date drivers can cause an assortment of issues, including slow performance.

Reboot computer again

If you have done any of the above steps but your computer is still acting slow try rebooting the computer again at this point.

Memory upgrade

If you have had your computer for more than two years, you may need more memory. Today, we suggest computers have a minimum of 1GB of memory (RAM) for 32-bit system and 2GB for a 64-bit system. By having enough memory for programs to run within memory, your computer will not need to swap information stored in memory to the swap file. If the hard drive light is constantly active, it can be an indication the computer is frequently swapping information between your memory and hard drive.

• Determining how much RAM is installed and available.
• How much memory or RAM should my computer have?
• What type of computer memory to use in a memory upgrade?

Hard drive upgrade

One of the biggest bottlenecks of a computer is the hard disk drive. For anyone with a slow computer or just looking for the best component to upgrade, upgrading from a hard drive to a Solid State Drive (SSD) can significantly improve the performance of a computer.

Run Registry cleaner

We normally do not recommend Registry cleaners. However, if you have followed all of the above steps and your computer is still slow, try running a Registry cleaner on the computer.

Computer or processor is overheating

Make sure your computer and processor is not overheating. Excessive heat can cause a significant decrease in computer performance because most processors automatically reduce the speed of the processor to help compensate for heat-related issues.

• What should be the temperature of my computer processor?

Dust, dirt, and hair can also constrict proper airflow inside your computer, which can cause a computer to overheat. Make sure your computer case is clean and fans are not obstructed.

• Steps on cleaning your computer.

Erase computer and start over

If none of the above solutions resolve your issues, another option is to either reinstall Windows or erase everything and then start over.

Erasing everything and starting over can increase performance by getting rid of old software or drivers that may be on the computer and causing the computer to be slow. Installing a fresh copy of Windows, software programs, and the latest drivers help verify there are no software related issues causing your computer to be slow.

Hardware issues

Finally, if your computer is still slow after trying all of the above recommendations, there may have a more serious hardware related issue, such as a failing component in the computer. Examples of failing hardware could include a failing or bad hard drive, CPU, RAM, motherboard, or another component.

You can run hardware diagnostic tests using the Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD) utility. This utility provides many diagnostic tests that you can run and determine if your computer has a bad piece of hardware.

Old computer

If your computer is more than five years old, the age of the computer could be the cause of the slow performance. As more advanced software programs are released, they are optimized to run more efficiently on newer computers. Older computers are not able to run these new programs as well, which can cause them to perform more slowly. We recommend that you consider purchasing a new computer or accept that your computer is not going to be as fast as a newer computer.

Temporary file

Alternatively referred to as a foo file, a temporary file or temp file is a file created to hold information temporarily while a file is being created. After the program has been closed, the temporary file should be deleted. Temporary files are used to help recover lost data if the program or computer is abnormally halted.

Microsoft Windows and Windows programs often create a .TMP file as a temporary file. However, the Windows temporary folder can contain any file, not just .tmp files.

remove temp files

Windows 98, XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10

If you are running any of these versions of Windows we suggest running the Windows Disk Cleanup utility to delete temporary files and cleanup other portions of your computer.

• See the more infections definition for additional information and help.

Viewing and deleting temporary files

To view and delete temp files, open the start menu and enter %temp% in the Search field (in Windows XP and prior, click the Run option in the Start menu and enter %temp% in the Run field). Press Enter and a Temp folder should open. You can delete all files found in this folder and if any files are in use they can be skipped.

After restarting the computer, you should see at least some improvement in the performance of the computer, now that it does not have to load all those temp files.

Searching for .tmp files

If you are running Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows ME, Windows XP follow the instructions below to search for and delete any .tmp file found on your computer.

1. Click Start, Find, and click Find Files or folders
2. In the named box type *.tmp to search for any files ending with tmp.
3. Verify that the Look in section of the search box is pointing to the C: drive and not document folders.
4. Click Find Now
5. Delete all files that are found

Once the above section has been done it is also recommend that you ensure that the temporary folder on the hard drive is empty by following the instructions below.

1. Double-click My Computer
2. Double-click the C: drive
3. Double-click the Temp folder (if present) verify that all files within this folder are deleted.
4. Close the window and re-open My Computer
5. Double-click the C: drive
6. Double-click the Windows folder
7. Double-click the Temp folder (if present) verify that all files within this folder are deleted.

If you are running MS-DOS or Windows 3.x follow the instructions below to remove any temporary files currently on the computer.

1. If you are currently in Windows click File and choose the option to Exit Windows
2. Once at the prompt type:
   cd\ <press enter>
   del *.tmp <press enter>
3. Delete all temporary files found in the root directory of the C drive.
4. Next type:
   cd\ <press enter>
   cd temp <press enter>
5. If present or in the C:\TEMP> directory type del *.* and delete all files in the temp directory.
6. Once deleted or if the temp folder is not present type:
   cd\ <press enter>
   cd Windows <press enter>
   cd temp <press enter>
7. If present or in the C:\Windows\TEMP> directory type del *.* and delete all files in the directory.

Unable to delete .tmp file

If when deleting a .tmp file you get an error it is still being used. Close out of all programs, reboot, and try again if you want to delete the file. If you are still having problems see the document below.

Types of Infections That Can Harm Your Computer

Here is a list of types of infections your computer can get. This list is by no means complete. It is meant to educate my clients on what is out there and how they function.

1.Trojan Horses
 Trojan horses are designed to allow a hacker remote access to a target computer system. Once a Trojan horse has been installed on a target computer system, it is possible for a hacker to access it remotely and perform various operations. The operations that a hacker can perform are limited by user privileges on the target computer system and the design of the Trojan horse.

 2. Malwares
Malwares is software designed to infiltrate a computer system without the owner's informed consent. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code. The term "computer virus" is sometimes used as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware, including true viruses.

Software is considered malware based on the perceived intent of the creator rather than any particular features. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware and other malicious and unwanted software.

3. Ransomware
Ransomware is computer malware which holds a computer system, or the data it contains, hostage against its user by demanding a ransom for its restoration.
















 4. A computer worm.
It is a self-replicating computer program. It uses a network to send copies of itself to other nodes (computers on the network) and it may do so without any user intervention. This is due to the poor security the computers infected have. Unlike a virus, it does not need to attach itself to an existing program. Worms almost always cause at least some harm to the network, if only by consuming bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer.

 5. Spyware.
It is a type of malware that is installed on computers and collects information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's personal computer. Sometimes, however, spywares such as keyloggers are installed by the owner of a shared, corporate, or public computer on purpose in order to secretly monitor other users.

While the term spyware suggests that software that secretly monitors the user's computing, the functions of spyware extend well beyond simple monitoring. Spyware programs can collect various types of personal information, such as Internet surfing habits and sites that have been visited, but can also interfere with user control of the computer in other ways, such as installing additional software and redirecting Web browser activity. Spyware is known to change computer settings, resulting in slow connection speeds, different home pages, and/or loss of Internet or functionality of other programs. In an attempt to increase the understanding of spyware, a more formal classification of its included software types is captured under the term privacy-invasive software.




 6. Rootkit.
 It is a software system that consists of one or more programs designed to obscure the fact that a system has been compromised. Contrary to what its name may imply, a rootkit does not grant a user administrator privileges, as it requires prior access to execute and tamper with system files and processes. An attacker may use a rootkit to replace vital system executables, which may then be used to hide processes and files the attacker has installed, along with the presence of the rootkit. Access to the hardware, e.g., the reset switch, is rarely required, as a rootkit is intended to seize control of the operating system. Typically, rootkits act to obscure their presence on the system through subversion or evasion of standard operating system security scan and surveillance mechanisms such as anti-virus or anti-spyware scan. Often, they are Trojans as well, thus fooling users into believing they are safe to run on their systems. Techniques used to accomplish this can include concealing running processes from monitoring programs, or hiding files or system data from the operating system. Rootkits may also install a "back door" in a system by replacing the login mechanism (such as /bin/login) with an executable that accepts a secret login combination, which, in turn, allows an attacker to access the system, regardless of the changes to the actual accounts on the system.

7. Computer virus
 It is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability. A true virus can only spread from one computer to another (in some form of executable code) when its host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over a network or the Internet, or carried it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB drive. Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer.

The term "computer virus" is sometimes used as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojans, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, and other malicious and unwanted software, including true viruses. Viruses are sometimes confused with computer worms and Trojan horses, which are technically different. A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself to other computers without needing to be transferred as part of a host, and a Trojan horse is a program that appears harmless but has a hidden agenda. Worms and Trojans, like viruses, may cause harm to either a computer system's hosted data, functional performance, or networking throughput, when they are executed. Some viruses and other malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, but many are surreptitious or go unnoticed.