What to do if an HDD and SSD speed slows down

When you use your PC for a long time, do you sometime feel that it is slower than usual? If your work doesn’t go as planned, you be frustrated. If your PC is slow, it may be due to an HDD or an SSD, which is information storage part of your PC. What should you do in such a case? This content introduces four countermeasures that can be used when an HDD or an SSD speed slows down.

Index
1. Signs when transfer speed of an HDD or an SSD is slow
2. Four solutions to try if an HDD or an SSD becomes slow
2-1. Deleting resident programs
2-2. Deleting unnecessary programs
2-3. Disk cleanup and OS updates
2-4. Checking security status
3. Conclusion

・1. Signs when transfer speed of an HDD or an SSD is slow
Although how you feel slow is different depending on how you use, frequency, and environment, as a guide, let’s understand when you are likely to feel that your PC (HDD / SSD) is slow. Then, check what your computer is like now. For example, troubles such as taking long time to start up and shut down your PC or a screen suddenly freezes during working are cited as signs that transfer speed of an HDD or an SSD is slowing down. If you　are worrying about your PC, keep in mind a time to start up and shut down and frequency of freeze. As a standard period, it is said that an HDD or an SSD operation gets slow down 3 years after purchasing a PC.

・2. Four solutions to try if an HDD or an SSD becomes slow
What should you do if transfer speed of an HDD or an SSD actually slows down? As a basic solutions, try below four methods.

・2-1. Deleting resident programs
A resident program means a program opens automatically when you start your PC. Check which program corresponds to it, and try canceling it once. Basically, you can check resident programs in the “task tray” at the right end of the taskbar, though depending on the type of PC. Some of them are automatically set to be a resident when the program is installed.

・2-2. Deleting unnecessary programs
Delete programs that you don’t use often. Older versions of programs or programs that haven’t been used for a long time waste disk spaces and also may make a performance of a PC down. Programs installed on your PC are not limited to those added after purchase. There may be many programs that are installed before your purchase, such as a manufacturer’s support program.

・2-3. Disk cleanup and OS updates
As mentioned earlier, clean up your disk and get your free space by deleting unnecessary programs, software, emails and images. Also, updating an OS may improve speed of an HDD or an SSD.

・2-4. Checking security status
Check a security status, confirming if an anti-virus software is up to date. Virus infection not only has a risk of information leakage, but also causes slowdown of an HDD or an SSD. If the amount of data stored on your PC is excessive, it is good for you to connect an external HDD or an SSD. For example, simply moving old data to an external HDD or an SSD to leave space on your PC may improve a slow state of an HDD or an SSD.

・3. Conclusion
When an HDD or an SSD is slow, effective countermeasures vary depending on causes. You may be able to improve speed of an HDD or an SSD by simply removing dusts from a fan part of your computer, although it is not mentioned above. In order to use your computer without any stress, firstly check why your HDD or SSD is slow.