Why is your computer slow on Windows 10? These 4 reasons may be to blame

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When your computer is moving at a slow pace, it’s easy to blame your operating system. But a computer can be sluggish for a slew of reasons and, unfortunately, that’s still true even if you’re working off of Windows 10, the latest version of the Microsoft Windows operating system.

Windows 10 is responsible for your data and word processing, system security, and just about everything else that your computer handles on a regular basis. And, while Windows 10 is Microsoft's latest operating system product, you can still be left stuck at your computer wondering, “Why is my computer slow on Windows 10?”

Here’s what you need to know:

You could have a hidden issue

Sometimes things go wrong with a computer, and it's hard to know what, exactly, that might be just by looking at it. "The good news is that many diagnostic services can help identify the issues and remedies to optimize your computer experience," tech and cybersecurity expert Chuck Brooks, president of Brooks Consulting International, tells Yahoo Life.

Try System Mechanic for 30 days free. After that, it's $4.99 per month.

System Mechanic is a software package that helps improve your computer's performance by finding and troubleshooting the causes of your PC issues, including a slow computer. System Mechanic helps clear out internet junk on your computer, checks for internet connectivity issues, and opens up storage space, getting your PC back to running smoothly again.

The comprehensive system tune-up helps streamline your PC, identifying and removing unnecessary services that slow down your computer by launching and running in the background. Using System Mechanic, you'll help save your battery life and boost internet speed, videos and downloads.

System Mechanic is just $4.99 a month, and it will perform regular, in-depth scans of your computer to help it run faster. You can even try it out with a 30-day free trial period*.

Shop it: System Mechanic, try for 30 days free* then $4.99 a month, subscriptions.yahoo.com

You're doing too many things at once

Streaming shows, having 10 tabs open on your browser at once, Zoom meetings...your computer can handle a lot. But sometimes all of the things you want to do at once can overwhelm your system. "A common reason that may explain Windows 10 slow operations on your PC is due to too many programs and/or applications running at once," Brooks says.

If you suspect that all the operations you have going on simultaneously are bogging down your computer, try closing out the tabs and programs you're not currently using to see if it makes a difference. Not sure what they are? Use your task manager to find out (hit ctrl-shift-esc). Then, close the ones you don't need.

You have a corrupted file

Brooks says a corrupted file can also be to blame for a slow computer on Windows 10. Just a refresher: A corrupted file is a computer file that becomes unusable. Luckily, this is usually a temporary issue. You can restart your computer to see if it makes a difference, or even use software to try to hunt down the file and remove it.

Your hard drive is bogged down

Items you store on your hard drive, such as documents, pictures, music, videos, and apps, build up over time — and that can slow your computer down. If you have a bunch of files you don't need on your hard drive, that may be the cause of a slow computer.

The good news? Windows 10 has a solution built in. Go to your settings, then system, and storage. Flip the button to "on" and Windows will monitor your computer for junk. Then, it will delete old files you don't need anymore, such as temporary files and items that you downloaded a while ago that you no longer use.

Read more from Yahoo Life:

• 4 slow computer fixes — because you don't need to put up with a sluggish PC

• Why do I have so many pop up ads? Your computer could be infected

• Sick of slow Wi-Fi while working form home? Try these tricks

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