Why Your Computer Seems Sluggish, Part 1

You spend a number of hours a day using your office computer. It's attached to a local network in your suite or building, which itself is attached to the Internet.

You can't quite identify the cause, but your computer "seems slow." How can that be? It's practically new! Also, the slowness is intermittent--not all the time. What gives?

There are several possible answers to your question, depending on what, exactly, "seems slow" means. Does it mean that documents open after a few seconds' delay? Does it mean that everything from mouse clicks to keyboarding happens in slooooow motion? Or is it just an older computer than the one you use at home so that it seems slow by comparison?

Without delving into details too deeply, let's examine some common causes of "seems slow":

(Q.)What if a few people in your office are listening to the radio over the Internet, downloading or uploading files, copying folders or doing other tasks that, collectively, consume the available bandwidth of your Internet connection? Will that slow MY computer down?

(A.)Yes. You might find it difficult to open files stored on your server or access the Internet to browse a web page or collect e-mail. This can be sporadic, since network traffic is bursty rather than steady.

(Q.)If someone else has a virus can that slow ME down?

(A.)Yes, for similar reasons. Some viruses use the resources of a computer and network to generate huge amounts of traffic on the network and Internet.

So, your PC may "seem slow" through no fault of its own! The problem may be on your office network.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of "Why Your Computer Seems Sluggis".