This is a common request, and unfortunately, there can be many many issues that cause a computer to run slowly. 

A potential Quick fix: 

try rebooting your computer (especially if you haven't rebooted your computer recently). This will often clear out any un-used memory, and help your computer run faster. You can do this by left clicking the Windows icon, then left click the power icon (⏻) , then left click "Restart".

Software

There are several software packages that are very computationally intensive, such as Matlab, Ansys, SolidWorks. Running these programs will almost certainly slow down your computer. This is normal, is not usually a problem, as the slowness should go away shortly after these programs are closed (or if you are running particularly long scripts, or designing highly complex 3D models, these can also cause extreme slowness. Saving and closing these models can usually help your computer run faster).

Google Chrome- while this program is a simple web browser, it does tend to use a lot of RAM. If your computer only has a few (4-8 GB) of RAM installed, we recommend trying a different web browser, like Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge. This can help your computer run faster.

Software running in the background

If you have lots of programs open all at once, like multiple windows of Chrome, and several Word documents, and Matlab, and several PDFs in Adobe Reader, this can also cause your computer to run slowly. Try closing some of those Chrome tabs (are you really going to read that piece about "10 new food fads that are changing college forever?"). Also, try closing any PDFs that you aren't actively reading. While you might need some software to remain running, like the Pulse Secure VPN, closing unneeded programs can help increase your computer speed.

Symptoms: 

Your computer generally runs OK, but when you open up a program like Matlab, or Ansys, or some other computationally-intensive program, it suddenly slows down. However, it speeds back up once you close these programs. Or, it runs OK, but if you have several word documents open, and several PDFs open, and are browsing several different websites all at once, your computer starts to move sluggishly.

Solution:

Close some of these programs. If you are a student in the College of Engineering, you have access to resources like the Virtual Classroom which can be used to access software like Matlab, Ansys, or other software. You will hardly ever notice the VCL slow down. For Staff and Faculty who do not have access to this resource, you should try to minimize the amount of programs you have open at a time. If this problem gets to be a hindrance to your work, you can purchase a newer computer (see below for information about outdated hardware and old computers), which will oftentimes help with these issues.

Some programs (like Chrome, or Office 365) run slowly, but other programs (like Matlab) run just fine

If you are experiencing slowness in programs that rely on the internet, such as a web browser (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox), a cloud-based application (Office 365, DropBox, OneDrive), or another internet-reliant application (like Remote Desktop), but you are not experiencing slowness in local programs (like Matlab), this is likely caused by a slow internet connection. Sometimes, the fix is as simple as moving your computer closer to your Wi-Fi router (or using a wired Ethernet connection if possible). If you are still having trouble, try reaching out to your internet service provider (like Comcast/Xfinity, or Century Link, or another ISP) to see if they can help.

Symptoms: 

Some web-based programs, like Chrome, Office 365, or Remote Desktop work really slowly, but other local programs (like Matlab, or Notepad) work just fine.

Solution: 

Try moving your computer closer to your Wi-Fi router (within the same room, but the two shouldn't necessarily be touching). Or, try using a hard-wired (Ethernet) connection to your router. If this doesn't seem to help, you might need to look into upgrading your internet plan though your Internet Service Provider.

Everything works fine, until I connect to Pulse Secure

This is a quick and easy fix! You simply need to uninstall Pulse Secure, then reinstall the latest version of Pulse Secure. You can download the latest version of Pulse Secure from CSU's Academic Computing and Networking Services here: https://www.acns.colostate.edu/security . Under the "Manual Installers" section, select the version best suited to your needs (If you are using a computer that you do not have administrative privleages on, select one if the "Pulse Secure Installer Service (exe)/(msi)" options. Otherwise, select the correct installer for your operating system from the list of "Pulse Secure manual installers").

If you have trouble with this, please reach out to ETS ( help@engr.colostate.edu ) or ACNS ( help@colostate.edu ).

An outdated version of Windows

Hopefully, you aren't using Windows 7, which has been officially discontinued by Microsoft. But there have been multiple releases of Windows 10 over the years (versions like 1607, 1809, 1909, 2004). Some of those versions have many problems; Windows 10 version 1903 and 1909 are full of problems that can be easily fixed by an upgrade to the current version of Windows 10. Other versions are just old; versions 1607 and 1709 were released in 2016 and 2017, which often feels like 50 years ago in computer years. Simply upgrading to the newest version of Windows 10 can help with slowness.

How can I tell which version of Windows 10 is installed? Run the command "winver" (you can do this by hitting the windows key, then type " winver " with no quotes, and then double click on the option "winver - Run Command")

(double click on the Green Box as shown in this picture).

This command will bring up a new Window like the one pictured below. Look for the "Version XXXX" text to see which version of Windows 10 you are running, and compare it with the chart below.

Symptoms: 

If your computer is running an outdated version of Windows, you will notice a gradual change. You can't hardly tell that your computer is running slower today than it was yesterday, but it feels slower than it was the day you got it. Also, it doesn't matter how many programs you are using (or closing), your computer still seems to run slowly.

Solution:

Upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10. If you are using a personally owned computer, you can simply google "upgrade windows version" to find instructions to upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10. If you are using a computer owned by the CSU Walter Scott Jr. College of Engineering (you can tell, because it should have a sticker on it that says something like "ETS00001" or "ENS00001"), please submit an OS Rebuild Request form here: https://csu-ets.freshservice.com/support/catalog/items/12 .

Viruses

If your computer is infected with a computer virus, you will almost always notice a sharp, sudden decrease in your computer's performance. If one day, your computer opens Word in less than 2 seconds, but the next it takes over 4 minutes, then your computer might have a virus. 

Symptoms:

Your computer worked just fine yesterday, or an hour ago, but it is suddenly unable to run even the simplest program. Your computer suddenly takes forever to load, and if you are connected to the internet, it runs even slower.

Solution:

If this is a personally owned computer, please try running anti-virus software on it. One free virus removal tool is available here: https://www.superantispyware.com/free-edition.html . If you are using an Engineering Owned computer, please contact ETS by emailing help@engr.colostate.edu , and we will schedule an appointment for you to bring in the computer so that we can try to remove any existing viruses from your computer (or suggest an OS Rebuild if it becomes necessary).

Old Hardware

Some computers are just old. That's why they're slow. If you have funds to purchase additional RAM for your computer, this can sometimes solve the issue. However, it is usually best to just buy a new computer, rather than try to support an 8+ year old computer by putting in new hardware.

Symptoms: 

Your computer was purchased over 8 years ago. Even with all of the latest upgrades, and few programs in the background, it is still running slowly.

Solution: 

Purchase a new computer. If your computer is over 10 years old, ETS will no longer support this computer, and it needs to be sent to surplus (if this is a personally owned computer that was not purchased by the College of Engineering, you are welcome to continue to use the computer, but you will notice a considerable performance improvement if you purchase a new computer for yourself). If your computer is 8 or 9 years old, we generally recommend considering a new computer if you have available funds. If not, putting in some additional RAM, or a new Solid State Drive can sometimes speed up the computer.

Something else

The issues listed above are not the only causes of computer slowness. If you are having other issues with an Engineering-Owned computer, please submit a ticket by emailing help@engr.colostate.edu . When you submit this ticket, please include the following information so that we can best assess your situation:

1. Please log in to your computer (either in person or remotely) and run the command "winver" (you can do this by hitting the windows key, then type " winver " with no quotes, and run the command that appears. see the above section "An Outdated Version of Windows" for more information). Then, please send us a picture or screenshot of the box that appears. You can then log out of the computer (or remain logged in, if you wish to continue working).