My Windows 10 Desktop Suddenly Slowed Down

Question

Hello,

My computer basically slowed down overnight!

It was perfectly fine and now it's slow on boot up AND when opening applications.

B450 Motherboard, 32GB RAM, Graphics Card: AMD Radeon RX 570 8GB, Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.9GHz 12-Core

My boot drive is a 480GB SSD (2TB HDD) - I did notice that my boot drive capacity was in the red (probably hit the red the last night that speed was good).

I deleted items so that I had 80GB free space again and ran a disk clean up and some cmd's (chkdsk and also sfc /scannow)

Computer is still slow.

Any ideas?

Ive checked start up programs and there's nothing there to cause this issue

Answer 1

Hi Gavin,

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

I'm Hahn and I'm here to help you with your concern.

I'm sorry to hear that your Windows 10 desktop suddenly slowed down. There could be various reasons for this sudden performance drop. Let's go through some troubleshooting steps to help identify and resolve the issue:

1. Check Task Manager: Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and go to the "Processes" tab. Check if any process is using a significant amount of CPU or memory resources. It might help you identify which application or process is causing the slowdown.
2. **Check Disk Usage: In Task Manager, check the disk usage percentage. If it's consistently high (near 100%), it could be a sign that your drive is struggling to keep up with the system demands.

3. Update Drivers: Ensure that all your drivers are up to date, especially the graphics card and chipset drivers. Outdated drivers can sometimes cause performance issues.

4. Check Storage Health: It's good that you freed up some space on your boot drive, but it's also essential to check the health of your SSD. Some SSDs come with their management software that allows you to check the drive's health. Alternatively, you can use third-party tools.

5. Disable Unnecessary Startup Programs: Even though you checked startup programs, double-check for any newly added applications that might be running on startup and hogging system resources.

6. Check for Background Applications: Sometimes, certain applications might run in the background without your knowledge. Check the system tray (bottom right corner of the taskbar) for any such apps and close them if not required.
7. Check System Temperature: High system temperatures can lead to throttling and reduced performance.

8. Check Event Viewer: Open Event Viewer (search for it in the Start menu) and look for any critical or error messages around the time your computer started slowing down. These messages might provide clues about the underlying issue.

9. Check for viruses and malware, and remove them. Viruses and malware can infect your PC and slow it down. You can use Windows Defender to scan your system and remove any threats. 

Improve my PC performance in Windows 10 - Microsoft Support

Tips to improve PC performance in Windows - Microsoft Support

Remember to back up your important data before attempting any major changes to your system. Good luck, and I hope you can get your system running smoothly again!

If there is anything not clear, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Your Sincerely

Hahn - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 2

Again, thank you for the help!

I was able to clean install Windows 10, but unfortunately the issue persists.

Very slow to do anything (open programs, browser etc).

EDIT: Found the problem!
I installed Windows on my HDD instead and it's back to normal speed again!

So clearly the SSD I was using as my boot drive was the problem?
Why didn't this come up in any of the test I ran though?

Particularly the CHKDSK cmd...

Answer 3

Hi Gavin,

It seems like you're encountering issues with the installation of Windows 10 due to the partition table format on your drive. Let's try to break down the problem and find a solution:

1. MBR vs. GPT:

MBR (Master Boot Record) and GPT (GUID Partition Table) are two different partitioning schemes used for hard drives. MBR is the older format and has limitations compared to GPT, such as a maximum partition size of 2TB and support for only four primary partitions. GPT, on the other hand, is more modern, allows for larger partition sizes, and can have many more partitions.

2. Windows 10 and MBR/GPT:

Starting with Windows 8, and continuing with Windows 10, Microsoft recommends using GPT for the boot drive, especially on newer systems with UEFI firmware. UEFI is the modern successor to the older BIOS system and requires GPT to boot Windows. If Windows was installed on this drive before, it's possible it was installed using the older BIOS/MBR configuration, but now you are trying to install it on a system that requires UEFI/GPT.

Now, let's proceed with the steps to resolve the issue:

1. Check BIOS/UEFI Settings:

Make sure your computer is set to boot in UEFI mode and not Legacy/BIOS mode. You can usually access the BIOS/UEFI settings by pressing a specific key (like Del, F2, F12) during the boot process. Look for an option related to boot mode (UEFI/Legacy) and set it to UEFI.

2. Convert the USB Flash Drive to GPT:

Since the flash drive is the installation media, you'll need to convert it to GPT so that it can be recognized by the UEFI system. To do this, follow these steps:

• Before proceeding, make sure you've backed up any important data from the flash drive, as converting will erase all data on it.
• Connect the flash drive to a Windows computer (if you can access one).
• Open "Disk Management" (you can search for it in the Start menu).
• Locate your flash drive in the list of disks at the bottom of the window. It should be easy to identify by its size.
• Right-click on each partition on the flash drive (if there are multiple) and select "Delete Volume" for each one. This will remove all existing partitions from the flash drive.
• Once the flash drive is empty (unallocated space), right-click on it again and select "Convert to GPT Disk."

3. Format the Flash Drive:

After converting the flash drive to GPT, you need to format it before creating a bootable USB. To do this:

• Right-click on the unallocated space of the flash drive.
• Select "New Simple Volume" and follow the wizard to format the drive with a file system (usually NTFS) and give it a name.

4. Create Bootable USB (Again):

Now that your flash drive is in the correct format (GPT) and has been formatted, you can create a bootable USB using the Windows Media Creation Tool.

5. Install Windows 10:

With the newly created bootable USB, try installing Windows 10 again. Remember to boot from the USB in UEFI mode.

6. HDD Installation:

If you still encounter issues installing on the SSD, you can try installing Windows on the HDD instead. However, keep in mind that the installation on the HDD will also be in GPT format.

7. Hard Drive Partitioning During Installation:

If you choose to install Windows on the HDD and encounter the "We couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one" error, it's likely due to existing partitions on the HDD. During the installation process, you can delete all existing partitions on the HDD and then proceed with the installation.

Remember to back up important data before making any changes to your drives.

Your Sincerely

Hahn - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 4

Thank you for the reply.

I have ran through all those steps regardless of whether I carried them out before and I'm still seeing significant slowdown.

I have noticed that during this restart after carrying out the above steps, I was brought to my BIOS.

This is the second time in since the slow down that I have been brought to BIOS on start up - not sure if this helps diagnose.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, the virus/malware scan usually takes 30mins or less, now it's taking 2.5hrs or more

Answer 5

Hi Gavin,

If you've gone through all the troubleshooting steps and the computer is still experiencing significant slowdowns, the issue may be hardware-related. The fact that your system is occasionally booting into the BIOS on startup could indicate potential hardware problems. Here are some additional steps you can take to further diagnose the issue:

1. Check Hardware Connections: Make sure all the hardware components, such as RAM, GPU, and storage drives, are properly seated in their respective slots. Sometimes, loose connections can cause performance issues.
2. Run a Memory Test: Use Windows Memory Diagnostic to check the integrity of your RAM. Faulty RAM can lead to various system problems, including slowdowns.
3. Check Drive Health: Use manufacturer-specific tools or third-party software to check the health of your SSD and HDD. Look for any signs of potential failure or issues with the storage drives.
4. Check Power Supply Unit (PSU): A failing or insufficient power supply can cause unstable system behavior. If you have a spare PSU or access to one, try using it to see if the issue persists.
5. Boot with Minimal Hardware: Try booting the system with the bare minimum hardware required for it to run (CPU, one RAM stick, boot drive, and integrated graphics if available). This will help rule out faulty hardware components.
6. Check Event Viewer for Hardware Errors: Open Event Viewer again and look specifically for hardware-related errors or warnings that might provide more insight into the issue.
7. Test in Safe Mode: Boot the system into Safe Mode and observe its performance. If the slowdown is less pronounced in Safe Mode, it could indicate a problem with a recently installed driver or software. Start your PC in safe mode in Windows - Microsoft Support

Lastly, since you mentioned the malware scan is taking significantly longer than usual, it could also indicate potential malware activity or a malfunctioning drive.

If you've exhausted all software and hardware troubleshooting steps and the issue persists, it might be best to take your computer to the manufacturer's support for further assistance. They can conduct more in-depth hardware diagnostics and pinpoint the root cause of the problem.

If there is anything not clear, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Your Sincerely

Hahn - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist