All computers slow down over time – even if they’re a PC laptop, such as an Acer Aspire E15; or one of many types of gaming desktop PCs, such as a Predator. However, there is no need to worry! The problem can be fixed in a number of ways.
As of now, we’ve found 8 possible reasons why your Acer might be acting sluggish. And here are some fixes to make sure it runs at a normal speed again.
There are many reasons why your Acer PC may have been running slowly or freezing up randomly.
Depending on your computer’s specific situation, some fixes might work better than others, but we’ll show you how to do it today.
Our goal is simple – you make the decision of what needs to be fixed and the best way to do so. No need to spend unnecessary time or money when you can fix it from home without going out of your way.
Although in some cases you might need to, for example, if your Acer laptop won’t power up or Windows 10 freezes, there are ways of solving these problems.
1. Startup is slowing you down
The first time you turn on your laptop, it may become sluggish for several reasons. One of the most common reasons is that there are too many startup programs and auto-run services running simultaneously. Not only does this make for longer boot times, but it will also cause your laptop to run slower afterward as well.
How to fix it: Start up your computer and click the icon for Startup Manager. Look through this list of helpful tutorials if you are still having trouble figuring out how to use Startup Manager.
The following is a list of tutorials that will instruct you on how to manage your startup applications
- How to Manage Startup Applications in Windows 8 or 10 | How-To Geek
- 3 Ways to Prevent a Program from Starting Automatically | Indiana University Knowledge Base
- How to Change, Add, or Remove Startup Programs in Windows 7 | YouTube
Note: These methods may not be able to disable or remove certain programs or services. In this case, it would also be best to use an automated program such as CleanMyPC (via its Autorun feature) to complete these tasks.
2. You’ve got a virus or malware
Malicious software or viruses can infect Windows-based computers. This can lead to slowed down performance, such as when your Acer laptop starts running excessively slow. It may be due to malware that has been undetected for an extended period of time-consuming too many system resources (CPU, memory, etc.) Keep in mind, this could also be adware being injected into your web browser, which causes advertisements to pop up on various sites you visit and consume all of your computer’s processing power while rendering them completely useless.
How to fix it: You can find malware by scanning and removing any malicious threats lurking in your computer. You may want to start with using the built-in Windows Defender, but we recommend Bitdefender Antivirus Plus because it is more powerful and easier to use.
3. Battery problems freeze your Acer
For those of us who use an Acer laptop with a mouse pad or keyboard that often freezes up and becomes completely unresponsive, or when shutting down Windows after pressing the power button fails – there might be something wrong with the battery.
How to fix it: The first step to fixing it is to start your computer in Safe Mode. If you’re not sure how to do this, please consult Microsoft’s website for instructions. Once Device Manager is open, scroll down until you see Batteries. The entry labeled Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery can be disabled by expanding that section. Exit out of Safe Mode and try starting up your Acer again before giving up hope completely on trying another solution.
4. Your hard drive is almost full
Too many files stored on your computer will slow it down. To fix this problem, you need to clean up your hard drive so that there is enough room for the files currently stored on it. The tricky part of cleaning up a computer is finding the right amount of space for file storage – but an easy rule-of-thumb is to aim for around 20% free disk space.
How to fix it: Unfortunately, even if it sounds simple enough, there are no shortcuts or quick fixes for what you’re experiencing; which means doing this manually might be necessary. For example, search and remove duplicate files, uninstall unused applications and clear browser cache. However, if you prefer an easier solution then there is an app called CleanMyPC that will take care of everything for you.
5. Overheating lags overall performance
It’s common for computers to overheat, and it isn’t really something you need to worry about too much. However, constant overheating will cause the machine to slow down or worse-maybe even crash.
How to fix it: First, ask yourself if you often play games or use heavy applications like photo and video editing on your computer. If this is the case, try to reduce the amount of time spent doing these things as they put more stress on your CPU/GPUs than other tasks which would cause them to run hotter due to increased heat generation from processing power needed during these high-intensity tasks
If so, clean them with a soft brush to avoid damaging other parts. It may also be wise to buy a cooling mat or pad for yourself if you are using a laptop. Make sure not to put the central unit of your desktop computer in an environment with high temperatures because this can lead to crashes and hardware failure in machines more prone to overheating than others.
6. Network & web browser is dragging you down
On occasion, the slowness of your computer may not be due to an Acer error at all. Instead, it could stem from a network connection with limited bandwidth. The delay in page load times might be caused by using a cumbersome browser that takes more time than other browsers to load each page.
How to speed it up:
- Test on another computer to see if your network is fast enough. If it turns out that is the culprit, contact your Internet service provider and let them resolve the issue.
- When using your web browser, try to use fewer browser tabs, add-ons, etc. — this can slow you down dramatically if you use Firefox.
- Clear off browsing history, caches, and unnecessary extensions. It helps lighten your browser as well.
7. Outdated or failing hardware is killing it
Old hardware will tax the system more quickly when newer models are used. For example, Windows 8 has a memory requirement of at least 4 GB for it to run smoothly. A failing or fragmented hard drive also slows down old computers just as much as newer ones.
How to fix it: Fix software issues. If my laptop freezes on third-time program use, I will add more memory chips (RAM) to solve the problem. If my hard drive is too slow or becomes unreliable, I’ll just swap it out for an SSD.
Warning: when installing new hardware components, it’s highly recommended that you ask a tech-savvy friend for help — to avoid headaches. Additionally, watch this video tutorial (8 minutes long) before beginning so you can get an idea of what needs to be done first.
8. Your Acer has quality issues
It is possible for an Acer computer to be slow due to quality problems in some cases. This is especially true if your Acer laptop is new, and you don’t have many programs installed on it yet.
What to do: Call Acer customer service at once and request either a repair or replacement, depending on what kind of warranty they offer.
NOTE: Do not try installing another operating system by yourself if it is not Windows; doing so will jeopardize your chance of getting free services. For assistance, please click the link below that directs you to contact Acer Support.
What else? Share your story!
There are many methods for speeding up an Acer laptop, depending on the model specifications and other factors (age, using habits, etc.). We’ve heard time and time again that reformatting the entire Windows system is the only way to go; however, this isn’t accurate.
If you’re looking for a way to increase the processing speed of your laptop without spending too much money, replacing the standard hard drive with an SSD might be right for you.
