A common cause of slow computer launch is having too many applications automatically launching in the background. You see, over time, most people tend to load more and more applications onto their computers. Many of these applications are set to automatically launch at startup. The result: it take longer for things to get going, since your computer has to load all of those applications before it gets started.

This entire process is largely invisible and so hard to detect without knowing exactly what to look for.2. Delays, or lag time, in reactions to common commands:Just like an aging athlete who is not as quick on his or her feet as when they were in their prime, a computer's response or reaction times can slow with time. For example, you may notice an almost imperceptible lag time after you move your mouse or type a character with your keyboard.

If you are a fast bent bolt typist or handy with your mouse, these little delays can add up to a big annoyance when you are trying to get something done in a speedy manner.Such delays can be due, in part, to having outdated hardware that is under-powered in terms of handling your favorite applications.

Over time, newer applications (programs) require more memory and processing power in order to run. And, they also require more out of your hard drive in order to load or save changes to files.3.