Slow computer tune-up in Prague, and a clear answer on whether it's worth it.
Ten minutes to open a browser, a fan that never stops, a spinning wheel that's become part of your routine. Sometimes that's a five-minute fix. Sometimes the better advice is a new laptop. You'll know which before you pay for anything.
Signs it's time for a tune-up
Most of this is fixable and cheap. A worn-out machine, which usually means a failing hard drive rather than "old age" in general, is the one case where it's better to stop spending money on it. A diagnosis tells you which situation you're actually in.
What's included in a tune-up
- Diagnosis: is it startup bloat, a nearly-full drive, a dying disk, background malware, or just years of accumulated clutter? Each has a different fix, and sometimes it's more than one of these at once.
- Startup cleanup: trimming the programs that load automatically and quietly eat memory before you've opened anything.
- Storage cleanup: clearing out temp files, old installers, duplicate downloads, and anything else safe to remove, freeing up room to breathe.
- Updates & drivers: bringing the operating system and drivers current, since outdated ones are a common, invisible slowdown.
- The verdict: if the real problem is aging hardware, you'll hear that plainly, along with what an upgrade would buy you versus a new machine.
Tune-up, or is it actually a virus?
The two get confused constantly, and it's a fair mix-up: both make a computer feel sluggish and unresponsive. The tell is usually pop-ups, browser hijacking, or antivirus getting mysteriously disabled, none of which ordinary slowness causes. If that's what you're seeing, that's a virus removal case, not a tune-up, and the diagnosis step sorts out which one you need before anything gets charged.
Not sure it's worth fixing?
Describe what it's doing and roughly how old it is. First read is free, including the "don't bother" answer if that's the right one.
What a tune-up costs
Frequently asked
Why has my computer gotten so slow?
Usually a mix of things: too many programs starting automatically, a storage drive that's nearly full, years of leftover files and browser extensions, or a drive that's on its way out. A quick diagnosis tells you which it is before anything gets fixed.
Will a tune-up delete my files or programs?
No. A tune-up cleans up what's slowing things down, it doesn't wipe the machine. That's a separate, much bigger step, and it's not what this is.
Is it worth fixing an old laptop or should I just buy a new one?
Depends what's wrong, which is what the diagnosis is for. Startup bloat and a full drive are cheap to fix. A dying hard drive on an otherwise fine laptop is often worth an upgrade instead of a new machine. Either way you'll get a clear answer, even if it means telling you not to spend the money.
How long does a tune-up take?
Most are done same day for drop-off, often within an hour or two. A remote session covers the lighter cases in 30 to 60 minutes.
How to get it sorted
- Note roughly how old the machine is and what it's doing: slow to boot, slow once open, or both. That alone narrows down the likely cause.
- Back up anything irreplaceable first if you haven't already. It's cheap insurance, whatever the diagnosis finds. Ask if you want that set up properly at the same time.
- Light cases are often sorted remotely inside the hour. Anything involving storage or hardware goes to drop-off, where you get the price confirmed before I start.
Want me to take a look?
Send a photo of the screen or a sentence about what’s happening. You’ll hear back with what it takes and roughly what it costs, and that first read is free.
Mon–Fri, 9:00–19:00 · usually a reply within a few hours