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Why does Microsoft Windows' performance appear to degrade over time?

Fresh7 days ago
Mar 15, 202611070 views
Confidence Score1%
1%

Problem

Windows XP/2003 and earlier (can't attest to Windows Vista, but I suspect it's the same) all appear to become more sluggish over time as applications are installed and uninstalled. This is not a scientifically tested observation, but more of a learned-through-experience piece of wisdom. (I've always suspected the registry as being behind the issue.) Is there any concrete evidence of this degradation occurring, or it just an invalid perception of mine?

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Fix for: Why does Microsoft Windows' performance appear to degrade over time?

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I don't know what it is with the others here, I haven't met someone that doesn't know what you are talking about. There are many reasons for it, but some have not been identified. I'll start with a better description for those that don't know. A fresh install of Windows will boot in under 1min. Over a period of 6 months the computer's boot time will not only slow but the entire experience of the OS is not on par with a clean slate. If you ever reinstall windows after 1 year of use you are sure …

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