FAQs: Protecting the health of your computer

Why does my computer slow down sometimes?

The most likely reason is that there are too many applications and programmes running at the same time. Usually closing down a few applications will speed things up. You may have unseen programmes, such as anti-virus software, running in the background. Check your system tray (in Windows, this is in the lower left-hand corner) to see if you have any programmes running in the background. A slow computer may also be infected with a computer virus.

Why does my computer screen go off while I'm working?

This is more likely to happen on a laptop but is still possible on a desktop computer. It's largely due to your energy-saving settings. Change your 'System standby' setting, under 'Power options' in the Windows Control Panel, to 'Never' if this is a problem.