If you have an older computer, you might feel like that computer is slower than it used to be. There are many reasons for this, so I'd like to go over a few.
First, files will not slow down your computer. If you have thousands of photos, that's ok. The only time the amount of data on your computer affects its speed is if you have nearly zero space left on your hard drive, but we're literally talking 99.99998% full, or when you have about 20MB left on a 1TB drive. So long as you have about 5-10% free space you'll be fine, but you'll want to start thinking about another way to store all that data, or clearing out some space.
With the applications on your computer, it's not about the quantity but the type, as some programs launch at startup and run in the background. These applications can be uninstalled or just set to not launch at startup, but this should be done by a professional. Some applications have to load at startup for the computer to run.
As you update programs and install new ones, keep in mind that current software will always run better on newer computers. Developers are pretty careful to make sure their software will run ok on older computers, but their applications might ask for more and more system resources.
One of the biggest reasons for slowdowns, though, is something referred to as "bit rot" or "software rot." This is the idea that as the computer is used over time, the software you use experiences slight changes in the operating system and small errors here and there. These minor issues build up and start slowing down the system as a whole. This problem is the most frustrating, because often the only solution is to completely reinstall the software. That's easy if we're just talking about Microsoft Word, but tougher when we're talking about Windows. There are ways to treat this issue, mainly by making the computer faster to combat the slowdown.
Lastly, there's the physical reasons for a computer's slowness, the two most common culprits being failing hard drives and dust. Dust can build up on heatsinks and fans inside the computer, making it harder for the computer to cool down its components. Sometimes your computer, unable to cool down, will slow down the system so that less heat is generated in the first place. Sometimes it's a good idea to take the computer outside and use some compressed air on it.
There are a number of ways to speed up an older computer, but sometimes it's best to simply replace it. Either way, call 3TG for free advice.