slow computer

[tara holmstrom]

could anyone give me a heads up on my first steps in speeding up my computer and what to use???

[kroozer]

For beginners you should free up space by uninstalling programs etc you don't use.

 

Then defrag disk with Defraggler-Slim.

[Tr3bg0D]

Memory/Processor/OS combination also have a lot to do with it.

[Winapp2.ini]

Could you use speccy to post your computers information? Sometimes, it's simply time to purchase a new computer.

[hazelnut]

What operating system do you have, XP Vista or windows 7?

 

First thing I would do is to make sure all virus/malware scans are up to date and clean.

 

Then I would check what things are running at startup. After that run ccleaner and clear out the temp files etc.

 

Main thing we need to know really is your operating system and how old your machine is.

[DennisD]

Hi tara.

 

All the above, but if you not sure and need to ask any basic "how to" questions, don't be afraid to ask.

 

Welcome to the forum by the way.

[Super Fast]

could anyone give me a heads up on my first steps in speeding up my computer and what to use???

 

 

Computer have 2 things that slow them down. Hardware & software.

 

Hardware:

 

1) RAM > Update this if you have less than 1 GB, or all of it is in use. HDD are 1,000 times slower than RAM, so you don't want to run out.

2) Harddisk > Slow drives (5,400 RPM or less) can be doubled in speed by going to 7,200 RPM pretty reasonably. SSD are expensive.

3) No 2D/3D acceleration > A good video card can speed up gaming/video operations in programs or on the web.

4) Processor > Older, slower processors can bog a system down. New motherboard can fix this.

5) Dust > Computers run verrrrry slow if a lot of dust blocks cooling fans on the CPU/Video Card/Cooling case, etc. Blow the dust out.

 

Software:

 

1) Full HDD > Run CCleaner, & uninstall programs no longer needed. Move music/pics/documents to external backup drive to save space.

2) Heavy file fragmentation> Run Defraggler.

3) Spyware/malware infections > Remove the infections. If unsure how, consult a spyware mod here to help.

4) Startup items > Disable startup items in the tools section of CCleaner that you do not need.

5) BHO objects > Nirsoft Startup run is a free program that will show BHO objects & let you disable or delete them.

6) Buggy/bad/conflicting programs > Remove the conflicting programs, or set them to not autoload.

8) Drive operating in PIO mode > Under device manager, locate the PIO mode drive, uninstall driver, reboot & windows will reset it.

9) Bad/buggy drivers > Update drivers for your system, or be sure you are using the right ones for it

10) Software > Use an alternative. Firefox web browser may work faster than Internet Explorer. Or Chrome, etc.

11) Badly messed up file system or registry > Backup critical programs & files, then reload Windows.

 

There may be other things that can slow a system down, but I covered some of the top ones, along with suggested fixes.

 

Any questions? Feel free to ask.

 

* Edit > Task Manager can show you programs that hog CPU time. AVG used to hog 95% CPU after an updated definition set, years back. But newer versions do not have this problem.

[Guest TexShane]

Run ccleaner over everything (have a system restore point ready just in case)

Clean the registry with ccleaner (backup first, ccleaner will prompt you to)

 

Check your startup list, programs list, and then I would wipe the free space (and MFT) to reset it to default size.