My computer functions very slow What should I do?

Question

My computer details as follows:-
Intell Pentium III Processor 799 MHz. 256MB of RAM
Microsoft Windows XP Professional.Version 2002, Service Pack 2.

Answer 1

256mb of ram is the minimum XP will run...you need more ram. At least 512 if not more. But with that processor I would suggest you consider getting a new system.

I've put xp pro on a couple old 800mhz systems with 256mb ram and they were horribly slow. Installed a second 256 stick to up the ram to 512 and it was tolerable but still slow.

Answer 2

Upgrading to 512mb ram will give ur system a boost. Also ur processor is not that high so ur operating system may be taxing.
U can try upgrading ur cable to ulta dma cable to get an extra boost of speed ......not alot doh. Also scan for viruses, spyware and malware since these can also slow down ur computer. Defragmenting ur computer can also help to speed it up a bit. Try to unistall unessessary programs. Also programs that startup when the computer starts can also slow down the computer. U can edit unessessary programs from ur startup menu in the programs menu inn the start menu or type "msconfig" in run. then go to startup and uncheck unessary startup files and registries. Next u can delete all ur temp files, by running diskcleanup. Then u also need to clean up ur registry for false and useless entries. therefore u can use a free program call ccleaner to clean both ur registry and temp files. If this doesn't work then u can either backup and reinstall ur windows so everything is fresh again, however a hardware upgrade will greatly improve ur computer performance.

Answer 3

those specs are not that great for todays OS's and applications
i would recommend getting a whole new system
however there are couple of things you can do to improve performance
1st i would get more RAM 256 is being used up pretty much by your OS alone i would go up to at least 512mb minimum personally i would go to 1gb
and then there is something called disk defragmenting
that organizes all the files on your pc to make it run smoother
do this by right clicking on your c: and choose properties
then choose the tools tab
then disk defrag
the defrag will help a little the RAM will help alot
but over all you need a new pc

Answer 4

In this order:

delete temporary internet files
virus scan and spyware scan
defrag
install more memory

The first 3 are free. Lavasoft distributes AdAware, a free adware and spyware tool.

The last will depend on how much memory you want, and the make and model of your system. Memory4all is a good place to start to searching for memory.

Answer 5

Try deleting old and unwanted files. These take up a lot of space. Also, uninstall any old programs that you either don't use or are simply not use- my rule is if I haven't used it in 6 months, it goes.
You may also find you are better off if you use different formats of file for pictures and internet stuff- ,jpeg files are memory sappers as are rich text formats.
Also defragment and virus scan your hard disk for viruses, corrupt files and general rubbish.

Answer 6

See if you can upgrade to 512 mb RAM. Clean the case and fans while you've got it open.
Uninstall any programs you no longer use, and defragment the hard drive from Start - programs - accessories - system tools - disc defragmenter. Leave the pc alone while it runs.
Turn off System Restore while you scan for malware, if you have any malware then it will re-install itself from there. Start - programs - accessories - system tools - system restore.
Run Ewido and Ad-Aware SE Personal in Safe Mode.
To get into safe mode, repeatedly press the F8 key after the bios screen loads but before Windows loads, if you don't manage it first time just restart and try again.
Safe mode looks very different and not all your programs will load but don't worry, its supposed to do that. The screen will run at 800 x 600. The scans will take a bit longer so just leave it to get on with it.

The Windows firewall doesn't stop malware on your pc from dialling out. Either of these firewalls are free for personal use and stop unwanted incoming and outgoing traffic. You choose which programs are allowed to access the internet. They are both fairly easy to use and updated regularly.
http://www.zonelabs.com Zone Alarm firewall
http://www.kerio.com Kerio firewall

Shields Up security site, check your firewall works
https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

http://www.mozilla.com/ Firefox web browser
http://www.opera.com/ Opera web browser
Instal both these web browsers, turn off javascript on one and use that browser for vising unknown websites. They don't support Active X so thats one less way for problems to get on your pc.

Winpatrol is a handy utility that tracks cookies on your pc and stops unwanted changes to your startup folder.
http://www.winpatrol.com

Spywareblaster works with Internet Explorer. It won't uninstall spyware that is already on your pc, but it will prevent hijacks and other malicious changes to
I.E.
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

The best antispyware is Spyware Doctor
http://www.pctools.com The free version will give you the file name and location so you can get help removing them without having to pay.

http://www.download.com/HijackThis/3000-8022_4-10379544.html

http://www.grisoft.com/doc/30863/lng/uk/tpl/tpl01 -Ewido anti trojan

Ad-Aware SE Personal anti adware
http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/

Spybot Search and Destroy anti spyware
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

http://www.avast.com Avast Antivirus

http://www.bitdefender.com -BitDefender can be used as a second, on demand anti virus.

http://www.ccleaner.com Cr*pcleaner Registry cleaner and privacy tool

Microsoft have two free online scanners that look for malware.
http://safety.live.com/site/en-US/default.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx
You can also download Microsofts free Windows Defender from the official Microsoft site, and the Malicious Software Removal Tool.

Remember to update and run all of you anti malware programs at least once a week. Windows will slow down over time, it may be time for a clean install.

Answer 7

I'm not surprised it's slow, i think mine's three time the processor and double the ram and mine has trouble with lots of things. Especially games. Might be worth looking at investing in a new model or upgrading RAM etc. etc.

Answer 8

It could be the system. An internet upgrade should do it. Plus, do a cleaning scan on it to make sure that there aren't any viruses or unwanted material.

Answer 9

klik start>run>type in "msconfig" without quotes, klik startup panel, uncheck everything, restart, get C Cleaner, Tweaknow Registry Cleaner, Adaware, and AVG Free Antivirus all free from download.com. install and run them, delete ALL the crap, reboot, defrag, done! Sharp as ever.

Answer 10

it means u have taken up to much space of if u got LimeWire it is slowin it down or u have a virus the best bet is to delete the stuff u dont need of the computer