Help! Computer problems!!!!?

Question

I bought my computer about a year ago. It is running windows XP, it's a gateway. It has just over a gig of RAM.... why is it running slow? why is my sound skipping? why are my videos skipping/freezing? What can I do to get my computer running in tip top condition again? Please explain ALL tests and fixes that I can go through to fix it. I don't want to take it in and pay for someone else to do it I"d rather do it myself. PLEASE help

I've always had protection on this computer. right now I'm using ad-aware/ad-watch for spyware, windows firewall, & Virus-Scan antivirus.

Skipping/freezing of videos isnt from the internet connection because I have videos saved on my computer that don't play correctly... and I recently realized that they only don't work in WMP and they work in quicktime.... but internet videos dont work sometimes too

Answer 1

The best thing may be to back up all of your important data / files to CD or DVD and do a fresh install of Windows XP.
Caution!
Be sure that you have legal copies of all your software because it will have to be reinstalled as well.
If you don't want to be that extreme yet, definitely go to http://www.spybot.info/
and get spybot s+d and install it and run it. You will be amazed at the spyware you clean up.

Answer 2

Start, Settings, Control panel, Internet Options Delete cookies, and temporary Internet files, delete history.
Go to:
http://www.lavasoft.com
Download, Install and run Ad-Aware SE personal.
Double click My Computer and right click on Drive C and click Properties, Tools. A menu will open with 2 tools listed. Click Check now under Error checking and when the menu opens check the first option. Automatically fix file system errors. You will then be asked to Restart so Chkdsk will have control of the drive. Do that and when Chkdsk is finished, go to the second item on that menu Defrag. Click Defragment now. Now if you have never run defrag before, it may take several hours, so plan that at night. Disable the network, stop all screensavers, and other programs that run in the back ground, because any thing starting up during defrag forces it to start over.
That is just basic computer maintenance, and should be done at least once a month. These steps should make a noticeable improvement.

Answer 3

Sounds like you've got one helluva bug!

Try ctrl alt del. In the Windows Task Manager, click on the "Processes" tab. Now, slowly scroll down slowly, watching the column under "CPU" and see which Program is taking up a lot of CPU usage, which you don't know. Usually, ther "System idle" Process is the one that takes up most of the CPU Usage, unless you're running some program like an AntiVirus which will then take up most of this Usage.

If it's not the System Idle Process nor the Anti-Virus or any Process you know, but something unknown that's hogging up the CPU Usage, it's the bug!

Please remember to tick into "Show processes from all users", while you do this.

Select the unknown Process and click the "End Process" button below toward the left corner of this window.

Make a note of the name of the process before you do that, though; see if you can uninstall this program from Add/Remove Programs. If it doesn't happen, Edit it from Registry.

All the best.

Cheers.

Answer 4

Your computer is probably loaded with Spyware. You have two options.

Best option, reinstall Windows XP from scratch, Gateway should have given you a reinstall CD.

Other option, Purchase Webroot Spysweeper and run it on your computer. It will try to clean all of the spyware off.

Even if you do a reinstall, you will want to purchase Spysweeper, otherwise you will be back in the same mess.

Also make sure you have Windows update turned on,

Answer 5

There are more than 1 reason to make ur sound skipping and videos freezing. But I think u could do few things c if they work, 1st vacuum ur computer, clean out all dust stick on circuits and CPU without damaging, 2nd, delete all useless or outdated files in your computer, you should go to CONTROL PANEL and get in ADD AND REMOVES PROGRAMS to remove junky program, for the sound, u should check if all wires are connected perfectly not bitten by ur dog, power is on, if all good, go to check if ur sound card plus in properly and drive installed(u can check them all on MY COMP-PROPERTIES), look for further help if u cannot find any problem on ur comp.

Answer 6

get a spyware scanner http://www.download.com

look for Adaware Personal SE. It's free and can clean out all the spyware and malware thats slowing down your computer. Run a scan in safemode. also try defraging your harddrive

Answer 7

sounds like you have a machine with a slower processor and or you have a lot of virus/spyware infections.

the video skipping/freezing could be your internet connection

my best guess = slow processor

Answer 8

Go here and click on "Full Service Scan"

Takes a while, but it's GREAT.

http://safety.live.com/site/en-US/default.htm

Answer 9

reinstall your windows XP, and be careful at installing software.
not install too software.