my laptop is running really slow. i have a Compaq Presario 2100. i checked the hard drive and i have about 22 gigs left in that. i did the disk clean up, i even did that windows tweaking program to make it start faster yet it is still really slow. internet explorer takes forever to start too. i am on a really LOW BUDGET so i dont have much money to buy programs for it.... please help!!
2006-10-29 02:45:06 · 9 answers · asked by James D 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
Memory is the most practical hardware upgrade you can do, but if that's beyond your budget, there are several things you can do at essentially no cost.
You haven't really cleaned your disk until you run Ccleaner. Uncheck the boxes if you want to save cookies or history.
Get Mike Lin's startup control panel, it shows you all the programs that are starting up with your computer, and easily lets you prevent them from starting. All you really need is your antivirus software, everything else can wait.
The best antispyware software is free. Download both Ad-Aware and Spybot, keep them updated, and run them regularly.
You didn't say what version of Windows you have, or what antivirus software you are using.
If you are running WinXP, investigate Comodo. If you have Win2K or Win98, check out BitDefender.
2006-10-29 03:01:30 · answer #1 · answered by Computer Guy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How much RAM does the laptop have? What is the processor speed?
Simple ways to make your computer run faster:
www.ccleaner.com (Fix invalid registry freeware)
Increase your laptop paging file size:
Right click My computer-> properties-> Advance-> Preformance option-> (Setting) And you can increase the paging file size. What is your current paging file size? I would recomend 600-900 or 800-1000 (might need to restart) since its running "very slow" registry size 64MB or 32MB
Norton System Works uses alot of system resources, You can switch to AVG, Antivir,Avast virus scanner or for firewalls you can use Zone Alarm, There are a few others out there, just ask if there a legit and easy to use firewall. I cant remember the rest right now.
2006-10-29 10:57:29 · answer #2 · answered by Explorer.exe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try "Disk Defrag" (Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter) and "Disk Cleanup" (Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Cleanup). I would also recommend a RAM upgrade. You should be able to get it done for less than $100 at your local shop (I'm not sure of the exact price but I had to get a new hard drive put in my HP notebook 2 weeks ago and it was $96 so I figured a RAM upgrade shouldn't be any more than that).
2006-10-29 10:49:19 · answer #3 · answered by Greg M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try a couple of things. Run windows defrag. Start>programs>Accessories>System tools>disk defragmentor.
Also try downloading a free adware/spyware cleanup program such spybot S&D to get any of that stuff off your computer. That can slow it down a alot. (www.safer-networking.org/)
2006-10-29 10:51:25 · answer #4 · answered by coymelancon 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
windows tweaking? you dont mean msconfig? bad bad bad!!!!
go in and set it to do normal startup
then restart then start,all programs,startup and delete everything in the folder turn off your messengers from starting on startup
then right click my computer ,properties,advanced,advanced
virtural memory type in 1024 high and low click set apply ok and restart computer then do disk cleanup and disk defrag
2006-10-29 10:50:24 · answer #5 · answered by spankdis 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
check for viruses and spyware, good scanners are spybot search and destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/
lavasoft adaware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php
Another good program that's free is called CCleaner. This cleans out a lot of stuff that isn't needed or used, like temp internet files and such.
http://www.ccleaner.com/download/
if you need a good free antivirus get this
AVG
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5
2006-10-29 10:55:28 · answer #6 · answered by Adam F 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
try ccleaner.com it will get rid of alot of un necessary stuff you can also turn off a lot of stuff at start up that you dont need it made my laptop faster..plus its free..
2006-10-29 10:56:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
scan for spyware and viruses remove any un-nessary programs from start up and if you can afford it get some more ram
2006-10-29 10:48:11 · answer #8 · answered by Mieog 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
clear your history
That will Surely help
2006-10-29 10:47:31 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋