You can also add more memory, this will help speed things up as well.
I'll also suggest using FireFox as your main/default browser, Internet Explorer is a spyware magnet, don't use it unless it's absolutely necessary.
Get FireFox here................
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
2007-02-17 06:56:00
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answer #1
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answered by Abstract 5
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Here's are my suggestions:
A major cause of slow PC's is fragmentation of the hard drive.
You need to defragment the HD at least once a week if not more depending on how much you use your computer, and what you do with it.
One way is to use the defragment utility built into Windows XP. It is slow but does the job rather well. Go to:
Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools and then click on System Defrag to run the tool. It may take several hours, so let it run overnight or simply walk away from your PC for a few hours.
A great program for defragging automatically is Diskeeper. It costs $30 but is well worth it. Go to http://www.download.com and search for Diskeeper. Read the Publishers Description and the Editor and User reviews. It can be scheduled to run automatically as the program deems necessary, and if you are using your PC and the program launches itself, it will take a backseat to whatever you are doing and give you the priority for CPU usage. I think you'll agree it's a good program to have. It precludes your needing to remember to defrag at regular intervals.
Another major cause of a slow PC is programs that are running in the background. Here's another really good Microsoft tool. It’s called Autoruns and it was written by SysInternals who were recently bought up by Microsoft.
Before you download the program create a folder under program files called Autoruns. Leave Windows Explore open.
Launch Internet Explored and go to the following Microsoft web page.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/autoruns.mspx
Go to the bottom of the page and download the Autoruns program. After it downloads open the file. It is a Zip file. Unzip the file and you will see 4 files. Drag and drop those 4 files to the Autoruns folder you created under Program Files.
Once you have the 4 files in the C:\Program Files\Autoruns folder you can double click on the file titled “autoruns”.
This will bring up a window with several tabs at the top. Click on the “Logon” tab. It will list the programs that are running on your PC and eating up resources. Look them over carefully and turn off any that don’t absolutely have to be running. Simply click on the “check mark” in the little box beside the program name. Clicking on it will remove the check mark. Once you have edited the Startup list, click on Apply and then on OK.
NOTE: Leave items that show Windows; System 32; Program Files; etc. alone. Shutting them off may cause some things not to work.
Once you have exited the window, reboot your PC for the settings to take effect.
WARNING: Don’t go into the other tabs and start deleting things. You will probably give yourself major headaches if you do that. Stay focused on the “Logon” List only.
Another good thing to have is a little program called FreeRAM XP Pro. It is free and is available from http://www.download.com This program puts a little RAM meter on the System Tray and shows how much RAM you have remaining that you are not using at any given time. I think you may be surprised at how little RAM you have to run other programs. Also, once it is installed you can right click on the little meter, then click on RESTORE and it will open the RAM display window. You can tweak the settings so it will display your CPU usage also. Then just click “Minimize” and then “To System Tray” to return to the Task Bar.
What happens when you run out of or run real low on RAM is that the OS recognizes the low or no RAM situation and starts using a section of your hard drive as memory. This is called virtual memory, or a swap file. The PC is constantly writing and reading from your HD. Comparitively, it is a very slow process. Check your motherboard manual and determine how much RAM each slot can hold. It will also tell you what type of RAM you need. You can also go to http://www.crucial.com or http://www.4allmemory.com and run their analysis utility to determine what kind and how much RAM is installed in your PC. Depend on your MoBo manual to determine the RAM limits of each slot though.
Hope this helps
2007-02-17 07:32:22
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answer #2
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answered by Dick 7
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Best programs for a good running pc and are free the first two get all the add ware when you them one at a time. They caught a key logger first time I used them. The last one on the list is my favorite cleans all the junk files and a whole lot more .This and yahoo security suit are all I use to keep my pc happy.Defrag and scandisk also.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Ad-Aware_SE_Personal_d506.html
http://www.majorgeeks.com/SpyBot-Search_&_Destroy_Tools_d2471.html
These 2 are for addware Trojans and other nasties
http://www.ccleaner.com/download/
2007-02-17 07:32:25
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answer #3
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answered by dleemacc 4
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Update your Antivirus az frequently as you can, Refresh the desktop, and if you`ve got too many icons on the desktop, that or a bigger wallpaper can slow down your computer. Or, you can defragment your hard disk(s) (Start/Programs/Accesories/System tools/ Disk defragmenter) .
2007-02-17 06:55:46
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answer #4
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answered by Robi 3
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Well you could run a distribution of the Linux operating system.... but if you like your Windows based system then I recommend running a registry cleaner, anti-spyware scan, anti-virus scan, defragment the hard drive, if hard drive is getting really full un-install programs you no longer use and delete files you no longer need.
An exellent freeware registry cleaner. (rule of thumb. If its marked "red" don't delete it, if its marked "green" safe to get rid of.)
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/RegSeeker/1035382760/1
Anti-Virus -
AVG Anti-Virus free home edition
(they also offer a free anti-spyware program)
http://free.grisoft.com
Anti-spyware apps.
I love AVG's free anti-virus but I prefer these two anti-spyware apps)
Spybot Search and distroy - (freeware)
http://www.spybot.org
Adware Personal Edition (free version)
http://www.lavasoft.com
2007-02-17 08:41:25
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answer #5
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answered by devlin 3
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Use an antivirus,
use an antispyware,
Use scandisk ( checkdisk ),
Use Defrag ( for windows ),
Remove old programs that you do not use,
Clear the disk by using the clear disk utility tool ( if you use windows )
Good luck
2007-02-17 07:00:31
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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Make sure you are running anti-virus and anti spyware scans periodically.
Also, defragment your hard drive every now and then.
2007-02-17 06:53:57
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answer #7
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answered by Amanda H 6
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um if you use microsoft windows then you shud do defrags, virus scans (id recomend esets nod32), spyware scans (id recomend spybot), and also registry tuneup/cleanup (tuneup utilities)....i would also recomend running some of pcpitstops tests
2007-02-17 06:58:40
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answer #8
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answered by scotty 2
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http://www.colby-sawyer.edu/information/technology/updates/slowcomputer.html
This is a complete guide to slow computers.
have a nice day!
2007-02-17 06:55:54
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answer #9
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answered by Anonymous
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