Major Computer Problem!?

Question

A few weeks ago our comp started acting up (shutting down, not responding, etc.) We usually just reformat when this happens since we need to free up space anyways. When we did that this time, our computer froze several times during the reformating process, and when we finally got windows (xp) back up, the comp still did the same things that made us reformat in the first place. Plus it seemed the comp would freeze everytime we wanted to download any security programs (we usually get adaware and spybot plus avg). Even when we did get the programs, they would then say they couldn't run. We reformat again thinking we picked up a virus before we could get security, only when we got windows back this time, it was missing almost all of the built in programs (no accessories, etc.) and we keep getting a popup directing us to download software from an obviously viral site. We've scanned it for virus' with several different programs, but found nothing. Any ideas on what this is?

To BountyJack: While I appreciate your comprehensive answer, the problem has nothing to do with the speed of the computer. It's as fast as it ever was and since the reformat, especially with the weird version of windows we have now, there are no extra frills. No adobe anything, not even solitaire. Why would windows, reformated from disk, be missing all these programs?

Answer 1

If it is this severe. I would pull thje CMOS Battery( Make sure the machine also has the power cable off/disconnected, as well)... wait a half hour, restart. Since there may be a virus or similar worm sitting in memory. You will have to reset some options after pulling the CMOS battery.
Don't boot straight into windows after you restart, get a scan disk, like Norton, and boot from the CD or a write protected floppy disc, then start from there.
There does seem to be a slight possibility of a memory sim going bad... do you have any spares to swap out as a test ?

Answer 2

1)Stomp auto-starting programs. Click Start > Run and type "msconfig" at the prompt. Click the Startup tab and look at all that junk that loads when you launch your PC. Do you really need "Adobe Reader Speed Launch"? Probably not. Turn off anything else that looks useless, but be careful not to disable Windows system components.

2) Clean up the disk. Uninstall unneeded programs (especially those that run at startup and/or put something in the system tray), run Disk Cleanup, and defragment the drive. This is a good first step that will almost always take a few seconds off boot time and application loads for any computer.

3) Run a full anti-virus and anti-spyware scan. I would recommend using AVG Free Anti-virus, AVG Anti-Spyware, Spybot, Ad-Aware.

4) Clean up the registry. This is controversial, as some experts claim registry cleaners don't really help. I've seen evidence to the contrary, so I recommend doing it if you've got a major slowdown. CCleaner is free and worth running.

5)Delete old network connections. Your computer may be trying to connect to shared hard drives that no longer exist. In Windows Explorer right-click on any network shares you don't actively use and click Delete. Under Tools, also click "Disconnect Network Drive" to see if there are any others lurking about.

Those are the easy and free things you can do. If your computer is still slow you need to move on to the bigger guns.

1) Upgrade RAM. This is the one killer trick that will make almost any computer run faster. With an older PC, you will rarely have enough RAM to run today's memory-hogging operating systems and applications, and adding a high-capacity stick or two of quality RAM will give you a quick speed boost. Adding RAM is fairly simple, even for a novice, and you should be able to do the job in 5 or 10 minutes.

2)Reinstall Windows. If the above tricks haven't helped, it may be time to wipe the slate clean and start again, reformatting your hard drive, reinstalling your applications, and restoring your data files from a backup. You'd be surprised how much more responsive a freshly reinstalled Windows system can be, as you've wiped out years of temp files, garbled registry entries, old versions of software programs that have been upgraded repeatedly, and all sorts of other electronic junk. Reinstalling is easy if you have the "recovery disk" that came with your PC, and only a bit more involved if you're using a retail copy of Windows XP. Just be sure you back up everything you want to take with you before you pull the trigger!

3)Upgrade your hard drive. This is a more complicated solution, but if you're reinstalling Windows (per the prior tip) you might consider upgrading to a bigger and possibly faster hard drive, too. Hard disk storage is a performance bottleneck on every machine, and magnetic disks degrade over time. Some performance issues could be caused by a failing hard drive, even, and upgrading to a new model could really put some zip back in your system. As a bonus, you can use the original hard drive for backups or occasional storage, if you put it in an enclosure.

Answer 3

Get a mac and you will not have these problems.