Simple step by step (for dummies) for fixing my computer w/ lots of problems......?

Question

Runs extremely slow!!! Takes up to 5 min to open/close window. Also get lots of pop-up from like "movie tickets" "great jobs" "online singles" "win $5,000 a week for life", LOTS from WinAntiVirus & Win Int Exp "if comp running slower than normal, download WinAntiVirus Pro FREE" Also control, alt, delete woun't work. People have gave me some suggestions, but some are too complicated to follow?! (for me!) I've tried using foxfire instead of Windows IE, I tried system restore, I tried running Cox (cable provider) antivirus scans, ad-adware personal scans, etc..... What can I do to make it run like it used to & stop all these pop-up windows that take forever to close!!! If you suggest downloading a program, let me know if it's safe to use w/ ad-adware personal & my cox cable internet security suite (free antivirus program from cable/internet provider)

Answer 1

Insert windows CD ROM, restart the computer, wait until it says "press any key to boot from CD", press a key. Delete all partitions, create a new one, install windows on that partition. You'll have to follow the directions.

Or the short answer: REFORMAT

Answer 2

Before you reinstall Windows, try some less-drastic measures that I have listed below:
Step One: Download and use spybot search and destroy. This is a free spyware removal tool that I use and like.
Step two: Download and use ad-aware se. This is another free spyware tool. If you use this with spybot, you will catch just about any spyware.
Step three: Download site advisor. This is a really cool program that tells how safe a site is before you go there, and if it has things like spyware.
Step four: Get a quality antivirus program and scan your computer at least once per week.
Step five: Run disk cleanup. To do this, click start>control panel>performance and maintenance, then click the sentence that says "Clean up space on your hard drive."
Step six: Defragment your hard drive. This will speed up how long it takes to access information on your hard drive. To defrag your hard drive, click start>control panel>performance and maintenance>"Rearrange programs on your hard disk to make programs run faster."
Step seven: Download yahoo tool bar. This has a pop-up blocker that works pretty well. If a popup does get by, close it by clicking the "x" in the upper right corner. Do not click "close", because this can be rigged up to trigger a spyware/virus download.
Step eight: Click start>run, and type "msconfig" (without the quotes). Click the tab that says "startup". This brings up a list of programs that start up when Windows starts. Look through and see what programs are listed. If you are absolutely sure of what the program is, you can uncheck it so it doesn't start automatically. This will help Windows boot up faster. But be careful, if you don't know what the program is, leave it alone, you could damage Windows and have to reinstall it. But programs like msmsg (Microsoft Messenger) can be turned off.
Step nine: If your computer is still running slow, it's probably time for more RAM. Just take your computer in to any electronics store and they can set you up with some new memory for really cheap.
Step ten: If you have installed new RAM, and things are still slow, just go all out and reinstall Windows. Back up your important information, and dig up your windows disk. Put the disk in the computer, and reboot. From there, just follow what is says on the screen. But try getting RAM first, because even if you end up reinstalling Windows, more RAM never hurts anyway.

Answer 3

When a computer has that much spyware on it, and probably some trogans to go with it, it's usually best to back up the files you want to keep and go find your restore CD or a clean copy of Windows XP.

If you don't want to do that, I recommend downloading Spybot Search and Destroy, and Ad-aware. Run both products. Fix everything that they suggest should be fixed. I've placed links to the programs in the references section.

You may want to turn off your antivirus program while running those because that will just slow things down as the scanner searches the machine, but it's not absolutely necessary.

In future if a popup comes up and suggests that you need to scan for spyware, or that your computer is slow and that you should download their application to make it run better. Close them and ignore them. They're usually just more spyware programs. The two programs I've put on here are free and do not contain more spyware.

Answer 4

The first thing I would do is go to add/remove programs and uninstall anything you don't recognize the name of. (won't hurt your computer because nothing of importance is listed there.) If you don't know what it is then you probably don't need it, and could be a program that is causing pop ups. Next is follow these step by step instructions

Click Start
Click Run
Type msconfig
Click the start up Tab
Click disable all

After the computer restarts it will show you a message and you can just check the box so it won't show it anymore.

Now that will stop everything that starts up with your computer from starting when the computer comes on. If you need a program to start up with the computer (anti virus) then just check the box next to its name and it will start up with your computer.

Other programs like instant messengers that boot up with the computer I would stop just because it makes it go slower, and you can just start the program yourself if you want to use it. Also if you visit any websites for free screen savers, or free anything pretty much... well I would reccommend stopping or being really careful what you click. Nearly every free program you can find will spam your computer with the exception of Ad-aware. I hope this helps a little, but your best bet would be to have Windows Reinstalled, and not restored, but reinstalled to where everything gets erased and you start over because adware and spyware can get pretty impossible to remove.

Answer 5

Step 1: Find someone who isn't a dummy
Step 2: If you did 1 correctly, offer to pay them to fix your computer.

Answer 6

I wish they would give some attention to 360, if they are going to keep it. My page has not worked right since Christmas. I can't post page comments, blog comments, or send messages consistently to my 360 friends, and some days I cannot receive any communication from them either. A lot of 360 users have left for Multiply.

Answer 7

Buy a program called System Mechanic by a company called iolo. It'll find problems, fix them, and leave you with a faster computer. As for pop-ups, you need to read up on free popup blockers to see which ones work.

Answer 8

Sounds like you have some pretty serious viruses and AdWare in there. You may need to take it somewhere and let a pro baby it back. How old is the puter? It may be better to just buy a new one if it is several years old. If it's fairly new then get it fixed and buy a very good anti-virus program like McAfee or Norton's. The free stuff is well.....free, so you get what you pay for.

Answer 9

a big part of the problem, you must understand, is your online habits. unless you change those, ie: stop downloading " cool free stuff " and stay off of some of the sites you have been visiting, your box will always have probs. in the mean time, analog x ( google it ) has a GOOD popup blocker called "powi". it is free, easy to use, and works with any system config. it takes a bit to set up ( it has to "learn" so do you). there is a book in pdf format called " cleaning windows for dummies ". if you cannot find it, contact me and i will send you a copy. remember this tho, it is not a good idea to download from strangers, and always, always, always virus csan EVERYTHING you download!! no matter who you get it from!! good luck , and if you need some further help, just ask:)

Answer 10

I have a similar problem going on with my computer as I write this ... my husband is a 'computer professional' and he's going to get me a new hard drive, and we are going to 'very carefully' scan EVERY PROGRAM we put onto it, to BE SURE that NOTHING BAD is on it. I may actually get two hard drives ... one for 'strictly Internet' and one for all of the 'regular programming' I use ... because this is really 'upsetting me' and I am sure it is you ... you could try 'reformatting' your computer (which will give you a 'blank hard drive' to start with, but you'll have to 'download' all of your programs from somewhere, and if you don't already have those disks, I wouldn't 'download' them onto disks from your 'infected' machine, or you'll just 'reinfect it' when you start it up again ...