how do i clean out my computer system so that it doesn't run slow?

Question

i have an hp windows 2000 computer and it keeps on running slow. i want to clean the system of everything to fix this problem, but i dont know how. i need some help.

Answer 1

I have listed an excellent link that will assist you.

Good Luck.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic44692.html

Answer 2

First, back up the system. The tools to clean up your system always have a chance of breaking something, so you need a backup to return to.

Then, manually clean out files you don't want/need anymore.
Run virus and spyware scans to clean out any malware that may be slowing things down.

Finally, defragment your hard drive. Assuming you're running Windows XP, here's how to do it:
open "my computer"
right click on the icon for your hard drive
select "properties"
select the "tools" tab
(here is where you can find some backup options as well)
click the "Defragment now..." button
follow the instructions there.

These steps should deal with most of your computer cleaning needs.

You can also physically clean your computer with a can of compressed air.

Answer 3

The most thorough way is to back up all needed data files to a flash drive or another computer, then wipe the hard drive clean and do a fresh installation of windows. Then, only reinstall software you need.

If this is too drastic for you, you can download CleanUp! 4.0 and have it clean your pc of unneeded files. Uninstall all programs you don't use. Run (Start/Run) msconfig and go to the Startup tab and uncheck all programs you don't absolutely need starting up every time Windows loads.
Boot into safe mode and Defrag.

Answer 4

Here is my checklist which I adhere to regularly:

Overloading Memory (RAM)
1. Set wallpaper and screensavers to blank or none — they run continuously in the background and use memory.
-----right-click on the desktop, select Properties
-----click the screensaver tab, on the left where it says "screensaver," select none.
-----click the desktop tab, for background, select none
2. Review your start menu – remove anything you don’t need on a daily basis — load games, etc. on an as-needed basis.
-----click Start, Settings, Taskbar and Start Menu
-----click the Start Menu tab
-----select a program you do not want to load at Startup, then click remove.
-----Caution -- do not touch anything you are not sure of or you will mess up your computer royally.
3. From Internet Explorer, click Tools, Internet Options: delete cookies, delete files (offline), and clear history. (You can also set days to store history to 0.)
----- These actions will clear your computer’s cache. (For a description of cache, go to http://help.yahoo.com/l/ph/yahoo/mail/access/access-27210.html )
4. Run Disk Cleanup, Scandisk, Defrag at least every two weeks (the more frequently they are run, the less time they take).
-----These can be found in Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools.
5. Periodically, click Start, Programs, Run — then type ipconfig renew
(that’s ipconfig space renew).
6. Optional: Speed vs Goodies — in the Control Panel, System, Advanced, Performance, Settings — you can have visual effects or let Windows select the best options. I am using “Best Performance.” Your choice.
These things should increase speed and free up memory as much as possible.

It will also help if you download two free programs: Ad-aware and Spybot .

***********************************
Top 10 Causes of a Slow or Freezing PC
Source: http://pctuneuptips.com/tips/slow_pc/
**********************************

Spring Cleaning Help from Microsoft
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HA100970121033.aspx?pid=CH011085921033

Answer 5

Using a registry cleaner can fix your computer and then make your computer faster,Why?the reason is that there may be some regsitry errors and remnant,corrupt files and temp files in your computer to cause "computer slow".
Everytime you install and uninstall software on your computer and surfing online you create junk in the computer registry.over time, the registry can grow to enormous proportions, especially if the various programs you've installed do not do a good job of deleting and/or updating it's Registry entries.You need to scan and clean your computer with registry cleaner to make it fast.Good Regisry Cleaner will improve your computer and Internet performance dramatically!It even can speed up your computer by 300% or more!
There are some comparison and review of TOP 5 registry cleaners.
http://www.computer-speed.info/
You can download and scan your computer for free.

Answer 6

Try pc booster: http://www.pc-booster.info
It contains all the secrets to speeding up and optimizing your PC, without spending a single $ on hardware. It turbo-charges your PC to make it much more stable by preventing system inefficiencies that cause crashes, lockups and slowdowns of your computer. By running PC Booster's Auto Tune, you'll be left with a faster and more responsive system that is less prone to crashes and fatal error messages. So you have no more troubles running important programs or memory consuming multimedia or Internet applications.
pc booster: http://www.pc-booster.info

Answer 7

if you really want to start all over you can put in your windows disk, boot from that cd and reformat your hard drive to eliminate all but windows files on your computer. But to increase speed you can go to the store and get memory for your computer that should show drastic improvement.

Answer 8

Run disk cleanup
Run disk defrag
Run a scan with your spyware/adware programs (you should have between 2-3)
Run a scan with your virus protection program.

Answer 9

Got quite a few things you can do:

Disk Cleanup
Registry Cleaner
Registry compactor/repair
Disk Defragmenter
Spybot treatment
Virus scans
Firewall scans

These may sound difficult but they aren't. Let me know if you need help.

[e-mail]

Answer 10

Download a registry cleaner such as Regcure to speep up your computer.