Why is my PC so slow????

Question

It is about 1 year old next month, runs Windows Vista, has 80GB hard drive, 768MB RAM, Intel Celeron D processor. I use the disc defragmenting program about every two weeks and use disc cleanup every 3-4 days. I don't think there are any viruses on it.i had thought about putting in even more RAM and a second hard drive and possibly even a new processor.
Can u think of anything that would make it quicker?
thanx

I would rather not change the motherboard if i can help it. And also i was on the internet the other day and it suddenly restarted by itself with no obvious reasons why.

Answer 1

If your virus/spyware free, there are a couple things you can do get your computer working faster. If you using your laptop for normal stuff and not gaming. You got a good setup. You don't need more RAM you just need to perform a few maintenance task.

Firstly, if you haven't cleaned your registry in a while. This is necessary. Your registry holds all the information regarding updates, installs, un-installs etc. Each one of those events has
a key. That key needs your PC's resources and free space. So, if you clean your registry, you make more resources available for spped. Do a registry scan if you got more than 20 errors you should clean it.

2. Clear your Windows cache files, this is your temporary file. It can grow up to a large volume and stop your computer from using RAM properly. In a sense slow it down by preventing it from using free space.Here is how:

1. Quit Internet Explorer, Firefox, or any other web browser
2. Click Start, click "Control Panel", and then double-click "Internet Options".
3. On the General tab, click "Delete Files" under Temporary Internet Files.
4. In the Delete Files dialog box, click to select the "Delete all offline content" check box , and then click OK.
5. Click OK.

3. Manage your startups. Your excess CPU usage is due to too many programs running in the background. You can cut these to barebones by alter your msconfig. Here is how:

1. Open your Start menu.
2. Click Run
3. In the command screen type "msconfig.exe"
4. In the "system configuration utility",click either "service" or "startup" tab
5. Uncheck all programs that your are no longer using.
6. Click "OK"

Other great tip is increasing your virtual memory to simulate more RAM. This will give you a bit more resources for multiple program use or CPU heavy programs. Check the link to alter your virtual memory spec.

Hope this link helps. Shows you how to do everything step by step. You should get a least 60% more resources and speed
if you follow the tips.
http://www.delete-computer-history.com/how-to-speed-up-my-computer.html

Answer 2

Don't defragment the hard-drive so often, it can cause errors; once every two or three months is normal.

Run an anti-spyware scan and an anti-virus scan, then run C Cleaner or similar - you can download it from here:
http://100-downloads.com/

With Vista hogging your PC it might be a good idea to buy some extra RAM. It's best to use the same brand if it's decent quality RAM, but you can buy some really cheap budget RAM these days; Aria are selling 1GB sticks for £13. Adding RAM is definitely the cheapest way to speed up a PC.

Take a look at your programs; if there are any you don't use, uninstall them.

Answer 3

You have done a couple of good things. Here are some more:

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.

Answer 4

Guess what - Microsoft recommend 800Mb as the minimum for Vista so you need to add more Ram. Good luck.

Who dares wins.

Answer 5

Do you have a firewall or an antivirus? It could be slow because you could be infected with something.

If you want somemore info shoot me an email.

Answer 6

I reject your reality and subsitute my own.