How can I get a windows xp, compaq to run faster without taking it to a shop?

Question

I cant get around town because of school and i want to know how to get it to rune faster with out taking it to a shop

-NERDS ONLY ANSWER

Answer 1

Windows XP comes with an application called 'MSCONFIG'.

You can run this program by clicking 'Start', and then selecting 'Run'. In the Run dialog, type 'MSCONFIG'. Hit enter or click run.

In the application that launches there will be a tab called 'Start Up'. In most cases you only 'need' one or two things checked. Use Yahoo or Google if you are unsure about any of the Applications and whether they need to be 'checked'. Even though you don't need them checked, you might find yourself wanting some applications checked, like acrobat or quicktime so they launch faster. That's up to you.

Reboot the computer when you are done.

You will notice two things: 1. the computer will reboot faster because you have less programs running when the computer starts, and 2. the computer will run better because you have more available resources for the applications you want to run.

Good luck.

Answer 2

short answer is

1) buy more RAM
2) turn off uneccesary processes. There are many programs running in the background taking precious resources. A lot of them you can uninstall and some of them you can turn off. The list can be long and depends on the program. You want to keep your computer as simple as possible. So, try not to install too many things like special screen savers, cursors, and 20 different versions of text editing programs. Note that the offending programs are the ones that are currently running i the background not that is just installed. For example a lot of messanggers run silently in the background. So, turn them off or disable them to not start automatically. Just keep the minimum number of progams running that you use more often.

Also, a lot of firewalls and anti virus take a lot of resources. A well known offender is norton antivirus. A lot of time is better to get a lighter weight program like AVG free edition. It takes fewer resources and does the job just fine. There are others.

You really have to google this question in order to find the list of programs to turn off or disable because you don't want to turn off the wrong programs. Like I say, if you only upload pictures from your camera to your pc once a month, then that special photo program that came with the camera does not need to be running every day. Just the day you needed.

Answer 3

As you will appreciate there are many reasons why your computer is running slow:

First of all make sure you do not have any malware in the form of viruses or spyware. Run your anti virus and anti spyware programs in order to clear out any beasts.
If you do not have any protection these are available for free:
For anti virus I suggest:
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
For anti spyware I suggest:
http://www.superantispyware.com/

Remove junk files by running Ccleaner – free for download from:
http://filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/

Your hard disk(s) may be fragmented. Windows has a built in defragmentation program but you can download a third party program for free:
http://www.auslogics.com

Your registry may be cluttered or corrupt. Ccleaner mentioned above also has a registry cleaner. How about downloading another very good free registry cleaner:
http://www.eusing.com

You may have too many applications kicking off at start up. This free download allows you to control what runs at start up:
http://www.glarysoft.com/quick-startup

Your hard disk may be getting full. You need at least 15% of free space for it to operate efficiently. Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs & remove any applications you no longer use. How about removing all those pictures & music that is filling up your hard drive?

Finally, after you have done all the above may need to upgrade your RAM. So that you get the right type of RAM for your system do a free scan at Crucial to determine your RAM.
http://www.crucial.com/ for USA
http://www.crucial.com/uk/?gclid=CM31ls7_zY8CFQjREAodQhNtxg for UK

Good luck with your quest.

wdw

Answer 4

Download Ccleaner(free) and use it often, its fast. Defrag harddrive every 2 weeks(Auslogics Defrag--also free and faster than windows defrag.) Auslogics Speedboost is a program that makes it easy to optimize your pc; costs about $25.These 3 things will help a lot with your pc speed, also more ram helps quite a bit--its easy to put in and best prices are at---Pricewatch.com

Answer 5

You shouldn't call people nerds, anyway all you need to do is maximize your ram. Most laptops today can support up to 2 Gb of ram. Check you manual to see what type it supports and up to how much. If you don't have your manual download from the manufactures website.

Answer 6

Depends on why it's slow.If your system is gummed up with junk then do a disk clean-up then a defrag.Download CCleaner from www.filehippo.com and run that. Download the registry optimizer program from www.winaso.com and clean up your registry.If these aren't what you need then install a bigger RAM stick.

Answer 7

how old is your system?

if you have had it for a while i would back up your data and reinstall XP
this will return the system to the setting when first purchased

also add more ram this will help http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/ to check what you need etc

remove programmes you no longer use.

remove pictures and videos you no longer use
turn of fancy wallpapers and screen savers

omg i could go on for ages .......

Answer 8

Run a defrag on your computer (should be able to find it with a simple search), and make sure you're only using up to 50% of your harddrive