My computer is slowing!

[magegoogles]

Ok for the last month my computer has been getting slower and slower. Like it takes 10 minutes to get ready to do anything after i boot it up. And I have to restart it alot. So I think a good start would be defraging my hard drive, but i dont know how. Any help there? Is there anything else I can do to "fix" my computer?

 

 

 

Thanks.

 

Also If it matters I have windows xp on a (think the name is) hp pavilion 753n.

[kelerps]

Well defragmenting may possibly help, but I have never seen amazing results from it. Instructions for defragmenting your drive can be found here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848

 

 

 

Your computer may also be running unnecessary processes witch are hogging your computers resources. Look in the system tray witch would be the most right of the task bar. If there are processes that shouldn't be running then open them and look an option for them to not start with windows. There may still be a few left that that option did not work for--if so then follow to the next step. Open up your start menu and go to run. Type msconfig, a window should pop up. Go to the startup tab and uncheck the process that you do not want running. If you do not know what they are then it better to be safe and uncheck it since it could be a system driver that you will need. Also, if you are having problems with a specific program make sure no two programs are conflicting with each other.

 

 

 

Another possibility would be that you have a virus. Scan your PC for any viruses and tell us if you find anything. If you do not have one then you can google avast or AVG and download one of them for free.

 

 

 

If nothing above works and you desperately want your computer to the speed it once was then a possibilty would be to do a fresh install of windows or look for an image/backup disc that came with your computer.

[Nadril]

If it has been getting noticably slower over the past month than I would put my money on a virus. Run a virus scan and see if it finds anything.

[webber3393]

aye, don't forget to get anti-spyware/adware if you haven't already, both can kill your computer. If worst comes to worst and none of the afore posted works then get everything on disk and get someone in to wipe your hard drive.

[Mamong]

I recommend running Disk Cleanup. Also, run through the Add/Remove Programs list and get rid of things you don't use. Even if they are small files, get rid of stuff you don't use. Where all your icons are in the bottom right corner, these are all programs that are running. Expand them, and close anything your not currently using that isn't a system process.

 

 

 

One last little tip, hit Ctrl-Alt-Del and look through the Task Manager. Under the tab "User Name", have a look through the things under whatever your user name is. LEAVE THE SYSTEM APPS ALONE, unless you know what your doing. Then, close off anything that uses up a large amount of memory. Make sure you know what your closing though. (For example, my msnmsgr[Caution: Executable File] program (MSN Messenger) is using 22,608k of memory.) Programs like this, if your not using them, should be closed as your PC will speed up.

 

 

 

If these don't work, then as others have said, it's most likely your infected with adware/spyware/virus etc. Run Ad-aware/Spybot: Search and Destroy and your Antivirus scanner to make sure everything and anything problematic is picked up.

 

 

 

Good luck!

[adam_ross0]

Hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete

 

 

 

First off, try deleting anything you really DONT need. Also if you have applications that run at startup, you may want to change the boot options through the program so that it does not run on startup.

 

 

 

Are there any unnecessary processes running? if so, there ya go. If not, I'd bet on Spyware/Adware. Download Spybot: Search and Destroy and/or Adaware. Both are amazing programs. If you find a few entries of spyware/Adware, you've got it. Otherwise, maybe you should try scanning for Viruses with AVG Antivirus, Norton Internet Security, programs like that. If you get one or 3, you've got it.

 

 

 

If that's not the problem..try running Disk cleanup or Defragment. If the problem still persists...personally, I'd probably backup any applications, files, etc. on a flash drive and format the hard drive.

 

 

 

You've probably cleared the problem by now, but you might also want to try buying more memory. 256 MB Will run XP, but there will be issues. 384 or 448 is an improvement, 512 is good. If you can do it, 1 GB is a great amount for XP.

[Iamdan]

Just format it. You should do it every now and then anyway.

[adam_ross0]

Just format it. You should do it every now and then anyway.

 

 

 

Y'know what, screw what i said. I'm with him..I formatted mine and it's never been faster.

[magegoogles]

Alright I did a scan. No viruses, no surprises there, the computer scans weekly. I was disabling the startup stuff like kelerps suggested and i noticed alot of game that i thought I had removed awhile ago, or more my brother. Well I look in the recycling bin and i find them. I cleaned it out and that helped alot. And I defraged and now my computer is fine. Thanks guys! =D>