My PC's soooo sloooow

[another_dave_b]

First of all go to Start, Control Panel, System, Automatic updates.Select 'turn off automatic updates' . Ok

Isn't turning off automatic [security] updates asking for trouble?

 

[peanut]

Isn't turning off automatic [security] updates asking for trouble?

No its freeing up your internet connection and removing a constant drain on your computer's CPU and other recources.

Like most people you have just accepted microsofts advice and warnings without really checking out what the service packs and updates do. You don't NEED any of them. Most of them are for micosoft's benefit not yours.
Some of them actually prevent some software from running properly.
If you were to look at the amount of updates and the size of the files you would be amazed.
They total more than 3x the actual size of XP Windows operating system. How can that make sense ???

 

[Crackle]

thats great thanks for the feedback. Sorry I kept you up so late last night. I hadn't realised. I was so tired this morning
There's lots more you can do to speed things up .
Be wary of the sort of programs that promise to speed your PC up and perform other miracles . They don't
What they do is download all sorts of nasty files that alter resistry files and settings and claim they have found all sorts of problems which they can fix.... but first you have to pay £25.00 subscription per year etc etc .

good luck

You are quite right but they don't all do that. Luckily you know what you are about, not everyone does. The program I recommended has many levels and if you wish you can get it to show exactly what it has found and decide if you want to fix it. Many people, however, don't posess the knowledge (or the time) and need to rely on finding a program which will do the task for them. I've not reviewed to many of these programs but I was reasonably happy with System Mechanic. What I have done in the past is spent a long time hunting down performance issues, this saves me that time. What it won't do, is find a very deep rooted problem or a resource or software conflict and I agree the yearly sub is a bit of a rip-off but it's horses for courses sometimes.

On the updates, most major companies use their own testing and distribution of patches. For most home users, I'd say it was better to apply the patches than not.

 

[HLaB]

I couldn't believe how slow my machine was getting, often when I typed it would freeze for a few minutes, it couldn't process any videos in movie maker and it would give me a low on virtual memory warning too. I think it was all the updates to Win XP. I can't remember the name of the site but somebody on here suggested it, it detects your memory (RAM) and suggests upgrades. I've put a gig in mine and its much better, ps I bought it from another site (7dayShop) at a third of the price.

I think it might of been crucial.

 

[peanut]

I think it might of been crucial.

thats the one

You do need some more memory Helen.
You have 2x 256Mb sticks at the minute.
I'd recommend that you purchase 1x 1Gb stick to replace one of the 256Mb sticks and another 1Gb when you can afford it . Crucial downloads a little macro that examines your motherboard spec and recommends the correct memory for you to use.
Not only that if you order from Crucial the memory has a lifetim guarantee!

 

[Cullin]

Install CrapCleaner, it cleans the PC up nicely, I run it everyday.
http://www.ccleaner.com/update/?v=2.15.815&l=1033

 

[Funtboy]

Install CrapCleaner, it cleans the PC up nicely, I run it everyday.
http://www.ccleaner.com/update/?v=2.15.815&l=1033

+1

 

[theloafer]

or get it from here if you dont want the toolbar go for the slim build
http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds

 

[johnnyh]

or do a clean install and stop surfing for smutt!

 

[peanut]

using crapcleaner is like polishing your engine because the car won't start

you need to get the basics right first before fine tuning

 

[jay clock]

I also use CrapCleaner and it is great.It is not really like polishing your engine because the car won't start. It is like getting a perfectly good car and cleaning fluff out the fuel filter, cleaning the screens and mirrors etc. It also (ahem) removes obvious traces of websites you visited.

 

[peanut]

I also use CrapCleaner and it is great.It is not really like polishing your engine because the car won't start. It is like getting a perfectly good car and cleaning fluff out the fuel filter, cleaning the screens and mirrors etc. It also (ahem) removes obvious traces of websites you visited.

yes but it wouldn't unfortunately have been any assistance with Helen's pc problem. To use your metaphor the car wasn't 'perfectly good' much work on the pc had to be done first which you unfortunately wasn't aware of .

 

[ColinJ]

As a matter of interest - what was the problem?

I have a friend whose PC was taking 25 minutes to boot so I took a look at it for her. It turned out that her teenage sons had been spending about 3 hours a day visiting dodgy porn sites and downloading everything that they could get their grubby little hands on. The result? About 500 virtual sexually transmitted diseases (viruses/spyware/general dodginess). The most interesting thing I found was that her dial-up connection up been redirected to a premium rate phone number (fortunately very recently so she hadn't yet run up a massive bill).

 

[HelenD123]

I go away and look what happens! I can safely say I haven't been downloading smut or anything stronger. I spend too long on here to have time for that.

 

[Mr Pig]

I look at the big list of stuff running in the background on my PC and I know that half of it must me crap, but when you don't know what it is you don't know what you can get rid of! :0(