My computer experiences too much slowdown for my liking.

[Sir Chris]

I am not a computer genius, but I try my best, and lately I have been experiencing a lot of problems with slowdown. I am decently confident that I do not have any spyware and adware is minimal if any...

Also, every time internet explorer launches for anything my computer likes to convulse, shiver, and lag to all hell. While task manager -> ending IE fixes this, it irks me greatly.

I can't figure out why I lag. I try to keep my computer freed up from many programs running and all, but it always seems like I experience slowdown.

Does 2.52 ghz /512 ram not get what it used to/ =(.

[Dark Scizor]

Check task manager, see if one of the programs is hogging your CPU. Sometimes my rundll32.exe hogs my CPU and my comp starts to lag, so i end the process and it's all gravy again.

http://img208.exs.cx/img208/931/untitled9ux.png

If it isn't the System Idle Process that's taking up something like 99% of your CPU then that'll probably be why you're lagging?

This is from my personal experience though.

[kainashi]

try defragging your hard drive and scan for spyware/viruses. if not, back your stuff up and reformat. works like a charm. :cool2:

[Dark Scizor]

Or you could do what Kainashi said, which would make more sense and would be better in the long run.

[midnightangel]

Before I came to TPM this afternoon, I saw some information from PCWorld.com on my internet provider's (CompuServe) main page that might help you with your problem


When it comes to personal computing, speed is life. You want Windows to load faster, pictures to draw faster, and files to download faster.

The problem is, the more you use a PC, the more it tends to slow down. Barb Demas can tell you. She runs Home Computing Solutions, a consulting firm in Colchester, Vermont, that specializes in troubleshooting PCs in the home and small office. Demas says that over time, Windows-based PCs often succumb to a glut of startup programs, Windows services, and hidden files and templates.

"Even if you don't know it, there are so many things running in the background at startup that don't need to be running," says Demas. "I go through and clear up everything that doesn't need to be in the startup process. That makes a huge difference."

Fortunately, a little house cleaning can go a long way in restoring pep to that tired PC. Whether it's sweeping out the Windows Startup folder, optimizing network settings, or using software to clean out the Windows Registry, there is a lot you can do to revive a struggling system. Some tips are easy to follow, such as simply restarting your system. Others are full-on computer tweaks, such as forcing your CPU to run faster than it does, that should be undertaken with care.

Here is a sampling of ways you can squeeze every last bit of speed out of your system, without shelling out for new parts (or even a new system).
Simple Tips

Performance doesn't suit? Reboot! Windows can run uninterrupted for months at a time--but that doesn't mean it should. Depending on the applications and devices you use, Windows over time can grow progressively slower and less stable. Periodically restarting the system lets Windows get a fresh start, often freeing memory and other resources that ill-behaved software and hardware refuse to let go of.

Defrag that drive. Disks are bigger and faster than ever. The problem is, they are also more of a bottleneck to system performance than ever, since spinning disks are so much slower than lightning-fast processors and memory. Keep things running smoothly by reordering and streamlining the files on the disk using Windows' Defragment utility. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter and click the Analyze button in the program window. Windows will produce a report on your disk, giving you an idea of how fragmented your files are. Once that's done, you can choose to kick off a full defrag session. Just be warned: It can take a while!
*<Kainashi already mentioned this>*

Another tip: Drives filled to capacity are much more prone to fragmentation than those with plenty of free space. Before defragging a drive, make sure you create free space for Windows to work with so it can fully optimize the layout of your files. Delete junk you don't use any more, or move it to some removable media--which leads us to our next tip.

Take out the garbage. Windows saves everything, and I mean everything. Temporary files, browser cache, old program installation files--you name it, Windows is probably stashing it on your hard drive. Clear out the detritus with Windows XP's Disk Cleanup. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup to put the program right to work, scanning your drive and looking for files it can delete or compress.

In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, check the items you want Windows to delete. You can also click the More Options tab to wring further efficiencies out of your PC--for instance, nuking all but the most recent restore point data, which is used to recover Windows from serious crashes. Run Disk Cleanup every month or so to prevent unused or unnecessary files from taking over your disk. If you want to keep a tight rein on Windows' temp files going forward--and improve your personal privacy, to boot--download IE Privacy Keeper, a free little utility that makes short work of dusting clutter from your disk.

Open media files fast. If you want to launch an image, video, or audio file quickly, you should look for outside help. Irfanview is a marvelous little program that opens nearly every type of media file in a flash. It even lets you touch up photos and images. Irfanview won't optimize your system, but it will let your system access media files a lot faster. And it does it for free.

Supercharge your searches. I've spent so much time searching for files and data in Windows and Microsoft Outlook that I've ground my molars down to stumps. Want to avoid crowns? Tweak the Windows search facility. Click Start, Search, For Files or Folders. In the Search Results folder interface pane, click Change Preferences, then click the With Indexing Service link. Click the Yes radio button and click OK . Windows will now index files on the disk during idle moments, resulting in much faster searches. Another option: Install the heralded Google Desktop search utility. It produces lightning-fast searches on the desktop. Just keep your eye out for any security updates Google may release.

Speed up menus. If the Windows Start menu and other application menus take a moment to appear on screen, you can speed things up by disabling shadows. Right-click an open area of the Windows desktop, click the Appearance tab, then click the Effects button. Uncheck the Show shadows under menus check box. You can also uncheck the 'Use the following transition effect for menus and tooltips' checkbox. This disables the fade effect that can sometimes add overhead to menu displays. Click OK and click OK again to adopt the new settings.
Advanced Tips

Stop using Internet Explorer. Microsoft's Web browser is a hog. Switching to the Mozilla Firefox :nod: or Opera browser can yield swifter program launches, faster page loads, and an all-around smoother ride. In my personal experience, Firefox has proven the fleetest browser, but Opera consumes the least system memory--useful for older systems with 128MB or 256MB of RAM.

Tune Internet connections. Are you getting the most out of your broadband connection? Go over to SpeedGuide.net and find out. Run the TCP/IP Analyzer routine in your browser to check the health of your connection. You can find it under the Broadband, Broadband Tools menu on the left side of the page.

If you want, you can download the free SG TCP/IP Optimizer utility (also under Broadband Tools), which tests for the most effective MaxMTU value (maximum transmission unit--basically a data packet size) for squeezing more data through your broadband link. Tell Optimizer what type of connection you're using, run through the diagnostics, then let the utility fine-tune your settings.

Cleanse the Registry. Do you install a lot of software and devices? Have you owned your PC for a couple of years? If you answered yes to either of these questions, your Windows Registry is probably a mess.

The Registry is the central database where Windows stores all the configuration data for your system. The problem is, that database can get filled with a lot of junk, be it entries from long-since-removed programs or from hardware you no longer use. The answer? Use a freeware or shareware utility like RegClean to find and erase those dead-end entries. You might also consider the $20 Registry Mechanic.

Travel Lite. Windows is packed full of stuff we simply do not need, which is why the folks at LitePC cooked up XPLite , a $40 utility that strips unwanted features out of Windows XP. Use the software to de-feature your Windows configuration until it loads in a fraction of the time of the standard package. There are also versions for Windows 2000 and Windows 98--handy for wringing performance out of truly aged PCs.

Good Luck! :)

[Sir Chris]

Yah, I was thinking Defrag. I'll try that now.

[homeofmew]

Right next to Defrag is System Clean up, try that too.

[Legends-Kuja]

A thwack to this, because I'm gonna have to refer to it in later cases.

My comp's slow for some odd reason, and I suspect either Limewire or my internet access...

[Chris]

My comp's slow for some odd reason, and I suspect either Limewire or my internet access...


It's neither. And it's definitely not Internet access that's causing your computer to slow down.

[Legends-Kuja]

Thought about it, and I'm just going to clean it.

It can't be limewire because it was working just fine at Georgia Tech. When I said internet access I meant my LAN setup, but it's probably not that either.

I LOATHE virus scans (especially McAfee) because they were the major cause of slowdown on my old comp. This new laptop I have shouldn't be as slow as it is. Norton Should be fine (with AVG covering once it runs out).

Apparently, my laptop will actually FREEZE unless I mess with it (in essence, move it around.) Does this mean there's something wrong internally?

EDIT: The good news: Startup's not slow anymore, I got CleanMyPC to clean out the registry. I now need to carefully watch what I install.

Bad news: Cleam MY PC's only shareware. Crap Cleaner doesn't clean the same things, and my comp STILL stutters every now and then (although not as nearly as bad as before) unless I move it. I just GOT this laptop, and I'd hate for it to be an internal problem...

[Kevin]

Get the latest versions of Ad-aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/) and Spybot - Search & Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/). Run them to check for anything causing your problems.

If you don't have a virus scanner you can try Trend Micro's virus scanner (http://housecall.trendmicro.com/) online for free. Run that to see if anything is there.

[fat man with a monkey]

only internet explorer is supported ;o great to know the browser can give some random program access to search my computer and its files ;o [/ff zealot]