How to speed up computer?

L

larryq22

New Member
My Dell desktop, XP SP3, is running slow. It often takes 5 seconds or more to respond to a mouse click, and 3-4 minutes to boot up (warm or cold). It's pretty old (2001 or so) but hasn't been used for anything heavy-duty such as games. During the past couple of years it's been used to view Internet tv shows (such as from tv.com etc).

I have a suspicion there are accumulated files, registry entries, and processes that are slowing it down. But I don't know for sure. Steps I've taken so far:

ran deep virus scans (Symantec, Malwarebytes)
defragged
ran ccleaner
ran spybot, adaware
ran eusing registry cleaner
removed all but latest system restore point
removed unneeded software

Nothing seems to have worked. Is there a step-by-step technique for diagnosing and repairing a slow computer? I don't mind repeating things I've already done if anyone knows a better way.

Thanks,
Larry
 
remember to keep your windows installation drive space above the threshold value, its near 3 to 4 gbs, try installing your softwares in other directory other than windows drive and defragment your hard drive. it will help.
 
Sounds like you've done the works on it. If it's still slow after that, you might have a hardware problem?
 
Best way to speed up PC is by upgrading RAM. If you don't wanna do that then format your hard disk and re install windows. Have you ever cleaned dust from your CPU? Sometimes dust on ram and other chips inside CPU slows down the PC.
 
For slow booting up, you can click "Start"--"Run" and type "msconfig",
you can delete some useless programs in the "Startup" which you do not want to load automatically.
 
dell

Oh yeah, I ran into a similar problem with my parents computer. Its a Dell Dimension and no matter what I did it stayed slow, painfully slow. I cleaned it, defragged, used all the A/V programs I could think of, and went through msconfig and services.msc with a fine tooth comb. Nothing worked.

It was extremely annoying and perplexing that nothing worked for me. And apparently many older dells have run into this. Some of the desktops just don't seem to age well. So, what I did was to pull the machine apart, completely! I took the hardware entirely apart and cleaned everything as well as possible. A new hard drive was installed and I put a new video card and power supply in it. Then I reinstalled the OS and and updated.

It worked. It was more expensive than I would have liked though. It would have been SOOOO much cheaper and better if i had just told them to buy a newer computer. Especially since its VERY outdated now because of its single core intel.

But then there was my dads laptop, also a Dell. His loads of problems as well. Problems from malware to TONS of startup programs, and also about 50 un-needed/unused registry items. His hard drive was a disaster, woah so much RED on that defrag window!!! (EDIT: I remember while working on it, I asked him "when is the last time you defragged your hard drive?" he looked at me oddly and said "Huh? Whats that?")

I started by uninstalling all the junk in programs, then ran HJT, removed more. Then ran HJT again, removed more. Then ran CCleaner for cleaning and registry options. Then defragged, and then ran check-disk. Then tested the memory, ah ha! The memory had some problems, not tons of them but some were apparent. He bought new memory and we stuck it in there. Then I updated, and updated, and UPDATED!!!

Sometimes computers are just old and worn from years of use. It happens. Computer parts are very precise devices and years of use can leave them in poor shape, even if your cautious with them.

Think of your car, remember when it was nice and new? And no matter what you do (reasonably that is), its going to get older and will not work like when it was new. It goes from fast, sexy, sports car to a commuter car for the kids soccer games. It leaks oil and its annoyingly slow getting on the highway, but it gets you from A ---> B. It does its job.
 
Last edited:
gamblingman said:
Sometimes computers are just old and worn from years of use. It happens. Computer parts are very precise devices and years of use can leave them in poor shape, even if your cautious with them.
Click to expand...

+1

Whether it be physical cleaning of the tower or cleaning of the Operating System

Pc's require some work to be done to keep them running good
 
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