I'm a newbie at this,so please bear with me.

Do this -> http://winhlp.com/node/10

I've seen folk spend months trying to speed up and this old bug.
Bob

1)
When ever I saw this the most common reason was the start up items.
When your computer starts up it starts alot of programs, unless you are aware of this as time goes on you tend to accumulate alot of unwanted start up items.

If all else fails, you can copy your required files onto an external drive\cd\usb stick....
Then wipe your machine and re-install windows, this will delete all your files\programs\junk. This is very easy to do once you have the startup cd.
your machine will then be as fast as the day you got it.

Hi SummerBreeze,

I would recommend removing Spybot -- I love the program but lately it has been not working well with other programs. Instead, I would recommend Malware Bytes and SuperSntiSpyware free editions:

And for defrag, the built-in may not be good enough depending on your usage level.

Here is a procedure that has proven to be very successful at speeding up PCs:

0. Ensure the Hard Disc Drive is not damaged or faulty. Solution - Run CheckDisk:
a. Start> Computer >select C Drive>Right Click C Drive>select "Properties">"Tools" > click "Check Now"> Select both boxes and click "Start".
b. This can take a long time, so let it complete (may take all night or longer. Be patient.)

00. Do a System Restore to a point before this was a problem:
a. Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - System Restore (click to open);
b. Select a restore point well before you started having these problems;
c. Start the restore process and let it complete (Name the restore operation something descriptive like "Shut Down Repair").

1. Ensure your PC has as much memory (RAM) as possible.
a. Go to Start > Right Click "Computer" > Properties
b. This will list the processor type and speed as well as how much RAM is installed and what version of windows is running along with the Service Pack #. Write all this down as it may be needed later.c. Use the RAM Configurator linked below to see what RAM your PC uses and the max it will support.d. Get the maximum amount of memory your computer can hold and install it (the configurator has directions on how to install it).

2. Ensure the PC is protected. Solution - Update existing Anti-Malware software or install if there are none (AVG is a decent free Anti-Virus program and Malware Bytes is a good Anti-Malware program as is SuperAntiSpyware).
a. Open the Anti-Virus program and ensure it is up to date.
b. Open the Anti-Spyware program and ensure it is up to date
c. If no Anti-Virus or Anti-Spyware, get good programs (see links below -- If getting another AV program, remove the old one before installing the replacement one.)
d. Install Anti-Virus and both Anti-Malware programs so you end up with one AV and both Anti-Malware programs.

Can get these at:


MalWare Bytes: http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html
SuperAntiSpyware: http://download.cnet.com/SuperAntiSpyware-Free-Edition/3000-8022_4-10523889.html
AVG AntiVirus: http://download.cnet.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition-2011/3000-2239_4-10320142.html3.

Remove Malware from your PC Solution - Run the Antivrus and then the Antispyware scans (can take a while if never done. Be patient):
a. Scan the whole system with the Anti-Virus & handle whatever found;
b. Scan the whole system with the Anti-Spyware & handle whatever found;Make sure you scan the WHOLE PC.

4. Next, ensure the Registry is clean.Solution: Get and run a good registry cleaner.
a. Check to see if there is a registry cleaner already on the system;
b. if none, get CCleaner at: http://download.cnet.com/ccleaner/
c. Run the Registry cleaner till it finds and corrects all errors.
d. You can run the file cleaner to get rid of obsolete files (just check the files it selects to confirm you want to delete them.e. Under "Tools", go to "Start Up" and look over the programs that launch at start up.

You'll see a lot of programs that simply do not need to launch when you boot up your PC.

Disable these and leave only the essential ones (if not sure, note down the program name and then try to open it up via Start-> All Programs.

If not essential, disable them)

Note: Be careful with Registry Cleaners as there are many around and new ones come up all the time and some reportedly cause more damage than they help. Use a time-tested reliable one. CCleaner is one of the originals and is reliable, just leave it at default settings till you know what it will remove with each additional setting.

5. Now defragment the drive. Solution - Get a good third party program that will defrag your drive and keep it defragmented.

Fragmentation is basically broken-up pieces of files and free space randomly scattered all over your disk. The disk has to work a lot harder to save files in pieces and then to find them again and this really slows your computer down. It also wears out your disk, as the more the disk is used, the faster it wears out.

Basic defragmenting finds all the pieces of a file and puts them together, saving time.Windows has a built-in defrag tool, but it is very slow and you cannot use the PC while it is running (some users complain that it did not completely defrag their disks despite running all night).

a. Below is a Top 10 Reviews side-by-side comparison of the best defrag programs around:

http://disk-defragmenter-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

b. Select a program and install a free trial. The better defrag programs are automatic. The gold medal winner in the above review can defrag while you use the PC and it will also prevent fragmentation (see the review).
c. Defragment your disk drives.

Once this all is done, your PC will be in much better shape and should no longer be sluggish.

Good luck!

Bill R TechSpec<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">
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