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How do I Speed up my Windows PC?

I work on a Dell Inspirion 2650, XP system, 128M RAM. Sometimes when I'm working it goes into slow-motion; I've watched the line of text I typed come onto the screen letter at a time long after I quit typing. I've checked to make sure nothing else is running in the background and find nothing like a virus check happening. What's going on and how can I fix it? It can be most annoying so I hope you have a fast and easy fix!

Dave's Answer:

I asked a few Windows experts for their two cents on what might be going on, and here's what they had to say:

I think more data's needed. Any consistancy as to what program(s) you are running when this happens? (i.e. only see it in word, or something else specific?). Entire system slow or just typing? Do you notice if the hard disk is thrashing at the time?

One trick that might help the investigation is to run task manager (right click the date on the task bar, and select task manager), hit the "processes" tab, and then click on the CPU column to sort by decreasing CPU utilization. Normally system idle process should be at the top. If this happens and some other process bubbles up to the top, a clue is born.

Besides those questions, are you using an always-on Internet connection (DSL/Cable)? Have you updated your virus signatures? Which virus program are you using? How old is the machine?

A couple of other things to look for.

1) If you are using Norton Anti-Virus be sure you have applied all of the updates. There have been reports of machines responding slow because of Norton, usually a new install that doesn't have the updates. I believe you can right-click on the Norton icon in the system tray and select Live Update or navigate your Start Menu. Be sure to repeat the Live Update until it reports no more updates are available. It could take several updates.

2) Check your machine for any spyware. You can download LavaSoft's AdAware or SpyBot Search and Destroy.

Again, be sure you download all the updates for these products before running them.

Actually that does bring up a good point to rule out known driver problems ... if auto update hasn't already done it for you, a visit to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com might also be in order to make sure the latest system components and drivers are installed.

I just spent half of Saturday getting rid of a Trojan Toolbar in IE (google for c2.LOP) and I discovered SpyBot for the first time. It was very handy and free. So I donated to the cause.

More details from the person who asked the original question: SpyBot did identify the problem, but the version of LOP on my machine was SpyBot- immunized. I had to use a Windows XP System Restore to get rid of it completely. The combination of these two worked great.

Spybot-immunized? Yep. In fact, it wouldn't even let me DOWNLOAD SpyBot. I think it had some signature matching built-in. I downloaded it fine with a non-IE browser.

128MB of RAM is really minimal with Windows XP. I ran XP on a computer with 128MB when Windows XP was in beta testing, and the Microsoft folks were surprised that it even ran. I'd add some memory to your computer, which should be pretty cheap these days. Bring it up to at least 256MB. More is better -- adding RAM is the single easiest way to speed up a computer.

My guess is that the long delays are happening when Windows is swapping information from RAM to disk, because it's got so little elbow room.

Let us know if you want advice on where to buy memory. I'll bet a lot of us have favorite, cheap sources!

My thanks to Leo Notenboom, Phil Hord, Westley Annis, and Margy Levine Young for their insight on this puzzle.

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Categorized: Windows Help (Article 3832)
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Comments

Dave,
My HP Pavillion 511n was running slow, so I ran the defragmenter. Since then, I have run into a host of problems.
Unable to print, use the search feature to search hard drive, view IE version, scan (Norton). My User Account is blank. Web pages either takes a very long time to load (1-2 mins) , or don't load at all... These are just a few things I discovered in 1 day. What can I do?
Lynn

Posted by: Lynn at January 29, 2006 8:28 AM

I'd check for viruses and spyware, honestly. I recommend Symantec/Norton Antivirus and both Spybot Search and Destroy and Webroot's Spy Sweeper. You can find Norton and Webroot at any online shopping site (try Amazon.com or PCMall.com) and Spybot's free for the download at: http://www.spybot.info/en/

It's distressing to realize that the majority of PCs are now infected by one or more viruses or spyware programs, and that's always my first guess when there's any sort of anomalous behavior being reported.

In addition, make double sure that you're completely up-to-date with the latest patches and updates to your version of Windows. You can do that by clicking on [START] then selecting "Windows Update" or, if you have the fancy new XP-style menu, go to Control Panels -> System then select the "Automatic Updates" tab and make the logical selections.

Good luck to you!

Posted by: Dave Taylor at January 30, 2006 9:45 AM

Quote "I had to use a Windows XP System Restore to get rid of it completely. The combination of these two worked great.

Spybot-immunized? Yep."

Actually nope.I had to point out that system restore does not get rid of a virus.After the system has completed the restore,it creates a backup file,therefore it remains on the system.Turn off system restore & then run the latest McAfee virus scan, then restart computer.Result = gone.

Posted by: Dave H at June 28, 2006 2:31 PM

I am trying to download 128mb ram to enable me to have 256 ram. Please could you point me in the right direction of downloading the extra memory.
Thank you

Posted by: Maggie Austin at July 21, 2006 8:59 AM

i was tiold to hold ctrl and f-11 and choose other then reboot option to speed up my pc nothing happened screen stayed the same what do you think thank you

Posted by: patrick at November 7, 2006 5:56 PM

i don't thinkthat ctrl + f11 will put up anything, so don't be really amazed at seeing nothing/.

Posted by: ooh at January 29, 2007 5:29 AM

uhhh, maggie, you don't 'download' ram... you buy it. it is hardware. you have to get someone it physically put it in your computer.

Posted by: bob at April 27, 2007 3:24 PM

Thanks for the helpful comments. I've been having all kinds of problems with my computer and some of these tips have seemed to help a bit.

Posted by: D. Trainor at May 8, 2007 6:21 PM

my web page are downloading slow what can I do

Posted by: john at May 15, 2007 6:21 PM

Hi Dave, I found a question in your archives that relates to the problem I'm having with my computer - I have a delay between what I punch on the keyboard to what appears onscreen. It is in my email, anything I type on the web like this message here and my work software. You suggested this: One trick that might help the investigation is to run task manager (right click the date on the task bar, and select task manager), hit the "processes" tab, and then click on the CPU column to sort by decreasing CPU utilization. Normally system idle process should be at the top. If this happens and some other process bubbles up to the top, a clue is born.

Ok, I did this and it has "system idle process" as a 98 and all the other items listed under CPU as zero. So this means it's okay right?

I ran a virus scan using my Webroot spyware/virus scan and it found nothing but cookies, which I quarantined. Do you have any other suggestions? This is a relatively new laptop with lots of memory. It's a Dell Inspiron E1505 laptop, only 6 months old. My brother suggested it might be running too hot, but this delay happens even when it first starts up. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Posted by: Dana at September 8, 2007 8:20 PM

hey i got a hp pavilion about 3 years old got only 1trilabyte used out of 5 and got norton and all but this cpuage is messing with me its at 100% constantly and it seriously took about 15 minutes to load my itunes it freezes on the web sometimes and i'm trying to run a scan on it but its going so slow its only though 5,000 of the files and its been over a week was wondering if you got any advice and i also got a external hard drive hooked up to it with 1t byte

Posted by: rob at August 9, 2008 8:51 PM

How do I run a virus scan on an external hard drive?

Posted by: J Smith at September 9, 2008 8:33 PM

Dear Dave,

I have an HP pavillion a1640n it used to be super fast! I must have messed something up or there is a program running in the backgroud, my 5yo notebook is faster!!! Please help me!!!

Vincent

Posted by: Vincent at September 28, 2008 6:20 PM

I have a lot to say, but ...

I have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but most of all I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a chai!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!