OT: Computer speed help needed!

[scotty1]

Hi

My computer is a PC with a crappy dial-up modem, but recently it seems to have gotten REALLY slow.

I remember someone saying something about being able to increase the speed by de-fragging, or clearing something?!

Any ideas? Bear in mind I'm not particularly computer literate...

[MasterKiller]

Start > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup. Select all the options and run it.

Then

Start > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. Make sure your screensaver is turned off before you start, though. It can cause the defrag to hang up.

If you've never run a defrag, it will take a long time. Also, you can run it more than once. I'd do it 2 or 3 times in a row.

[sean_stonehart]

Then go to Download dot COm & download Adaware & SpyBot to kill off most of the crap on your machine you've received from the Net... spyware, malware, data miners, ad generators, etc...

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

also get another defrag util from dowload.com ..... i dont care which. the one built into windows is teh suxor.

[unixfudotnet]

Don't use Windows

[scotty1]

Jesus! Thanks guys.

[scotty1]

Yeah thanks, the cleanup and de-frag's helped a lot.

I already had spy-ware, and I'm just about to get Spybot.

So once I've got them (and the better de-frag util. from Cnet) am I all set for safe surfing?

[Ming Yue]

also have a look at your taskbar and see what's resident and/or starting up with your computer. There's always a bunch of stuff you don't need stacked up in there.

-C

[MoreMisfortune]

yeah kiddo, you gotta do da msconfig thang on the "run" and go there and remove some crap that it starts up yo

[MasterKiller]

If you are running XP I would make sure you have Service Pack 2 installed.

[scotty1]

Just checked on download.com and that seems to have got a lot of bad reviews, saying it made stuff go wrong. It seems really good once it's on though.

The only thing I'm concerned about is that if it ****s up my machine I won't know how to fix it

Plus it's gonna take 12 hours to download!

Did it go ok on yours?

[Ming Yue]

it is a huge download..

I had to update/reinstall a printer driver and a driver for my tablet, but otherwise no problems for me.

[MantisFistMonk]

http://iolo.com/sm/5pro/download.cfm

Download that.

Run the maintenence programs. Leave everything at default and you should be fine.

[scotty1]

Thanks, but it's my parent's machine (home for Christmas) and I only want free stuff.

[Becca]

Originally posted by scotty1
Just checked on download.com and that seems to have got a lot of bad reviews, saying it made stuff go wrong. It seems really good once it's on though.

The only thing I'm concerned about is that if it ****s up my machine I won't know how to fix it

Plus it's gonna take 12 hours to download!

Did it go ok on yours?

Spybot has been known to goof up e-mail and dail-up settings from time to time, but basicly, it's a good program.