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“WHY IS MY COMPUTER SO SLOW?!?!?”
A common complaint among Windows users is: “My computer used to be fast but now it just CRAWLS! What happened?”
There are only a few common causes of this: adware, startup entries, and viruses. First we need to correct the problems, then we need to keep it from happening again.
CORRECTING THE PROBLEM.
First, make sure you have no viruses. If you have an antivirus installed, make sure you've updated it to include the latest virus threats, then do a complete system scan.
Don't have an anti-virus program? Get one! There are some good free ones i recommend here. If you want to buy one, i recommend Computer Associates. (Staples often has this brand and others “free after rebate.”) Another option is to use a free online scan. Trend Micro's House Call will scan your computer for viruses and spyware all at once—no charge. Be patient – start it in the evening and let it run all night. There's a list here of several others that looks good but i haven't tried them..
Second, get a copy of Spybot Search & Destroy. Install it (don't add it to your quick start menu) and run it as per directions. It warns you that it may remove programs – that's OK because you need to get your computer up to speed. When it finds problems, right-click on the list, choose “select all,” and delete them all. I've yet to have a problem doing that, but if you do, you can always re-install a lost program. It won't remove your pictures, music, documents, etc. You may need to restart your computer and re-run it. That's OK. If it keeps saying it can't remove something even after restarting it a few times, write donw the name of the files it is trying to delete! You'll have to dig around for help if that happens. (See below.) Follow up with an install of Spybot Search & Destroy, which is open-source and therefore completely free.
For home use, check out Ad-Aware – it's free for home use. This has been a staple of pc users, although the newest version received a mixed review at download.com.
Third, check startup folder (Start>All Programs>Startup) and delete anything in there you don't want running in the background all the time. Everything in there uses up resources, making everything else run more slowly. Also, get rid of any search bars (Yahoo, Google, etc.), WeatherBug, and honestly – I would replace AOL Instant Messenger. Try Pidgin – which is quite similar and easy to use – or maybe Trillian. Altermatively, you can avoid installing any programs and use Meebo online instead. Don't delete your AIM account, just ditch the program and use one of these others for your account.
Fourth, check out the page on using msconfig.
FINALLY – time for a LIFESTYLE CHANGE!!! Please do the following to keep out junk from your computer:
DO NOT USE INTERNET EXPLORER, PERIOD. It's just TOO risky. Hide it! DON'T attempt to delete the program, just the shortcuts to it. I'm not bashing Windows or Microsoft here, it's just a good policy. Most hackers and virus-builders and spyware spreaders do their dirty work through Internet Explorer because (1) most people have it and (2) because historically it's been prone to many security holes. Instead, use Firefox. It's more secure and also less likely to be targeted malicious software. Another great browser (often considered the best) is Opera. Have a really old computer or just want maximum speed? Try K-Meleon or even the minimalist version, K-MeleonCCF-ME. They may lack a few features but you may not notice. The absolutely fastest Windows browser i can can recommend for Windows is Off By One, but it's kinda for geeks. It doesn't render pages correctly a lot of times – the info and pictures are all there but often out of order, and downloading can be a pain. BUT it's FAST! Solution? I use both K-Ninja AND Off By One in my v-e-r-y s-l-o-w ten-year-old laptop. You may end up using it some of the time, all of the time, or not at all...but it will help keep those old pc's usable.) When Off By One won't render pages satisfactorily, i use K-Ninja. (Incidentally, using Firefox rather than IE may have kept us free from spyware and viruses for a year we had no other protection...)
The ONLY exception is if some site you trust absolutely refuses to let you use anything but IE, then go ahead ONLY for that site.
WHENEVER you download ANYTHING, DON'T just click through all the options. Read through the options and UNCHECK ALL free offers, free software, extra searchbars, etc. YOU DO NOT WANT THEM, THEY ARE EVIL!!!! Also - choose custom install and do not let them auto-update or auto-start; choose to NOT create a "quick start men" for any installed programs - it slows your computer down.
DO NOT install weatherbug, mysearch bar, yahoo search bar, google search bar, or anything like that. THEY ARE EVIL! (Well, MAYBE Google search bar is ok, idk. I wouldn't install it.) If you need weather, get the ForecastFox extension for Firefox.
Do not click on any pop-up ads. Firefox is set to block most of them, anyway. Get the Adblock Plus extension and the filterset-G extension to block the rest.
Again, definitely avoid using AIM. At any rate, NEVER click on ANY websites through AIM unless you are talking with someone and they tell you they are sending you a link. Remember: evil links can pop up looking like they are from a friend. The same is true with e-mails -- never install anything or click on a link in an e-mail unless you know for certain that your friend sent it. Sometimes e-mails automatically send themselves out through friends e-mail address books. They are pernicious!
Once a month, run "CCleaner" on your registry. Open the program, click on “registry,” and clean it out; delete all dead entries, duplicate files, etc – in other words, get rid of it all! If you can backup your registry first, by all means do so! Play it safe. Follow the instructions, make a backup before you use it – and note where you saved the backup. If for some reason you need to undo what the program did, just click on the backup file. I've never had to yet, though.
A NOTE ON WINDOWS BROWSERS...
ALSO....
...see the article "10 'must do' tips to make your PC more secure"
N.B. _ I had a student's computer with a particularly nasty virus that the usual porgrams didn't pick up, something called VurtuMonde. Boy, did it kill things!! I finally found the VundoFix program to kill that ugly beast...