My first computer had 8 MB of RAM so I shudder when I say that 1 GB of RAM is a little on the low side, especially if the computer runs Windows Vista. You didn’t say what OS he’s running, so I will assume it’s Vista. Vista is a hungry beast on its own with its fancy new Aero interface and other gizmos. However, I don’t think your friend needs to run out and buy additional memory at this point.
First, take a look at what programs he is running. If he’s like a lot of computer users, he has more programs running than he is actually using at any given time. For example, many programs install with a default option of “automatic startup.” While it’s convenient to have programs ready to go when you need them, they take up their share of the CPU’s resources. Go to Start >Run and type in msconfig.
From here, click the Startup Items tab and see what’s loading automatically. Remove the obvious ones such as Real Player, iTunes, Google Desktop, Adobe Reader, and so on. Unfamiliar startup programs will need further research before removal. Removing the items from Startup doesn’t remove the program. Your friend can open the programs on demand rather than having them open at all times.
Next, take advantage of the Vista’s Performance Information and Tools center. This is found in the Control Panel. Here, you’ll find dozens of tweaks to fine tune your friend’s computer. For example, Adjust Visual Effects gives you options for performance versus appearance, processor allocation for the best performance of either programs or services, adjusting virtual memory, and Data Execution Prevention. Work through the various tasks in Performance Information and Tools and you should see a big improvement.
Under the Advanced task, you’ll find a link to launch the Reliability and Performance Monitor. This is like the Task Manager’s Performance tab but even better. Click on the CPU down arrow to view real-time CPU activities. You may find valuable clues here regarding what’s eating up all of that CPU power.
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