Is your computer an Open Invitation for HACKERS? Download free version of Sparktrust Inspector to identify vulnerabilities and problems on your computer (and even your WEBSITES)!
My PC is freezing up and taking longer than it should to load up pages from anything I try to run. I have run the disk scan, cleaned up my computer with a virus and adware scan, and defragged. Nothing has helped.
Everything you've done so far is a good start - there are a few more things you can do to help with the freezes and optimize your performance with the system that you have now.
Clean it Out
Defragging the system is a great thing to do to improve performance - have you also emptied the Recycle Bin and deleted any temporary Internet files? You can go to Start and then choose Accessories. Click on System Tools and then Disk Cleanup. Select the disk you are cleaning and then delete anything in the Recycle Bin, the temporary Internet files and temporary files. You should also take a look at your system and delete any unused software that may be taking up space.
Check CPU
Are there processes that are taking up CPU time? You can check to see what's running by getting into the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del. View the processes to see what is running and how much it is taking up.
Is your computer an Open Invitation for HACKERS? Download free version of Sparktrust Inspector to identify vulnerabilities and problems on your computer (and even your WEBSITES)!
A good registry cleaner will go through the registry files and delete anything that is partially installed, fragmented or incorrect. We recommend RegCure as a great choice that has a lot of support to go with it.
Overheating in your computer is a common cause of freezing and poor performance. You can check the CPU temperature by using a program like RealTemp. It is a download that will monitor the temperature inside your computer so you can troubleshoot any heat issues. If you find that you are having an overheating problem, check out this Filetonic Overheating PC article.
RAM
You should also see if you have enough memory for today's computing needs. For anyone running Windows XP, you should have a minimum of 512MB, and possibly 1GB of RAM. If you need more information about increasing your memory, see our Filetonic Troubleshooting Ram article.
Startup Items
Another step is to limit the number of "Startup Items" you have. Each program that launches takes up memory and system resources. It's not uncommon for computers to launch multiple programs, even if they won't be used because many installers place a shortcut to the program in the Startup Items folder by default. Go to Start > Run and type msconfig. Click the Startup Items tab and remove the checkmark in non-essential programs such as QuickTime, Microsoft Office, etc. These programs will still be available to launch as needed, but won't be hogging resources when not being used.
In addition to the troubleshooting that you've already done, checking these issues should help you increase your performance on your PC.
Is your computer an Open Invitation for HACKERS? Download free version of Sparktrust Inspector to identify vulnerabilities and problems on your computer (and even your WEBSITES)!
Kat Delong | April 29th, 2009
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