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What command do I type in the Run box to bring up the window that tells me what programs to automatically run when the computer starts? Also, I am trying to burn CDs and it says the drive is busy when I am not doing anything. Ideas?

Managing Startup Items

In order to manage the startup items via the Run box, you simply enter in the command msconfig and then click the OK button. This loads the MSConfig utility where you can then click the Startup Items tab and make your adjustments.

Windows Vista users can access MSConfig by typing msconfig into the Start button’s Search bar and pressing Enter. Once the MSConfig icon appears, click it and the MSConfig utility will launch.

Another tool for managing startup programs is Windows Defender which comes with both Windows XP and Vista. Simply launch Windows Defender and click the Tools link. Next, click Software Explorer where you can view and adjust your startup programs. This tool is easier to use as it classifies and groups each program, making it easier to determine if a program is necessary or not.

Drive Busy Error

Now, on to the “drive busy” error. Do you use the drive to run backups? If so, it may be busy performing a scheduled backup, though I have a hunch that’s not the case.

In researching drive busy errors, I found that some CD burners and programs have known “drive busy” problems which are generally solved by updating the device and/or its software. In addition, some users receive a message that the drive is busy and should be unmounted. First, try updating your operating system (which may in turn automatically update your hardware if updates are available) and then check for updates for your CD burning software.

If operating system and software updates don’t help, go to the Control Panel and find the Device Manager. From there, double-click the DVD/CD-ROM category and then double-click your drive. What does it say under Device Status? Is there a specific error code? If so, we can then research the specific code for further ideas. In the meantime, you can click the Driver tab followed by the Update Driver button and then let Windows search automatically for updated drivers.  

Hopefully one of the updates will fix your drive busy error. If not, let us know the following:

• Operating system
• CD drive model and version (Device Manager has this information)
• Specific error code if any
• CD burning software and version

Why is my computer running so slowly all of a sudden?

Close Some Open Programs

There are a few possibilities when it comes to determining why your computer is running more slowly than usual. Sometimes computers are slow to process commands if there are a large number of programs running. For starters, to troubleshoot the situation, you should close any open programs that you aren’t using. Programs that upload and download files take a lot of processing power so turning these programs off while you are trying to run other processes might help.

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Check your Free Hard Drive Space

Your computer might also be running slowly if there is too little free hard drive space for your programs to run normally. It is recommended to keep at least 10% of your hard drive space free for operations. You can check your free space:

•  
  1. Click the Start button, then choose My Computer
  2. Right click on the Local Disk C: in the Hard Drives section
  3. Choose Properties
  4. It will display the amount of used and free space on your hard drive

Choose OK to close

Check Programs Set to Start Automatically

You can also check which and how many programs are set to automatically launch when you boot up your computer. Too many programs opening and running at the same time might be slowing your system. To view and delete any unnecessary programs in Vista:

• Open Control Panel
• Click to choose the Windows Defender icon
• Click the Tools tab at the top of the screen
• Choose Show for All Users
• At the User Account Control prompt click Continue
• Under Category, choose Startup Programs
• Scroll the list to check it
• Select any programs that you want to change and click Remove, Disable or Enable
• Grayed out entries are system programs that should run at Startup and you shouldn’t try to change them

Run a Disk Scan To make sure that there is nothing wrong with the hard drive itself, run scandisk, which tests the drive.

• Click twice on My Computer
• Choose the hard disk drive C: by clicking it
• Right click the highlighted drive and choose Properties
• Choose the Tools tab
• Click Check Now
• If the computer asks to schedule the scan the next time it boots up, click OK and restart the computer to run the scan

Defrag the Hard Drive

The Windows Disk Defragmenter is another good tool to run every once in a while to improve your system’s performance by optimizing the hard drive. To run the tool:

• Open My Computer
• Right click the volume that you want to scan - most likely C
• Under the Tools tab, click Defragment Now
• Choose Defragment

Clean your Registry

Your computer might be running slowly because there are a lot of partial files or bits of code stored on your computer’s registry. It is part of your computer’s normal function to save pieces of code on the registry but over time these fragments can build up and interfere with other operations. Altering the registry has the potential to ruin your computer and destroy your programs and files if done wrong, so only attempt to make manual registry changes if you are familiar with the registry and its functions. There are registry scans available on the market like RegCure by Paretologic.

Run a Complete Malware Scan

Finally, update your PC security software and run a complete system scan. Malware can dramatically affect performance and a slow PC is one of the first symptoms of an infected computer.

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.

Registry Cleaner

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.

Overheated Computer

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.

Why does my PC just shutdown itself?

Computers should not turn themselves off without a good reason. Oftentimes, when a computer does shutdown, it does have a valid reason - such as if the computer is protecting itself from danger (most often heat). Other reasons for random shutdowns are not for self-preservation but as a symptom of something else, such as a loose power connection or failing memory chips.

Heat and Dust

Your computer is put through the paces, day in and day out. It gets hot. And it’s often one of the most neglected pieces of equipment on your desk as far as cleaning and maintenance go. When a computer’s CPU gets too hot, it may be set to automatically shutdown in order to protect itself from damage.

To troubleshoot and clean an overheating computer, you’ll need to power down the PC, unplug it from the power source, ground yourself, and open the computer case. It’s dirty in there, isn’t it? Use a can of compressed air to gently blow the dust away.

Power Connections

While you have the computer case open, inspect the fans along with the power supply connections. Is the power supply’s connection to the motherboard properly connected? Does everything look okay? Later, once the computer is reassembled, you will check the power cord to be sure that it is firmly connected to the PC - make sure to wait until after you’ve reassembled your computer.

Failing RAM

Check the memory chips. Are they properly seated? Consider removing one chip and running the system on the other to rule out faulty RAM. Then swap chips and run the computer. If the PC doesn’t shutdown when one chip is removed, it’s a safe guess that the removed RAM is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Once you’re swapping RAM chips, reassemble your computer and place it in an area where air can flow freely around its vents.

Computer Viruses and Malware

Computer viruses and malware may be to blame as well. These nasty little programs run without your knowledge, putting your computer under pressure to carry out more tasks than you can imagine. These tasks hog memory and cause the computer to work hard, thus contributing to the overheating problem. Run a complete system scan for viruses and spyware to rule this out as a possibility.

Multiple error messages appear when I start my computer. Programs freeze. Can I fix this? Are there any secrets for fixing it?

I’d love to say that I have a few secrets up my sleeve for fixing computers, but I don’t. However, I can show you how to use several excellent techniques, utilities, and tools, many of which may already be on your computer.

Troubleshooting Basics

Since your computer can barely function, let’s start with the basics. Are these errors new? Or have they been compounding over time? Have you recently updated your operating system? Added new hardware? Installed new software? Think back in time to the last time your computer ran as it should. If it was fairly recent, use System Restore to roll your computer back to that time.

Rule Out Malware Infections

Malware infections, such as viruses and spyware, are notorious for the symptoms that you’ve described. I want you to restart your computer in “Safe Mode with Networking.” This will load only the most essential system files and drivers while still allowing you to go online. Now, you should be able to right click the icon to your antivirus/anti-spyware program and view a submenu. Select the Update Now (or similar) option and update these crucial computer security programs. Once updated, launch the software and run a complete (not quick) system scan.

If you do not have antivirus and antispyware installed, I can guarantee you that your computer is infected. Take a look at our anti-virus reviews and protect your PC (some are even free).

Manage Startup Programs

Another good way to crash your computer system is to expect too much of it. Is your computer set to load a variety of programs each time it boots up? Each program requires resources such as processor power and memory. If you have a bunch of programs gobbling up these resources, you will soon see out of memory and low resources error messages and other programs will freeze when you try to launch them.

Go into the Start button and click Run. Type in “msconfig” and press OK. Now, find the Startup items tab in the next screen and click it. Remove recognized programs such as Google Desktop, Adobe Reader, and Quicktime from this auto start list. Removing programs from the list only prevents them from automatically loading; you can still use these programs on demand.

While in this tab, you will likely see several unrecognizable programs, too. You’ll need to research those before removal as they could be critical system processes. They could also be useless programs or spyware, so it pays to do your research. BleepingComputer.com has an excellent Startup items database for this purpose.

Clean and Defrag the Hard Disc

When the hard drive becomes nearly full, computer performance comes to a screeching halt. Use the Disc-Cleanup utility to free up disc space. Once you’ve recovered disc space, run the Disc Defragmenter to reorganize the disc’s contents and improve PC performance.

Clean the Windows Registry

While most of these troubleshooting steps have been free, this next one requires a small investment. The Windows registry is a large index that instructs the operating system in how to interact with your hardware, software, settings, and so on. When it’s manageable, the computer performs as it should; when it becomes bogged down with junk, file corruption, partially installed programs, and obsolete information, it sends Windows on a wild goose chase and performance suffers. Cleaning the registry of this junk solves the problems.

Registry cleaning utilities are excellent at solving computer startup errors and program freezes. RegCure offers a limited use evaluation version that lets you check your computer’s registry for errors. The full featured version is amazingly easy and effective.

I cannot get my computer to run fast and it keeps telling me my disk space is low. I keep running the disk cleaner but it is not helping very much then it tells me my memory is critically low. How do I fix this?

Slow Computer Woes

When it comes to computers, few things are more frustrating than a slow computer. Well, error messages are close. And so are crashes. And so are viruses. And, guess what? These seemingly unrelated frustrations are often related. Right now your computer is slow and generating low disk space errors. Free disk space doesn’t seem to be doing the trick, and now memory is critically low. Let’s take a look at what could be going on and see if we can’t get your computer back in shape.

Causes of Full Hard Disk 

First, if your hard disk is indeed nearly full, then this will trigger low disk space and critical memory errors as well as result in agonizingly slow performance. The questions at this point would be, “What is filling up the disk?” and “What can be removed?”

Computer viruses and spyware can also fill up a hard disk and gobble up system resources. In fact, one of the most common symptoms of a malware infection is slow performance. Many malware programs actually invite other malware programs onto your computer. It’s not unusual for an infected PC to have hundreds of different spyware programs on the computer! So, this too is a possibility to consider.

Disc Cleanup

Before checking for viruses and spyware, we need to free up a bit more disc space so that you can run a few scans without running into these errors. Go to Start> Programs> Accessories> System Tools> Disc Cleanup. You have already done this a few times, so this time, let’s look beyond the more basic cleanup tasks. For example, instead of accepting the default suggestions such as emptying the Recycle Bin and Downloaded Program Files, look at the list of files that can be deleted with an eye on those that are the largest. One huge file on my own disk is the Hibernation File Cleaner (1.98 GB!). If I needed to free up space, this is one that I would definitely remove (though doing so disables hibernation).

After cleaning up the marked files under Disk Cleanup, click on the More Options tab and clean up all but the most recent restore point and any shadow copies your computer may be storing. Still need more space? Now it’s time to clean up your programs. You can do this from within the More Options tab or separately from the Add and Remove Programs (Programs and Features in Vista) icon in the Control Panel.

Because many computer programs are huge and used only once or twice, remove those that you no longer need. For example, I downloaded Open Office earlier to help a Filetonic.com reader. I don’t need this program, yet it is taking up 336 MB of disk space on my computer. In my case, this would be a good candidate for removal.

Finally, search your disk for large music, photo, and video files. Delete any unimportant photos and videos like e-mail attachments or blurry personal photos. Photos can be several MBs big and videos can measure in the gigabyte range. It doesn’t take long to fill disks with music, images, and videos.

Virus and Spyware Tools  

Now that your disk has a little breathing room, let’s rule out malware. Any of the programs on our antivirus reviews page will do a good job of finding computer viruses. Ideally, you should also check for spyware. Run a complete system scan using updated security software and remove any malicious programs found.

By clearing space and removing malware, your computer’s performance should improve. View our Performance Tips for additional help.