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My PC is running too slow. In some cases it freezes.

Troubleshooting Slow PC and Frozen Screen: Scan for Spyware/Virus

Slow computers and intermittent freezing can be the result of a virus or spyware infection. Each one of these uses up valuable resources and if you don’t get rid of them, they can cause your computer to freeze or run slowly. If you have an anti-spyware/anti-virus application, check for updates and then scan your computer with a full scan. If you don’t have an anti-spyware/anti-virus application, try this one- Anti-VirusPLUS.

Troubleshooting Slow PC and Frozen Screen: Cleaning up the PC

Complete each one of the following tasks to clean up the computer and free up some valuable resources. Once you do, your computer should stop freezing up if a lack of computer resources is the problem.

• Delete unused applications and programs using the “Add/Remove” utility tool.
• Delete duplicate applications of the same program.
• If you have too many programs beginning at startup, it can cause your computer to freeze up. Disable some of the applications from starting up at boot up. For example, you don’t need QuickTime to start up when you boot up and so on. Windows Defender, which is built into Windows Vista, has a Startup Manager that you can use to manage your startup programs. Otherwise, go to Start > Run and type in msconfig. The Startup tab allows you to select or deselect programs for automatic startup. Choose carefully as you don’t want to disable necessary programs such as spyware protection.
• Delete unwanted files, photos, pictures, images, music files, videos, etc.
• Delete unwanted emails.
• Clear the temporary internet cache using the “Tools” feature on your web browser.
• Use a registry cleaner such as RegCure to scan your registry for errors.
• Defrag the computer by taking these steps: Click Start→ Click All Programs→ Click Accessories→ Click System Tools→ Click Disk Cleanup or some variation of this set of directions.

Troubleshooting Slow PC and Frozen Screen: Use System Restore

If none of the above strategies have worked to restore your computer back to normal, use the “System Restore” utility to turn time back and set your computer to an earlier date before this problem started to happen. To do so:

Click Start→ Click All Programs→ Click Accessories→ Click System Tools→ Click System Restore. Click “Restore my computer to an earlier time” and select a date that you think will be good. It should be an earlier date before the problems started to happen. Now, follow the prompts as they occur. Your computer should reboot and run smoothly now.

How can I keep my computer from locking up when I’m online and get it to run faster? I can’t seem to fix the errors in the computer. How do I fix the errors without the computer shutting down or freezing up?

Before tackling how to fix and optimize your slow computer, let’s take a look at the most common causes for PC sluggishness and computer lock ups: malware, registry corruption, and lack of resources. Any of these three, or a combination of them, could be to blame.

Download tool - Fixes Registry problems that lead to Slow PC !

Speed Killers: Malware

Malware, a broad category that includes computer viruses, spyware, worms, hacker attacks, and other pesky threats, is notorious for causing slow online connections, computer crashes, and extremely poor computer performance. In fact, it’s not uncommon for an infected computer to have dozens of infections further compounding the problem.

Not only do each of these programs take up system resources like memory, some of them use your Internet connection to send massive e-mail campaigns on behalf of the hacker who sent the malware to your computer. Conficker is a current example of malware that turns your computer into a robot that follows commands sent from afar.

Speed Killers: Registry Corruption

Windows stores information about user preferences, the computer’s hardware, installed software, and other systematic details in a massive database known as the Windows registry. Windows relies on this registry in order to function properly. Instructions in the registry tell the operating system what to do with a given element. However, if these instructions are incomplete or missing, Windows gets confused and the system comes to a crawl. Computer errors and system freezes are often due to a problem with a corrupt or bloated registry.

Speed Killers: Lack of Resources

Computers need RAM, sufficient hard disk space, and processor power to perform at basic levels. The more programs that are running at once, the greater the demand is for system resources. When resources reach critical levels, the computer eventually freezes.

Repairing and Speeding up Slow Computers

Okay, so now you have three potential causes for your computer’s terrible performance. Because computer viruses and spyware are running rampant, let’s start there. Do you have reputable (from well known and respected developers) antivirus and antispyware tools installed on your computer?  If so, update the software with the latest updates and run a full system scan. If not, invest in a good product.

All of the products listed on Filetonic’s antivirus review page are from respected antimalware developers. A few are even free.

While you’re at it, use Windows Update to update your operating system. This will ensure that you have the latest security patches, further protecting your computer from invasions.

Once you’re confident that any virus issues are solved, reboot your computer and see if the speed and lockup issues have been solved. If so, great! If not, consider using a registry cleaner to clear out the junk in the registry. We recommend RegCure.

Before you buy, download the free scan tool to see if your computer is a good candidate for cleaning. The scanner will show you how many invalid or corrupt registry entries are on your computer. From there, you can make a decision whether or not you need to invest in this product.

Now, let’s look at your system resources. Cleaning virus infections should help with this. However, your computer may have programs loading that you don’t need or your hard disk could be nearly full. Both of these issues can cause PC slowdowns and crashes.

Remove programs from automatic startup (Start >Run > msconfig > Startup Items) and free up some disk space by running the Disk Cleanup tool (Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup).

Finally, since your computer shuts down frequently, consider performing these steps in Safe Mode. Hopefully Safe Mode will buy you enough time to repair your system.