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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.

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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.

My PC started working slower, took time to start up and open a new window or new tab. I suspected a virus. I ran Spybot and found my PC was infected with win32.agent.nmy trojan horse. I cleared it using Spybot, used CCleaner to clear my registry and defragment. I ran Spybot again and it was all clear, no more trojan horse. But it still takes time to start up and open a new tab, what should I do now?

Check Windows Add/Remove for Bad Programs

OK - I think that we should go through your computer and make sure that all the malware is gone, even though Spybot says it is. It’s worth checking thoroughly because some infectious code is cleverly programmed to evade your virus scans and hang out in your computer. First of all, you can use Windows Add/Remove Programs to look through all the programs that are installed on your system and make sure that there is nothing dangerous or suspicious. To open Add/Remove Programs just click Start, then choose Control Panel, and then Add/Remove Programs. Here is a link to a list of dangerous programs to look for, if any of them appear delete them. You should also delete your download of CCleaner, we’ll get the latest version later.

Remove Java and JSE - Java Sun Environment - Programs

While you are in Windows Add/Remove, delete any and all installations of Java or JSE. Old versions have weaknesses and should be removed. Then you can go to the Java website and reinstall the newest version when you are finished troubleshooting your PC.

Start XP and Vista in Normal Startup

You should also set your computer to start up in normal mode while you are cleaning your system. This is important and not doing so can lead to more complications. If you are running Windows 98, ME or XP:

1. Click Start, then Run, and then type msconfig and click OK
2. Choose the General tab, then choose Normal Startup
3. Click Apply, then OK then turn your computer off and on again

If you run Vista:

1. Click Start, then type RUN in the search box and then click Enter
2. In the Run box, type msconfig and click Enter
3. Choose General, then choose Normal Startup
4. Click Apply, then OK, then reboot your computer

Empty Trash and Quarantined Files

Now empty all your trash and quarantined files. This will reduce the amount of data on your system, simplifying the scans and making the process faster and less complicated. Empty your Windows Trash - right-click the icon and choose to delete the contents. Also, if you use a Norton virus scan, empty the quarantined files and the protected recycle bins.

At this point you can download and install CCleaner, but run it with only the default options enabled to get rid of your temporary files. If you have more than one user account on Windows, you need to run the cleaner on all of them.

Make All Extensions Visible

Before you continue, you should make all file extensions visible, so that your scans have the best chance of finding everything. If you run Vista:

1. Right click Start, then choose Explore, then Organize
2. Choose Folder and Search Options, then the View tab, then Show Hidden Files and Folders
3. Click to remove the check from Hide Extensions for Known File Types AND Hide Protected Operating System Files
4. Click Yes, then Apply, then OK

If you run XP:

1. Click Start, then Explore, then Tools, then Folder Options
2. Choose the View tab, then Show Hidden Files and Folders
3. Click to remove the check from Hide Extensions for Known File Types AND Hide Protected Operating System Files
4. Click Yes, then Apply, then OK

Follow Detailed Operating System Cleaning Instructions

Now use Windows Defender, which should already be on your system, or a reputable antivirus/antispyware program to scan your system one more time. Run a complete system scan. Sometimes, using a second anti-malware program catches malware that the first application did not catch.

I am not able to send e-mails and my computer is moving slow. Help?

Looks like we have two issues: e-mail sending errors and sluggish performance. Fortunately, we can help.

Troubleshooting E-mail Sending Errors - Clogged Folders

One of the most common e-mail sending errors involves clogged folders. If you use Outlook Express or Windows Live Mail, go through your folders and delete, delete, delete. Pay special attention to the Inbox and Sent Items folders as those tend to fill up. Once you have cleaned out your folders, try sending an e-mail message. If the message goes through, then you’ll want to keep your folders from getting bogged down with messages. One way to do this is to create subfolders and place important messages in an appropriate subfolder while deleting the rest.

E-mail Send Error - Antivirus/Antispam Interference

Another common problem involves your antivirus or antispam software scanning your outgoing e-mail messages. For example, if you have Norton’s antispam plugin, this software may be taking too long to perform its scan which causes your e-mail to timeout. Either disable the antispam filter or increase the timeout limit.

E-mail Error 0×800CCC19

Another common e-mail sending error is error 0×800CCC19, which is an e-mail timeout error. This error often occurs when trying to send a large attachment. Since most ISPs restrict attachment sizes, this error is resolved by either deleting the messages (which then allows your other messages to go through) or removing the attachment and replacing it with a much smaller attachment.

These are general e-mail sending errors that may or may not be contributing to your problem. Let us know if you’re getting a specific error code as well as which e-mail client you are using and we will be happy to dig deeper.

Slow PC Performance

Your e-mail and your slow computer may be related. For example, if your computer is bogged down with too many processes running at once, it’s possible that your e-mail is timing out due to lack of resources. Either way, speeding up your PC is desirable. Start by running complete antivirus and antispyware scans. Spyware and viruses take up huge amounts of system resources and usually, if you have one infection, you have hundreds! We recommend any of the products found on our antivirus reviews page. Several are free and many take care of both viruses and spyware in one package.

If you already have a reputable computer security package, update it and run a complete scan. Anything found? If so, expect to see a boost in performance. If not, try a few more troubleshooting steps.

Disable Startup Items

How many startup programs are launching each time you boot your PC? Each program takes up system resources, so if you aren’t using it, take it out of your Startup lineup. Go to Start > Run and type in: msconfig

From there, click on the Startup Items list and remove unnecessary programs. For example, there’s no need to load Adobe Reader every time your computer starts, so remove it from the list. Use the Internet to research programs that you are unfamiliar with before removing them from the list as some may be necessary system programs.

Check Disk Space

When a hard drive is nearly full, computer performance degrades rapidly. Windows uses a portion of the hard drive for temporary memory. When this space is unavailable, the computer crawls. Check your disk space and free up as much space as possible.

Defrag the Hard Drive

Next, defrag the hard drive. This realigns bits and pieces of your files and improves performance.

We also recommend using a product such as RegCure to clean up the Windows Registry.

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.

How to Speed up your PC: A Beginners Guide

Is your PC running slow to the point that it has become an annoyance?

Do you find that it takes much longer to complete tasks that would normally take a few minutes ?

Do you find that your PC takes so long to boot up that you have enough time to use the bathroom and get a quick snack?

If this sounds like your situation, here are some steps you can take to speed up your PC.

Disk Defragmenter

First, run the Disk Defragment tool. You’ll need to do this weekly because when you are using the computer on a daily basis, the hard drive becomes fragmented. Fragments of data will disperse in places they don’t belong causing your computer to lag.

In order to run the Disk Defragment tool, you’ll first need to go to the

• Start menu.
• Then, you’ll hit All Programs.
• Look for the Accessories menu.
• Once you’ve found that, scroll down until you see System Tools.
• Under the System Tools menu, you’ll see the Disk De fragment option.
• Click that, and you’ll see the screen pop up that will give you some options.
• You’ll need to click the button that says, “Defragment.”

Once you’ve done this, just let the program run. Don’t touch the computer while it is going through the defragmenting process. Leave it be until the program is finished doing its job.

Disk Clean-up Utility

The second thing you can do to speed up your PC is to run the Disk Clean-up utility.

This utility will clean your hard drive of all temporary files that slow down your PC’s performance. The path that you’ll need to take to get to this is the same as it would be to get to the Disk Defragment tool.

But, if you are confused, follow the same steps outlined above to get to the System Tools menu.

Except for this time, you’d not click on Disk Defragment.

You’ll be clicking on the option that says, “Disk Cleanup.”

Once you’ve done that, the Disk Cleanup utility will scan your system.

Depending on how cluttered your hard drive is, it could take awhile. Once the scanning is completed, a checklist will appear. The most common places that need to be cleaned on the hard drive will be checked by default. It would be a good idea to leave those be if you are a novice computer user and are not sure what you are doing.

But, if you do understand a little more, you could check additional options along with the ones already checked. After you have checked everything you want, hit the button that says, “Okay.”

This will launch the utility, and the process of cleaning up your hard drive will begin. It is important that you do not touch the computer while it is going through this process.

let the program run its course.

Use a good Antispyware tool at least weekly

The third thing you could do is to install and run a spyware cleanup utility.

This will cleanse your hard drive from software and other unwanted programs that could do harm to your computer. Spybot Search & Destroy is one of the most recommended spyware removal programs. Not to mention, it is free. A good commercial-grade malware removal tool is XoftspySE - it’s free to scan your system and if any infections are found (that weren’t removed by the free Spybot), then it may be worth the $30 for this one to clean them out for you. What’s 30 bucks if it means your computer and your personal information is safe, right?

Taking these measures are sure to speed up your PC. You won’t find yourself becoming frustrated to the point of feeling like you want to take a hammer to your computer.