slow pc

[sgraves]

Hi! I am running XP Home on my PC. It is running so slow. I have run Ad aware and Spybot, but still it continues to run slow. If you shut the PC down, it takes minutes for it come back up to the desktop, and if you open something, forget about it, it takes forever. I have installed 384 MB of additional memory. It was moving fairly fast, but now, it almost does't move at all. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Scott

[stncttr908 Veteran]

We'll need your system specs before we can do anything else.

[david]

Defrag or Reformat

[Ultra Frosty]

Well, first of all, Welcome to Neowin ! :)

Second, we need your system specs to continue to find the problem.

[sgraves]

Hi, I have a Compaq EVO PC, with P4, 384 MB of memory, running XP Home, Norton 2004, Ad aware, Spybot. It has been doing fine, but has just recently started slowing down. So much that it almost locks up. I have tried all the basics. Defraf, Disk Clean up etc. Any ideas?

Scott

[krmathis]

If you have a CPU over ~400Mhz, something is wrong with your system or Windows XP installation.

Fix the problem (delete spyware/virus) or reinstall! ;)

Hardware problems might be more difficult.

[TaRaKa]

Defrag

[sgraves]

I reformatted a month or so ago and fixed the problem. Since then, I have been running fine, but just recently it is going slow. I don't think there are any hardware problems, but could be wrong.

Thanks!

Scott

[Lanky]

You say you installed an extra 384 mb of ram , does this mean that you had zero at first? :p

Do you have heaps of programs running ?

[sgraves]

Yes, I added memory, reformatting is not an option I don't think.....

Scott

[krmathis]

So, you added more memory and then the computer slowed down?

[sgraves]

Yes.....

Scott

[imtoomuch]

Did you run a virus scan?

[sgraves]

yes

[fdlazarte]

tweak all unwanted STARTUP applications... you may want to visit blackviper's site

Black Viper Home & Pro Service Configuration

:ninja:

[flamechocobo]

Hi, I have a Compaq

I think we've found the problem... :p

Seriously, though... Get rid of Norton 2004 and get Avast or something. Norton is a resource hog. Other than that, a reformat is the only thing that can fix it.

[krmathis]

Then it might be that you have some faulty memory.

Try the following:

1. Download this file and unzip.

2. Burn to CD as "burn image".

3. Reboot and boot on the CD.

4. Complete the memory test.

If it fails, remove your latest inserted memory chip and try again... :)

[rollinup]

Or your hardrive could be going on you. If nothing works then thats most likely the problem. It will get slower and slower untill it no longer works. :(

[gwai lo]

start -> run -> msconfig and uncheck everything that you don't need...that might help a little

[demorgoron]

I think we've found the problem... :p

Seriously, though... Get rid of Norton 2004 and get Avast or something. Norton is a resource hog. Other than that, a reformat is the only thing that can fix it.

you dont need to get another av,

run>services.msc and try setting the norton 2004 services to manual

and also remove all the startup programs,run>msconfig>starup tab

[Help]

is the ram bottlenecking your computer's performance? What's the speed of your ram and what's your FSB? (I ask this because you said that after adding more ram, your computer slowed down)