Runs slow 1

[AussieViper]

I am a newbee here, so I don't quite know my way around yet ... I have win 98 xp home edition, seems to run slow, pages take forever to load, i have 384 mb ram with a large harddrive. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

 

[ski]

Check to see if the virtual memory(swapfile) is activating.
If so, then you either need more RAM(Win XP is known for eating memory), and/or shut down unnecessary programs(especially an antivirus program) running in the background.

 

[ski]

Also, multitasking can also cause your problem.

 

[IloveCheese]

What's "Win 98 XP Home Edition"? lol...

If you mean Windows 98, then your Memory is adequate, and I would run Adaware (Search for "Adaware" on Google).

If you mean XP Home, then you may need more Memory, but I would still advise trying Adaware...

 

[dearingkr]

1. Run a full virus scan: If you don't have a good anti-virus program, AVG is free, download at

http://www.grisoft.com

2. Clean out your cache: Open Internet Explorer, go to Tools | Internet Options, delete files & cookies.

3.Run a disk cleanup: Open Windows Explorer, right-click the hard drive, select Properties.

4. Run spyware removal software: As IloveCheese suggests, download and run AdAware, also download and run Spybot Search & Destroy.

5. Defrag the hard drive.

The steps listed above are the basics of cleaning up your PC. Don't bother troubleshooting further until you have done this.

MCSE CCNA CCDA

 

[Bigpom1]

I am baffled by your description of the Operating System, is it Windows 98 or Windows XP? You should certainly empty Temporary Internet files and Cookies as suggested byDearingKR above, paragraph2

 

[AussieViper]

Sorry, it's Windows XP Home Edition. I ran Adaware, scan disk, defrag, don't know what else to do.

 

[dearingkr]

A couple of other things to try...

Remove unnecessary software: if you've had the computer for a while, you'll be surprised the amount of stuff loaded you probably don't use.

Stop unnecessary programs from loading at startup: except for your anti-virus program, very few items actually need to load at startup. Look at your system tray, if you've got more than a handfull of icons, then you can probably dramatically improve your system perfomance. Click Start| Run type 'msconfig'. Tinker with this and see what works best for you.

MCSE CCNA CCDA

 

[ski]

The HD may also be failing.
Run diagnostics on it at the manuf's website to see if it's ok.