My computer runs super slow. I am not very good with computers, but I have a ton of processes running, and my usage is about 85-100% Which processes do I need and how do I stop all of the other from popping up whenever I start my machine? Is there a program(preferrably free) that I can get to help me out?
Filed under: Clean Up Computer
Basic cleanup which will usually work wonders….
1. delete all your cookies
2. run disk cleanup
3. defrag
If you are adding and deleting a lot of files often, do this weekly. Otherwise monthly. You should delete your cookies after every session.
ok now to turn off things you dont’ need running all the time.
1. click start > run
type msconfig
uncheck everything that you recognize to be "extra" software such as quicktime, any of the messengers, real player, task scheduler, You will recognize things you ahve installed and you dont’ need them to start when your computer turns on. More detailed you would have to post a list of what is in your msconfig file.
hope that helps. It should.
And my own opinion…..Don’t turn off restore. Especially if you are constantly installing different software.
defragment
click your start button
go to all programs
click on accessories
system tools
then click defragment
if you have never done this it will take awhile to defrag
go to your internet explorer and right click on it…go to properties and under the general tab…delete cookies, the delete files, when this open it will ask you delete all off line content, check it and hit ok. this gets rid of any sites you have gone too. We have to do it for work because it takes up way too much space.
there is an easy way to see whats running in windows.
hit ctrl-alt-del and look at the processes tab.
If you want to know which ones are taking up the most processing time. click on the cpu column header. click it again and the programs will be sorted by order of which is using the most processing time.
normally idle will be the most.
Any that you see that are taking up a lot of time need to be closed.
Especially ones that you aren’t using.
go to ‘start’ ‘all programs’ ‘accessories’ ‘system tools’ ‘discdefranmantor’
Use these 3 FREE tools from Microsoft –
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm
P.S.
I would not disable System Restore.
probably need more ram
1. disable system restore
2. download AVG antivirus, AVG antispyware, spybot, spyblaster
http://free.grisoft.com/
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareb…
http://www.safer-networking.org/…
3. update them
4. run scans
Hi
You can start off by shutting down some startup programs by using msconfig:
1. Press the Start button on your desktop.
2. Press Run
3. Type in msconfig
4. Go to the Startup tab and uncheck the startup items you do not want to start.
If you are unsure about what to shut down, research the name of the startup item before you shut it down. If you shut down programs using msconfig, you will need to restart your computer so the changes will take effect.
You can also perform a disk defrag. A disk defrag will basically rearrange the files on your computer so they will be closer together, and will increase the speed when accessing the files. To do this, go to Start -> Accessories folder -> System Tools -> Disk Defrag
You can also do a disk cleanup, which will get rid of the items in your recycle bin, temporary internet files, cookies, etc. To do this, go back to the folder where the Disk Defrag program is and open Disk Cleanup.
Another problem you could be having is viruses and spyware. If that is that case, I suggest that you download some free anti-spyware and anti-virus programs such as:
AVG Anti-Virus:
http://www.grisoft.com/doc/download-free-anti-virus/us/crp/0
Spyware Terminator:
http://www.spywareterminator.com/
Super Anti-Spyware:
http://www.superantispyware.com/index.html
Ad-Aware 2007 Free:
http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php?PHPSESSID=4f05e3e8395b47d9b000cea8632d8f39
Avast:
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html
Avast Virus Cleaner (Used to clean viruses, not as an everyday scanner):
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-virus-cleaner.html
Here are some free rootkit programs that detects rootkits:
Sophos Anti-Rootkit
http://www.sophos.com/products/free-tools/sophos-anti-rootkit.html
AVG Anti-Rootkit
http://www.grisoft.com/doc/download-free-anti-rootkit/us/crp/0
These are some tools that will help you determine if a website is legitimate before you enter it or submit any info. It is for security purposes, not for making your computer run faster, but it is very useful:
Calling ID:
http://www.callingid.com/Default.aspx
If you download more than one anti-virus program, make sure you only have one running at startup. It is not a good idea to have more than one anti-virus program running in the background, because they could use too much memory or could interfere with each other. If more than one is running at startup, you can disable the one you don’t want running by using the msconfig function.
If you don’t have a firewall installed try one of these:
Comodo:
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/download_firewall.html?currency=USD®ion=North%20America&country=US
Zone Alarm:
http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/catalog/products/sku_list_za.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en
You could also try a free Registry cleaner and registry defragment program:
CCleaner (Also cleans hard drive):
http://www.ccleaner.com/
Eusing:
http://www.eusing.com/free_registry_cleaner/registry_cleaner.htm
Auslogics Registry Defrag:
http://www.auslogics.com/registry-defrag/index.php
Backup the registry before you make any changes to it. CCleaner and Eusing have functions that allow you to do this.
You can also uninstall programs that you no longer use, and you could get rid of files that you no longer use, such as music, videos, documents, pictures, etc. This will increase space on your hard drive.
You can also get more memory for your computer by going to http://www.crucial.com/. The website has tools that will also help you choose the right memory for your computer. The memory sold by crucial is not as expensive as other companies.
If you are interested in more programs for your computer, go to http://www.download.com/
I hope this helps you.