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#1
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How to speed up my PC
I am using 98SE. For the last couple of weeks, my computer
is running really slow, and it will take a few minutes to open a file. I have run the spybot, disk cleanup and no help at all. I will try disk defrag later today. I want to know what other tricks I can use to speed up my PC. I am really frustrated. |
#2
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How to speed up my PC
1) A few minutes to open what kind of file? And, do you LITERALLY mean "a
few minutes"? How large of a file? 2) Have you added any new programs, or changed the options on any existing ones? 3) Did you download any new plug-ins for your web browser? These would be things like RealPLayer, which, by default, loads itself every time Windows starts, unless you tell it not to. Everything you run uses computer resources (memory). 4) Did you change the appearance of the desktop in any way? Themes? Third party screen savers not provided with Windows? How about pretty wallpaper on the desktop? "Lisa" wrote in message ... I am using 98SE. For the last couple of weeks, my computer is running really slow, and it will take a few minutes to open a file. I have run the spybot, disk cleanup and no help at all. I will try disk defrag later today. I want to know what other tricks I can use to speed up my PC. I am really frustrated. |
#3
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How to speed up my PC
And another question:
How many programs are you running at once? If more than one, please list their names. And, if there's a set of programs that you use all day, do you start them and leave them running, or continually shut them down and then start them again when you need them? "Lisa" wrote in message ... I am using 98SE. For the last couple of weeks, my computer is running really slow, and it will take a few minutes to open a file. I have run the spybot, disk cleanup and no help at all. I will try disk defrag later today. I want to know what other tricks I can use to speed up my PC. I am really frustrated. |
#4
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How to speed up my PC
Lisa,
While there may also be specific issues that you'll need to address--My = Documents issues, for instance, or some update or new software or = hardware you've introduced recently (you'd help us help you if you can = review recent changes in your system)--you may also be the victim of = malware or other general garbage that neither Spybot alone nor Disk = Cleanup have totally addressed. For this reason, I'm passing on my = "full-boat" suggestions, the meat of which are in the linked article = about "Clean Boot" procedures. I think you may simply need a deeper = cleansing than you've performed to date. The below includes everything I think is necessary, no more, and = certainly no less. Yes, there are valid differences of opinion regarding = which antivirus software to use, but the rest of my suggestions have = fairly unanimous support among the cognoscenti. The initial suggestions = go hand in hand with maintaining a clean and secure system. See my article, "Clean Boot--What it is and why you need it" http://www.google.com/groups?selm=3D...NGP11.phx. g= bl Because some of the more recent known invaders are capable of = interfering with the suggestions contained in the above, I suggest you also consider first doing the following, though it may be necessary to set up a clean boot, and even then manually kill a malicious process or two before you = can even get these accomplished. Many invaders are built to first detect and disable protections that are in place, so that you might, for instance, = have to obtain and employ a DOS-boot antivirus like F-Prot. Repeated running = of scanners, booting back and forth from Safe Mode to Normal, or into DOS Mode--a lot of gymnastics are often required to get to an error-free and nasties-free condition. Once there, however, some user sanity and = education, plus regular "wetware" updating, will *keep* your system healthy. Update your Antivirus, run a full scan. Then, if you haven't already, obtain, update, and run any or all of the following Trojan/Parasite/Adware/Spyware cleaners. I recommend getting and running *all* of them. They each target slightly different things. Again, be = sure you update the definitions they are using to identify crap before = running them, each time you run them--which, depending on your surfing habits, should be anything from once a month, to once a week, to once a day, to = once an hour if you're really into junkware sites (aka "Free goodies", game sites, fun-places-to-be, etc.) Tradition had it that Firewalls were generally not needed when using = simple dial-up modem connections. Alas, this is no longer the case. *Everyone* needs a firewall! Also, I make no bones about it--Norton, McAfee and Trend-Micro products (and probably a few others) are ABOMINATIONS!, particularly when it comes to Win9x systems. They are massive suites = that intrude into basic functions where they simply do not need to go. For freeware solutions, I suggest AVG or AVAST (based upon the = recommendations of others, though each has it's minor drawbacks) and ZoneAlarm Firewall. = But for really good, inexpensive, and trustworthy protection, you simply = can't beat eTrust Armor. Antivirus and Firewall combined, very non-intrusive = upon the system itself (I've *never* seen a crash caused by EZ Antivirus, and there's hardly any impact whatsoever on Resources, etc.) eTrust is from Computer Associates Inc.--the antivirus is a version of their corporate product usually known as Inoculan, and they got smart recently and = switched to using a version of ZoneAlarm for their firewall. You can get a one-year free trial of eTrust EZ Armor at http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/. This offer was initially slated to = end this June, but has been extended through February 2005. The trial offer = is also included in at least some versions (not sure about all languages) = of Microsoft's Windows Security Update CD, an item *everyone* should own. (However, do *not* just run the Update CD on your system without a = proper analysis of where your system stands with regard to Updates. Might do = more harm than good.) EZ Armor would normally cost $50 for the first year (a = deal in itself), and yearly renewal subscriptions only cost $25--an absolute steal when compared with other offerings. Order the Windows Security = Update CD directly from MS, totally free, including S&H, at http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp In addition to Antivirus and Firewall protection, I consider the = following items to be indispensable protection and clean-up utilities. My judgment = is based upon their being free, good, accurate, and safe, if handled = correctly. See, also, suggestions from MVP Mike Burgess on his site, http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/, particularly the general Windows/IE Security page, http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/security.htm. More = current discussions of Security issues can be found at the Windows Support = Center (provided by MVP Jim Eshelman, a true Saint!) at http://www.aumha.org (SpyBot S&D =3D "SpyBot Search & Destroy") Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/ SpyBot S&D http://www.safer-networking.org/inde...age=3Ddownload HijackThis http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/HijackThis.exe CWShredder http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/cwshredder.zip Spyware Blaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html PLEASE! Before doing any of these, see also, http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm for suggestions and = cautionary information about internet surfing, and some important hints about using = the above. ESPECIALLY, be aware that HijackThis scans result in a LOT of = stuff that you *don't* want to delete. The admonishment to save a log and show = it to an expert is critically good advice. Not following that advice can = really do some damage to your system. SpyBot S&D, too, is capable of similar problems, especially if you change default scan settings, or "Immunize". An additional tool that is very helpful in protecting your machine is a HOSTS file. Microsoft MVP Mike Burgess maintain a frequently updated = list of bad sites. They may be sites that provide most of the junky = advertisements you see in other places, or sites that install spyware/adware, or that, = for whatever reason, you shouldn't allow into your system. Using the HOSTS file, you can redirect such addresses to a site that's guaranteed will = fail to load on most machines--your own computer. HOSTS Overview -- http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm After using it for some time, now, I also consider MVP George Geyde's = HOSTS File Manager an indispensable tool. I've been amazed at how well = this one tool stopped most of the crap from getting in in the first = place. You can find it at the bottom of this page: http://www.mvps.org/PracticallyNerded/Software.htm --=20 Gary S. Terhune MS MVP for Win9x =20 "Lisa" wrote in message = ... I am using 98SE. For the last couple of weeks, my computer=20 is running really slow, and it will take a few minutes to=20 open a file. I have run the spybot, disk cleanup and no=20 help at all. I will try disk defrag later today. I want to=20 know what other tricks I can use to speed up my PC. I am=20 really frustrated. |
#5
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How to speed up my PC
1) Even one sentence word file will take a few minutes.
2) I didn't add any new programs 3) I do have realPlayer. Should I turn if off and how? 4) I have deleted all my screensaver and wall papers and no help at all. Any idea what should I do now?Thanks. -----Original Message----- 1) A few minutes to open what kind of file? And, do you LITERALLY mean "a few minutes"? How large of a file? 2) Have you added any new programs, or changed the options on any existing ones? 3) Did you download any new plug-ins for your web browser? These would be things like RealPLayer, which, by default, loads itself every time Windows starts, unless you tell it not to. Everything you run uses computer resources (memory). 4) Did you change the appearance of the desktop in any way? Themes? Third party screen savers not provided with Windows? How about pretty wallpaper on the desktop? "Lisa" wrote in message ... I am using 98SE. For the last couple of weeks, my computer is running really slow, and it will take a few minutes to open a file. I have run the spybot, disk cleanup and no help at all. I will try disk defrag later today. I want to know what other tricks I can use to speed up my PC. I am really frustrated. . |
#6
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How to speed up my PC
OK....that was a dead end! But, if you don't need RealPlayer's services
every single day, or all day, right-click its icon in the system tray, open its options or preferences menu or whatever it's called, and look for the setting that tells it to start all the time. Disable it. If I recall, it'll warn you that you'll go deaf and be less popular if it doesn't run all the time, but I haven't found that to be true. "Lisa" wrote in message ... 1) Even one sentence word file will take a few minutes. 2) I didn't add any new programs 3) I do have realPlayer. Should I turn if off and how? 4) I have deleted all my screensaver and wall papers and no help at all. Any idea what should I do now?Thanks. -----Original Message----- 1) A few minutes to open what kind of file? And, do you LITERALLY mean "a few minutes"? How large of a file? 2) Have you added any new programs, or changed the options on any existing ones? 3) Did you download any new plug-ins for your web browser? These would be things like RealPLayer, which, by default, loads itself every time Windows starts, unless you tell it not to. Everything you run uses computer resources (memory). 4) Did you change the appearance of the desktop in any way? Themes? Third party screen savers not provided with Windows? How about pretty wallpaper on the desktop? "Lisa" wrote in message ... I am using 98SE. For the last couple of weeks, my computer is running really slow, and it will take a few minutes to open a file. I have run the spybot, disk cleanup and no help at all. I will try disk defrag later today. I want to know what other tricks I can use to speed up my PC. I am really frustrated. . |
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