Advice on where to look - slow PC

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alkit

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Hi,

I went the other day to look at someone's PC as they told me that it is going very slowly.

Indeed, it is running extreamly slowly, with the hard drive doing excessive work whenever a program is launched or start menu is opened etc.

It almost feels as if the machine has too little ram and it going to the swap file, however, there is 2gb of RAM with around 1GB free.

OS is windows XP and CPU is core i3.

Any idea where I can look for the fault? Any software that you can think of that could be causing it, or maybe a hardware issues?

Thanks
 
xera said:
Yes. This is a common issue with machines running XP.

Check if norton is installed.
Click to expand...

Check to both - running XP with Norton installed. I wanted to do a complete re-install with windows 7, but he is running too much legacy software, so we have to keep to XP. Think Norton is the issue?
 
alkit said:
Check to both - running XP with Norton installed. I wanted to do a complete re-install with windows 7, but he is running too much legacy software, so we have to keep to XP. Think Norton is the issue?
Click to expand...

Yes. My dads pc has that combo, you can't even copy a file to it over LAN, the copy goes at something crazy like 1Mbps over the 100Mbps hub!

Try disabling the norton *smart* firewall just to test, and see if it performs any better.
 
alkit said:
Check to both - running XP with Norton installed. I wanted to do a complete re-install with windows 7, but he is running too much legacy software, so we have to keep to XP. Think Norton is the issue?
Click to expand...

Download and install CCleaner (Make sure to untick any of the default values if you wish to keep browsing history ect)

Then go to my computer and right click the C drive and go to properties and disk cleanup and remove anything that can be removed, do not compress any files.

Uninstall Norton and upgrade to MSE(Microsoft Security Essentials)/Avast Free Anti-virus or you can buy Eset Smart Security.

Also download and install these:

1. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
2. SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition

Update and run full scans.

Then download and install Defraggler (Analyze and if fragmentation is over 20%, defragment the drive)

Now go to Start, Run and type "msconfig". Go to Services, hide Microsoft services and untick any unnecessary programs left over, if you are not sure what a service is then leave it. Do the same for startup programs.


If you want to test the ram for any problems then download memtest and pop it on a flash drive. Reboot the Pc and boot off the flash drive.
 
Last edited:
alkit said:
Hi,

I went the other day to look at someone's PC as they told me that it is going very slowly.

Indeed, it is running extreamly slowly, with the hard drive doing excessive work whenever a program is launched or start menu is opened etc.

It almost feels as if the machine has too little ram and it going to the swap file, however, there is 2gb of RAM with around 1GB free.

OS is windows XP and CPU is core i3.

Any idea where I can look for the fault? Any software that you can think of that could be causing it, or maybe a hardware issues?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Most probably a Bit-coin miner (a type of malware). It slows your PC down dramatically, and uses up your CPU and memory to generate bit-coins - a digital currency. Also check to see if your anti-virus is up to date, it will help to solve the problem
 
Duff-Man said:
Most probably a Bit-coin miner (a type of malware). It slows your PC down dramatically, and uses up your CPU and memory to generate bit-coins - a digital currency. Also check to see if your anti-virus is up to date, it will help to solve the problem
Click to expand...

Hahaha. Interesting. Malware that mines bit-coins. Why didn't I think of that? I'm gonna be rich!
 
Nomnom's answer is spot on. I get this complaint the most. Also, go to Uninstall (XP) or Programs (7) and remove everything you do not need. Check also that Windows has not been told to save space by compressing the drive. You will save space but the PC will have to decompress every file before it is used.

Also go to msconfig and check out all non-Microsoft programs. Take out the ones you have never heard of. If something vital does not work you can put it back. I have a 9 year old XP installation and runs as good as it did in 2003.
 
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