Orpington Astronomical Society

Random Rambling Ruminations => PC Helpline => Topic started by: Carole on Jul 25, 2010, 11:13:45

Title: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Carole on Jul 25, 2010, 11:13:45
After having my reconditioned XP desktop for around 2 years it has started to run a bit slow opening up programmes, and sometimes it lingers for ages with half of one page showing and half of another.  Mostly seems to happen when starting a programme up.  I feel it's going to get worse if I don't do something.

I feel that I need to run some sort of process to de-clutter things, but not sure what.  Is there anything not too technical I can do?

Carole
Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Mac on Jul 25, 2010, 11:33:24
nope
Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Mac on Jul 25, 2010, 11:33:41
 :cheesy:
Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Mac on Jul 25, 2010, 11:39:27
got your start menu
goto run
type msconfig
select the startup tab
untick everything not to do with your antivirus and firewall,
that should help


Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Carole on Jul 25, 2010, 11:50:20
Thanks Mike, that was one I didn't know about. 

I've done a defrag and just found out about scandisk and have cleared all my cookies etc and had a clear out of no longer needed saved sites on favourites.

I have 78% available disk space so that's OK.

Carole

Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Carole on Jul 25, 2010, 11:56:26
Just realised I should have posted this in PC helpline.

Forgot that was there.

Carole
Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Mike on Jul 25, 2010, 12:06:10
Unfortunately Windows suffers from this problem. The best solution is an annual reformat and reinstall of the OS.
Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Mac on Jul 25, 2010, 12:34:23
QuoteUnfortunately Windows suffers from this problem
:cheesy:

QuoteThe best solution is an annual reformat and reinstall of the OS.

Too true.

Mind you Carole, Is that the XP i've just set up for you?
It shouldn't be that slow if it is.

Mac.


Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Carole on Jul 25, 2010, 13:25:18
No Mac, this is my desktop.

Just going through Mike's suggestion and something I found on the internet.

Carole
Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Carole on Jul 25, 2010, 14:27:38
Thanks Mike,
I've done, disk frag, Mike's suggestion, and diskscan, cleared out cookies and it seems better.

Carole

Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Mac on Jul 25, 2010, 14:52:06
have you set your memory paging file to a fixed size, that normally helps.

Check by going to control panel,
system
then select the advanced tab
goto performance settings
select advanced
click on virtual memory change
select custom size and set both of them to 2048
then press set.
reboot your machine.

This will stop windows recalculating the page file everytime it needs to make it bigger or smaller..




Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: doug on Jul 25, 2010, 14:56:01

     Look up Piriform CC Cleaner, which Duncan recommended for me, download it ..... it`s free..... sort out what you want to get rid of, and whoosh, there you go.

     Doug. :D
Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Mike on Jul 25, 2010, 17:33:43
I think you mean Mac's suggestion, not Mikes.
Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Carole on Jul 25, 2010, 18:20:03
QuoteI think you mean Mac's suggestion, not Mikes
I could have sworn it was you Mike, must be cracking up.

Carole
Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Carole on Jul 25, 2010, 18:28:42
QuoteCheck by going to control panel,
system
then select the advanced tab
goto performance settings
select advanced
click on virtual memory change
select custom size and set both of them to 2048
then press set.
reboot your machine.
Done, although I had to find it a slightly different way when I got to the advanced page.

Thanks
Carole

Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Carole on Jul 25, 2010, 18:57:35
All those things done, it now seems to be a lot better thanks.

Carole
Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Rocket Pooch on Jul 30, 2010, 10:01:19
So you have disproved Mike or Mac?
Title: Re: Speeding up my PC
Post by: Carole on Jul 30, 2010, 10:47:42
QuoteSo you have disproved Mike or Mac?

Sorry, don't understand the question.  I've done all the things they have suggested and it's working better.

Carole