Advice on speeding up PC

[Rain-shine]

Hi all, looking for advice please on speeding up my pc. It is so painfully slow and with a really low broadband speed for my area it is making every little job 10 times harder.

I currently run defrag programs, mcafee virus software and jetclean to speed up the pc/catch any viruses which would be slowing it down.

I was wondering in particular if anyone could recommend a programme which would highlight files/programs that i never use, allowing me to delete them and free up space?

Any advice as always would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

If you use something like CCleaner (Free Version is fine), you can run a decent 'cleanup' of your system, and also access the startup items easily too.

I'd also suggest running a Scan/Repair of your Hard Drive too - a few bad sectors can cause bottlenecks and speed issues.

 

[Rain-shine]

many thanks comspec.....will give that a whirl today.

 

[spinlessplates]

I have moved away from PC completely now and use only cloud based software and access it all through a Chromebook that cost me a couple of hundred pound.
It is super fast and if you are cloud based amazing

 

[leemason]

How old is this PC? Do you know how much memory it has? What is the size of the hard disk? Is it running Windows 7 or maybe XP (hopefully not Vista!!!)?

 

[Technomum]

It might also be worth logging on to the Crucial website (sorry can't post links yet - but google "crucial memory" and you'll find the link) and run their analyser to see if you can upgrade your memory. I'm not affiliated to the site in any way, but they're an excellent resource and provide memory at good prices with quick delivery. Installing memory in your computer is really easy to do yourself, even for a novice.

Also check what programs, *tmp files and other files you have lying around and clear out any rubbish or anything that's not needed.

Finally, depending on what version of windows you're running it may have a built-in AV function, so make sure you're not running 2 AV programs as that can cause all manner of issues.

 

[fisicx]

I have moved away from PC completely now and use only cloud based software and access it all through a Chromebook that cost me a couple of hundred pound.
It is super fast and if you are cloud based amazing

The OP said they had a really low broadband speed so this isn't really a viable option.

Pick up your Chromebook and go somewhere without a decent WiFi signal and then tell me your way of working is amazing.

Rain-shine,

How many Icons do you have down in the RH corner of your PC? If you have a bucketload of applications running in the background it can slow things down.

And get rid of McAfee. apart from being a pile of crud it's probably checking everything you do all the time which isn't helping. Safescan for example is a real resource drain.

 

[andygambles]

Get a Mac

Seriously. Get rid f McAfee. That is probably causing the slowdown. Something like Prevx or even MS essentials (or both) would be better. Try changing the experience settings in Control Panel to "Faster Performance". It may make widows look all 95 but it helps. Next look uninstalling everything you don't use. Finally add more ram or buy a new machine.

 

[leemason]

I would second the comment about crucial and here is the link: http://www.crucial.com/uk/. Their memory advisor is very good and more memory always tends to help.

If you really want a speed increase then you could also look at replacing the hard drive with an SSD (See crucial also). They sell kits that include an external USB enclosure and software to clone your existing disk drive to the new disk. You just need then to replace the new disk for the old one. It's not too difficult.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Consider replacing your hard drive with a new solid state one, they have dropped a lot recently and whilsy i have not used one others state a massive improvement, far greater than any other single item

 

[helponbusiness]

I would say CCleaner will certainly help you.. also you need to remove the programs that are not in use. for Win7 please follow these steps

1. Type in run "msconfig.exe" the click Enter
2. A pop-up screen comes up, select "Startup" tab.
3. Untick all programs there that you think you don't want running when you start your computer.
4. Click on OK.
5. Restart your computer.

Hope it helps.

 

[MASSEY]

I had a really slow laptop, i cleaned it up, shut off all of the fancy stuff and it was still slow, i think it was a problem with the graphics card in the end.

 

[ryandeveloper]

Here's what I usually do:

Close services that are running in the background that I'm sure I will never use (If you don't have a printer for example, why run that service?). Search for black viper on google you will get a good insight.

Use cleaning software as previously mentioned.

Clear the cache in your browsers and disable/delete any extensions you don't use.

Benchmark my DNS connections to find a faster one available (use Google, OpenDNS) instead of your ISP to speed up your internet.

Ensure your laptop is rested on a flat surface to avoid future problems from heating, when the fans get congested and tired. They don't work too well when they can't blow air back up towards the laptop.

Of course defrag your hard drive routinely.

If you're playing games use IoBit software to kill services that aren't required when you're using the game.

Keep drivers up to date from official sources of the hardware.

Download a one-scan anti-virus program from the internet and try different ones in the process. Then make sure you have a decent one.

Install a few extensions in your browser to prevent spam, and ads.

Use msconfig.exe as suggested to disable as many programs that delay your startup process.

You can use a flash-drive as extra virtual RAM, Google it, but I don't know how much overall benefit this has.

Un-install as many programs as you can from the control panel to reduce chances of spyware and other unwanted memory loss.

And also scan for spyware and delete it, perhaps with something less commercial like Spybot S&D.

You can preload commonly use applications into memory, how much this applies to Windows I don't remember since I've been using Linux for the past 3 years, and 7 years before that. Only switching to Windows when I require it directly rather than emulating or using Virtual machines.

For speeding up physical use of the machine, make sure your files are organized and your system is available for your most essential needs. Every bit helps to make it seem faster.

I can't think of many more tips, though I like to wipe free(empty) disk space on occasion, not that it helps at speed increases but there are tools to optimize your hard drive, atleast on linux there is.

You can upgrade components on your PC also which has probably been mentioned before here also.

 

[amitsharma11]

first of all you have defragment your drive then clean your disks,delete caches, make some space in your system drive...it will work if its not working then check your hardware and its performances, you may get your answer.

 

[shine26]

try to consider an update. how about a better memory?

 

[northlondonitsupport]

to speed up a PC 2 things work eveytime:

1) More RAM (especially if under 2GB)
2) Rebuild operating system - remove all files and completely rebuild the PC.

We do this several times per week and get so many "I cannot believe how quick it is now" thank you's.

Preferably go to Windows 7 if the machine is capable. We have a fixed fee for this job. It is somewhat dull and time consuming (lots of clicking!) but very effective!

good Luck!

 

[leemason]

Oh the joys of Windows! Who would even buy an operating system that requires regular re-installation to keep it running decently. It's a bit like buying a car that gets slower and slower the more you drive it and then needs to have the engine completely reconditioned to speed it back up again.

 

[northlondonitsupport]

It is not just windows, we do this for OSX all the time too..
It is basically the amount of cr@p people continually add to their computers (often without their knowledge of doing it). all these add-ons etc slow the machine down until eventually it runs like a dog! the hardware is fine so the best way is to re-build or "MOT" it! the car analogy is a good one. they do need servicing (that is why I have a job, but also why mechanics do too....

 

[hmig89]

Hi,

As mentioned, run CCleaner and remove McAfee - McAfee have good business products but their home products are truly rubbish. I would use a combination of MSE or avast and Malwarebytes. Also are there any users who have logged in to the laptop that no longer do. I tend to find having more users profiles can slow the computer down too.

Depending if you have any important data and the specs it may be worth just to do a fresh Windows install and then do a backup image. As a rule of thumb this can be done every two years to remove code bloat.

 

[Alan]

OP doesn't say how old the PC is or what version of OS it is running, maybe its just time to upgrade.

Quickest way to speed up a a really old PC is to install Ubuntu on it.

 

[OliverOnlinePrint]

The only thing that has ever worked for me is formatting the drive (after taking backups of important data) and reinstalling the OS. That way you are left with a completely clean system with no unwanted files, registry enteries or rogue services. Not the quickest solution but certainly the best