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XPS 8500, Windows 8.1, very slow
Hi guys,
I am having a very serious problem with my computer. It’s been happening for quite a while now but yesterday it has gotten really bad. My computer is just running very slow, it’s at the stage where it’s barely working at all. I have tried virus scans on different anti viruses, defragged my HDD, ran system restore a few times and ran system maintenance with no joy.
At first it seemed like windows defender was the cause,well at least I thought so and I turned it off, the computer was working better for a while but like I said, it’s happening again now and it is far worse. I should also note that I used the Dell SA (SupportAssist) to update drivers etc. It seemed to have begun after I did that which was a while ago although I am not sure. Just trying to break things down so you can understand more. I should also note that I have had my computer from 2012: so perhaps it is just really old and I need a new one although I have never had any problems with my computer until now. Anybody have any idea what I can do to fix this or will I just get new computer. Thanks for the help. Sorry if my typing is not so good as I am doing this post on my iPad which I at typing on lol. I just can’t use my computer as it is so bad and slow.
Vic384
4 Operator
4 Operator
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3.2K Posts
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September 9th, 2018 09:00
See this article about running the System File Checker tool and see if it helps: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/929833/use-the-system-file-checker-tool-to-repair-missing-or-corrupted-system
Tesla1856
8 Wizard
8 Wizard
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17K Posts
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September 9th, 2018 10:00
"Slow computer" is pretty vague, but if I was presented with this problem, the first thing I would do is try to isolate it to hardware or software failure.
This way, you can focus your efforts appropriately. There is many of each that could be the main problem.
Running ePSA Diagnotics (outside of Windows) is a good place to start.
https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware-General-Read-Only/Alienware-Desktop-General-Hardware-Troubleshooting/m-p/5555517#M57436
DefyingGravity
1 Message
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September 9th, 2018 22:00
Here are two solutions that always work for me on my Acer Laptop which also I had since 2012:
- do a thorough cleaning to your system
use CCleaner to clear up the trash and uninstalling unnecessary apps and tools. Developing a habit of cleaning trash on a regular basis is quite important for keeping the system light and fast. In addition to that, remove all the unwanted files in C drive and avoid setting it as the destination of various downloads.
- keep drivers on your system up to date
use SnailDriver to find and download drivers, dated drivers can result into various issues on your computer which include a slowdown of system.
Hope this helps!
Philip_Yip
9 Legend
9 Legend
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16K Posts
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September 10th, 2018 04:00
Windows 8.1 is now a pretty much obsolete Operating System. Your Windows Install is about 6 years old...
First of all check your hardware is okay. Power down your system and power it up holding down the [F12] key. Run the full preboot system diagnostics. If the hardware checks out then you should forget about Windows 8.1 and proceed to clean install the latest build of Windows 10 directly.
The XPS 8500 even though it is 6 years old is still a pretty powerful piece of hardware. If you want a performance boost however you should consider swapping out the HDD with a SSD.
More details on clean installing Windows 10 are available here:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/windows-oem-faqs-and-downloads/
speedstep
9 Legend
9 Legend
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47K Posts
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September 10th, 2018 05:00
If its not a resource issue aka hard drive or ram failing then its malware. Given the age of the machine the hard drive is likely dying as its over 5 years old.
I have clients all the time insist that they don't have malware. We send a tech out with a new hard drive and Windows 10 System Builder DVD.
Install windows then upgrade OFFLINE via an 1803 burned DVD.
Then run disk cleanup to remove the 30 gigs of windows.old.
Then activate windows.
Then do all current updates.
And when this works and everything is running fine the user still insists that we "FIX" his malware'd hard drive but isn't willing to pay anything for it.
So the tech writes a report and puts the old drive back and leaves.