Good morning...  I have gotten better performance by doing routine "clean up" procedures. I'll delete all off-line content and all temp files, delete and purge the prefetch folder (it simply rebuilds itself anyways...), run my Spybot, CrapCleaner, Microsoft Defender, make sure me anti-spyware definitions are all up to date along with my McAfee virus scan.  Oh, also SpywareBlaster too.... I love that one.

Then, a good ole' defrag to keep it all orderly and tidy.  I don't know if this will help you, but it's a good start anyways...  When I do my cleaning up, my Comcast broadband connection is as fast as lightning...

Tommy

Check in the bios that the processor speed is set to "Normal" and not "Compatible"....

Thanks for reply.  What is "prefetch"?  Is Spywareblaster different from SpyBot?  Do you have links for Crapcleaner and Microsoft Defender?

Thanks a heap!

As a follow up, the AOL 9.0 version supposedly adds firewall protection.  Could that, too, be a factor even when I'm not on the Internet?

Message Edited by tommyo1954 on 08-07-200602:27 PM

1.  Is your hard disk full or near full, which will slow the system down  ?  Burn some of those pictures or music to a dvd or cdrw to clear up some hard drive space.

As PETER345 stated about the start up applications, us MSCONFIG to disable most of them, and you should see a boost in boot up

Start Up Programs : Click on START, Click on Run, than put in the box " MSCONFIG ". Click OK. Now you are in the System Configuration Utility Program. Click on START UP on top. Uncheck the programs from here that you do not want to start up at boot up. You can always go back into this program to restart them. They will not be uninstalled. Click on APPLY, than it will ask you if you wish to reboot the system. Do so. After it boots up again, you will be presented with another window from the System Configuration Uitility Program telling you that you have made an adjustment. If you don't want to see this pop up each time you boot up, put a check mark in the little box in the lower left corner of this announcement.

2.  http://www.activehowto.com.nyud.net:8090/how-to/4/11/414.htm   Some information as to how to make windows faster.

3.  If you don't have at least 512 mb of system memory, than get more

4.  Many of use do a system reformat and reinstall windows xp and put on our systems only what we want and this will clear up some bloatware that still might be on the computer. 

Sorry 'bout that... we were typing at the same time. I don't know anything about AOL; I never used it...    But maybe somebody can jump in here and let you know about that AOL firrewall.  Personally, I like my Zone Alarm firewall.... 

Tommy

Have you checked the obvious:

1. The number of running processes (use task manager)
2. Too many startup applications/processes (use msconfig)
3. Too little memory (you don't say what machine, processor or how much memory). (use task manager)

Some Dell preloaded software really bogs a machine down. First thing I do is uninstall it ALL! Some people reformat and reinstall.

Peter

Those are excellent points....   I had to purge all the pre-installed unnecessary apps that Dell pre loads on the computers...    That was the very first thing I did when I recieved this new E-510.

Tommy

My problem is I do not know what is necessary, what isn't. What can I uncheck? What can I delete? I use all the same cleanup, virus scanning stuff. My system has really gotten slow. I do only have 256mb Ram..need more I know, but meanwhile...msconfig..I tried to uncheck some stuff and did not see much of an improvement. Boot Process is slow, then processing slow.

 

Any suggestions.

 

List what is running so we can see. Look for items using a lot of memory or a lot of CPU time.

What items are enabled in msconfig?

What does it say under the Performance tab of Task Manager for Commit Charge and Physical Memory?

If you use Symantec or McAfee for virus scanners, they are likely a BIG part of the problem. I would not touch them with a ten foot pole.

Peter

Tommy,

Becareful of a Registry cleaner, you may end up with a "clean install" ;)
The Dell "junk" may not be junk to everyone, remember this may be the first PC a person has owned.
They have no idea what you mean bye junk and could start deleting, removing because they read it here.

Also hearing it over and over again from the same guy is like a broken record, we`ve heard it, heard it, heard it!!

XOXOXO

"Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open."-- Albus Dumbledore

For the newbies ~ www.djdenham.com/etiquette.htm

If you have enough memory it should not "bog" the system down. However, I have other reasons for not liking Symantec and McAfee.

Another problem is Dell loads up a systems without that much memory with way too much useless software and then the users have to figure out why the machine is slow.

Peter

 

Message Edited by tommyo1954 on 08-07-200602:25 PM

Peter - I did deselect some of the start up programs (honestly, I have no idea what some of them do, so hopefully I'll be ok) and the system boot time is noticeably better.  Thanks for all your advice.

Yes, I do run McAfree.  I want to make sure it's active to deter viruses so I don't want to remove that one.

When I get home I'll copy and paste what is in the startup.

Thanks again to you and all the other posters on this thread.  Big help.

Tom