Very slow PC

[Busydave]

My PC, running Windows 2000, is running slower and slower.

I have run defrag, and cleared out temp files etc, but there is no difference. Should I reload the original Microsoft 2000 suite of programs? If I do, can I still access word data that I have stored on my hard drive?

Thank you

Dave

 

[nl4385]

Slow PC

Dave,

Have you downloaded Adaware from Lavasoft? If you run this application, it clears spyware from your PC. Spyware can can slow your PC down. Try this before reinstalling software. Make sure that all your documents are on a backup medium or on a different partition on your harddrive. Reinstalling means formatting your c: partition, thus deleting everything.

Hope this helps.
Cor

 

[Busydave]

Thanks Cor.

Yes, I run Adaware regularly (very useful!).

I have particularly noticed that Word now takes a long time to open, and if I cut and paste even a small amount of text from Internet explorer to Word it can take a long time.

I will back up data before reinstalling programs like you say.

Thanks for your help.

Dave

 

[ceehjay]

PC Performance

Dave, check out this Cnet thread on Simple tasks to help boost PC performance. Although the OS is different, the winning responses by Mark F. and Dana H. could apply to most versions of Windows.

I get the Cnet "Community Help and How-To" newsletter. I find lots of answers to my own questions/issues in these newsletters.

Carolyn

 

[Busydave]

Thanks Carolyn

I'll check it out before I do anything major!

Dave

 

[kewms]

You might be running low on memory and/or disk space, too. Is this a 2000-vintage PC?

Katherine

 

[tfadams]

My PC, running Windows 2000, is running slower and slower.

I have run defrag, and cleared out temp files etc, but there is no difference. Should I reload the original Microsoft 2000 suite of programs? If I do, can I still access word data that I have stored on my hard drive?

Thank you

Dave

Dave,

In addition to what everyone else posted, make sure your anti-virus definitions are up to date.

Also - reloading MS Office shouldn't overwrite or delete any documents/spreadhseets (etc.) you have saved, but backup anyway

- Todd

 

[andersons]

It does sound like spyware symptoms. You can get infected even while running any single anti-spyware program or even several. I have gotten infected with one that none of the anti-spyware programs could cure. I have written down a lengthy procedure I learned for getting rid of them. The first step is to check all your running tasks to see if they're legit.

Another possibility: you might want to try replacing your Normal.dot template. Back up the existing one first, of course. Then get a fresh, new Normal.dot. Someone gave me this advice once, and following it did wonders for Word's performance on my machine.

 

[ChrisH]

a couple more programs that might help:

(1) Diskkeeper - it is a disk defrag program that helps to keep your system running smoothly. The "lite" version is free. Google it to find it on the web.

(2) Registry Mechanic - you have to pay to get this one, but I've found that it picks up quite a few registry issues. might be worth the time and effort.

Chris

 

[Busydave]

Well here’s the update.

I posted my original query from my office PC yesterday. My home PC had been going slower and slower over the last few weeks, and my wife called me to say that it was freezing during startup.

My plan was to go home last night and tackle the problem using the boot up disc. However, no amount of coaxing would get it through the startup phase. I have very limited computer knowledge, but it seemed to me that it was trying to run a lot more start up programs than usual. When I pressed control alt delete I saw names of programs that I simply didn’t recognise, and there were quite a lot of them.

In the end I had to surrender and reinstall Windows, and while I was at it, I reinstalled Microsoft Office 2000.

The PC is functioning a lot sharper now. I have temporarily lost my broadband cable Internet access, so I am using dial up today (I’m expecting setup discs in the mail next week).

My guess is that the problem was caused by some sort of virus (although I use grisoft AVG which updates every day and it gave me no alert messages).

Fortunately I didn’t lose any documents or even Internet favorites.

Thanks again for all the resources recommended.

Dave

 

[andersons]

. . . it seemed to me that it was trying to run a lot more start up programs than usual. When I pressed control alt delete I saw names of programs that I simply didn’t recognise, and there were quite a lot of them.

In the end I had to surrender and reinstall Windows, and while I was at it, I reinstalled Microsoft Office 2000.

I'm glad you solved your problem. But I think you could have gotten rid of the start-up executables without reinstalling. Some could have been legitimate apps that force their way into the startup and then hang, like QuikTime. RealPlayer is another problem app. These are easy to fix. Others could have been viruses or spyware which do not play nice with the operating system but can often still be fixed. Getting rid of them is more involved than preventing legitimate apps from running at startup, but much less involved than reinstalling an OS.

If these were your problems, they may recur. So my advice is to make note of all the tasks that start and run now, while your system is working well. Then check every so often for anything different that shows up in Running Tasks.

It is well worthwhile to eliminate everything unnecessary from startup. Especially those media apps that fight with each other. My system ran much better overall when I stopped those from running automatically at startup. Startup was much faster, too.

 

[Busydave]

I'm glad you solved your problem.

Thanks!

I was beginning to wonder if I had contracted a virus that was deliberately flooding the startup phase with applications that do not need to be addressed during start up.

I restarted about 10 times. At one point I got a screen message that said it had hung on Hotsynch, but the rest of the times the dialogue box did not fully appear so I could not tell what had hung. I tried turning off apps I did not recognise in the control panel, but they were still appearing faster than I could deal with them, and so the PC hung every time.

Eventually I used the boot up diskette and followed the instructions to reinstall.

Anyway, if it starts to slow down again, I will keep a close eye on what apps are occurring during startup up.

Dave

 

[nl4385]

Problem solved

Hi Dave,

Glad you solved your problem. The trick with normal.dot was going to be my next pointer. I have noticed that Word is very slow when opening old documents. Deleting the old one solved a lot.

Regards from a very wet and very somber Netherlands,

Cor

 

[Busydave]

Thanks Cor

I still might have a look at normal.dot. My Word is definitely slowing down, even after reloading Microsoft Office.

Weather improving there yet? At least somebody remembered to turn the heat back on in Ireland today!

Dave