formatting my comp

[theproudhighway]

The easiest way to see performance increase without Formatting your PC.

Download CCleaner as mentioned before. http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Clear all your history with it. This will delete all the crap that has accumulated on your PC over time (Be careful though because you'll lose saved passwords and auto complete if you check the wrong boxes.

With the same Software you can uninstall any unwanted Programs and Bloatware to free up HDD space.

There's also an option within CCleaner to clear Start Up programs. Look through the list and delete any entries that aren't needed. you can basically delete pretty much everything in there, as Windows will override and start up any essential stuff. Don't delete iTunes Helper though. Cleaning up stuff that starts with Windows helps your PC boot into the windows desktop faster as it uses less resources.

If you don't already use it, download Microsoft Security Essentials. It uses significantly less system resources than most other Antivirus software. Make sure you completely Uninstall any previous software first. Norton can be pretty tricky to completely Uninstall.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/security ... y/mse.aspx

Another thing that could help is checking to see if you have any shitty toolbars slowing down your browser.

After you've done all that, Download Defraggler from the same Website as CCleaner. Install that and Defrag your Hard Disk.

If it still runs slow you're going to need to do a fresh install of Windows. It's easier than you might think. Post what size hard drive you have and how much space you've used on it and we'll give you an idea of how many DVD's you'll need or what size external Hard Drive. You may even be able to use a larger capacity Flash Drive.

Do you have a second Computer/Laptop?

 

[legrandefromage]

if you dont know what you are doing, dont download anything

if your computer is running 'a little slow' you need to perform some standard house cleaning tasks.

clear your browsing history - 99% of the time this uses up valuable memory by clogging up your computer with copies of each page you visit and associated cookies.

your browser will have a 'tools' page - 'clear browsing history' etc.

the next bit is a little more involved but can have a dramatic effect on you computers start up speed and overall speed.

depending on the operating system and as long as its Windows like XP, Vista, 7 etc you can try the following:

go to 'start' then 'run' or whatever the equivalent is in later windows (I'm currently on an XP machine) and type 'msconfig'

you should then see a page like this:

go to 'startup' and click 'disable all'. Once you have done this, restart your computer as instructed;

See how it works here if you want more information:

http://www.netsquirrel.com/msconfig/index.html


This is the easiest way to 'speed up' a slow machine without resorting to dodgy downloads.

 

[Kona lover]

I just throw the recovery discs in. All my photos and documents are on an external hard drive. Normally takes half hour to reset its self then another hour or so putting my program's back on.

Just bought the youngest son a laptop and made sure that I created the back up discs before he had it. Ever since I had to buy a recovery disc (£60) I have made sure each new computer I had since either came with one or I created one ax soon as I first used it.

 

[xerxes]

Another vote for CCleaner, which in addition to being able to delete all your temp files, clear up your registry etc. has a tool which allows you to select which programs start automatically when you boot, much as LGF suggested above:

Some things to try when your PC gets sluggish:

1. Clean up - Use CCLeaner to clear all those temp files.

2. Set your startup programs - Use Windows or CCLeaner or similar to prevent all unnecessary programs from starting when you boot the PC. As you can see in the image above, Adobe are particularly keen on starting all manner of crap when you boot the PC and I won't install Apple software on my PC at all.

3. Registry clean - You can use CCLeaner, but it isn't particularly thorough. You can find some other free alternatives here: http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-registry-cleaner.htm

4. Defragment hard drives, there's a built in Windows defragment tool or you could try some the more comprehensive free ones: http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-disk-de-fragmenter.htm

 

[twain]

Xerxes - i use Ccleaner and have never touched that 'startup' section. may give it a try next time

 

[highlandsflyer]

If you don't already back up to an external source do it, and make sure all your data is safe before you start fing with anything.