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Bhaliar
Member
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 221
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 Posted: 28 Nov 2009 10:17:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Okay so I have an old computer. Probably 6 years. I have lots of stuff on the computer including Google chrome and IE. But the computer is super slow. Our Comcast internet can takes minutes to fully load sometimes. I was wondering if anyone had any tips to help speed it up. And Yes, i've been told to buy an external hard drive. |
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Eeems
Advanced Member
Joined: 25 Jan 2009
Posts: 277
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| Posted: 28 Nov 2009 11:10:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Hmmm, how about switching to Linux or something of the like? Have you cleaned up the registry? And how about defragmenting? (which doesn't do much) |
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Graphmastur
Advanced Member
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
Posts: 360
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| Posted: 28 Nov 2009 11:14:10 pm Post subject: |
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Buy an external hard drive! Sorry, had to.
Your problem may not be with storage alone. Try checking the process you are running. Also check your startup items. Most likely, you have something slowing your computer down that is. Wing a process-hog. If it's something like a virus scanner, change the settings to run at a time when your computer is on, but you are away, lime when you go to work, or any time that would not get in your way.
Your computer could also simply be old. The hardware might not be able to keep up with the demand you put on it. You also might be running out of RAM. How much ram do you have?
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Also note that anything, like checking ram, can be found by a quick google search. Just be sure not to download anything.  |
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Mapar007
Advanced Member
Joined: 04 Oct 2008
Posts: 365
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| Posted: 29 Nov 2009 06:46:58 am Post subject: |
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| I've got a 10-12 year-old PC working just fine (if I don't "overload" it). Linux fedora 10. |
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DigiTan
Unregistered HyperCam 2
Super Elite (Last Title)
Joined: 10 Nov 2003
Posts: 4468
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| Posted: 29 Nov 2009 01:21:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah I had to speed up my sister's computer just recently and went in expecting viruses or something. Turns out it was all unnecessary bundled software and expired trials that were still in the startup list. Unchecking that stuff in msconfig sped the startup time x20. And yeah, if that doesn't work for you, you can always get an additional hard drive and multiboot with Linux. |
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Galandros
Active Member
Joined: 29 Aug 2008
Posts: 565
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| Posted: 29 Nov 2009 03:03:58 pm Post subject: |
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DigiTan wrote: Yeah I had to speed up my sister's computer just recently and went in expecting viruses or something. Turns out it was all unnecessary bundled software and expired trials that were still in the startup list. Unchecking that stuff in msconfig sped the startup time x20. And yeah, if that doesn't work for you, you can always get an additional hard drive and multiboot with Linux.
Why this things can get to be easily known? I mean I would like to know earlier of this. Now there is no need to use some portable program for this task.
I couldn't find this on COntrol Panel.
What else is buried in windows? regedit is well known...
About the slow computer, you can give a try to CCleaner or Glary Utilities. Myth or not about speeding the registry access, it does sometimes correct some stupid waits in some things... |
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benryves
Active Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 564
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| Posted: 29 Nov 2009 06:33:40 pm Post subject: |
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Galandros wrote: DigiTan wrote: Yeah I had to speed up my sister's computer just recently and went in expecting viruses or something. Turns out it was all unnecessary bundled software and expired trials that were still in the startup list. Unchecking that stuff in msconfig sped the startup time x20. And yeah, if that doesn't work for you, you can always get an additional hard drive and multiboot with Linux.
Why this things can get to be easily known? I mean I would like to know earlier of this. Now there is no need to use some portable program for this task.
I couldn't find this on COntrol Panel.
What else is buried in windows? regedit is well known... |
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IAmACalculator
In a state of quasi-hiatus
Know-It-All
Joined: 21 Oct 2005
Posts: 1571
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| Posted: 30 Nov 2009 06:20:15 am Post subject: |
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| A clean install of Windows will often help dramatically. You can also use Bootvis to pinpoint things that increase boot-time. Also, I'd recommend swapping off the notoriously memory-hungry Google Chrome, and getting a lighter browser, like Opera, or maybe even a super-light-weight browser like K-Meleon. |
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simplethinker
snjwffl
Active Member
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 700
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| Posted: 30 Nov 2009 11:22:01 am Post subject: |
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Galandros wrote: DigiTan wrote: Yeah I had to speed up my sister's computer just recently and went in expecting viruses or something. Turns out it was all unnecessary bundled software and expired trials that were still in the startup list. Unchecking that stuff in msconfig sped the startup time x20. And yeah, if that doesn't work for you, you can always get an additional hard drive and multiboot with Linux.
Why this things can get to be easily known? I mean I would like to know earlier of this. Now there is no need to use some portable program for this task.
I couldn't find this on COntrol Panel.
msconfig can be found by going to Start->Run and typing "msconfig". The "startup" and "services" (I think that's what it's called) are what you want to look at.
Another great tool is Process Explorer. It's like the Task Manager, except it gives a lot more information on the processes, including which application is behind the processes. |
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Galandros
Active Member
Joined: 29 Aug 2008
Posts: 565
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| Posted: 30 Nov 2009 02:56:04 pm Post subject: |
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simplethinker wrote: Galandros wrote: DigiTan wrote: Yeah I had to speed up my sister's computer just recently and went in expecting viruses or something. Turns out it was all unnecessary bundled software and expired trials that were still in the startup list. Unchecking that stuff in msconfig sped the startup time x20. And yeah, if that doesn't work for you, you can always get an additional hard drive and multiboot with Linux.
Why this things can get to be easily known? I mean I would like to know earlier of this. Now there is no need to use some portable program for this task.
I couldn't find this on Control Panel.
msconfig can be found by going to Start->Run and typing "msconfig". The "startup" and "services" (I think that's what it's called) are what you want to look at.
Another great tool is Process Explorer. It's like the Task Manager, except it gives a lot more information on the processes, including which application is behind the processes.
Nice I sometimes needed more info about the processes.
I already used the start->run to see the msconfig. I sometimes use it to see/edit the registry with "regedit" and see some things of directx with a command that I don't remember... EDIT: "dxdiag" is the command. Curious all these things are found in system32 folder.
But still it doesn't exist a link in the Control Panel that I know.
I am curious now. On linux how do you enter to something equivalent to the Task Manager? Other things I would like to know is the useful Windows short cuts like: Alt+Tab, Alt+F4, etc..
Sorry the off topic but I am learning quite a bit.
Last edited by Guest on 30 Nov 2009 03:00:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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calcdude84se
Member
Joined: 09 Aug 2009
Posts: 207
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| Posted: 30 Nov 2009 05:02:13 pm Post subject: |
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Though not all window managers may have them, GNOME comes with gnome-system-monitor and KDE with ksysguard.
Though it again depends in the window manager, some (GNOME and KDE for example) share some of the more common keyboard shortcuts with Windows. You can find all of them at them in your window manager's documentation. (GNOME's and KDE's websites are, obviously, gnome.org and kde.org, respectively.) |
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benryves
Active Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 564
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| Posted: 02 Dec 2009 06:19:22 am Post subject: |
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As for where these advanced tools are (not in Control Panel) they appear under Administrative Tools, which you can enable on the start menu. msconfig.exe appears under as System Configuration.
Galandros wrote: Other things I would like to know is the useful Windows short cuts like: Alt+Tab, Alt+F4, etc. Some people still think that the shortcut for Task Manager is Ctrl+Alt+Del - this brings up the security screen in Windows NT (unless you're using XP and aren't connected to a domain, for some weird reason). Ctrl+Shift+Esc is the Task Manager shortcut. Shortcuts that affect an entire window when the Alt key is pressed (Alt+F4, Alt+Tab, Alt+Shift+Tab) affect child MDI windows or tabs when you use Ctrl instead (Ctrl+F4, Ctrl+Tab, Ctrl+Shift+Tab). The Win key performs a range of different actions; lesser known ones are Win+Pause (System properties) and Win+Space (bring Sidebar gadgets to front). Instead of using the Run dialog, type the name of the application you wish to run into the start menu's search field, then hit Ctrl+Shift+Enter to prompt to run it as an administrator. In Explorer, hold shift when right-clicking to add two new items to the context menu - Copy as Path (copies the file/folders full path to the clipboard) and Open Command Window Here. When safely removing hardware, don't right-click the notification area icon - left click it. This brings up a context menu to let you quickly remove a device without having to go through a number of dialogs. Alternatively, if it's a drive, Vista lets you right-click, Safely Remove Hardware from within Explorer.
Vista's task manager is much improved over previous versions; you can right-click an application in the Applications list and select Go To Process to select its corresponding process, and similarly you can right-click an instance of svchost.exe and select Go To Service(s) to select the services it's hosting. |
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brandonw
Advanced Member
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Posts: 455
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| Posted: 05 Dec 2009 12:27:42 am Post subject: |
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benryves wrote: Vista's task manager is much improved over previous versions; you can right-click an application in the Applications list and select Go To Process to select its corresponding process, and similarly you can right-click an instance of svchost.exe and select Go To Service(s) to select the services it's hosting.
I'm pretty sure you can choose Go To Process in XP's Task Manager, too. |
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calcdude84se
Member
Joined: 09 Aug 2009
Posts: 207
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| Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:34:39 pm Post subject: |
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brandonw wrote: I'm pretty sure you can choose Go To Process in XP's Task Manager, too.
Also in Windows 2000. |
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benryves
Active Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 564
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| Posted: 07 Dec 2009 10:39:02 am Post subject: |
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brandonw wrote: benryves wrote: Vista's task manager is much improved over previous versions; you can right-click an application in the Applications list and select Go To Process to select its corresponding process, and similarly you can right-click an instance of svchost.exe and select Go To Service(s) to select the services it's hosting.
I'm pretty sure you can choose Go To Process in XP's Task Manager, too.
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Computer Tech Support => Technology & Calculator Open Topic
