New(ish) computer problems

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Right. So a while ago (January?) I had my friend build me a top of the line computer. However, of late, is has been running slowly. Now, I know my internet connection is slow, because I'm on a wireless network, and the router is pretty far away, but the actual computer is running slowly.

I have 1 Gig of RAM, and 400 GB of harddrive space, so I shouldn't have a problem, should I? I checked for any viruses, etc. using McAfee, Stinger (looks for specific viruses), and AdAware, all of which found nothing of importance (a few cookies, easily deleted). However, I have used up a lot of space, downloading movies, doing whatever.

Any ideas of what could be the problem?

Note: I am not very good with all of the technical terms for specific hardware, so if you could, please keep it to the basic terms. Thanks

 

Hmmm...

400GB of space is *well* over the "average" amout of space, and 1BG is a good amount of RAM, so my question is this:

How many programs do you have running in the background at startup? Over time, several unwanted programs can add themselves to start when the computer starts and you'll never know it...unless they have a taskbar icon.

Check this thread out for help with cutting down on programs that run at startup: guide to the System Configuration Utility for WinXP.

If you clean up your startup lists and still find your computer is going sloooooow, you might want to try a tool like Registry Mechanic. That tool is very nice and can fix a multitude of problems that can cause slowdowns.

Hope that helps.

 

I now know why they don't let us install programs onto our work computer ourselves. My work PC runs like a dream because it has no extra rubbish on it. My home computer is as slow as a wet week, mostly due to the accumulation of junky programs and other rubbish that I have built up over the years. I reckon it's a good idea to scrap everything and reinstall. I don't think any of those cleanup programs can pick up everything.

 

a re-install is always a good thing, otherwise defraggin can also comtribute to a faster computer

 

Try the following for an easy solution:
1) Remove all unnecessary programs and background tasks.
2) Use 'Spybot Search and Destroy.'
3) Defrag (My Computer -> Right-click -> Properties -> Tools)
4) Update graphics- and sound-drivers.

 

Having a lot of your hard drive used up (as it sounds like you do) saps a good deal of performance. I recommend getting rid of all of that downloaded crap and then defragging your hard drive.

What program are you using to download movies? If it's any sort of P2P software, that will slow your system to a crawl, period. Get rid of it.

 

First of all, check how many programs are running in the background. Start -> Run -> "msconfig" -> StartUp-Tab (usually the last). If there's more than 10-12 activated programs this could be the reason.

BTW, 400GB HDD ... ok, but how many partitions and how many GB for your system partition ?

 

I'm using BitTorrent... usually runs all the time.

And I don't want to delete all the downloaded crap, but I am going to delete all of the stuff I never use, which should help.

Update, as in buy new ones, or update as in go online and download, well, updates?


And Kitrax, thanks, I will try that when I get back to my computer (it is at my dad's, and I am at my mom's during the week.)

 

Format C (if this is your main hard drive with windows/linux)
Nothing is gonna help you more , than the format !!!
:]

 

Simply check which brand your graphics card is and download the drivers from nvidia.com or ati.com. No, they don't cost anything.

 

Very true, but make sure EVERYTHING is backed up on a different drive or partition before you do that.

 

BitTorrent sucks an awful lot of performance off the comp. I usually let it run through the night, when I have anything to download. Just not running BitTorrent when doing other things on the comp will probably signicifantly improve performance.

Also, clear up some drive space and burn all you can of your downloaded crap on CDs or DVDs. Rastor is right, a hard drive full of crap seriously saps performance.

 

@nightwood Hi there...did you not read my post? It basically (but more thoroughly) says the same thing.

Also, I was not going to try to sell the 'Format your HDD' option due in part that he has a 400GB hard drive! If he has truly filled a lot of it up with his downloaded stuff, then formatting the drive is probably the *last* thing he should do. Backing up a near capacity 400GB HDD is not very easy...unless you have a hundred or so blank DVDs, or an extra 400-ish GB drive to back up to. Even then, it take a looooong time to do.

 

Actually, the filled size of the HD is less important for the performance as how many different files you have on it. Never forget your windows needs to index all of these files in a table that easily gets gigantic, based on the size of your disc. So, I'm not sure if this will work, but you might want to put several files you don't use together in one big zip or rar file. Also, it's good practice to clean out your temp internet files, and especially the cookies. Cookies take almost no space, but count as different files, and as such clog your file index.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think making partitions might also speed things up. Also, try not to fill your hd too much (can't remember what the percentage is you should stay under). That is, since your disc is a disc (how else to stay this ), there are parts that read fast (exterior) and parts that read slower (center). To avoid writing on the slower parts, you should keep your disc occupance under 10 or 20% (but like I said, can't remember the exact percentage). This is because you have no control over where the files go on the disc. Otherwise you could put programs on the fast part and movies and data and such on the slow part, which would allow you to fill the disc up more without slowdown.

 

First, (not to sound ignorant, or anything, but I am not familiar with this,) what is a partition?

I do this once every day or two.

 

A partition creates separate bits of harddrive. Most people do it when they have 2 OS or are trying to 'compress' space.

 

First, do you also clean out the cookies? It's easy to look over the fact that cleaning out temp internet files does not remove cookies, that's another button in the internet options box.

A partition is a subdivision of your harddisk. Standard, your harddisk has only one partition on it, that is what you are probably using now. What happens if you make more partitions is that your harddisk will be divided in several smaller pieces. Each of these pieces can then be used as if it is a completely separate harddisk. So, for example, if you make 4 partitions of each 100GB, it will be as if you computer had 4 harddisks in it, each of 100GB.

In my example I use 3 equal bits, but you are not limited to that. The partitions can be of any size, and you can have as many partitions as you want, of as many different sizes as you want.

The nice part is that you can afterwards, when having trouble, format only one partition (the one causing trouble), instead of having to reformat the entire harddisk. It is good practice to have two partitions (if not having two physically separate harddisks), one for programs and one for data (movies, pictures, documents). This way, if you somehow have to do a complete reinstall of your computer, the data part will be untouched.

I must confess I sin against this rule myself, but I use as (lame) excuse that I only have 40GB of hd.

Treat your partitions like harddisks, though, and don't fill them for 100%. They're harddisks, not cds or dvds. Filling them to 100% can prevent you from accessing them. I had this happen actually at home.

[ November 04, 2005, 11:30: Message edited by: Meatdog ]