How to speed up the computer

Dear experts,

I am using IBM R40e. My computer runs abnormally and disgustingly slow. For example, it needs 4 minutes 30 seconds to boot (from pushing the power key to the interface is clear and ready to click); 1 minute 56 seconds to open Internet Explorer (from clicking the icon at the southwest to the clear IE window ready to type address); and 2 minutes 8 seconds to open "My Computer ".

Mainly I use the computer to write essays and to survey websites. Could you tell me some ways, including modifying the configurations of the computer, to speed up the computer?

 

I just finished a process of removing trojans spywares, under the help of Geri.

 

Hi Foodbird.

4 and a half minutes is an incredibly long time needed to boot - even for a Celeron 2.2GHz processor. Needing almost 2 minutes to open IE indicates that the XP installation is damaged - probably by an infection. You could try to cure the infection, but XP might still remain damaged.

After all this time it's best to reinstall XP. It gets bogged down over time and there isn't much you can do about this. This will eliminate any infections, too. Just be sure to back up all you important files.

Make sure you have this protection:

Essential XP Virus & Malware Protection

 

This can be easily a dfrag problem or insufficient memory (RAM) or too little free space on your disk drives.

You can do a ctrl,alt,del, that is, press the control, delete and alt key when your computer is slow and look at the amount of cpu and ram you are using. If either of these consistently reaches 0ver 80%, then that would be a problem.

Your computer probably needs tuning in these areas.

best of luck

codecutter

 

Thanks a lot, two guys.

The last time I reinstall XP is one to one and half years ago. Is this frequency normal? One thing concerning me with reinstallation is that when I am waiting for windows packs to be fitted the virus could attack the computer. The McAfee I am using now can only be properly installed after windows packs are finished.

 

Anti-virus is not the tool that stop agents out on the internet directly attacking your computer. That is the firewall's job.

The main job of an anti-virus system is to check for viruses that have come into your system via file transfer - that is via downloaded files, attachments to e-mails, infected install files. That is, anti-virus protects you from attack from within. Malicious website can leverage your browser to transfer files into your system, but only if you access those sites.

I suggest you do the following.

• Get hold of a copy of XP SP2 on CD.
• Reinstall the OS
• Install SP2 from the disk
• Make sure the windows firewall is switched on
• Connect to the internet and use Windows update to patch your OS.
• Install your anti-virus software

Only after you have completed those steps, install and set up your e-mail system, load other software or browse the internet to sites other than windows update.

 

XP SP2 - Ways to Get & Install

Get XP SP2 by any of these ways (Use it for XP Home and XP Pro):

XP SP2 on CD mailed to you I’m not sure MS is still offering this.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default.mspx

Download from MS Site This is a 272MByte file !
http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/xpsp2.html

MS Developer’s Network-Install Version This version has a different installation method.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...be-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a&displaylang=en
This is a 272MByte file !

 

It looks that I have to reinstall XP.

But what does "OS" mean in ReggieB's post? Sorry for this idiot question, but I am idiot as to computer.