7 replies to this topic

[Simon]

I do and just wondering if this is the culprit.
Anyone have experience to share?

Regards,
Simon

[joevan]

Have been usubg Super Anti-Spyware for many years, one of the best! Doubt that this is your problem, but try switching it off and see if this makes any difference. Right click on Icon in taskbar and then click exit.

In the settings you can also configure it not to automaticcaly start up when you boot up your PC, this is probably the best way to test.

[Simon]

Thanks Joevan, I will give it a go.
I think my laptop is due for a good service and upgrade also, my wife's phone has a faster processor.

Cheers,
Simon

[Philip @ Safefood 360°]

Simon,

As you are running SUPERAntiSpyware I can only assume you are also running AntiVirus software like AVG/Kapersky or similar. I recommend you remove both and replace with Microsoft’s free Security Essentials. The latest version is much improved over earlier versions of the same product.

It is light on system resources, updates silently and is all you need to keep your computer protected, at least on par with the combination of packages above. Just the other day I hit a webpage which contained a hidden Trojan virus and Security Essentials instantly zapped the culprit before it had a chance to do any damage to my PC.

Over time our Windows environment matures; extra software gets installed, kids need their games, antispyware packages that we think are doing us good are loaded, every application needs regular updates etc etc. Here are some additional steps you could take to speed up your PC.

1. Hit the Start Menu button and in the Run box type ‘msconfig’ and press enter. In the window that pops up click the 'Startup' tab. Look down through this list carefully and un-tick anything that you are no longer using. This is all the stuff that automatically loads when your computer starts, and quickly eats up valuable resources (aka performance). So even though you may see something that you are using (e.g. itunes, adobe, office etc) go ahead and un-tick it anyway because it doesn’t need to load in the background when the computer starts. Be careful not to untick anything you are not sure about, if in doubt leave it ticked.

2. Another culprit for slowness (at least when you are browsing the internet) are browser add-ons, aka toolbars etc. It appears every piece of software you install nowadays needs to hinge itself to you browser. I have never in my life actually needed a Browser toolbar other than the default toolbars included with Internet Explorer. Suggest you kill any browser toolbars from the tools/settings menu.

I could go on but these are the low hanging fruit - easiest to implement and will likely have the most effect.

Philip.

[Charles.C]

Dear Philip,

I don't disagree with yr logic however many people will avoid M$ due to its well-proven voracity for totally taking over yr system (not a unique characteristic of course but honed to a fine edge over years of practice).

I also predict from MEX that examining the start up details will reveal 50% at least of totally unfathomable content. But you are absolutely correct that it does reveal some famous, unwanted at-all-costs species, adobe helpers/boosters for one.

I hv also found a (fairly) well-known slowdown often due to (a)the M$ system backup folders becoming enormous and (b) temp.folders having hundreds of zero byte files.

It is also a fact that script-kiddies have a considerable arsenal of trick nasties these days (from bitter experience). Many forum hoppers rely heavily on No-Script / Adblock.

I admire in awe regarding yr avoidance of browser toolbars. You may well be spot-on here. My XP system takes at least a minute to complete start up.

Best Rgds / Charles.C

[Philip @ Safefood 360°]

I don't disagree with yr logic however many people will avoid M$ due to its well-proven voracity for totally taking over yr system (not a unique characteristic of course but honed to a fine edge over years of practice).

I must say I find Microsoft Security Essentials vastly superior to its predecessors such as Windows Defender, which was definitely a resource hog. I have been using it for some time now and honestly can’t fault it. According to Wikipedia it is the most popular antivirus software product in North America and the second most popular in the world.

I also predict from MEX that examining the start up details will reveal 50% at least of totally unfathomable content. But you are absolutely correct that it does reveal some famous, unwanted at-all-costs species, adobe helpers/boosters for one.

Agreed. For this reason I usually just hit the ‘Disable All’ button in MSConfig, reboot the PC and then re-enable only essential items. If nothings broken then happy days! (I don’t recommend this for novices though)

I hv also found a (fairly) well-known slowdown often due to (a)the M$ system backup folders becoming enormous and (b) temp.folders having hundreds of zero byte files.

Yes, purging your temp folder would have been the third recommendation on my list.

Thanks for the feedback Charles.

[Simon]

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon following some of the tips. I did indeed have SuperAntiSpyware (paid version) and Microsoft Security Essentials installed and running. I now just have Microsoft Security Essentials, I also sorted out my start menu and got rid of a load of programs I never used. I then uninstalled IE8 and reinstalled and also ran Glary Utilities to clean things up. It is running a lot quicker in normal use and appears to start up and shut down more quickly. I will keep you posted.

Thanks for all of your input…have a nice weekend.

Regards,
Simon

[david2505]

Try opening and closing your browser a few times. Works for me