Slow slow slow PC, please help

Hi guys,

I am experiencing some real problems with the speed of my PC, despite trying everything. I am confident I have no malware as fairly recently carried out Malware removal exercise. I have also carried out tasks, such as disk scan, defrag, reducing applications that automatically start on run up, have scaned my registry and cleaned it out using Ccleaner, have reduced the max size limit on the SWAP File, have reduced the number of themes, for example that appear in IE and on the desktop, as well as numerous others.

This still does not appear to be helping. I am also getting more and more often, a message saying I am running low on virtual memory. I only have 256MB of RAM, and have tried taking the back off the PC Box, to see if I can expand it the memory. But it is Dell refurbished and I don't have the right tools.

The worst thing is that Internet Explorer is hanging everytime I load it or try and close it, for at least 10 seconds. Rebooting makes no difference.

Any other suggestions, other than to bin the PC?


Cheers

 

Thanks will give some thought to trying Opera. No it is all applications, but is worse and more noticable on IE.

 

Being a refurbished has nothing to do with whether or not you can add memory. Can you open the computer case? Do you know where the memory slots are located? Have you ever install memory?

So, what are you settings for swap file now? How large is your hard drive? How much free space on it?

So, it hasn't always been this way, right? Has you experienced a gradual degradation in performance or was it sudden? What OS are you running? What version of IE?

 

No, the problem is I can't open the case, as I don't have the tools. A friend even gave me a PC Tool Kit, but nothing in it that could help. Yes, I have upgraded memory before.

Hardrive is 40GB and free space is about 21 now. Initial and Max size for virtual memory is 381 MB.

Correct. It has been a gradual degradation. I am using WIN XP Home and v7.0 of IE.

 

Ive never owned a Dell but I know that dell likes to do things their own way sometimes when it comes to cases but you do still open the pc from the side panel dont you? I ask because you said you tried to open the back of the PC. Maybe you meant side I dunno just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

Um... what kind of Dell, exactly?

 

You have followed a good regimen of PC maintenance there. So, it's difficult to suggest further actions to try to improve the situation. If you have all your important data backed up to an external media and are willing to format your hard drive and reinstall the original configuration from your Dell CD's, that practically always results in improved performance. But, it is a drastic measure.

You might elaborate on your Malware removal exercise. Exactly what did you do? Keep in mind the popular spyware removal utilities may not remove all spyware. If you want to pursue this area further, you might download and run HijackThis and post your report in the malware forum.

Adding memory would certainly be a plus. From my limited experience with Dell computers, they have a unique case design that can be bit of a mystery when unfamiliar with them and trying to open them. This might help: How do I open a Dell Desktop?

 

I think easiest think is when i have a day off this week, is to reformat the hard rive and rebuild. I know all the files I want to back up, and what i want to reinstall apllication wise, but it has been a longtime since I did this, so I need someone to give me steps to take. Do I need a reboot CD? How do i format hard drive? How to I reinstall WIN XP? etc etc

 

Any OEM Windows XP CD of the same edition that is. (Edition being Home or Professional), as these are the only types of discs to work with your COA:

Also:

These are all available online at http://support.dell.com, you can either enter your service tag, or the model of your computer, and be taken to the relevant downloads.