Slow Internet browsing

My OS is XP Pro, PIII/384m ram, dual boot with Me.

Over a period I have found that my Internet browsing with XP has slowed to the point where I can sometimes wait up to 4 minutes for a page to load. However when I use Me or my substitute 98 harddrive my browsing is lightning fast even with my 56k dial up connection.

I have cleaned my temp files, my unimportant cookies and I have even removed an entry from the registry HKLM but it has not helped... it is still as slow as a wet weekend,

any suggestions please?

 

Have you defragged that hard drive recently? That's most likely the culprit.

 

Spyfiles & Favorites are another cause .

Also the log files in Applog ( you may have a corrupt file )

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You can protect your comp from Spyfiles by using these 3 programs together .

http://beam.to/spybotsd
What does SpyBot-Search & Destroy?

SpyBot-S&D searches your hard drive for so-called spy- or adbots; little modules that are
responsible for the ads many programs display. But many of these modules also transmit
information about your surfing behaviour and more to the net.
If SpyBot-S&D finds such modules, it can remove them - or replace them with empty dummies in
case their host software won't run with its bot removed. In most cases, the host still runs
fine after removing the bot.
For a list of 'supported' bots see the feature lists below. The Spybot-S&D interface is so
easy, that updates just require replacing a file of about 80k in size. Those updates are
distributed by my software mailinglist, over this page and are also available from inside the
programs update section.

Another feature of Spybot S&D is the removal of usage tracks, which makes it more complicated
for unknown spybots to transmit useful data. The list of last visited websites, opened files,
started programs, cookies, all that and more can be cleaned. Supported are the three major
browsers Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator and Opera.

Last but not least Spybot-S&D contains some routines to find and correct invalid entries into
the registry.

Red entries indicate spyware problems that should be fixed to avoid security and/or privacy
problems. This is the only kind of problem that is preselected to be fixed.

Black entries are system internals. If you do not know what they mean, I would suggest to either
keep your fingers from it or visit the support forum.

Green entries indicate usage tracks. It can do no harm to remove these.

I personally only remove the Red entries as the Green entries remove items I use .

Make sure you use the SpyBot > Online > Update button regularly .

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http://www.wilderssecurity.com/spywareblaster.html

SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for spyware - it prevents it from ever being installed.

How? By setting a "kill bit" for the CLSIDs of spyware ActiveX controls, it prevents the
installation of any of them from a webpage. You can run Internet Explorer with Active-X enabled,
but you will never even get a "Yes/No" box popped up, asking you to install a spyware Active-X
control (Internet Explorer will never download or run it!). All other Active-X controls or
plug-ins will work fine.

The SpywareBlaster database contains information on these known spyware Active-X controls. Make
sure you run the Check For Updates feature frequently to get the latest database! (And make sure
you check the new items to protect your system against them!)

As a side benefit, setting this "kill bit" will also prevent the spyware Active-X from running,
in many cases, if it is already installed on your system.*

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http://www.wilderssecurity.com/spywareguard.html

SpywareGuard provides a real-time protection solution against spyware that is a great addition
to SpywareBlaster's protection method.

An anti-virus program scans files before you open them and prevents execution if a virus is
detected - SpywareGuard does the same thing, but for spyware! And you can easily have an
anti-virus program running alongside SpywareGuard.


Features Listing: Fast scanning engine
Scans exe and cab files - the two most popular file types for distributing spyware
Signature-based scanning - for known spyware (list)
Heuristic/generic detection capabilities - some spyware programs can be detected even if the
code undergoes significant changes
Small size - with a small size and small definition sizes, download and updates are quick
SG Control Panel - provides easy access to help and integration options
SG LiveUpdate - provides an easy updating solution
Spyware files are blocked before being opened or run - they are not simply shut down after they
are loaded in memory (and after they have performed their tasks)
The full path to the spyware executable is provided on the alert screen
Once a spyware file is detected and blocked from running, the options are provided to either
continue or to delete the spyware file
It's a free download

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http://shellcity.net/cgi-bin/DB_Sea...phapage.setup.cgi&submit_search=yes&alpha=0-9
http://www.1cleanup.com/
1CLEANUP..........Clears your computer of Unneeded Files: These may possess any attributes left
to be specified by the user. In addition, all zero length files and folders are included
automatically. Recent Documents: Recently accessed files which are displayed in Start Menu->
Documents and stored in Windows' Recent folder. Favorites and Bookmarks: All favorites and
bookmarks created and stored over time by the user. IE Cache: This includes cookies, history
and Temporary Internet Files created by the Internet Explorer. Dead Shortcuts: Shortcuts to
files that have been moved to another location or deleted from the computer after the shortcut
was created.....(free).....GO THERE!

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Windows Explorer , Delete all the files ( except the read only file ) in Windows > Applog . Taskmon will rebuild the Applog file .
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q218160

To view Applog , do this .
Windows Explorer > View > Folder Options > View , click on Show all files . Click OK .
http://www.windows-help.net/windows98/start-17.shtml

 

Why would favorites slow you down? Is it because IE looks for updated pages when u sign on or something like that?

 

It may have a corrupted favorites file .

 

sorry to butt in but - jmat. u mind posting the whole description for spybot when you can just put a breif paragraph telling us what it does, or even better link to the download page on this website:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/article.php?sid=2471&cat=31

sorry for trying to be a mod, but it just irriates me a bit
no offense intended

 

Thanks for all the replies and links. I guess it's just a matter of sifting through all the information,

Regards.