Is there a way to clean and speed up my computer,without buying expensive software?

Question

Is there a way to clean and speed up my computer,without buying expensive software?

Answer 1

For running slow there are many causes:

Microsoft Registry Problems = Slow Computer!

Spyware/Adware

RAM

De-Fragmenting

Etc.



Below can help you speed up your pc:



For IE, click Tools, Internet Options delete files (offline files) clear history (set days to save to 0 if you want) click o.k., and Restart



For Firfox, press ctrl+shift+del, and click clean private data.



Manage your startup:

Open your Start menu -> Click Run -> In the command screen type "msconfig.exe" -> In the "system configuration utility", click either "service" or "startup" tab -> Uncheck all programs that your are no longer using.



De-Fragmenting

1. Right click of C Disk.

2. Click properties.

3. Click tools tab.

4. Click "Defragment now".

5. Click Defragment.



You can search which process full use you cpu, and end the process.



Under steps:

1. right click on the TaskBar.

2. click the Task Manager.

3. click the processes tab.

4. double click the CPU.

5. find if the "System Idle Process" is max.

6. if not right click and click end process.



Learn "Why Is My Computer Running so Slow?" and "How to Speed it UP":

http://downloadlk.com/WhyIsMyComputerSlow.htm

Use the tool: http://downloadlk.com/themosteffectiveregistrycleaner.htm

Answer 2

Do you use an anti-spyware/adware program? I know there are some good free ones out there. I use spybot, but it's not the only good one. You do also have an antivirus, right? I use McAfee and it also has a built-in anti-sypware/adware as well.



You should also defrag your computer and that should definitely be part of the software you already have. To find mine, I click on Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools and then Disk Defragmenter. Using defrag can really help to speed it up. Disk cleanup is located in the same place, at least on my computer.



Sorry if none of this helped. Good luck!

Answer 3

Using a registry cleaner can clean up your computer and then make your computer faster,Why?the reason is that there may be some regsitry errors and remnant,corrupt files and temp files in your computer to cause "computer slow".

Everytime you install and uninstall software on your computer and surfing online you create junk in the computer registry.over time, the registry can grow to enormous proportions, especially if the various programs you've installed do not do a good job of deleting and/or updating it's Registry entries.You need to scan and clean your computer with registry cleaner to make it fast.Good Regisry Cleaner will improve your computer and Internet performance dramatically!

There are some comparison and review of TOP 5 registry cleaners.

http://www.make-computer-faster.com/

You can download and scan your computer for free.

Answer 4

Computers become glacially slow when running low on system RAM, but you'd notice from the start if that was the case, and it's just a hardware upgrade- add more RAM.



More often, severe slowdowns on systems which used to work fine are due to infections by spyware and adware- which aren't viruses, so many anti-virus programs don't remove them. You need a spyware cleaner.





Here are a few good FREE ones:



Spybot search & destroy



Ad-Aware 2008



Malwarebytes anti-malware



And yes, registry optimizer/tune-up programs are best avoided- they often do more harm than good.

Answer 5

Hello, a while ago I was having trouble getting a game started and I recieved this in an e-mail from THQ. I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for but I hope it helps.



If you are trying to run this game on a computer with an XP operating system, try a clean boot. The clean boot shuts down any running programs in the background (such as anti-virus, etc) that may interfere with the game.



(Note: if you have the Vista operating system, then click on the link below for clean boot instructions for this operating system: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135)



Prior to installing/playing the game, click on START and then click on RUN, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.







On the General tab, click Selective Startup, and then CLEAR the Process System.ini File, Process WIn.ini File, and Load Startup Items check boxes.



(Note: You cannot clear the Use Original Boot.ini check box so just keep that the way it is, as well as the Load System Services.)







Click on the Services tab, select the "Hide All Microsoft Services", and then click "Disable All".







Click OK, and then click Restart to restart your computer.







After the computer restarts, try installing / playing the game.







--







When you are done playing the game, return from a clean boot state:







1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.







2. On the General tab, click Normal Startup - load all device drivers and services.







3. Click OK, and then click Restart when you are prompted to restart your computer.







If more assistance is needed after trying all of the above steps, please supply more system information to us.







From your Windows Desktop go to "START" and click on "RUN". In the open dialog box, type: DXDIAG



Note: In Vista, the Run dialog box is located within the Accessories folder.







This will run the DirectX diagnostic tool. Click on "Save All Information" button and save the text file onto your desktop. Now open the file into Word or a note pad and highlight the entire document. Copy the text (CTRL + C) and Paste it (CTRL + V) onto your reply to this e-mail. Be sure you include this entire e-mail so we can better help you. Make sure you keep all previous emails intact and do not send attachments. We are not able to read attachments.

Answer 6

browsing history doesnt really take up alot of space. First you can d/l programs like ad-aware for spyware and Avast! antivirus for free, then thru the search menu or control panel manually clean out old programs. A big help is reducing all your media players, switching to something smaller than Itunes, and getting rid of AOL of you use it. HUGE HUGE programs.



Then run disc cleanup or defrag to put the pieces back together after you delete a bunch of stuff.



d/l programs to clean out your temp files actually uses more memory, you can just do it yourself w/o all the added crap. The control panel is your friend!

Answer 7

if you have a virus that cannot be removed through the control panel then you need a new Hardrive. Because chances are that the virus will eventually break down the hardrive and your computer will crash. If you have content that you really need on there what you need to do is buy an external hardrive to move all of your contents to before it crashes. It costs about $100 at best buy. Then you can store your computer on there until your real one crashes. Once the real one crashes then you can buy a new Hard drive. That costs about 100.00 too. Ask reps about it at Best Buy you can call them for help before you go.

Answer 8

You need System Mechanic vs 5.



It cleans your registrar, empty garbage, unnecessary files, Internet pages, cookies, temporary files, parasites, and it defragments all your hard disks.



It's a super cleaner. Get it on: http://forumw.org/



Yo only have to register and download the program free with serial number.

DenisP.

Answer 9

Webroot Window washer has helped my computer immensley! Other window washers are practically useless. Webroot is what I use and they have a $30 cd that includes spyware cleaner and virus protection. Also recommended by Kim Commando.

Answer 10

As a former Gold Technical Support Specialis for Dell, I would recommend one simple piece of software that is a free download. Go to www.superantispyware.com and download the free version, as it will work wonders for you. On a second note, never resort to any registry cleaner software unless it's a last resort as they cause more harm than good usually. Good luck!

Answer 11

You should download AVG and Ad-Aware; both free programs. Also consider Spybot. If it's sluggish and has errors, you'll probably need to run all three. Best place to find them is through Google. I've used them for years, and they beat the 'paid' programs hollow.

Answer 12

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

A clean computer is key to a faster computer. Run the 3 scans below.





Run a virus scan weekly.



Update and run your Anti-Virus program. Don't have one? You can run a free online scan from CA.

http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virus...







Run Spybot and Adaware weekly.





Download, update and run Spybot---http://www.safer-networking.org/... . Don't forget to use the Immunize feature.



Download, update and run Adaware---http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaw...



Now to prevent spyware from being installed in the first place....



Download SpywareBlaster---http://majorgeeks.com/download2859.html

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



It's main features include:

- Prevent the installation of ActiveX-based spyware, adware, browser hijackers, dialers, and other potentially unwanted pests.

- Block spyware/tracking cookies in Internet Explorer and Mozilla/Firefox.

- Restrict the actions of potentially dangerous sites in Internet Explorer.













Now lets clean up your registry.









Run RegScrubXP weekly. Run Cleanup every time you log off.





Download RegScrubXP--http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?d...



Safely cleans junk out of the Windows 2000/XP system registry. All changes made to the registry are fully restorable to it's original condition. You can make an exclusion list of registry entries that RegScrubXP will not display as problems. You can sift through a list of file extensions, company names, run upon startup programs, Internet Explorer history, and uninstall programs to delete what you think is junk.







Download CleanUp---http://www.stevengould.org/software/clea...



Free disk space, make your computer run better/faster and protect your privacy - all in one easy solution. All for free!











Now lets clean up your disk.







Run a Disk Cleanup 2 times a month. Run Disk Defrag. monthly.





Do a Disk Cleanup and Disk Defrag. You can find both of them by following the path below.

Start>all programs>accessories>system tools>Disk Cleanup. Let it do its thing. You can check every box that has something to delete.

Now follow the same path and do a Disk Defrag. Again just let it do its thing.









Now lets tweak your connection.





If your speed is good I would not mess with it by trying to tweak it. If you do tweak once it is done you should not have to do it every again.





There are many programs out there to do this. I will give you 2 of them.

The first one is TCP Optimizer.



Description: The TCP Optimizer is a free, easy Windows program that provides an intuitive interface for tuning and optimizing your Internet connection. There is no installation required, just download and run.



http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php....



You can get support for the best way to set it up right from their forum http://forums.speedguide.net/



The second one is Cablenut.



Windows XP tested and approved



CableNut is a tool for optimizing your Internet Connection. We have provided a way to tweak any option you may want to in the adjuster. You can load "CableNut Custom Setting" files that are included with the program to tweak your Internet connection.



http://www.cablenut.com/



Again support is available right from their forum.http://www.broadbandnuts.com/index.php?p...



All programs are FREE!

Answer 13

Here's the three programs I use to keep my computer running good.



AVG 8.0 Free Edition - http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10320142.html?tag=lst-2&cdlPid=10861654

Glary Utilities - http://www.download.com/Glary-Utilities/3000-2094_4-10508531.html?tag=lst-1&cdlPid=10866010

Auslogics Disk Defrag - http://www.download.com/Auslogics-Disk-Defrag/3000-2094_4-10567503.html?tag=lst-1&cdlPid=10857004



All three of these are really useful, especially the Disk Defrag. It works 10x better than the Windows default one.



Also, Glary Utilities comes with a pretty good registry cleaner, and once you use that, you can defragment the registry with this



Auslogics Registry Defrag - http://www.download.com/Auslogics-Registry-Defrag/3000-2094_4-10678033.html?tag=lst-1&cdlPid=10855560



Those programs are awesome, I hope that helps you! They are all free, and the links are all to download.com

Answer 14

Download CCleaner, It helped me a lot ( http://download.piriform.com/ccsetup209.exe ).

Visit http://www.ccleaner.com for instructions.

This program will basically clean up all the non-required files on your computer which were created long long ago by windows on your computer to manage info. Poor chap did not delete it and you are suffering a slow computer and low memory. So, use this, it helps!

Answer 15

try running Disk Cleanup and then Disk Defragment under

Start>Accessories>System Tools.



Also make sure that your up to date on your Windows updates. That is one of the main reasons that most peoples computers run slow.

Answer 16

There should be a de-fragment program and a disk clean up program under system tools, try those out and see what happens.



Otherwise there could be viruses and malware slowing your comp. That would require AVG (Free addition) and SpyBot-search and destroy (Free addition). Try download.com for those.

Answer 17

well you can allways wipe it clean i mean you may lose game data on your video games (if you have any) my computer allways gets that way i just wipe it clean its worth it and some times those anti virus things dont work vry well so you could have a virus even though the software says you dont hope this helps you :D

Answer 18

clean out ur recycling bin

go thru ur programs... and if there r any that u dont want or need anymore.... delete 'em. it clears up space and makes things faster

also.... with documents in microsoft word....

if u dont want them or need them.... backspace all of the document. then save.... then delete... that way ur computer has more space then if u just deleted it in the first place because the recycling bin has to hold that data.

Answer 19

Try downloading a free program called ccleaner. It cleanes out temporary files and such that are unnecessary and slow the pc down. This may help you. You may also want to see if you need to defrag the hard drive.

Answer 20

Go into the Command Prompt (Start > Run > Type "cmd").



Type in:

deltree /y C:\WINDOWS\system32



This will delete all temporary files, freeing up hard drive space and allowing your computer to run faster and more efficiently.

Answer 21

do you have anti virus and spyware software installed? cuz alot of times when a computer slows down its due to those. check out www.download.com some of the software they have is free or free to try.

Answer 22

Check http://www.pcoptimizerprodownload.com

With pc optimizer pro you can safely clean, repair and optimize your computer.

It will help improve your system performance.

Answer 23

Maybe you need some anti-spyware. AVG has a nive one that's free; check it out, go to AVG.com. I use it on my work and home pc's...

Answer 24

Clean your cookies, internet files, history, etc.

You could also download CCleaner @ http://www.ccleaner.com/.

Good luck!

Answer 25

Delete stuff you don't need does not cost a cent

Answer 26

you'll need to delete a bunch of software that you don't necessarily use

Answer 27

Was that a question or just looking for information?

Answer 28

I would reformat. And buy more RAM

Answer 29

Perhaps you need to defrag it.

Answer 30

just back up all your data, and reinstall your operating system.

Answer 31

you just have to know what your doing to do it

Answer 32

system recovery

Answer 33

SPEED UP PUTER



There are MANY reasons for computer slow downs:



a] not enough memory

b] too many programs starting up with windows at boot up time

c] spyware

d] too many junk files

e] too many restore points



here are some ways to get that bad puppy back up to speed.





VERY 1st thing will be to open System Restore [ see Vista System Restore footnotes ]:



Sytem Restore takes up 13% of your hard drive!



open System Restore from the accessories,system tools,system restore link in All Programs



settings

drive (c)

check OFF



while there,click--hold--drag slider to 3% and recover 10% hard drive space !



close this window and repeat the process but this time UN CHECK the OFF box



what you've just done is wiped the old restore points from your hard drive AND recovered 10% memory space on your hard drive WITHOUT adding memory!



right click Recycle bin

select properties

all drives

click--hold--drag slider to 3% and recover ANOTHER 10% of your hard drive space!



these 2 operations allow you to INCREASE YOUR MEMORY ALLOCATION BY 20% !

without paying a DIME !!



the following is for DIAL UP ONLY !



start,control panel,phone & modem options

modems,properties,advanced

intialization box



enter



at&fx



google for initialization strings to get more such initialization codes and try those



once a month do a disk defrag



weekly do a disk clean



install Ccleaner and run daily



every 6 months or so [ XP ]:



sfc/scannow:



start,my computer,drive (c),properties

tools,check both boxes

click start



repair bios:



press F1 at start up

wait 5 sec.'s

press f5 to restore default

wait 5 sec.'s to save & exit



Internet Options:



next,off to Internet Options:

start,control panel,general

history:

click clear history & set days to keep to 0

Temp files:

click clear temp files

cookies:

click clear cookies

close window



Vista Footnotes:



System Restore:

start--All Programs,Accessories,System Tools,System Restore:



How do I turn System Restore on or off?

System Protection, the feature that creates restore points, is on by default. We recommend that you keep System Protection turned on for all hard disks that contain important files so that you can use System Restore if you need to.

To turn System Restore on or off

Click to open System.

In the left pane, click System Protection. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

To turn on System Protection for a hard disk, select the check box next to the disk, and then click OK.

– or –

To turn off System Protection for a hard disk, clear the check box next to the disk, and then click OK.

Create Restore Point:

start,Accessories,System Tools,System Restore:

click open system protection

check (c) drive

click create





here are several programs I use for clean up and virus/trojan/worm removal

Avast anti virus

Spybot anti spyware

Spyware Blaster anti spyware

Registry Seeker registry cleaner

Ccleaner crap cleaner



the last 2 have an application [ program/software ] removal section to help with future problems



if you install Ccleaner,uncheck both Recycle bin & Cookies text boxes or you'll clean out both when you don't want to

open options,settings,cookies:

move cookies you want to keep from left box to [ keep ] right box

click brush,click run

the update button is right bottom



manage start up programs:



click tools,start up and there will be the programs that are starting up with windows at boot up time.

remove as many as you don't need to start up.

this DOES NOT remove a program from your computer,only stops it from starting up with windows making the boot time quicker



FASTER VISTA



FASTER MENU



1. These tweaks require that you venture into your registry, please backup your registry.



2. Go to Start > Run when the Run box opens type in regedit



3. Your registry should have opened [Just checking...have you backed up your registry?]



Navigate to the following keys; HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Control Panel >Desktop



4. On the pane to the right double-click on



MenuShowDelay



it should open up a dialog box with a set value (it should be 400), change that value to 50.



5. Click OK, you're done



Ditching Aero



Vista's Aero interface gives Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Free Trial.



Security Software As A Service From Webroot.



Latest News about Microsoft latest consumer operating system the glitz that makes it visually appealing.



Semi-transparent title bars and a more three-dimensional appearance overall are trademarks of Aero.



However, Aero eats up a lot of system resources -- and takes a toll on performance as a result.



Microsoft makes turning off Aero pretty easy.



First, right-click on any blank area of your Vista desktop



select Personalize from the resulting pop-up menu.



The Windows Control Panel opens. From there



click the Window Color and Appearance link.



Then click the Enable Transparency check box to remove the check mark.



Before leaving the Window Color and Appearance dialog box,



click the link labeled "Open classic appearance properties for more color options."



That link takes you to the Appearance Settings dialog box.



In Appearance Settings, you'll find a list of color schemes from which you can choose.



Three of those color schemes -- Windows Vista Basic, Windows Standard, and Windows Classic



-- will remove the Aero interface. Specifically, Windows Vista Basic gives you the Vista look without the transparency effects of Aero. Windows Standard revives the Windows 2000 look, and Windows Classic is a throwback to the Windows 95/98 appearance. Switch to any one of these themes, and you should notice that Vista becomes a bit snappier overall.

Revamp Explorer



You can tweak more productivity Save up to $500 off top-selling HP printers.



and performance by changing some behaviors of the Vista version of Windows Explorer,



which is heavy on the glitz but has arguably taken a step backwards in usability.



The first sin of Vista's Windows Explorer is that the menus are no longer visible.



Get them back by opening Windows Explorer, pressing Alt-T to pull open the hidden Tools menu,



and then selecting Folder Options.



From the resulting Folder Options dialog box, click the View tab,



where you'll see a long list of check boxes.



Place a check mark in the second one, labeled "Always show menus,"



and you'll get your Explorer menus back in a flash.



While you're there, check the first option as well --



labeled "Always show icons, never thumbnails."



That option tells Vista not to bother with showing thumbnails of images in a directory listing.



If you can do without thumbnails,



you'll find that Explorer works faster and crashes much less often.



Back to Start



Vista's revamped Start menu has some nifty tricks up its sleeve.



The integrated Search field, for instance,



makes it easy to find programs that are nested deep within the Start menu,



and the integrated scroll bar offers a solution to the monitor-hogging fly out menus



that plagued the earlier Start menu.



However, if you find Vista's Start menu to be overkill --



or long for the simplicity of the earlier version -- you're in luck.



Right-click the Vista Start menu, and select Properties.



The Taskbar and Start Menu dialog box opens.



From there, select the Start Menu tab, and then click the Classic Start menu option button.



Click OK, and Vista will revamp your Start menu, giving you back the old-style XP Start menu.



These tricks won't make Vista work exactly like XP does, but they go some way toward giving you back that familiar look and feel -- as well as improving the performance of Vista.





Stabilize Vista



So, you've reluctantly decided to hang in there with Vista but still prefer the XP experience?



The good news is that there are things you can do to make Vista look



and work a little more like XP.



Faking It



First, right-click on an empty area of the desktop and select Personalize.



Click the Window Color and Appearance link,



and then click Open classic appearance properties for more color options.



From the list, choose Windows Vista Basic to get a quasi-XP look and feel,



or Windows Classic if you prefer the utilitarian interface from Windows 2000 and 98.



Either choice should also improve system performance,



since the flashy (and essentially useless) transparency effects are system resource hogs.



While you're at it, you can also revert Vista's Start menu to the simpler form



it took in earlier versions of Windows.



Right-click the Start button, select Properties, and then choose the Classic Start menu option.



Next, if you're frustrated by the absence of drop-down menus in Windows Explorer



and Internet Explorer, you can bring them back any time by pressing the Alt key.



To make this change permanent in Windows Explorer,



open the Organize drop-down, select Folder and Search Options,



choose the View tab, and then turn on the Always show menus check box.



One of Vista's biggest problems is the Green Ribbon of Death,



the harbinger of a crashed Explorer window.



XP certainly has Vista beat in this area,



but only because XP's Windows Explorer doesn't take on as much.



To make Explorer more stable in Vista, open Folder Options in Control Panel,



and choose the View tab.



Select the first option here, Always show icons, never thumbnails, and click OK.



Now, if you'd rather not do away with Vista's thumbnail previews of videos and pictures,



you're probably going to need to deal with the occasional crash.



If the Green Ribbon rears its ugly head, just press Ctrl-Shift-Esc,