Why is my computer so slow?

Question

PLEASE HELP!

Okay, so my computer has been bothering me, it's really slow a lot of the time. Could you please tell me what to do? Here is some info. on my computer:

THIS IS WHAT IT SAYS UNDER "MY COMPUTER".

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Version 2002

eMachines H50360
Intel (R)
Pentium (R) 4 CPU 2.93GHz
2.93GHz 384 MB of RAM

Also, here's a list of my programs installed (see photos from PhotoBucket)

Page 1: http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt85/...

Page 2: http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt85/...

Page 3: http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt85/...

Anything I should delete... ? (I might trust you) :P

I was thinking at first that I should just put my important stuff on a USB device, then wipe out my computer/restore I guess and then load my important stuff back on. And also, I noticed that it said my computer had 384 MB of RAM. Well, I looked at some of the programs I have and if I added them up that would be way more than 384 MB of RAM. Would that make sense? I'm not sure.

Anyways, PLEASE HELP ME, AND GIVE ADVICE ON WHAT I SHOULD DO!

THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE AND SORRY FOR ALL THIS TEXT

Answer 1

There are a several reasons why your computer is freezing/slow. First question is when the last time you cleaned your registry. Having a corrupted registry can cause a whole host of errors and problems. Freezing up is one of them. If you have a lot of unnecessary registry keys that are hogging up your computer resources. Your computer is bound to choke. Scan your registry with a good registry cleaner. If you pull up more than 20 errors or duplication, clean your registry.

Go to:http://downloadlk.com/themosteffectiveregistrycleaner.htm get one to free scan your pc



2. Depending on your RAM specs and your computer usage. This could also be the issue. Having an insufficient amount of free space does not allow your RAM to function properly. If you are using a lot of RAM by net surfing or other activities without enough empty space your will get freezes. You don't need to buy new RAM but you should increase your free space by removing unnecessary data and perhaps increasing your virtual memory. The below link will show you how.



3. Spyware could be the culprit, so do a scan and see if your computer is infected.

Get the best one from: http://toptenantispywareviews.com to scan your computer.



4. That last area is a hardware driver. This could be the problem if new hardware has been added to the system. So, the drivers should still be up to date. So try the first two suggestions and see if you can get your computer to stop freezing/speed up.

Check your drivers. Hope this helps.

Go to: http://downloadlk.com/WhyIsMyComputerSlow.htm learn how to fix it.

Answer 2

Okay, I'll get to the point.

You don't have enough RAM to cope with today's software standards. Although it's usable, it is expected to be so slow with such little RAM. The processor isn't the best out there but it's okay.



To sum up a little confusion for you, when you said you looked at some of the programs and added them up and said they would be 'way more than 384MB ram' I have a feeling you have got the wrong idea. You looked at them in the installed programs menu, and added up how much space they took right? That is storage space, not RAM. RAM is Random Access Memory and is what your computer uses to store data it needs to be currently using. Storage space, is traditionally a hard drive. If you look in 'My Computer' you will have a C: drive, and possibly other ones. If you right click them and go to properties it will tell you how much space it has free, and in total.

Anyway. Quick image for you, this is a how a computer works.



The processor fetches data from the Hard Drive (Or other data storage), processes it, places it into RAM, then moves onto the next instruction. That might mean doing something with what is in the memory (RAM) or fetching more data from the hard drive.



Software developers today use more memory in their programs as most people have at least 512MB RAM at a minimum these days. Your PC won't cope as well.

Long story short, buy a new PC or some more RAM.



Also, re-formatting it will make it run smoother, but you can also run a disk defragment on it which may take some time, but will make your PC load times smoother.





Edit: @ Below

That's silly. XP recommends 256. I've run it on a laptop before with just 64MB of ram, and it was slow sure, but it ran, and was usable. Also recommending AT LEAST 2gb is extreme, I recommend at least 512mb for simple internet browsing and work, and 1GB for a smooth experience.

Answer 3

You need more RAM. 256 mb is the minimum for XP. I recommend at least at least 2 GIGS. You'll notice a huge difference in performance. If you have a bunch of icons in your task bar then all of those programs are loaded into your RAM. XP uses 256. What happens is that with your RAM used up your puter has to use swap files which really slow it down. More RAM will really help you out.

Answer 4

Intel (R)

Pentium (R) 4 CPU 2.93GHz

2.93GHz 384 MB of RAM



There's your problem. Your computer is out of date, it has a tiny amount of RAM, and your processor isn't that great either. I'd either upgrade your computer itself, or get a new one.

Answer 5

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