How to speed up my PC

[Lisa]

I am using 98SE. For the last couple of weeks, my computer
is running really slow, and it will take a few minutes to
open a file. I have run the spybot, disk cleanup and no
help at all. I will try disk defrag later today. I want to
know what other tricks I can use to speed up my PC. I am
really frustrated.

[Doug Kanter]

1) A few minutes to open what kind of file? And, do you LITERALLY mean "a
few minutes"? How large of a file?

2) Have you added any new programs, or changed the options on any existing
ones?

3) Did you download any new plug-ins for your web browser? These would be
things like RealPLayer, which, by default, loads itself every time Windows
starts, unless you tell it not to. Everything you run uses computer
resources (memory).

4) Did you change the appearance of the desktop in any way? Themes? Third
party screen savers not provided with Windows? How about pretty wallpaper on
the desktop?

"Lisa" > wrote in message
...
> I am using 98SE. For the last couple of weeks, my computer
> is running really slow, and it will take a few minutes to
> open a file. I have run the spybot, disk cleanup and no
> help at all. I will try disk defrag later today. I want to
> know what other tricks I can use to speed up my PC. I am
> really frustrated.

[Doug Kanter]

And another question:

How many programs are you running at once? If more than one, please list
their names. And, if there's a set of programs that you use all day, do you
start them and leave them running, or continually shut them down and then
start them again when you need them?

"Lisa" > wrote in message
...
> I am using 98SE. For the last couple of weeks, my computer
> is running really slow, and it will take a few minutes to
> open a file. I have run the spybot, disk cleanup and no
> help at all. I will try disk defrag later today. I want to
> know what other tricks I can use to speed up my PC. I am
> really frustrated.

[Gary S. Terhune]

Lisa,

While there may also be specific issues that you'll need to address--My =
Documents issues, for instance, or some update or new software or =
hardware you've introduced recently (you'd help us help you if you can =
review recent changes in your system)--you may also be the victim of =
malware or other general garbage that neither Spybot alone nor Disk =
Cleanup have totally addressed. For this reason, I'm passing on my =
"full-boat" suggestions, the meat of which are in the linked article =
about "Clean Boot" procedures. I think you may simply need a deeper =
cleansing than you've performed to date.

The below includes everything I think is necessary, no more, and =
certainly no less. Yes, there are valid differences of opinion regarding =
which antivirus software to use, but the rest of my suggestions have =
fairly unanimous support among the cognoscenti. The initial suggestions =
go hand in hand with maintaining a clean and secure system.

See my article, "Clean Boot--What it is and why you need it"
. g=
bl

Because some of the more recent known invaders are capable of =
interfering
with the suggestions contained in the above, I suggest you also consider
first doing the following, though it may be necessary to set up a clean
boot, and even then manually kill a malicious process or two before you =
can
even get these accomplished. Many invaders are built to first detect and
disable protections that are in place, so that you might, for instance, =
have
to obtain and employ a DOS-boot antivirus like F-Prot. Repeated running =
of
scanners, booting back and forth from Safe Mode to Normal, or into DOS
Mode--a lot of gymnastics are often required to get to an error-free and
nasties-free condition. Once there, however, some user sanity and =
education,
plus regular "wetware" updating, will *keep* your system healthy.

Update your Antivirus, run a full scan. Then, if you haven't already,
obtain, update, and run any or all of the following
Trojan/Parasite/Adware/Spyware cleaners. I recommend getting and running
*all* of them. They each target slightly different things. Again, be =
sure
you update the definitions they are using to identify crap before =
running
them, each time you run them--which, depending on your surfing habits,
should be anything from once a month, to once a week, to once a day, to =
once
an hour if you're really into junkware sites (aka "Free goodies", game
sites, fun-places-to-be, etc.)

Tradition had it that Firewalls were generally not needed when using =
simple
dial-up modem connections. Alas, this is no longer the case. *Everyone*
needs a firewall! Also, I make no bones about it--Norton, McAfee and
Trend-Micro products (and probably a few others) are ABOMINATIONS!,
particularly when it comes to Win9x systems. They are massive suites =
that
intrude into basic functions where they simply do not need to go. For
freeware solutions, I suggest AVG or AVAST (based upon the =
recommendations
of others, though each has it's minor drawbacks) and ZoneAlarm Firewall. =
But
for really good, inexpensive, and trustworthy protection, you simply =
can't
beat eTrust Armor. Antivirus and Firewall combined, very non-intrusive =
upon
the system itself (I've *never* seen a crash caused by EZ Antivirus, and
there's hardly any impact whatsoever on Resources, etc.) eTrust is from
Computer Associates Inc.--the antivirus is a version of their corporate
product usually known as Inoculan, and they got smart recently and =
switched
to using a version of ZoneAlarm for their firewall.

You can get a one-year free trial of eTrust EZ Armor at
http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/. This offer was initially slated to =
end
this June, but has been extended through February 2005. The trial offer =
is
also included in at least some versions (not sure about all languages) =
of
Microsoft's Windows Security Update CD, an item *everyone* should own.
(However, do *not* just run the Update CD on your system without a =
proper
analysis of where your system stands with regard to Updates. Might do =
more
harm than good.) EZ Armor would normally cost $50 for the first year (a =
deal
in itself), and yearly renewal subscriptions only cost $25--an absolute
steal when compared with other offerings. Order the Windows Security =
Update
CD directly from MS, totally free, including S&H, at
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp

In addition to Antivirus and Firewall protection, I consider the =
following
items to be indispensable protection and clean-up utilities. My judgment =
is
based upon their being free, good, accurate, and safe, if handled =
correctly.
See, also, suggestions from MVP Mike Burgess on his site,
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/, particularly the general Windows/IE
Security page, http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/security.htm. More =
current
discussions of Security issues can be found at the Windows Support =
Center
(provided by MVP Jim Eshelman, a true Saint!) at http://www.aumha.org

(SpyBot S&D =3D "SpyBot Search & Destroy")

Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
SpyBot S&D http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=3Ddownload
HijackThis http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/HijackThis.exe
CWShredder http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/cwshredder.zip
Spyware Blaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

PLEASE! Before doing any of these, see also,
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm for suggestions and =
cautionary
information about internet surfing, and some important hints about using =
the
above. ESPECIALLY, be aware that HijackThis scans result in a LOT of =
stuff
that you *don't* want to delete. The admonishment to save a log and show =
it
to an expert is critically good advice. Not following that advice can =
really
do some damage to your system. SpyBot S&D, too, is capable of similar
problems, especially if you change default scan settings, or "Immunize".

An additional tool that is very helpful in protecting your machine is a
HOSTS file. Microsoft MVP Mike Burgess maintain a frequently updated =
list of
bad sites. They may be sites that provide most of the junky =
advertisements
you see in other places, or sites that install spyware/adware, or that, =
for
whatever reason, you shouldn't allow into your system. Using the HOSTS
file, you can redirect such addresses to a site that's guaranteed will =
fail
to load on most machines--your own computer.
HOSTS Overview -- http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

After using it for some time, now, I also consider MVP George Geyde's =
HOSTS File Manager an indispensable tool. I've been amazed at how well =
this one tool stopped most of the crap from getting in in the first =
place. You can find it at the bottom of this page:
http://www.mvps.org/PracticallyNerded/Software.htm

--=20
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP for Win9x
=20
"Lisa" > wrote in message =
...
> I am using 98SE. For the last couple of weeks, my computer=20
> is running really slow, and it will take a few minutes to=20
> open a file. I have run the spybot, disk cleanup and no=20
> help at all. I will try disk defrag later today. I want to=20
> know what other tricks I can use to speed up my PC. I am=20
> really frustrated.

[Lisa]

1) Even one sentence word file will take a few minutes.
2) I didn't add any new programs
3) I do have realPlayer. Should I turn if off and how?
4) I have deleted all my screensaver and wall papers and
no help at all.
Any idea what should I do now?Thanks.



>-----Original Message-----
>1) A few minutes to open what kind of file? And, do you
LITERALLY mean "a
>few minutes"? How large of a file?
>
>2) Have you added any new programs, or changed the
options on any existing
>ones?
>
>3) Did you download any new plug-ins for your web
browser? These would be
>things like RealPLayer, which, by default, loads itself
every time Windows
>starts, unless you tell it not to. Everything you run
uses computer
>resources (memory).
>
>4) Did you change the appearance of the desktop in any
way? Themes? Third
>party screen savers not provided with Windows? How about
pretty wallpaper on
>the desktop?
>
>"Lisa" > wrote in
message
...
>> I am using 98SE. For the last couple of weeks, my
computer
>> is running really slow, and it will take a few minutes
to
>> open a file. I have run the spybot, disk cleanup and no
>> help at all. I will try disk defrag later today. I want
to
>> know what other tricks I can use to speed up my PC. I am
>> really frustrated.
>
>
>.
>

[Doug Kanter]

OK....that was a dead end! But, if you don't need RealPlayer's services
every single day, or all day, right-click its icon in the system tray, open
its options or preferences menu or whatever it's called, and look for the
setting that tells it to start all the time. Disable it. If I recall, it'll
warn you that you'll go deaf and be less popular if it doesn't run all the
time, but I haven't found that to be true.

"Lisa" > wrote in message
...
> 1) Even one sentence word file will take a few minutes.
> 2) I didn't add any new programs
> 3) I do have realPlayer. Should I turn if off and how?
> 4) I have deleted all my screensaver and wall papers and
> no help at all.
> Any idea what should I do now?Thanks.
>
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >1) A few minutes to open what kind of file? And, do you
> LITERALLY mean "a
> >few minutes"? How large of a file?
> >
> >2) Have you added any new programs, or changed the
> options on any existing
> >ones?
> >
> >3) Did you download any new plug-ins for your web
> browser? These would be
> >things like RealPLayer, which, by default, loads itself
> every time Windows
> >starts, unless you tell it not to. Everything you run
> uses computer
> >resources (memory).
> >
> >4) Did you change the appearance of the desktop in any
> way? Themes? Third
> >party screen savers not provided with Windows? How about
> pretty wallpaper on
> >the desktop?
> >
> >"Lisa" > wrote in
> message
> ...
> >> I am using 98SE. For the last couple of weeks, my
> computer
> >> is running really slow, and it will take a few minutes
> to
> >> open a file. I have run the spybot, disk cleanup and no
> >> help at all. I will try disk defrag later today. I want
> to
> >> know what other tricks I can use to speed up my PC. I am
> >> really frustrated.
> >
> >
> >.
> >