Slow PC - Help, it's driving me mad!!!

[Sevenor]

Installing and scanning with anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-trojan, etc will not immune us from all computer problems, especially if we are fond of simply downloading things from the net, open email attachments or exchange computer wares with friends cos these are the most common ways all those troublemakers enter our computers. So before you click on the Download, Open or Run buttons just remember to exercise extreme caution and remember the adage that there is no free lunch.

If you have the Windows XP CD, I'd suggest that you just reformat and reinstall Windows XP. (For detail instructions, pls refer to: http://winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp

But before you do that, if you have pictures, mp3 songs, documents you treasure, do backup them up first to, say, an external hard drive, CD/DVDR, etc.

Hope this helps

 

[Jenonnet]

Slow PC

Thanks Sevenor, I am usually very carefull what I download & don't open e-mails from people I don't know or expect to receive them from. Unfortunately, the last time I took my PC to the shop to get it repaired, the man loaded his Windows onto it, so I haven't got the same disc as him. Mine didn't have Frontpage on it, so I suspect that although they are both Windows XP, they differ slightly from each other.
I have managed to get Firefox working again by re-installing. I'm now going to try re-installing my printer drivers, as it won't print anything as it is. Don't know what I'm going to do about Windows calculator, solitaire & freecell, these games are the only ones I play as I use the computer for my e-mails, the office package & manipulating photos, things like that. I loaded Mahjongg & that's still ok but apart from that solitaire & freecell are the only ones I use for a bit of r&r. It seems strange that it's lost the Windows applications?

 

[Sevenor]

Frontpage is part of Microsoft Office. Don't think it comes with Windows XP.

You meant after you had re-installed Windows XP you couldn't find Calculator, Solitaire and Freecell any more. Or were they on your Desktop and are now gone. Is that what you mean?

Calculator is located under: Start > All Programs > Accesories
Solitaire, Freecell (and all other built-in games) are under: Start > All Programs > Games

To make them conveniently available on your Desktop, just right-click on any of them and select "Send To" then click "Desktop (create shortcut)".

 

[Jenonnet]

Slow PC

Sorry Sevenor, getting mixed up with Office & Windows - it's all this crazy stuff that's been going on, it's addled my brain!
Not only did the shortcuts on my desktop turn to an icon showing a blank page but the calculator & games disappeared from my PC. they were nowhere to be found in programmes/accessories, etc.
I finally put my old Windows XP Pro disc in & added windows components - that brought them back again.
Also, after a lot of messing about, I have managed to get my printer working again.
Paint Shop Pro X still won't work & it won't install either. I keep getting a message saying it can't find a file (this file has a lot of numbers in it & is very long).
So I seem to be nearly full circle & back to where I started with a slow PC that thinks about it for a time before it opens anything and with the added problem of not being able to use PSP.
Thanks for all you help.

 

[EricB]

reinstall. i've had 2 people's computer that had the same symptoms. they didn't have any virus or spyware. I could figure out why it act like that.

reinstalling fixed the problem on both computers

 

[Jenonnet]

Slow PC

Thank for that EricB, looks like I may have to reinstall as nothing else has seemed to work. I have all my data stored on my second hard drive. If I reinstall Windows XP Pro on the systems drive with all the programmes on it, will the other drive with all my saved files on it be ok?
I don't really want to lose all the things I have on that drive. It will be a pain having to install all the programmes & drivers again but I can cope with that so long as I don't lose my saved files.

 

[EricB]

your data will be safe on the second drive. don't delete that one. you can unhook it when reinstalling if you want

 

[Sevenor]

If you choose not to mess with the internal of the computer as suggested by Eric, then just be extra careful during the reinstallation, especially when you come to the part AFTER Microsoft License Agreement where you are asked to select which partition you want Setup to install the Windows XP on (It's Step No. 5 in this link: http://winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp ). MAKE SURE YOU CHOOSE THE CORRECT PARTITION! It should be the one where your XP and all your programs go to. It's normally (and more convenient also) Drive C:.

Happy reinstallation!!!

 

[DeliriumTrigger]

Check out this website: http://freepctech.com/pc/xp/xpindex.shtml its got alot of great tips on how to lower your processes and utilize your resorces.

 

[Jenonnet]

Slow PC

Thank you so much all of you, I'm so grateful for all the help. I'm not a happy bunny when my computer isn't working (I'm a bit of an addict I'm afraid!)
I have managed to get my printer working again - don't ask me how 'cos I don't know!! So I've printed all your help & tips to enable me to refer to in the event of the same thing happening again - God forbid!!!
I appreciate all the time & trouble you have gone to in order to help me fix this problem.