# Computer going slower and slower **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2003, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-going-slower-and-slower/219276 "2003-12-16T06:38:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-going-slower-and-slower/219276/1 "2003-12-16T06:38:24Z")
My main computer is starting to perform slower and slower. I have run spybot and adaware and that helped marginally. When I do msconfig it shows about 25 startup programs listed. I unchecked any that didn’t sound important and that helped alot. My question is, do I really need anything on startup? Can I just check “disable all.” without hurting anything? Also, now when I restart it pops up messages about starting in safe mode. Should I get rid of this, and if yes, how do I do it? ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-going-slower-and-slower/219276/2 "2003-12-16T08:10:24Z")
I would like to know WTH is going on too. My machine is slower and seems to get very busy for no reason - I mean I hear my hard drive buzzin’ like it is trying to load or open or start a program TTT ---
**Author:** ![Vaeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Vaeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vaeth)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-going-slower-and-slower/219276/3 "2003-12-16T08:25:56Z")
That pop-up message can be disabled by checking the box that appears with it saying “Do not show this message next time” or equivalent. Alternatively, using msconfig just set everything back to the way it was then use regedit to delete the entries that you saw in msconfig. I do not now the exact regedit ‘address’ but it should be around: hkey\_local\_machine -\> software -\> microsoft -\> windows -\> CurrentVersion -\> Run **I use Win2k. The registry address might be different for other flavours of windows** Delete any keys that you don’t need from that position in your registry. This way that annoying pop up window won’t pop up anymore because you theoretically didn’t change anything in msconfig. **fragmented hard drive** This could be another reason why your computer feels like it’s getting slower and slower. If the HDD light at the front of your computer case is regularly flickering on and off even when doing the simplest of tasks, then this is a likely problem. To fix, defrag your HDD. (sorry if this sounds rather basic and condescending, I’m not sure of your level of computer proficiency) **DLL files and other unnecessary drivers being loaded** As you install and uninstall programs, these programs often leave behind files that are no longer needed but are still loaded into memory (or something to that effect). To fix it, reinstall windows :(, try to delete the files you think are unnecessary and are yet being loaded (risky - proceed at your own risk), or switch to a more stable OS. G’luck ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-going-slower-and-slower/219276/4 "2003-12-16T11:08:35Z")
Your computer is suffering from [Cruft](http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~sue/475/cruft.html)\*. Sounds about Cruft Force 5 to me. \*Caution, contains techy humour from the legendary Verity Stobb. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-going-slower-and-slower/219276/5 "2003-12-16T11:40:39Z")
I admit I haven’t defragged lately, but am using XP and thought that NTFS didn’t really need to be defragged. I will try it. Is there any program that needs to run on startup. I have disabled most of them, and don’t seem to have any ill effects. I am thinking of just disabling them all. Will this cause me any problems? Once I stopped the computer from starting up 50 programs on startup everything is working much better. I figure disabling them all will really help out. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-going-slower-and-slower/219276/6 "2003-12-16T12:28:53Z")
Check out “Karens Power Tools” @ \<[karenware.com](http://karenware.com)\> One of them shows all programs running in background. When in doubt - defrag! * * * “Beware of the Cog” ---
**Author:** ![RAWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@RAWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RAWDuke)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-going-slower-and-slower/219276/7 "2003-12-16T13:54:23Z")
I’ve had good success lately by deleting temporary internet files and cookies ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-going-slower-and-slower/219276/8 "2003-12-16T14:21:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dauerbach \* > **Is there any program that needs to run on startup. I have disabled most of them, and don’t seem to have any ill effects. I am thinking of just disabling them all. Will this cause me any problems?** Here is an an [exhaustive list of over 3800 common start-up programs](http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php). Here is the key to which can be removed safely: > [@](#): > > “Y” - Normally leave to run at start-up > > “N” - Not required - typically infrequently used tasks that can be started manually if necessary > > “U” - User’s choice - depends whether a user deems it necessary > > “X” - Definitely not required - typically viruses, spyware, adware and “resource hogs” > > “?” - Unknown ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-going-slower-and-slower/219276/9 "2003-12-19T06:29:13Z")
Please forgive me for jumping into your thread dauerbach, but since you have gathered the people here already… Thanks Dopers! I always delete the temporary internet files, have deleted the cookies, and defraged the hard drive. — Moving on to the startup stuff.