# What happened to my formerly blinding computer speed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964 "2003-09-01T14:25:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/1 "2003-09-01T14:25:18Z")
I got a new computer in July, a Compaq Presario, 1.67GHz with 224 MB of RAM (all of which means absolutely nothing to me, I am ashamed to admit). I use it to hang out here at the boards, do puzzles, emails, and play with my digital photos. Nothing radical, just normal stuff. When I first hooked it up, I was amazed at how fast the connection was. Pages loaded immediately, with many windows open at once, and all was right in my world. But now, after less than 2 months, it loads pages at a glacial pace. I am not at all familiar with Windows XP, and the tricks I used to use to speed things up on Windows 98 are of no use to me now. Does anyone know what I might’ve done to hose up my computer speed? Are there any easy tricks that can be done to bring back the spring in my cyberstep? Can anyone help me? ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/2 "2003-09-01T14:39:20Z")
The first, stock answer to speed and browser problems is to install [Spybot](http://security.kolla.de/) and/or [Ad-aware](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/). Both of these free programs will remove spyware and adware which can slow down and destabilize your system. It’s also a good idea to run the cleanup wizard from time to time. Go to **Start|Run** and type in **cleanmgr**. Select your C: drive and check the boxes for **Temporary Files** and **Temporary Internet Files**. Do you only experience slowness in Internet Explorer, or in all programs? If the latter you should go to **Start|Run** , type **msconfig** , go to the **Startup** tab, and uncheck any programs which you don’t absolutely need to run when Windows starts. If this causes any problems, go back in and re-check the boxes. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/3 "2003-09-01T14:57:06Z")
If its just the net, sometimes the net is just slow. You could perform a traceroute to find out if all computers & hubs on the route to the sites you are trying to get to are working. [download.com](http://download.com) should have a traceroute program. ---
**Author:** ![mecaenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@mecaenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mecaenas)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/4 "2003-09-02T09:56:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*If its just the net, sometimes the net is just slow. You could perform a traceroute to find out if all computers & hubs on the route to the sites you are trying to get to are working. [download.com](http://download.com) should have a traceroute program. \*\* You don’t even need a separate program for it, all you have to do is **Start -\> Run** then **tracert \** (without the arrows). For example: tracert [www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com) ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/5 "2003-09-02T12:41:08Z")
My money’s on Spyware. I’ve had one measly lil’ piece of spyware get on my computer and slow down all four computers on my home network. You get 3 or 4 of those suckers on a computer and you’re suddenly moving like a slug. Do what **Number** said and run Ad-Aware and Spybot - BOTH of them. They catch different things. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/6 "2003-09-02T15:37:15Z")
Temporarily hijacking this very useful thread. I’ve installed Ad-aware and Spybot, as suggested (am running ME). Ad-Aware has no problems. Spybot gets less than 1/4 of the way through a scan and crashes. Uninstall, delete, download again, run, crash. Repeat. Repeat. This is getting old. What might be the problem? ---
**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:** [September 2, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/7 "2003-09-02T15:55:07Z")
Did you download the Spybot updates? There was a bug that could cause Spybot to hang. ---
**Author:** ![stick\_monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@stick\_monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stick_monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/8 "2003-09-02T16:36:18Z")
You may also want to adjust your virtual memory settings (I usually keep my page-file size set to a min of 2x my ram, with a max of 4x and generally get no virtual memory problems), run a defrag on your harddrive, and make sure that memory-hog programs like AOL or Real Player, are at the very least not running on startup (read: they don’t show up or stay in the taskbar/systray on startup). If you are advanced enough you may want to check out [www.blackviper.com](http://www.blackviper.com) and disable some of the normally usless services that are probably running all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/9 "2003-09-02T17:43:27Z")
Since nobody else has asked, what sort of Internet connection do you use? Is it a modem (presumably 56k, on a new computer), or some sort of broadband (cable, DSL, etc.)? And have you noticed the same slowdown on all Web pages, or just the SDMB? If it’s just the SDMB, then the problem is almost certainly not on your end… Sometimes, the board is just really slow, and there’s nothing at all you can do about it. The speed and memory of your computer will make almost no difference for Web browsing: My old 100 MHz box at home, with 32 megs of ram, will load almost all pages just as quickly as my fancy-schmancy new office machine (the exception is Javascript, which sometimes takes a good bit longer at home). ---
**Author:** ![Headcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@Headcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headcoat)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/10 "2003-09-02T18:25:53Z")
Go to start menu\>Run and type in “msconfig” Click the tab for “Startup”. Ideally, you shouldn’t have many things on that list (I only have 3 things turned on -my firewall, Suitcase 9, and Intellimouse drivers). Check off all unnecessary items, the leaner the better. If you don’t know what a certain item is for, show me and I might recognize it. Also, get a registry cleaning utility. There are some free ones you could find on sites like cnet or tucows. If you install and uninstall lots of programs (the big culprits here are freeware and shareware downloaded from the net), your registry will be bloated and have residues of previously installed applications slowing your system down. But your best choice is to back up all your important files and reformat and reinstall Windows from scratch. Its good to do this every 6 months or so to keep things running smooth. Did Compaq provide you with a Windows XP install disk or one of their proprietary “Restore Disk” crap? ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/11 "2003-09-02T19:07:25Z")
Well, **singular1** , we haven’t heard from you … has anything worked? Just curious … ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/12 "2003-09-02T19:37:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Headcoat \* > But your best choice is to back up all your important files and reformat and reinstall Windows from scratch. **Its good to do this every 6 months or so to keep things running smooth.** Did Compaq provide you with a Windows XP install disk or one of their proprietary “Restore Disk” crap? Dear God in heaven! Does Windows screw up so badly that you find it necessary to do this? Periodically? Reinstall Windows, and all applications, and restore a backup of your personal files=time consuming as all get out. ---
**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/13 "2003-09-02T19:56:17Z")
I do find it necessary to reinstall windows periodically. With every program you install, windows inserts new information into the registry. This information is kept in active memory, and is accessed frequently. Reinstalling windows obviously clears the registry, and will thus make your computer run faster. Ever wonder why windows seems to run at blazing speed when you first install it, but never again? This is the culprit. I would agree with the other folks that you should make sure you’ve gotten rid of all spy/adware, make sure you’re virus free, and then think about re-installing windows. If you do go this course, before you reinstall, make a list of all programs that you actually use, and only install them on your new system. You might want to make a backup or ‘ghost’ image of a clean install of windows - that way you can restore from your image and not have to manually install windows in the future. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Freiheit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e8c25b/32.png) [@Freiheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freiheit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/14 "2003-09-02T20:00:12Z")
Yeah…windows sucks. Its efficiency just rots away as you do normal stuff on your computer. Believe it , Mort Furd. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/15 "2003-09-02T20:10:05Z")
I believe it. That’s why my house is a Microsoft Free Zone. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/16 "2003-09-02T21:00:44Z")
Just for fun: Right click on the My Computer icon on the desktop Select Open Select C: & right click on it Select: properties Select: Tools Run them. Also fun: Select My Computer on desktop Right click on My computer on desktop Select properties Read all that stuff that comes up, it’s amazing what they have. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/17 "2003-09-03T13:04:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fear Itself \* > \*\*Did you download the Spybot updates? There was a bug that could cause Spybot to hang. \*\* Thanks, **FI** … they didn’t have those updates when I downloaded last time, and that’s exactly what it was. Works like a charm now. ---
**Author:** ![stick\_monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@stick\_monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stick_monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/18 "2003-09-03T13:50:59Z")
\*\* > [@](#): > > Dear God in heaven! Does Windows screw up so badly that you find it necessary to do this? Periodically? \*\* The condition is commonly reffered to as ‘bit-rot’ and happens on virtually all windows machines to varying degrees, depending on usage and maintenance. The more regularly you clean your machine up, including the registry, temp files, temporary internet files, profiles, defragging; and the less often you install and uninstall programs or download stuff from the internet; the less often you will need to rebuild your machine. But even if you are able to keep the machine in a relatively pristine state, it’s still a good idea to rebuild it after about 6 months to a year of regular usage. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/19 "2003-09-03T16:10:32Z")
First of all, it sounds like you are talking about internet slowdown, which very rarely has to do too much with the speed of your machine (beyond a certain level). It is very possible that your ISP has simply become bogged down with too many users. On cable, you may have lots of people on your loop, etc. If the whole machine is slowing down, the suggestions about programs installing and staying loaded in the system tray are valid. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964/20 "2003-09-03T18:58:17Z")
A good thread. I downloaded the suggested programs last night and discovered a whole host of spyware. **Headcoat** : I tried doing what you suggested with the config program and my computer definitely did _not_ like it. When I rebooted, it gave me a snotty message about changing things back to ‘general startup’, which I did. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-formerly-blinding-computer-speed/198964.md?page=2)