slow pc should we buy a laptop - advice pls.

closed

post a fresh hijackthis log and commit charge figures

closed

tonight preferably;)

fiddiwebb

ed2712

On older PCs running XP I've found removing Microsofts .NET Framework updates help speed up sluggish systems, certain applications require NET Framework to run but there are not many that do.

If you come to use software or an application that requires .NET Framework to run then you can always re-install it.

I would try the other suggestions first to see if can speed up your
PC first before trying this.

Donnie

If you've backed up all your important info, consider running a clean install. If that doesn't speed it up, nothing you are doing here will do so.

roddydogs

Bump........................

ed2712

Just a quick note to thank all the people on here who gave me useful advice.

After spending 2 days on this, including 5 hours on malewarbytes doing one test, I have decided to give up (not fare on the kids either that their mummy is spending all this time on here to no avail) - thanks again to everyone who helped.

Looks like we will have to go and buy a new pc or laptop.

Take care

fiddiwebb

Agree with Donnie up there......what you want to try and avoid is too much faffing around especially if you have exhausted all other avenues and just do a clean install.

closed

Apart from the malware scan which doesn't need to be watched, the faffing around should take less than 30 minutes. There's probably nothing at all wrong with the pc, it has plenty of ram, so reinstall windows or faff around as advised and it will work, and be fast.

It should look something like this when you've finished, if you've followed the suggestions already given, you should be 95% there already, compare this with your hijackthis log

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 21:18:27, on 29/08/2010
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v8.00 (8.00.6001.18702)
Boot mode: Normal
Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast5\avastUI.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wscntfy.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/customize/yco...search/ie.html
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/customize/yco...//uk.yahoo.com
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.aol.co.uk
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL,(Default) = http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/customize/yco...//uk.yahoo.com
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_05\bin\ssv.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avast5] C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast5\avastUI.exe /nogui
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_05\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_05\bin\ssv.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Browseui preloader - {438755C2-A8BA-11D1-B96B-00A0C90312E1} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Component Categories cache daemon - {8C7461EF-2B13-11d2-BE35-3078302C2030} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O23 - Service: Apple Mobile Device - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Antivirus - AVAST Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Mail Scanner - AVAST Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Web Scanner - AVAST Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe

Donnie

ed2712 wrote: »

Just a quick note to thank all the people on here who gave me useful advice.

After spending 2 days on this, including 5 hours on malewarbytes doing one test, I have decided to give up (not fare on the kids either that their mummy is spending all this time on here to no avail) - thanks again to everyone who helped.

Looks like we will have to go and buy a new pc or laptop.

Take care

So, what will it be? PC or laptop?

I feel a a little bad now, that I didn't help earlier when you sent me a PM.
I saw that you were being assisted, so carried on with other things.
But the thread went on a little longer than expected.

Zanzibar

7 year old pc's are fine for most peoples needs, and aren't slow after a reinstall or bloat removal.

Without actual specs you can't make that judgement. Here a 2.2GHz CPU with the technology of the day (e.g. PATA disk and PC 2700 memory) will be slow. Reloading is a good idea but on todays web with richer content, complexity and data volumes it will be slower than it was when new. If you never use modern web sites or update anything you may find it acceptable - but that's not realistic.

Expending this much of the users time to get to something still slow is pointless; and this effort on a hard drive towards its end of life. Comments like '.. should tale less than 30 minutes' is unrealistic even for someone who knows what they are doing let alone a home user who has never used any of these programs before.

When resurrecting PCs this old there is a cut off spec at which its not worth the time. If you are a geek doing it for a hobby, a student with lots of time, have zero cash or have no real life then fair enough. There are no life prizes for sitting about in front of a slow PC for years - the angel of PC slowness doesn't appear at your death bed and give you a golden mouse.