Ask the Computer Expert

Back to Computer Help Home
Ask the Computer Expert Home
Ask a Question

Question

Hi, i've been experiencing a slow computer for quite a while now.Everytime i open up an application my computer just freezes for like 30 seconds to 1 minute then goes back to normal. I have tried everything like defraging the hd, registry cleaning, freed up more space on hd, changed the pagefile from 720mb to 900mb, using classic theme for windows and still i experience these freezes, lock ups, non responsive programs. Also i have scanned for malware, viruses, spyware adware, nothing of the sort on my machine. What do i do? I was thinking of re formatting the hd but if there are any suggestions i would rather take them on board first! If you can please tell me some suggestions, thanks.

My Pc Specs:
Microsoft XP Professional, 80GB Maxtor HD, Intel Pentium 4 2.26GHz, 512MB RAM(Dual Channel Mode)!

Answer

Hello Mahesh,
This is a pretty opened ended problem. However, we do have a few things to try before reformatting. First, if you are comfortable opening up your computer case, it may be worth cleaning it out to cut down on possible heat problems. To go along with this, you may want to take a quick look at hard drive temperatures and cpu temps to make sure you are not overheating. Second, I would run memtest to make sure you don't have a memory hardware problem (http://download.cnet.com/Memtest86/3000-2086_4-10524193.html). Another thing to check is you hard drive health. I believe I have tried the free program at http://www.hddlife.com/. This program should be able to help identify a hard drive hardware problem. I know you said you were sure you didn't have any viruses, but it may be worth making sure your virus definitions are up to date and scanning again. Hopefully one of these tips can help you identify your problem.

If you enjoyed this post, please Tweet or

-By Dominic

Web site and all contents © Copyright ComputerTooSlow.com 2012, All rights reserved.