Main Menu

Sluggish PC help

Started by Hawkmumbler, 27 November, 2015, 12:58:42 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Hawkmumbler

My PC has started to become extremely slow to respond to actions. Web page loading, Steam booting, game play and graphics lag. Any advice on how I can speed it up?

Dandontdare

I'm in the same boat. I regularly run CCleaner, and I open task manager and look at all the processes that are running, but I have no idea what is necessary and what is malware.

It's reached the point where I think I may need to do a full re-install of windows, but unfortunately I'm running a bootleg copy at the moment, so if I could tack on a supplementary question - what's the cheapest way of getting a fully legitimate copy of Windows 7? Ebay/amazon etc seem to have a lot of cheap discs (usually backups that are supplied with Dell PCs) but are these legit? The full price versions are rather costly.

Hawkmumbler

My issue is certainly not linked to malware or viruses, Spybot and Avast put payed to that idea.

I, Cosh

Compressed air. Clean the fans and vents. It's a lot less hassle to do this with a desktop than a laptop but still pretty straightforward.

Quote from: Dandontdare on 27 November, 2015, 01:12:09 PM
It's reached the point where I think I may need to do a full re-install of windows, but unfortunately I'm running a bootleg copy at the moment, so if I could tack on a supplementary question - what's the cheapest way of getting a fully legitimate copy of Windows 7? Ebay/amazon etc seem to have a lot of cheap discs (usually backups that are supplied with Dell PCs) but are these legit? The full price versions are rather costly.
Reinstalling more modern versions of Windows doesn't, in itself, give the performance benefits it once did. Although I guess there's always the chance that reformatting and whatever will get rid of whatever was causing the problem.

It's not the legitimacy of the disc itself which is the question, but the license key you use with it. I haven't looked at an example, but if someone is selling a recovery disc then I'd guess that all you're getting is the software, not the key to activate it.
We never really die.

I, Cosh

#4
Quote from: Hawkmonger on 27 November, 2015, 01:17:26 PM
My issue is certainly not linked to malware or viruses, Spybot and Avast put payed to that idea.
It's good that you run these but neither are infallible.
We never really die.

I, Cosh

Quote from: The Cosh on 27 November, 2015, 01:32:18 PM
It's not the legitimacy of the disc itself which is the question, but the license key you use with it. I haven't looked at an example, but if someone is selling a recovery disc then I'd guess that all you're getting is the software, not the key to activate it.
Just had a look on Amazon and the first results for Windows 7 are for "refurbished" DVDs which will be legit copies and ~ £30 is a bargain.
We never really die.

Steve Green

Would suggest a reinstall and replacing the boot hard drive with an SSD, if it's not already got one.

Pyroxian

SSD + potentially more RAM makes PCs fly.

Also could try installing sys internals process explorer ( https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/processexplorer.aspx ), which gives you a lot of information about what's running and how much CPU time it's taking up.

auxlen

Always defrag and check you page file.