i have a Dell not sure the model but i know it has 256mb of Ram Pc2700 I think and a P4 2.7 Ghz Cpu and it runs very slow for some reason is it cause i need more ram or video card or what???
windows Xp pro, no programs and no virus's seems only slow when ever i click somthing take a little while to open. I only use this computer for researching never programs or games. clean hard drive. just slow
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8 responses so far ↓
1 Neo // May 19, 2008
there are a few things you can do to make it reasonably better
- click on start > run , type msconfig, Press Ok, click on Startup tab, uncheck as many programs as you think you do not need when the windows starts, press close / save / exit - to restart
-download and run a freeware called CCleaner (run two menus - cleaner and issues
-uninstall as many programs as you think are not needed anymore
-copy all the data files / images / music/ video etc, from the C drive to elsewhere and delete them from the C drive to make some free space there
2 Werecow // May 19, 2008
You don't mention what operating system you're using, what software you're running, etc.
First, the simple things: check for viruses and spyware. Those can slow your computer to the point that it's useless.
Vista tends to be a resource hog (XP also hogs, but not as bad), as do certain antivirus/anti spyware packages. Sometimes choosing an antivirus program with a smaller memory "footprint" can dramatically increase the speed of the system.
Most users also have many unnecessary processes running in the background. If you have more than 40 or so running, consider disabling the "quick start" features of some of the programs, or even uninstalling ones that you don't use any more.
Lastly, the 256Mb RAM is probably a little small. Consider upgrading to at least 500Mb, or 1GB, for a more noticeable increase in speed.
3 Pat // May 19, 2008
Chances are your computer just needs to be maintained a bit more…
Try Disk defragment (Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragment) This will take from 5 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the level of fragmentation.
Disk Cleanup will get rid of everything that is useless ( Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup) That take from 2 minutes to about an hour.
Get rid of every unused/useless programs (Control Pannel > Add/ Remove Programs)
Do a virus scan and a spyware scan…if it is still slow then you might want to deal with the manufactuerer
4 wolf39us // May 19, 2008
hmm..you could possibly have a PEBKAC problem…
ask around..
5 Chris // May 19, 2008
I would start with RAM. http://crucial.com has a memory configurator, so you know what to purchase. Then shop around on http://tigerdirect or http://newegg.com for a good deal.
6 Sir Person // May 19, 2008
It's slow because you have a PC. Get a Mac and it will run fine.
7 7 // May 19, 2008
You didn't say what OS…if Vista is running on it that would be why… nowhere near enough RAM… 2GB min for that.
8 Jon VS // May 19, 2008
That's a really general question, but I would say that 256MB of RAM is really not enough for most computers these days.
Some ways you could speed it up, besides upgrading your RAM:
- Uninstalling programs you no longer need (this frees up disk space and stops processes from running in the background)
- Checking your computer for adware, spyware, and viruses
- Defragmenting your computer if it hasn't been scheduled to in a while
- Taking it to a computer store or a computer-savvy friend and getting your hard drive wiped and reinstalling everything (be sure you have backups and installation CDs for EVERYTHING first, including Windows!!)
Of course, there could be any number of other reasons your computer is slow, so I'm not totally sure what your problem is and therefore how to resolve it. Hope this helps.
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