Computer help...

[belquar]

Alright all you computer wizards....

I have Dell XPS desktop. It has always been a fast machine. Dual processors and loads of memory. I am not even using half of the computer.


Recently it has slowed down considerably. I did a disk cleanup and defrag this morning. Tell you how little of my computer I am using, my defrag took less than 30 minutes. Windows XP Media Edition is my OS.

I have cable. I have a wireless router hooked up.

Lately I have been reduced to almost dial-up speeds. Maybe not that bad, but it is slow. Waiting for pages to load/refresh.

Where else can I look/clean to get this thing back on track?

I pretty regularly run Ad-aware to clean up stuff. And of course I have my OEM McAfee running as well.

Thanks for your help.

Brian

 

[tmoyer]

Are you on Comcast?

Lately, I'm having a lot of trouble that I can only believe is on Comcast's end but they won't admit to it. I've been running very slow and lose my connection EVERY DAY around 3pm on both my desktop and laptop. There have been other assorted problems and the Comcast No-help desk wants to blame my router, my company, and anyone else they can think of rather than help me solve the problem.

Tracy

 

[Rasbutan]

Hamster is tired??

 

[RandallIsland]

Recently it has slowed down considerably. I did a disk cleanup and defrag this morning.

Where else can I look/clean to get this thing back on track?

I pretty regularly run Ad-aware to clean up stuff. And of course I have my OEM McAfee running as well.

You should also be running Spybot S&D.
Try that first and see if it helps.
I'm still using my old (2003 ) Dell, which actually "crashed" two semesters ago.
Another Dell feature that I've used is PC Check-UP

The difference between Mac and PC, as I understand it, is that you get a little heads up with a PC so you can back-up your HD. I did so a year ago, then upgraded with a 120 gig new HD, upped my ram to max and ... good to go for less than $300. Same old burnished gray palm-rest an' big blue buttons.

My geekier friends tell me about frequent HD reformats, but really, they are serious players with mass data transfer with which I only dabble.
From the sound of it, you may just want to pick up a USB HD, back up your files and do a reformat because it sounds like a trojan got through your firewall.

Or become a Mac Man. I've never owned one, but the threat of losing-it-all makes me a little wee shy.

 

[sjbmw]

Unplug your router for 5 seconds, and plug it back in, and let it refresh also.

 

[RandallIsland]

Unplug your router for 5 seconds, and plug it back in, and let it refresh also.

At least 1 minute.

 

[belquar]

Are you on Comcast?

Lately, I'm having a lot of trouble that I can only believe is on Comcast's end but they won't admit to it. I've been running very slow and lose my connection EVERY DAY around 3pm on both my desktop and laptop. There have been other assorted problems and the Comcast No-help desk wants to blame my router, my company, and anyone else they can think of rather than help me solve the problem.

Tracy

Yep. They are probably to blame. Usually are.

Hamster is tired??

They are running on a high performance blend of baby spit up, dust, dog and cat hair, and whatever random objects my 2 year old shoves in whatever little holes she can find. Do you think these are affecting performance? just kidding.

At least 1 minute.

Unplug your router for 5 seconds, and plug it back in, and let it refresh also.

Yes. Been down this road several times. Turned it all off and unplugged it for a day to see if it all needed a rest. I usually leave everything up and running 24/7 otherwise. It restarts itself as needed for windows and security updates.

 

[SNOONE]

First do a speed test to determine if its your signal supplier or your computer http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest If its your computer go out and get a mac.. If its the line call customer service ask them to do their own test.

 

[belquar]

Called them. Got them to refresh their signal and we did the whole disconnect and reconnect thing again....seems to have resolved the issue for now. We shall see for how long though.