What's The Best/Easiest Way To Get Your Computer Running Faster?

minimus

I have Windows/XP. Even my Outlook Express mail runs slower than before.

OUTLAW

Put it on a Skate Board and find a big hill................... Laughing Mutley ...OUTLAW

Well first off have you cleaned off all your shite? That's usually the first thing that slows a PC down. Clear your web history, delete your cookies, any XXX downloads that may be on there, move all your email into folders on your computer so it's not on the server, delete your trash on your Outlook and then empty your recycle bin.

Finally-Free

Delete that 200 GB porn collection you've got and defrag your hard drive.

W

SirNose586

A nice defragmenting every month is a good start.

Make sure you're running only the programs you need...if you've got unnecessary programs running on startup, go to START then RUN and type "msconfig." That way you can see what you need and what you don't need. I would suggest leaving the Microsoft ones alone, as messing with them could have bad consequences.

Registry fixers are also handy...you can get a decent one by googling CCleaner.

Other than that...

BUY A BETTER PC...or better yet get a Mac.

Nosferatu

Get rid of Windows and install some form of Linux. Seriously, I've got a dual boot: Win2k and Ubuntu. Ubuntu boots WAY faster than Win2k, the internet is faster, program loading is faster, and everything in general is faster and more responsive. Win2k has slowed down horribly, and I spent 2 hours cleaning out a really nasty piece of spyware last weekend.

If you want blazing fast, go with PCFluxboxOS.

Hortensia

empty the recycle file, go to the control panel, click on add/remove programs and remove programs you don't use, run a virus scan to make sure you don't have a virus. empty your cookies and history. look at how many photos and music files you have - they eat up a lot of space and slow things down. Delete the ones you don't need, or store them all on a flash drive instead of storing them on your computer. Defrag frequently. Update your virus program regularly.

VM44

Windows always slows down as more and more applications are installed.

worldtraveller

Remove all toolbars-they are a front for keystroke and other types of spies. Not sure how many you have. Got to start-go to search and type toolbar and start search. I found a friends computer was running slow with about 100 toolbars. His was extremely slow.

Use your spybot or whatever to remove crap.

Tools-options-delete all cookies.

Use your av program-then if nothing use an outside av check. Use trendmicro/housecalls. Works extremely well.

Also look at your modem and check for activity-watch the activity lights to see for action. While on your desktop, there should be no activity. If there is, you have something running. You need to find and stop it-except for av programs of course.

UnConfused

Adding RAM will allow for more speed.

Defraging (as mentioned) will help

When programs are installed dll's are registered and fonts added (sometimes)this has an accumulative affect on the registry hive even after programs are uninstalled. I reinstall every couple of years for that reason.