Computer Running SSSSLLLLLOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!

[ansmwke]

i have a pentium 4 2.4Ghz desktop computer with 512MB RAM, and lately its been running slow. i never had a problem with it and i will have a couple programs open and it either runs slow or the programs freeze. is there anything i can do?

[liljim]

definatly...you came to the right place!!

Start with ,follow his instructions in that thread and we'll take it from there

[teststrips]

I would suggest checking out windows task manager. (right click an empty spot on your task bar, and choose Task manager. Go to the Processes tab. Look at the CPU column to see if something is taking up all of your CPU time. You can sort by CPU time if you click the CPU header at the top of the column.

edit: you might also want to run a virus scanner such as

[Geekgirl]

If you find its always the same program that causes your computer to freeze you can try uninstalling and re-installing that particular program.

If you're an average XP user the standard Disk Defragmenter utility will do a great job of keeping your drive(s) defragmented and help to maintain peak system performance.
Disk Defragmenter rearranges files, programs, and unused space on your computer's hard drive, so that programs run faster and files open more quickly.