Slow Laptop - help needed

**box-of-frogs** · 17-12-2009, 16:20

My current laptop is getting very slow, especially when being switched on. It's a Dell, 3 yrs old and I couldn't tell you all the specifications. I believe the hard drive is approx 70Gb and it says their is 40 Gb still free. I think most of the stuff on it is pictures and things like that, but i can only see about 10Gb worth of these. I've removed all the games as far as i'm aware. Any idea's on how to speed things up?

**263A** · 17-12-2009, 16:21

A new one

**davyskuller** · 17-12-2009, 16:23

De-fragged it?

**re-stilly** · 17-12-2009, 16:26

Have you defragged it, doesn't always work but sometimes helps. Have you checked for malware/Spyware this can slow a laptop down quite a bit especially if you have been on those "educational" sites ;) . Other alternative is to wipe and start again.

**blonde_guy** · 17-12-2009, 16:35

I'm in exactly the same boat.

Laptop is prone to crashes, really slow, pop ups etc....

Can anyone recommend a decent course of action as well as some good, free, downloadable spyware and anti-virus software?

**davyskuller** · 17-12-2009, 16:37

Get external hard drive, move all stuff you want to keep on it, then restore the whole system and download adaware, seems decent enough spyware

**re-stilly** · 17-12-2009, 16:40

Adaware is quite good AVG do some free bits as do Bulldog, most of them are going over to the license model though. As Davy says restore or reload and start again

**msr** · 17-12-2009, 16:40

Which antivirus are you running?

**box-of-frogs** · 17-12-2009, 16:58

Cheers for advice. Have de-fragged - said it didn't need it but have done anyway. Running Mcafee - it says it hasn't found anything like a virus. If i restore it, will it lose all the photos? Is it worth buying an external harddrive?

**davyskuller** · 17-12-2009, 17:02

Originally Posted by davyskuller

Get external hard drive, move all stuff you want to keep on it, then restore the whole system and download adaware, seems decent enough spyware

As mentioned above, yes. Do it so you dont lose pics etc

**re-stilly** · 17-12-2009, 17:07

It is always worth having an extra hard drive and they do not cost a lot these days

**msr** · 17-12-2009, 17:09

Originally Posted by blonde_guy

I'm in exactly the same boat.

Laptop is prone to crashes, really slow, pop ups etc....

Can anyone recommend a decent course of action as well as some good, free, downloadable spyware and anti-virus software?

yes: http://www.malwarebytes.org for the anti spyware and either: http://www.cloudantivirus.com/en/ or http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/ for your antivirus.

MSR

**Pronto_Mike_Uniform** · 17-12-2009, 17:27

Try this:

Device Doctor

It goes off and finds all of the latest updated drivers for your system. You have to approve the installations so nothing goes on behind your back. I had the same problems with my laptop (dropping internet etc) and my CD drive stopped working.

Ran this programme, updated most of my drivers and my CD drive burst back into life and I have not dropped a browsing session for the past 3 months since updating.

Plus definitely run those ones recommended by MSR. You will be horrified what is lurking on your system.