possible causes for a slow computer

here_is_gone

In Runtime
Messages
168
i'm using my grandpa's computer, and its painfully slow, and i dont know why. i used this computer before and it was running fine. he has norton internet security; i updated it and ran a full scan, which came up clean. under the processes tab, nothing is taking up more memory than it should

its a dell computer, these are the specs:

Windows XP home SP2
256 MB RAM
40 GB hard drive
intel pentium 4 at 1.60 ghz

thanks
 
kyleman999 said:
256 megs of ram is a little tight for windows xp 512 gives it alot more head room

the computer ran fine before though, and im pretty sure it isnt spyware since i updated the definitions and ran a scan
 
Are there any new programs or anything else that you have been uploading to it lately? Software definitely can slow you down some ways and you also have a 40gb which is kinda low.
 
its my grandpas computer, so i dont know what he has installed, but he has about 30 GB of space free on his harddrive. i also used the analyze button in the defragment tool, and it said i didn't need to defragment. the only thing i know that he has recently installed is a canon printer
 
spyware, virus and lack of hardware. you ran a scan so there isnt any viruses. could be spyware because some anti-virus software doesnt recognize it.but you do have a lack of hardware. the P4 is really out o' date, same with the RAM and hard-drive. what model of Dell and what year is it? if its not too out of date you could upgrade all 3 of those. I think the you have a MPGA 478 socket so you could upgrade to a 2.8 Ghz P4, but im not sure.
 
dimmension 4300S, and it is a little bit old, but my mom and my dad both bought similar desktops before my grandpa did with about the same specs, only my dad upgraded the ram to a gig. my moms desktop runs fine, and so does my dads; i've used this computer before, and it ran fine, so if it ran fine before, that means theres something making it run slower other than lack of hardware
 
im only going to be at his house until tomorrow, so that probably wouldn't work. is there anything else i could do to speed it up besides upgrading the hardware?
 
Back
Top Bottom