Laptop suddenly running really slow?

The day-to-day performance of a laptop computer is tied to a number of different factors. If any of these factors become a problem area, the computer may slow down to the point where action must be taken.

Hardware

A laptop's hardware often determines how well the machine runs. If you are using an older computer, it may not be compatible with more modern applications or Web sites. Older video cards, for example, cannot run applications from newer technologies that power online videos, making the computer run slowly for as long as the video is playing.

Programs

Modern laptop computers are built with the ability to efficiently handle a few tasks at once. If you have too many programs running at the same time, the computer's resources end up being spread too thin. Closing down unused programs will free up resources and have the machine running faster.

Viruses

Computer viruses can have damaging effects on a laptop. The more severe the virus, the slower the laptop will perform. Spyware and malware applications will also result in a bogged-down system. Using virus eradication software, either yourself or through a computer repair shop, is the only way to ensure these problems will be solved.

Several things can cause this.

The most unrecognized thing is simply............... a slow connection speed - speeds 'seemingly' varying every day.

Try this:-

Go to/find computer 'disc clean-up' - then look at the heading 'more options' click on that - and delete all the 'old restore points' that take up an 'enormous amount' of disc space - which when working on a low % (20%) will slow the actions of the computer down.!!

De-fragmentation will only give you a 'limited' amount of disc space - and won't make much difference.

Download a 'free tune-up software package' - that'll help to clean/clear the computer.

Most computer 'slow-ups' have nothing to do with viruses - its nealy always 'the above'.!!

Steps for defragmentation of windows xp:

1 Open the start menu, go to "My Computer" the open it

2 Right-click on the hard disk drive ( which you want to fragment, eg: "C" drive) you want to defrag on the laptop.

3 Click on "Properties then click the Tools tab.

4 Click the "Defragment Now" button. The "Defragment Now" button is in the Defragmentation section of the window. This opens the Disk Defragmenter window.

5 Click to select the disk drive you want to defrag on a laptop and then click "Defragment"

6 Wait for the "Defragmentation is Complete" message. If you have not defragged the laptop in a while, then the defragging process might take a long time, even as long as an hour for very fragmented laptops. Allow the laptop to run the defrag until the process is completed. You will know that the laptop has completed the defrag process when the "Defragmentation is Complete" message appears.

7 View the defrag report and then close the window.

In Windows Vista:

Windows Vista now comes with an automatic disk defrag tool that is enabled by default. Specifically, it is set to run at 1am every Wednesday. You can disable or modify this by performing the following steps:

1) Click the “Start Orb”

2) Click the Control Panel

3) Click “System and Maintenance”

4) Finally, choose “Defragment your hard drive” from under “Administrative Tools” (at the bottom of the menu/list).

Hope this will help.

You may notice that your laptop is running more and more slowly over time. There could be many reasons for this, including spyware and viruses, files getting disorganized, too many start-up processes, and new programs you have installed since buying the computer. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to restore fast performance on your PC.

1

Back up your PC before attempting to tweak its performance. This will protect your data in case you inadvertently cause any problems to your computer’s configuration while attempting to fix it. To back up your files, click “Start,” and then “All Programs,” “Accessories,” “System Tools,” and “Backup.”

2

Remove any unnecessary programs that may be slowing down your computer. Click on “Start,” then “Control Panel,” and “Add or Remove Programs.” Scroll down the list of installed programs and click on the “Remove” button next to any program you no longer want or use. This could include free trial software that you never use, or programs that you once used but don’t need anymore. Do not delete a program if you’re unsure of its function.

3

Run the Disk Cleanup tool to get rid of any other unneeded files that might be filling up your hard drive. Do this by double-clicking on the “My Computer” icon on your desktop, then right-click on “Local Disk” and then choose “Properties.” Under the “General” tab, click the “Disk Cleanup” button. The Disk Cleanup tool will examine your hard drive and offer you a list of nonessential files that can be deleted. Check the boxes next to the file types you wish to delete, and then click “OK.” This could free up several gigabytes of disk space.

4

Defragment your hard drive. To do this, open “My Computer,” “Local Disk,” and “Properties” as explained above, and then on the “Tools” tab, click “Defragment Now.” In the Disk Defragmenter window, select your hard drive and click “Defragment.” This will put contiguous portions of your files close to one another on the hard disk, which speeds up the computer’s read time.

5

Disable some programs that start running automatically when you turn on your computer. Although some of these programs are vital and should not be touched (like your anti-virus program), others are not needed at start-up and bog down your boot-up process. Click “Start” and then “Run,” and then type “MSconfig” and press “Enter.” Examine programs under the “Startup” tab, and uncheck the boxes next to the nonessential programs. Be careful to uncheck only those programs you are sure of not needing at start-up (such as music players). If you are unsure of a program’s purpose, leave it alone, because it could be an essential start-up process.

6

Check the RAM memory of your laptop and consider upgrading it. This can improve your computer’s performance dramatically. Right-click the “My Computer” icon and then click “Properties.” Click on the “General” tab and note the amount of RAM you have on the lower part of the window. If this is less than 1G, you might want to purchase more RAM and add it to your laptop. There is usually a removable panel on the bottom of the laptop where the new RAM can be added. However, you will have to know what type of RAM is compatible with your computer, as well as the correct way to install it. If you are unsure of how to install RAM or what kind of RAM to buy, take your computer to a professional to have the RAM installed.

Try resetting Internet Explorer

Tools>Internet Options>Advanced Tab>Reset Button in bottom panel

Install Microsoft Security Essentials

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security_essentials...

Laptop/processor is overheating - it slows down not to overheat. Open it up, clean the dust, fan. Defragment, do a cleanup with ccleaner. Also install avast antivirus, google chrome 'cos they use less resources, run faster.

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Try defrag and clean up, then see if that helps if not then stop using IE (because it is soooooo freaking slow) and switch to ire fox or google chrome.

I have the same laptop and this means that you filled up your space on the laptop and you need to get it checked or you have a virus