HOW TO SPEED UP A SLOW PC OR INFECTED PC. (a mini guide)

A question about : HOW TO SPEED UP A SLOW PC OR INFECTED PC. (a mini guide)

Reinstall windows.

Best answers:

• From someone who fixes PC's, what a good article.
• This is an amazing thread and something I will work through. Going to recommend for post of the week as I'm sure it'll help so many people - thanks OP!!!
• Can this be a sticky please?
  Excellent info - thanks
• Thank you for taking time to write the above!
• For a slightly different slant on Windows maintenance tips:
  Quote:
• Thanks for this. Will have a play around later
  (I cheated on my laptop and installed Ubuntu)
• Brilliant guide. Thank you
• In the process of doing this for my old laptop but can you maybe add a sentence or two for the following for people like me who don't quite fully understand what it does unless reading the website (which I have done!)
  Cleanup memory leaks - https://www.pcwintech.com/cleanmem
• Gonna have to print this, and may need some clarification if I get stuck, but thank you, thank you, it's just so needed.
• Thank you! I thought it was something along these lines - but you give a much better explanation than the website. Will add this onto my old laptop!
  Trying to remember what my old laptop was like when it was brand new. Maybe I shouldn't compare with my new computer I'm working on! However, I did remove norton off the old computer and it's greatly sped up!
• "If you see any hijackthis entries that say (file missing), tick the check box next to them and then click fix selected. These are pointers to files that aren't there."
  except if you have a 64 bit system, in which case you will see a lot of file missing entries simply because HJThis doesn't seem to be able to analyse 64 bit systems correctly. So if this topic does become a "sticky" then correct the omission/error as it is misleading.
• the title of the posting (post #2) says "understanding hijack logs and autoruns" so where does memory come into that. Although I see that you edited and corrected the post 16 minutes after mine that highlighted the error.
• Great post OP - thank you!
• I've needed an explanation like this for years.
  Thanks so much, closed, much appreciated.
  Is there a guide to similar if you're running Vista?
  (Post useful as one of work computers runs XP and is Paiinffulllyyy slooooooow)!
• Still think this is an excellent guide closed. I look forward to the continuations although my old laptops perform so much faster with only a few of those steps done.
• Bump........................
• Thank you so much closed for this mini guide. Tonight I have managed to get the slowest computer from slowville much, much speeded up due to your guide.
  It's taken all evening but its worked, I had to complete all stages seperately under the three log ins on our home desktop, but the difference is amazing and because of your info closed, one more lowly computer will have a home this christmas instead of being thrown out in the bin via the window.
• Thank you OP, for the simple instructions that even a golden oldie (would say silver surfer but I refuse to go grey for anyone!) can follow. Was a bit unnerving doing one or two of the steps but I persevered and so far so good, this geriatric lappy is running better than it has since I was given it 6 months ago. Wish someone could do the same for me!
• Excellent advice.