why does my computer start really slowly? and what can i do to make it boot up faster?

Question

why does my computer start really slowly? and what can i do to make it boot up faster?

Answer 1

Will booting in Linux make my computer run faster? the main determinant of the speed of linux is the desktop you use. Linux is not like windows in that instead of having only one possible desktop ( the interface you use to manipulate windows), it has many, many desktops you can download and use. The new kde4 is pretty resource-hungry in comparison to previous releases, and [kde and gnome, the two most popular desktops] are regarded as the most system-hungry. You don't mention what your hardware is, so I can't advise you if these will run faster or slower. Generally the answer is faster but if your hardware is low end then perhaps not, particularly kde4. Some of the other, lower-profile desktops definitely will. If I give my computer the option to boot in Linux, will that make it faster? I guess my Windows has accumulated a lot of background stuff that slows everything down. Does Linux eliminate that, or will it run just as slow? Linux is a separate operating system that runs from either a separate disk partition or disk or cd or usb device. Installing it does not affect the efficiency of windows. It does not alter any windows files except to insert a boot menu that gives you the option of linux of windows when you boot. I'm currently running Windows XP If I used Linux, would it work better if I got rid of Windows altogether, or will it work the same if I have the option to boot in either? It works the same whether you keep or get rid of windows. Its a separate os. it is a bit harder to use than windows though, and, generally speaking, you would need to do some reading and forum posts to learn how to use it and to get it running properly. If you only have one disk and you wanted to install to that disk with windows, you would need to repartition it. It is possible to make a new partition on an existing disk with a single partition but there is risk of data loss and it would not be advisable to do it unless you have an xp cd available and are able to reinstall it if anything goes wrong. Chances are it would be ok, but there are risks and you should be aware of these. Anyway, the short answer is probably yes, but if you have a xp cd handy a reinstall will solve your problem and also give you the opportunity to try linux in a new partition scheme. Another alternative is to get linux on a live cd and test it out that way which means you can run it without installing to hard disk. There are ways of making an old copy of xp run faster. email me if you want to have a go at this and I will sent you instructions on how to do it.

Answer 2

You can click start-----click run-----type msconfig------click startup tabs,then you can uncheck programes that dont need to run at startup.Then click ok to exist..And you also can go visit http://www.make-pc-fast.info/index.php?t=makepcf to download a speedup software.



Good luck!

Answer 3

1. Disable startup programs that you dont recognize on your pc.....

2. Maybe you have spyware or viruses...soo try to scan it...



Better use Spybot Search and Destroy for spyware & adware searching. Cuz its easy and fast...

For viruses use NOD32...



You can download it on download.com

::::hope it helps....

Answer 4

Try running msconfig if you are using windows and remove some autostart items to remove needless load i get an increased performance in my PC

Answer 5

delete cookies, delete files, and then defragment

Answer 6

Following these steps will increase the "speed" of your computer dramatically.



1) Clean up the disk. Uninstall unneeded programs (especially those that run at startup and/or put something in the system tray), run Disk Cleanup, and defragment the drive. This is a good first step that will almost always take a few seconds off boot time and application loads for any computer.



2) Stomp auto-starting programs. Click Start > Run and type "msconfig" at the prompt. Click the Startup tab and look at all that junk that loads when you launch your PC. Do you really need "Adobe Reader Speed Launch"? Probably not. Turn off anything else that looks useless, but be careful not to disable your anti-virus and important system components.



3) Run a full anti-virus and anti-spyware scan. I would recommend using AVG Free Anti-virus, Spybot - Search and Destroy spyware remover and Ad-aware spyware remover. These programs are all free.



4) Clean up the registry. CCleaner, available at http://www.ccleaner.com is free and worth running. It will also remove unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space.



Those are the easy and free things you can do. If your computer is still slow you need to move on to the bigger guns.



1) Upgrade RAM. This is the one killer trick that will make almost any computer run faster. With an older PC, you will rarely have enough RAM to run today's memory-hogging operating systems and applications, and adding a high-capacity stick or two of quality RAM will give you a quick speed boost. Adding RAM is fairly simple, even for a novice, and you should be able to do the job in 5 or 10 minutes.You can run a free test at http://www.crucial.com and find out what kind of RAM (memory) your computer needs.



2) Reinstall Windows. If the above tricks haven't helped, it may be time to wipe the slate clean and start again, reformatting your hard drive, reinstalling your applications, and restoring your data files from a backup. You'd be surprised how much more responsive a freshly reinstalled Windows system can be, as you've wiped out years of temp files, garbled registry entries, old versions of software programs that have been upgraded repeatedly, and all sorts of other electronic junk. Reinstalling is easy if you have the "recovery disk" that came with your PC, and only a bit more involved if you're using a retail copy of Windows XP. Just be sure you back up everything you want to take with you before you pull the trigger!



3) Upgrade your hard drive. This is a more complicated solution, but if you're reinstalling Windows (per the prior tip) you might consider upgrading to a bigger and possibly faster hard drive, too. Hard disk storage is a performance bottleneck on every machine, and magnetic disks degrade over time. Some performance issues could be caused by a failing hard drive, even, and upgrading to a new model could really put some zip back in your system. As a bonus, you can use the original hard drive for backups or occasional storage, if you put it in an enclosure.

Answer 7

ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SYSTEM BAR (WHERE THE TIME IS), ARE THERE A LOT OF ICONS? IF SO, YOU MIGHT WANT TO START REMOVING APPLICATIONS THAT LOAD THEM OR CHANGE THE SETTINGS TO LOAD THEM UP MANUALLY. THAT IN TURN SHOULD SPEED THINGS UP CONSIDERABLY.

Answer 8

Hi dude,

I understand your frustration. If your OS is Windows, then the best way for an instant startup is to hibernate instead of turnoff.

You can hibernate by pressing 'H' or 'h' without those quotes, when the TurnOff dialog comes.

Answer 9

first it might be your computer or it is yor phone/tv/computer company ex) time warner, bright house, road runner, etc

Answer 10

Any answer will depend on what OS is loaded on it.



Windows is notorious for having applications start slowly that are timing out waiting for something. Did you just change its IP address?



Did it ever boot quickly? Was it connected to the network then but not now?

Answer 11

from the "Run" command in the "start" menu, type "msconfig".



XP or Vista:

press windows key + letter R

enter msconfig

press enter



Then click on the "Startup" tab [ XP ]

and you will see everything that gets loaded on boot.

All of those things are candidate to turn off.

turn off ONLY those items that you yourself have added

You may need to start something later if it happens to be a service that is needed for a program or app.

But check it out and you should be able to get your boot speed back up to par.

Run disk cleanup, and de-fragmenter.

These applications are built-in with windows and will help you remove any unwanted files etc.



XP:

Disk Cleanup:

start

all programs

accessories

system tools

Disk Clean:

click disk drive [c] to clean

place a check in each box that shows any numbers on the right

CAUTION ,RECYCLE BIN WILL BE ON THIS LIST.

IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO EMPTY IT,...DO NOT CHECK IT !

click delete

click ok in confirmation dialog box



Disk Defragmenter:

start

all programs

accessories

system tools

Disk Defragmenter:

click analyze

if it shows that you need to defrag,click defrag now



Vista:



Disk Clean:

start

control panel

performance-information & tools

click Disk Clean

click disk drive [c or o.s. (c)] to clean

place a check in each box that shows any numbers on the right

CAUTION ,RECYCLE BIN WILL BE ON THIS LIST.

IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO EMPTY IT,...DO NOT CHECK IT !

click delete

click ok in confirmation dialog box



Disk Defragmenter:

start

control panel

performance-information & tools

advanced tools

open Disk Defragmenter

click analyze

click defrag if you're told you need to do so



faster icon load:

XP:

start

my computer

local disk drive [c]

tools

folder options

view

uncheck auto search for network folders/printers



Connections:

start

connect to

right click connection

select properties

click networking

check print/file sharing

click uninstall

[ don't do this if you use printers ]



Internet Options:

start

control panel

internet options

general

connections

check always dial default connections [ DIAL UP ONLY ! ]

SETTINGS:

check auto detect settings

DIAL UP SETTINGS:

properties

general

configure:

uncheck show terminal window

uncheck enable modem speakers [ to get rid of electronic squeal on boot up ]

general:

options:

check include windows domain



Redial: 5 times

attempts: 1 minute

idle time: never

Redial if dropped: check



General:

security:

check typical



networking:

properties:

check obtain ip address automatically

check use dns server address

[ you need to get these from your i.s.p. and add them into the 2 boxes here.

localnet is:

207-251-201-10

207-251-201-11

DIAL UP ONLY ]



Dial up settings:

Advanced:

connect 10 times

wait time 15 seconds

uncheck:

disconnect if idle

disconnect when not needed



Dial Up Options:



What's a modem initialization string?

Before your modem software dials a phone number, it initializes (inits) the modem by sending it a series (string) of commands, typically Hayes commands. These commands configure the modem's options for things like error correction, data compression, flow control, and many other parameters. The modem manual should list the Hayes commands the modem recognizes, and what effect each command has.

The important thing about modem init strings is that having the right one often makes the difference between connecting and not. Init strings are fairly specific to each modem. The string that made your friend's modem fly may not work at all for your modem.

Not all programs use simple init strings. Some use settings files, such as Windows 95 .inf files, Mac CCL modem scripts, etc.

Tip: You may also want to try one of these generic init strings:



* AT&F

* AT&F1

* AT&F&C1&D2

* AT&F1&C1&D2



modem strings:

http://www.west.net/~jay/modem/...



Tip 2: For K56flex modems, try one of these generic init strings:



* AT&F+MS=56

* AT&F+MS=56S202=32

* AT&F1+MS=56

* AT&F1+MS=56S202=32



Where do I put the modem init string?



start

control panel

phone & modem options

modems

properties

advanced

INITIALIZATION



enter initialization string in box provided

close and reboot



in addition,install RegSeeker and delete obsolete entries from here

http://browseraddons.friendpages.com

Answer 12

Ummmm..... depends what kind of computer.