Computer slowed down?

Spyware, adware, worms, and viruses are programs that are installed on your computer without you knowing it. These programs can send information about you from your computer through the Internet. Some will pop up advertisements that the software requests. They can be installed when you install various software programs such as Kazaa, and some shareware or freeware programs. They can also be installed on your computer by visiting websites.

Because these programs are running in the background and are sending and receiving data, they will eat up system resources and slow your computer down. To remove these programs you can try the following:

1.) Run a virus scan with an up to date Anti-Virus software package (like Norton or McAfee) to make sure a virus is not slowing your computer down.

2.) Download a copy of both "Malwarebytes" or "Ad-Aware" which will identify and eliminate most of the spyware and adware programs. Microsoft has produced a very nice Free Anti-spyware program called Windows Defender. NOTE: Ad-Aware free is not licensed for installation on commercial or government computers.

3.) Windows XP has a built in popup blocker. If you really think you need more popup protection, Download Google Toolbar. www.google.com has a free toolbar that you can download that has a built in popup blocker which works about 95% of the time.  If you are still getting popup ads repeat item 2 above. 

4.) Delete your cookies and temporary internet files. Your computer will store a lot of these when you're browsing the internet. On your Internet Explorer Menu, Select Tools then Internet Options where you can delete the cookies and Files in the "General" tab.

5.) Run Disk cleanup and Defragment your Hard Drive on a regular basis. These can be access by clicking on Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools. NOTE: Do not compress your files or disks. Compressing a disk can dramatically reduce it's operational speed.

6.) Open Add/Remove programs in your control panel. Remove any unused or unwanted programs from the computer.

7.) Insure you never run multiple antivirus products on a single computer. Installing a second antivirus will likely cause your computer to run very slow but may also break it beyond repair.  The two software products (antivirus) compete to monitor every action in the computer.