Computer running slow..3 years old...no idea why

[jollijurt92]

i have a dell dimension e310. 2.9 ghz. 4 gigs of ram. windows xp... umm so just recently we took it into the shop and they re-installed the operating system. because we thought it was infected with virus' or w/e.ever since, its been running slow. it boots up ok...and for the first few minutes its running...not fast. but not too slow. and then it kinda just freezes. i can move the mouse but if im running windows explorer(havent been able to re-install firefox) it kinda just sticks there. i installed norton 360 and it says the pc i running fine. i dont know what to do about it. i have to wait an hour just so windows explorer can close..very frustrating...can someone help me troubleshoot this? thanks in advance

-Mike

 

[50crckt51]

I suggest that you first check for updates or patches through Microsoft Update. A lot of shops generally do this but it is wiser to make sure. A link should be present in your Start Menu. This is a good place to start, as often a missing update or patch can be the reason.

 

[lotri]

Windows Update to make sure you're up-to-date (note that you don't have to install all the updates though SP3 is pretty important).

You could also defrag your hard drive(s) to be sure. Make sure all your drivers are up-to-date as well.

Why did you need to bring it "into the shop" to reinstall XP? Are you sure that's all they did to your computer?

 

[jollijurt92]

im pretty sure..i dunno id have to ask my dad. (gah 3 more months...College haha communnity..DX its expensive..it makes me sad inside..) arg. umm thats what my dad said. they re-installed the operating system. and i dont know why its slow. i cant think of any reason. but ill try what u guys said about winupdate. the frustrating thing is whenever i try to get onto the internet with that pc its good for a while and then staggers..and then sputters and burns...like i said id have to wait an hour just to exit out of a window. and im guessing to get the drivers i have to go to microsofts site? haha ill just continue using a 2 gig thumbdrive. transfering programs over. sigh. hey, but when i dont use the internet its relatively fast(for a sneezing sniveling 3 yr old) so anymore ideas ??
THANKS!!(not being sarcastic..)

 

[jollijurt92]

hey im looking for a new setup..ill have money by the end of the summer after i get a job..(haha no ones hiring though..wishful thinking from a dreamer..)

im kinda leaning towards an amd platform (phenom ii x4 955 B)/ asus mobo. win 7, 8 gigs of ddr3. i was looking at the lian li mid towers. anything else you guys could recommend ? >.> hey thanks.

 

[jollijurt92]

Ok. so i did the windows update. and it seemed faster. im gonna see if the disk needs defragmenting. but can you go into detail about the drivers and how to get them?

 

[lotri]

There should be some Service Tag on the back of your Dell computer. My Tag is 7-characters long and when you type it into the Dell Support site, it brings up a list of drivers that fit your needs (it takes into account your computer hardware configuration when you bought it).

Just go HERE and enter the Service Tag. If you can't find the Service Tag, you can just browse drivers by Computer Model and make sure you get the right ones that fit your hardware.

Also, please don't double- or triple-post. You can go back and edit your last post pretty easily.

Another thing to do while cleaning up your computer is to download CCleaner and run it. You can clear up your registry, uninstall anything you don't need, control the applications that run on startup, and a few other things.