My PC is working like a diesel engine
By pillusch
@pillusch (1147)
Mexico
September 5, 2010 9:58am CST
For some time back in the eighties I used to live in a car. It was an old Mercedes combi, just big enough for two people to live in. Big bed at the back (of course, we were recently married…) a little kitchenette, and a not so little book shelf. We traveled with it across Europe, worked the farms in England, Denmark and Greece. It was a good time.
It had a diesel engine, and, when starting the car in the morning, we had to wait for about 5 minutes before we could drive with it - it needed that long to warm up.
That’s what my PC is doing to me these days. It literally needs time to warm up.
I switch it on, and everything just works fine - just in slow motion. I open a couple of browser windows, and it takes about a minute for them to pop up. I surf from one site to the next, and again, it’s like in one of those nightmares. Well, nightmare is the wrong word, it gives me time to leisurely sip on my coffee, smoke a cigarette…..
As time goes by, everything begins to work at its normal speed. Weird.
I run my anti-virus (avast) once a week, I use anti-spyware (Spybot), so I do everything as I should do it, I believe.
But the whole thing is just so weird, as if my PC had a mind on his own and would tell me “Hey, just relax, take it easy, I need my time, too…..”
Any idea what could be the cause of it?
4 people like this
13 responses
@harpreet89 (723)
• India
5 Sep 10
Hi pillusch, every thing in this world have a limited life span. Nothing is immortal.
I'm saying this because may be now its your computer's time to say goodbye.
By the way, how old is your computer?
If its more than 5 years old, then definitely, such problem are very common due to older parts. Most affected is hard drive as it consist moving parts.
But, if its a new system(around 2-3 years old), then such problem might be due to faulty hardware, virus problem, temporary files accumulating in Windows cache or any other reason.
So, my advice is if you have a newer system, then reinstall the Operating system. Such kinds of performance issues are easily resolved by re installation.
These applications(PC tuneup, Tuneup Wizard, Ccleaner) are effective but not to that extent which can be achieved by fresh installation of Windows.
You will definitely see an increase in performance in the system and i'm sure in this point.
I myself reinstall my operating system once in every 6 months to regain the lost performance of my system.
By the way, how old is your computer?
If its more than 5 years old, then definitely, such problem are very common due to older parts. Most affected is hard drive as it consist moving parts.
But, if its a new system(around 2-3 years old), then such problem might be due to faulty hardware, virus problem, temporary files accumulating in Windows cache or any other reason.
So, my advice is if you have a newer system, then reinstall the Operating system. Such kinds of performance issues are easily resolved by re installation.
These applications(PC tuneup, Tuneup Wizard, Ccleaner) are effective but not to that extent which can be achieved by fresh installation of Windows.
You will definitely see an increase in performance in the system and i'm sure in this point.
I myself reinstall my operating system once in every 6 months to regain the lost performance of my system.1 person likes this
@pillusch (1147)
• Mexico
5 Sep 10
Thanks, harpreet89, it's really comforting to know LOL. You're right, it's probably my PC giving up, dying of old age. It's in its 5th year now, and I probably have to take it into intensive care soon.
It's funny, isn't it, how sometimes you don't see the things that are right in front of your eyes? And what you say makes sense, thanks for sharing.
1 person likes this
@harpreet89 (723)
• India
5 Sep 10
If you try a fresh installation of operating system, then this might help you.
It will kick out the virus if your system is infected and bring your old performance days back to you.
@mrfdg1972 (3237)
• Philippines
5 Sep 10
Have you changed oil? kidding aside, you need a TUNE UP Utilities, or CCleaner, both are freeware. It will take care of your problems. Cheer now.
@blueblink (246)
• Philippines
5 Sep 10
you have a point there. I also use tune up utilities today and CCleaner before. It also improve the performance of our Computer.
@GardenGerty (160611)
• United States
6 Sep 10
Your memories sound fun. Your computer, not so much. Have you gone to tools and done disk cleanup, and de frag? I find that often will help me.
@grayxenon (1313)
• Philippines
6 Sep 10
it might just need a cleaning, i mean if that pc has not been open up for a while dust build-up in inevitable and accumulation of dust reduced the proper function of the mother board..
@balacancer22 (1148)
• India
6 Sep 10
I think its time you upgrade your pc, you havent mentioned about your confiquration of your pc first of all and i prefer that you use an anti-virus which also doubles up as your spy-ware, something of that kind will help you speed up your computer a little bit and i think its better that you manually turn on te spyware for the sites that you think are infectious,because most of the spyaware are RAM consuming..and added to that check for viruses in your pc, even it would slow down your speed.
Happy Mylotting..
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
6 Sep 10
I am not an expert in computers. But perhaps there are so many start ups on your computer. If you have so many of them, then they usually start up first instead of your other programs which will slow down your system. In my case, I have disabled all start ups except the anti virus. In such a way, my ram and cpu will concentrate on starting my computer right away. Try also defragmenting your computer from time to time and cleaning your registries as well as deleting temporary files. My computer has been two years already. But it still as fast as it was two years ago.
@redhotpogo (4401)
• United States
6 Sep 10
Are you performing a disc scan and clean every week? What about a defrag? You should do that at least once a month.
@magtibaygom (4858)
• Philippines
5 Sep 10
Try upgrading your PC.. the processor if possible, then the RAM, and the Hard disk. More free space in the hard disk means more speed. Then scan for viruses that slow down computers, and then unload unwanted programs that you seldom use. Uninstall them. And then free some space in your hard disk like searching for "prefetch files" with file extension of .pf and if you find them, delete them all!
@pawan2010 (25)
• India
6 Sep 10
Suggestion to update your anti virus or search for another anti virus. That is only my suggestion and first full scan with your updated anti virus. & after you deleted temp. files in your pc
@ravalarun (337)
• India
6 Sep 10
If you changed your car?? if yes change your PC.......... OK! serious. dear sir you can try following actions:
1. Delete all temp files, which located on C drive or where your windows instulled by disk cleanup tool- programs-Accessories-System tools-Disk Cleanup
2. type in run - chkdsk
3. Clean your PC's Hardware like - RAM, CPU FAN, make dust free if there.
4. Your Antivirus can reduce your speed of your computer- you have to proper configurate it.
Hope. solve your problem.
@blueblink (246)
• Philippines
5 Sep 10
I think it has something inside that your anti virus cannot recognize. You know that our technology upgrades, as it upgrades most of our viruses also upgrades. So i suppose what is happening is an effect of a virus which your anti virus cannot recognize. Suggestion is to update your anti virus or search for another anti virus. that is only my suggestion.
Good day
@mimining (203)
• Philippines
7 Sep 10
See if your pc is heating up. Heat can slow down a computer. You may have a defective or dirty fan. Check out if you have many processes working at the time, too. You can open up the task manager to find out. If your CPU performance is too high even when its idle, you probably have a virus.
