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    Any computer wizards out there?

    My computer will frequently act like it is scanning and it freezes up my pages. You know how your computer sounds when it is loading programs or scanning for viruses? It will run and run for like 10-15 minutes before it stops and I can then continue to work. Any suggestions?

    +2  Views: 730 Answers: 7 Posted: 12 years ago

    7 Answers

    Do you have a PC? Do you have an anti-virus program installed? It sounds like you do. The program will slow down your computer. That's one of the reasons I use Mac. Try to undo automatic scanning. I would just use it once in a while, not every time you log in.
    FriendofGod

    Yes, my PC is getting old, about 8 years probably. I don't have an anti-virus progarm installed but I do have a couple of virus scanners installed.

    schubee

    It's the virus scanners, I guess. Turn them off. You need a new computer!
    FriendofGod

    I know, I have been thinking about just going lap top. Are there any cons to just having a lap top?
    schubee

    Depends on what you use for. The laptops are great nowadays. If you don't do a lot of graphic works, you will do fine with a decent laptop. Get a Macpro if you can afford. ;-)
    I don't have a PC and I forget, I would need to see it. It's easy. I'm sure someone can direct you to do it.-How to Format C Drive?
    FriendofGod

    Ok, thanks. I am going to shut down here and see what I can do.
    I have a MACBOOK. I haven’t had a problem that was not easily fixed by MAC Service on-line or by phone in the 3 years that I have owned it. MACs don’t get viruses, registry errors or blue screens…whatever that is. Before I bought a MAC I worked on my many PCs since 1980~ and the 8080 personal computer was the first one I owned. It required learning to write programs. Having a MAC is like buying a riding horse that is rider ready, rather than a Wild Thing that is born to kick your arass.
    FriendofGod

    THanks Robert!

    Schubee said the Mac is the way to go also. I will tuck that bit of info away for the future. Buying a Computer is about like buying a car nowadays, I want to make sure I get a good one because I don't want to just throw money away. There is quite a few choices out there.
    If you format the hard drive you will lose your operator system, so unless you have a recovery disc, don't do it. You need an anti- virus program and you should have an anti-malware program. Both can be downloaded free from the link I'm listing below. You should get into safe mode (tap the F8 key immediately after turning the computer on) and scan your computer with both programs and remove any problems they find.
    You also should defragment the C drive at least once per month. You also might not have enough free memory on the C drive.
    P.S. From the link below, I like AVG Free and Malwarebytes:

    http://ratamacu.freeshell.org/SimplyComputersWiki/wiki.php/Main/WhyIsMyComputerActingFunny?from=Main.Spyware
    dhs, cia, fbi, maulware, alienware M15x, over heating, firefox using all your memory to protact you, viruses or spyware
    FriendofGod

    Maybe I should do a scan and clean it up?
    schubee

    Spyware, a big chance. I would copy all the important files to external hard drive and reformat the C drive, the best way and you need to do that regularly anyway to keep it clean.
    FriendofGod

    I'm not to literate about computer maintenance. How do I reformat C drive?
    Dump the anti virus you have now. It sounds like it's the type that adds tracking cookies to your computer. Tracking cookies are the number one culprit for slowing down a computer's operations. They are energy whores to put it bluntly. They use a lot of your computers resources which means wasted energy. Install AVG, it does not add tracking cookies to your computer and removes the cookies the paid for anti virus's ignore and leave. It will only leave the cookies that are pertinent to how you use you computer.

    AVG Free (use the green download button) http://download.cnet.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition-2011/3000-2239_4-10320142.html

    Next, install malwarebytes (Again, use the green download button) http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html

    Once both are installed, delete your cookies, close all pages and restart your computer. If you know how to get into the safe mode on your computer, do that. Once in safe mode, open malwarebytes. Set it to run a deep scan. This can take hours so set it to run when you're finished with the computer for the night. When you check the report after it's finished it's scan, quarantine everything it found. Even if some of what it found is labeled a mild thread. It's still a tracking cookie you do not need. You should run malwarebytes once a week on deep scan but you have to update it before you run it. It does not auto update. Remember to delete your cookies,close all pages and go into safe mode before you run it.

    Lastly install Ccleaner. This is a computer cleaner. It cleans up the junk floating around in your computer that anti virus's do not see as threats but can slow down your computer's performance. It's also a registry cleaner and removes unused and old registry entries and repairs broken ones .This can be run daily (takes less than a minute) and will let you know when it needs to be updated. http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
    FriendofGod

    THanks for the advice Colleen,

    When I delete the cookies, will I lose any cookie I might need, like for my online banking? Or doesn't it require a cookie?
    Colleen

    Moderator
    You will not lose cookies you need. The cookies your on line baking uses are temporary and only to remember your log in information. Don't worry about it. Just dump all cookies. The ones you're dumping are tracking cookies.
    FriendofGod

    THanks alot! I will print out your post and work on this later tonight.
    where's colleen when you need her? there' an absolutly free site https://www.housecallstrendmicro.com that will scan for virius ,trojans as well as cookies.. ect and repair as well . its worked great for me you got nothing to lose.


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