Computer Running Really Slow

[jennyjoan]

As above - so is there anything I can do to help.

Had a look at Control Panel but since I am not techie - they mean nothing to me and I am afraid to take them off or uninstall etc in case I make matters worse.

Do I need to defrag or anything else. Thanks for any answers.

[Zacs-Master]

Turn it off and back on again.

[Guilbert53]

Defrag will make almost no difference.

Is it the COMPUTER that is running slow or just your BROADBAND?

What is actually slow on the computer?

Is it slow to start up?
Is it slow to open a program?
Is it slow when say watching videos on YouTube or iPlayer?

Or what?

[mikey4444]

Jenny....there are loads of possibilities here !

How long has your Computer being running slow ?

What download speed are you getting ?

( try these two speedchecker sites ::

http://www.speedtest.net/

http://speedtest.btwholesale.com/

Someone more "tecky" will be along soon, but try those two first.

[jennyjoan]

thanks all - will try Mikey's link - slow going in and out of sites.

I only use computer for a few sites nothing else - ie music, downloading etc.

Lol at Is the Computer or Broadband running slow - I thought it was the same thing LOL.

[hc4361]

If your computer is running slow it will take a long time to boot up and open programs and react to commands.

If your broadband is running slow then it will take a long time to load web pages.

[jennyjoan]

I am used to you know entering the site name and going into it quite quickly but not I could wait a couple of minutes which is quite slow.

[hc4361]

Check your internet speed

http://www.speedtest.net

[Bathsheba]

sorry for hijack JJ, but I've just done that link from hc, and mine is just over 50....is that good or bad?
~Baths~

[hc4361]

That is very good, baths :)

[Bathsheba]

Yay me!! :)
Thanks hc!
~Baths~
x x x

[hc4361]

Who is your ISP and what speed did they say you would get, Baths?

I'm with Virgin and get the 200 Mbps promised but many people get under 10 Mbps.

[Bathsheba]

I'm with Virgin,and have no idea what speed they said ;)
~Baths~
x x x

[Hopkirk]

Jenny, it might be downloading a big update.

Leave the computer switched on for a few hours and it might finish and return to normal. Mine always slows to a snails pace when updates come out.

[jennyjoan]

Thank you guys - I said in earlier post that read like that I download music etc - I really meant I do NOT download stuff like that.

Just meander through a couple of news worthy sites.

Anyway it seems ok today. Can anybody tell me that as I leave my computer on all day - for days and days - Am I wasting megabytes or whatever it is. Thanks

[Hopkirk]

No, you are not.

[jennyjoan]

thanks Hoppy for replying.