If your computer used to be fast, but now just crawls, especially online, you most likely have picked up some JUNKWARE.
Junkware is a program or process or toolbar that attaches itself to your browser, often to redirect you or filter your searching and surfing, usually for the purposes of marketing (advertising popups)....trying to sell you stuff.
Q. Where does it come from?
A. You updated a current program (like Java or Adobe) or downloaded something for free, like a PDF writer, or computer cleaner, or a media player so you could watch a certain video.
Q. How does it get into my computer?
A. You "ACCEPTED" IT. When you downloaded the program you wanted and were installing it, there were several pages during the installation process of you accepting the software. Each page was a different program you accepted. There was likely a box that was checked that said "and include this junk program too".
Good Rule of Thumb: When you download something for free, you will probably get more than your money's worth.
Q. How to I get it out?
A. You disable and uninstall it. It takes a little time, and hunting, and restarting the computer. But most of the time it can be removed safely and your speed comes right back.
Uninstalling programs are pretty easy to do, even for a novice or new user. In the Control Panel, go to "Add/Remove Programs" (in Windows XP) or "Programs and Features" (in Vista or Windows 7) and select the programs to uninstall. Removal takes from a few seconds to a minute or two. Some require restating the computer.
Q. Which ones are JUNKWARE?
A. Just about anything with the words Search or Toolbar or Shopping or Savings in the name. But there are many.
Here's a list to start with:
24x7 Help
Babylon
Conduit
Deal Runner, Deal Ply, etc
Delta Search
Default Tab
Desktop Weather Alerts
DNS Basic
DomaIQ
Driver Detective
Driver Finder
Facemoods
Flashplayer Pro
Get Savin
Inbox Toolbar
Incredimail
ILivid
Info Atoms
Lyrics Tube
Mixi DJ
MPlayer
MindSpark
Mobogenie
My PC Backup
PC Dr
PC Optimizer Pro
Price Gong
RegPro
Rabbit TV
Rage TV
Savings App
Serchnu
Search Protect
Selection Links
Shopper Reports
SmileBox
Software Version Updater
SweetIM
Sweetpacks
The Weather Channel
Tivoli
Tuguu
Unity Web Player
Yontoo
WhiteSmoke Translator
W3i
There are easy to follow videos on Youtube for removing these things from your browsers, like Chrome, and Internet Explorer, and Firefox. In short, you are looking to adjust your "Settings" or "Tools" and to "Manage Add-Ons" and remove "Extensions" The different browsers have similar ways to do this, but they may use different words.
You can reset Internet Explorer back to original settings and remove all the attached junkware like this.
Tools, Internet Options, Advanced Tab, Reset Internet Explorer, Check the Box "Delete Personal Settings", then Reset. You'll need to reset your homepage after this but all the junk attached to IE will be gone.
I'll post links to some of these videos soon. But just uninstalling the Junkware listed above will get you back a lot of your speed.