Windows 7 - A VERY slow, slow, slow computer

I am watching a friend's laptop while they are on vacation. This laptop is old and is VERY slow. It has Windows XP Home Edition on it with Norton IS 2010. The past 2 days I have gotten critical error messages saying that the system is extremely low on virtual memory. I have also gotten some random messages at startup saying that different programs cannot startup properly.

She knows that she has to get new computers, and I think she's working on that, but in the meantime, is there anything that I can do to speed up this PC? Her desktop PC isn't any better when it comes to speed.

I done all kinds of diagnostic tests and both machines are free of viruses but they are just SO slow it's hard to do anything on them.

Personally, unless you own the computer, I wouldn't attempt to do anything to it without her permission...

She told me before she left that feel free to do anything to it to try and speed it up. So I do have her permission.

I had a similar situation with a neighbors XP system which had not been reinstalled for 4 years. It was really crawling. I decided to reinstall XP and it turned out to be sparkling new and swift as when it was new. Before I reinstalled it, I took and image of the old system with Free Macrium which worked extremely well - just to be on the safe side. I also backed up all the data (the mail was a dog). The neighbor was really thrilled with the result. I installed MSE as AV program and now 6 months later the system is still going strong.
I think that was the fastest solution to problem rather than trying to fiddle with it.

This is an issue I have always experienced on XP after some time it just slows down to nothing and only a fresh install sorts it out. I have tried apps after apps with no joy trying to sort it out. So I have just taken it as a given every few years you need to do a fresh install of XP I just hope 7 does not turn out to do this as well

I have 7 on my personal laptop and it's faster than her machine. Because she is working on getting new PCs she may not want to wipe both of them. But I'll have to ask her that when she comes back just because wiping them can be time consuming and is a recipe for disaster if the machine doesn't want to cooperate.

It took me appr. 1 hour including the image and pulling the data back in. And then some time to reinstall some programs - but that can be done on an "as needed" basis. And I am not an XP expert - by no means.

I would look through the startup and get Autoruns.
Autoruns for Windows

Look at the taskbar when comp starts up. most of the time this is filled with tons of stuff that the user doesn't even know is running or what it is for. She probably isn't using Google Desktop, Yahoo IM, Google IM, Myspace IM, Messenger, Weatherbug, Ask.com toolbar... the list goes on.

If you want to do her a favor and make it run better, ask her which ones she uses. if she says no, then disable it, if she says "I don't know what that is" disable it. ......Edit: Disable it only if you also know what it is ......... She might be using a Google Addon for IE, but the desktop and IM and all those usually self install without the user even knowing what they do.

I see this all the time. you should also use CCleaner to clean up all the temp files and then also defrag the HD since it probably has never been done.

CCleaner - Optimization and Cleaning - Free Download

Instead of re-imaging the machine since it's not yours, check the msconfig startup tab

Click Start > Click Run > Type msconfig > Hit Enter > Click the Startup tab > UNCHECK everything you DONT want to start when windows boots > Click OK > Reboot

See if it runs any quicker

I agree with Thorsen & Kirsch,

There could be a whole sh*tload of stuff starting up in the background that you really don't need. This is usually a default setting on most PC's when you get them (Why? Because they get paid to set it up that way!)

It really is amazing when I go over to someones house and I see along with windows, it's also launching Adobe, Various Toolbars, IM, Assorted Junk, etc. And the people weren't even aware that it was doing it.