My old computer is slow like... need help to find out why.

Okey so my old computer has gotten REALLY SLOW. it's taking minutes to do anything. like open a map. open programs. playing games. just about everything. the computer is 3 years old and is a normal store computer. that means regular old amd cpu cooler. The computer started to get "tired" 2012. I think it may be the harddrive but honestly. i think its the cpu. i have used this computer a lot. DONT SAY CLEAN UP! I have already tried that. ive bin cleaning the system both hardware and software. used defrag and also lately doing a system reset. The computer btw is a win vista

You need to clean up your computer.

Here are some suggestions.

Open the run program. Start Menu > All Programs > Accessories
In the window that opens, type in msconfig and press enter.
Click on the Startup tab in that window and look at the items under Startup Items.
Uncheck the items that you don't need. Toolbars, updaters, any sync programs or other things you no longer use or don't need running in the background. You can google the name of the item to learn more about what it is if you are unfamiliar with an item.

This video shows the msconfig window and how to turn things off. It's Windows 7 but it is the same in both systems. How to use 'msconfig' to speed up your computer - YouTube

ALSO, go into the Control Panel and Programs and Features and remove any programs you don't want. Toolbars and antivirus programs often get installed as "riders" to other programs you may have installed.

Let us know how it goes.

Do you guys even know what win optimiser is for program? And yes. I have been deleted unwhanted programs. Cleaned unneeded files and such. Btw that program going really deep in to the windows files. Becouse i know windows is good at leaving files and dont care about them. I used that program and got 10gb of crapfiles. 75% of them was under 1mb. I had norton internet security on it and then i changed back to avg free becouse norton is shit ( my opinion) THAT PROGRAM TOOK POWER. So stop saying cleaning. It was really freaking slow even when i made a system reset o in and deleted everything (recovery) so its not the programs thats making it. It was really fast when it was new even with a lot of crap on it.

Yes cpu's tend to get "tired" my uncle's gaming computers cpu was a monster once. U may know the older cpus that had like one or two cores but a lot of ghz hes was stock with about 4ghz and for him on that time it was just amazing speed on the thing 4-5 years later he dont even whant to think about it becouse that processor got so slow later on. and thats not becouse of the new cpus that it felt slow. becouse if that cpu where new it could surely compare with like i5 3570k. And i can tell you he knows what he is doing and he really dont put junk in his computer. And btw. Likei said. Do you know win optimizer? Try out the optimiser 6. Its free. And 1: i cant try your tut right now 2: i know its not the problem. If it was i whouldnt asked. Thats why i wrote in the beginning dont say clean. Becouse the computer (in software) was like new.

Windows 7 doesn't require any programs which make changes to the operating system and registry, these programs tend to cause problems by modifying and deleting files.

• Registry Cleaner Tests - Why NOT To Use One!

Install and perform full scans with:

• Malwarebytes : Free anti-malware download
• Microsoft Security Essentials | Protect against viruses, spyware, and other malware

Remember to install the free version of Malwarebytes not the free trail; untick the free trial box during installation. MSE is the most lightweight and compatible with the Windows 7 operating system.

You can also view this thread for a complete free and lightweight security protection combination:

• Good and Free system security combination.

Here's some generic suggestions from Microsoft:

• Optimize Windows Vista for better performance

Win7 should never hang or bog on adequate hardware with a perfect install.

To test your hardware and go over the install you have now use Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7.'

To ensure you have a perfect install, follow the same steps for Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

If you stick with the tools and methods given you will get and keep a perfect install for as long as you do.

Trying to maintain an older computer is hard. You will notice that service packs take a toll on older systems and really slow them down. I format my system every 3-6 months and restore with an image i have saved. Just a backup suggestion you know will work. :)