Please Help...dont Have A Clue What I Am Doing!

[LoneWolf81]

Hello...I am new here and I have been having problems with my laptop (Win XP) lately getting slower & slower, freezing, etc. First, let me tell you this, I am very technically challenged, to say the least, so I don't have a freakin clue what I am doing or much about computers other than just kind of using them a little to get by on. SO...this is why I am TOTALLY LOST & I am really hoping you folks can help me (way down on my level :-?)

figure out what I need to do and what I need to do it with. I did some research and from what I could tell I felt like I need to do some MAJOR clean up & maintenence which I guess I haven't been doing. Anyway, I decided I would need some kind of scanner to first tell me what's wrong, a registry cleaner, a spyware scanner/remover & it seems my anti-virus is ok from what I have read but will ask your opinions on it all please. So first let me tell you what I have, what I purchased/downloaded so far & see if you can tell me what I need now please.

As I mentioned I have a laptop & I am running XP with a 60 gig HD & a 300 gig external HD. I was running AVG Anti-Virus Free Ed 2011. If you need to know anything else please just ask & I will try to figure it out. OK, so today I purchased Adv. System Care PRO. I pretty much thought it was everything I need & maybe it is but FIRST, I REALLY DON'T even know how to set it up, get started and if or what else I need. I did immediately TRY to use it and so far I have the following 1) ran the MAINTAIN WINDOW 2) ran the DIAGNOSE SYSTEM and I tried to set my settings but don’t know if I have them or not but it does seemed to have already helped my speed some. Now, I move to the next stage, the 3) UTILITIES and this is when things REALLY started getting confusing! I have tried going thru each of the utilities and think I have some running OK & others I really don’t know if I have them running properly or not. A couple of questions I have is a) do I continue using my AVG as normal, do I need something different or what?? b) I click on the IObit Security 360 and I guess I was under the impression the full version came with what I bought today but now it appears it didn’t and I don’t know if this is something I REALLY need or if the free version is fine?? c) what is the IObit Uninstaller & how/why/when do I use it?? d) doesn’t it TOTALLY remove the program kinda like the add/remove programs I already have?? e) I THINK I have ran the DISK CLEANER, SMART RAM & the others but really don’t know if I have them set up correctly, how to use them or anything.

FINALLY, do I have EVERYTHING I need between this & my AVG or do I need to try something else? I know this is a lot of rambling in one message & that I really don’t have a clue what I am doing which is all the more reason I need help but if you need me to break anything down more specific, you need to ask me ANYTHING or whatever else I can do to help you figure out where I am at please just let me know. I am very sorry to be so ignorant to all of this but I really am trying to figure it out the best I can.

 

Thanks in advance SO MUCH for your help, time & advice.

Sincerely...Bryant

[scrd01]

every little helps

 

Hi Bryant,

 

first couple things you need Malwarebytes and superantispyware, both free, you can get them via, Majorgeeks or Cnet both reputible download sites. Download them both and run a quick scan.

You also need another firewall, if you look around the the spyware help forums youll see that the XP built in is not that great.

 

Have a good read of Usage of Iobit products for AWC its got all the answers you need.

 

Im sure youll get a few more comments,

 

Roy

[solbjerg]

Hi Bryant

First I will recommend that you run a chkdsk - click My computer/ right click C: /choose properties/ - run a full chkdsk (both options checked)

restart your machine - and have a good meal.

When this is done run a defragmentation from the same place.

Have a couple of cups of coffee to round off the meal.

Then enter our forum again and find the links in my signature and read all of Usage of IObit Products.

Then run ASC but don't use the Care button the first couple of times, - and remember to check the "problems" found before clicking repair, you may want to place some of the "problems" in the ignore list. - But please read Usage of IObit Products first. :-)

Then come back here and tell us if you are satisfied or if there are some other problems - then we will take it from there.

Welcome to the forum!

Cheers

solbjerg

 

Hello...I am new here and I have been having problems with my laptop (Win XP) lately getting slower & slower, freezing, etc. First, let me tell you this, I am very technically challenged, to say the least, so I don't have a freakin clue what I am doing or much about computers other than just kind of using them a little to get by on. SO...this is why I am TOTALLY LOST & I am really hoping you folks can help me (way down on my level :-?)

figure out what I need to do and what I need to do it with. I did some research and from what I could tell I felt like I need to do some MAJOR clean up & maintenence which I guess I haven't been doing. Anyway, I decided I would need some kind of scanner to first tell me what's wrong, a registry cleaner, a spyware scanner/remover & it seems my anti-virus is ok from what I have read but will ask your opinions on it all please. So first let me tell you what I have, what I purchased/downloaded so far & see if you can tell me what I need now please.

As I mentioned I have a laptop & I am running XP with a 60 gig HD & a 300 gig external HD. I was running AVG Anti-Virus Free Ed 2011. If you need to know anything else please just ask & I will try to figure it out. OK, so today I purchased Adv. System Care PRO. I pretty much thought it was everything I need & maybe it is but FIRST, I REALLY DON'T even know how to set it up, get started and if or what else I need. I did immediately TRY to use it and so far I have the following 1) ran the MAINTAIN WINDOW 2) ran the DIAGNOSE SYSTEM and I tried to set my settings but don’t know if I have them or not but it does seemed to have already helped my speed some. Now, I move to the next stage, the 3) UTILITIES and this is when things REALLY started getting confusing! I have tried going thru each of the utilities and think I have some running OK & others I really don’t know if I have them running properly or not. A couple of questions I have is a) do I continue using my AVG as normal, do I need something different or what?? b) I click on the IObit Security 360 and I guess I was under the impression the full version came with what I bought today but now it appears it didn’t and I don’t know if this is something I REALLY need or if the free version is fine?? c) what is the IObit Uninstaller & how/why/when do I use it?? d) doesn’t it TOTALLY remove the program kinda like the add/remove programs I already have?? e) I THINK I have ran the DISK CLEANER, SMART RAM & the others but really don’t know if I have them set up correctly, how to use them or anything.

FINALLY, do I have EVERYTHING I need between this & my AVG or do I need to try something else? I know this is a lot of rambling in one message & that I really don’t have a clue what I am doing which is all the more reason I need help but if you need me to break anything down more specific, you need to ask me ANYTHING or whatever else I can do to help you figure out where I am at please just let me know. I am very sorry to be so ignorant to all of this but I really am trying to figure it out the best I can.

 

Thanks in advance SO MUCH for your help, time & advice.

Sincerely...Bryant

[LoneWolf81]

Hello Roy and solbjerg...

I would like to first say thank you very much to each for your help and information. Roy, I must say your solution sounds much easier than does yours solbjerg...:???: ! But, it looks as though I might as well get prepared to take the time to sit down and go through your solution solbjerg because it seems as though the problems are pretty extensive according to how my computer is acting...I just hope I can figure yours all out solbjerg because as I said...I am VERY technically challenged...:oops: But, it looks as though this is what I am going to have to do so I will report back to you as soon as I can get time to complete it. Sounds like it may be something I have to wait and try to do late one night when I have NO interferrences. But, I do thank you both again VERY, VERY MUCH and I will post my results once I am finished.

Thanks again and talk you fairly soon...I hope! Bryant

[solbjerg]

Hi Bryant

You are welcome!

Doing a chkdsk and a defragmentation shouldn't tax you unduly :-)

Both are well explained in Windows Help and Support too.

I forgot to mention that your problems can also stem from viruses, especially if you aren't careful and doesn't have a good antivirus program.

But let us see what a chkdsk and a defragmentation can do for you.

A chkdsk can take between 1 or 2 hours usually, a defragmentation ought to be able to do it in less, but again that depends on how fragmented the disk is and how filled.

Good luck

My reference to the meal and the coffee was of course to make you aware that patience may be an issue. :-)

You don't have to sit and look at it all the time - just look in from time to time to see how it is progressing! :-)

Cheers

solbjerg

 

Hello Roy and solbjerg...

I would like to first say thank you very much to each for your help and information. Roy, I must say your solution sounds much easier than does yours solbjerg...:???: ! But, it looks as though I might as well get prepared to take the time to sit down and go through your solution solbjerg because it seems as though the problems are pretty extensive according to how my computer is acting...I just hope I can figure yours all out solbjerg because as I said...I am VERY technically challenged...:oops: But, it looks as though this is what I am going to have to do so I will report back to you as soon as I can get time to complete it. Sounds like it may be something I have to wait and try to do late one night when I have NO interferrences. But, I do thank you both again VERY, VERY MUCH and I will post my results once I am finished.

Thanks again and talk you fairly soon...I hope! Bryant