anyone any good with laptops?

[pauline]

I think I have killed mine if it goes any slower it will go back wards so before I throw the thing out the window or hit it with my hammer whats the best way of shorting the thing out so it works again.

 

using my sons computer at the mo untill I kill this.

[Tracey]

If its going slow you may have too much stuff on it, have you defraged lately?

[pauline]

If its going slow you may have too much stuff on it, have you defraged lately?

 

did that at 5 this morning.

spent two hours taking stuff of it yesterday at a friends still no joy.

have 64% free space if that makes sense.

[Mr Sam]

its hammer time!!!

 

 

[Jimbob-Squarepants ©]

It sounds like your hard drive is getting tired. It will either need to be low level formatted, or replaced with a new unit

[pauline]

It sounds like your hard drive is getting tired. It will either need to be low level formatted, or replaced with a new unit

 

that dont sound good only had the thing just over a year

[countrybumpkin]

have you checked what programs are running in the background?

[Vista]

It sounds like your hard drive is getting tired. It will either need to be low level formatted, or replaced with a new unit

 

What is low level formatted Jimbob?

[pauline]

have you checked what programs are running in the background?

 

how do I do that please

[Vista]

have you checked what programs are running in the background?

 

how do I do that please

 

Check the TV guide?

[Chris!]

have you checked what programs are running in the background?

 

how do I do that please

 

Check the TV guide?

[countrybumpkin]

depending on which version of windows your using it will be slitly different but basicaly ctrl-alt-del which may give you the option of opening windows task manager or just open it, then click processes, then you will be given a list of programs that are background running, there will be a colum labled cpu check to see if any of the programs are using a lot of the cpu and if you can post the name of the program and hopfully we can tell you what to do about it

[pauline]

have you checked what programs are running in the background?

 

how do I do that please

 

Check the TV guide?

 

I cant help it I dont have a clue when it comes to computers

[pauline]

depending on which version of windows your using it will be slitly different but basicaly ctrl-alt-del which may give you the option of opening windows task manager or just open it, then click processes, then you will be given a list of programs that are background running, there will be a colum labled cpu check to see if any of the programs are using a lot of the cpu and if you can post the name of the program and hopfully we can tell you what to do about it

 

thank you have turned the thing on takes for ever. have got to pick my daugther up from rainbows then I will be back

[Vista]

have you checked what programs are running in the background?

 

how do I do that please

 

Check the TV guide?

 

I cant help it I dont have a clue when it comes to computers

 

I was laughing with you not at yuou as I'm not much better. I assume you've done the most simple things like disk clean up?

 

Are you regular checking for spyware on it? I use Adware from Lavasoft and Cclean, they seem to do the job for me.

[Jimbob-Squarepants ©]

It sounds like your hard drive is getting tired. It will either need to be low level formatted, or replaced with a new unit

 

What is low level formatted Jimbob?

 

Low level formatting is often refferred to as 'Zero Filling'. Inside your hard drive you will have a minimum of one physical disk or platter. The suface of this disc is made up of sectors and cylinders which is where your data is stored. This data is written and read to/from the disk by the hard drives heads.

 

Over time, data is shuffled about, be it by deletion, data put back in a different places etc. etc. which can make the computer slow because the heads on the disc are trying to find data which has been put in a different place.

 

One very common cause for this are these new recovery partitions and built in recovery software. When you recover a system, the built in software performs a high level format which basically deletes the data on the hard drive by giving it a quick skim over. As a result, there is still old data that has been missed and/or not deleted properly.

 

If this is performed to many times, the hard drive will become extremley slow and noisey because there is a build up of old data within the discs sectors.

 

Zero filling the drive does exactly that, it's a deep formatting process which writes zero's to every part of the disc. The disk will then be like a brand new hard drive with everything wiped.

 

On very old systems using DOS (pre DOS 5), all formatting was low level. Back then, if you formatted your drive to often, you would eventually ruin the it as it's only meant to be done when all else fails.

 

To give you an example: A quick format within Windows setup (High Level) will take a few seconds. A full format in Windows setup (Mid Level) will take 15 to 20 minutes and a Zero Fill (Low Level) will take hours. These times are based on a hard disk of about 40GB's

 

Sorry if I went a bit anorak on you all there

 

Normal sevice is resumed

[pauline]

I was laughing with you not at yuou as I'm not much better. I assume you've done the most simple things like disk clean up?

 

Are you regular checking for spyware on it? I use Adware from Lavasoft and Cclean, they seem to do the job for me.

 

I was only teasing I know i am scatey at times

 

done all that sevral times frist before asking you lot.

[pauline]

depending on which version of windows your using it will be slitly different but basicaly ctrl-alt-del which may give you the option of opening windows task manager or just open it, then click processes, then you will be given a list of programs that are background running, there will be a colum labled cpu check to see if any of the programs are using a lot of the cpu and if you can post the name of the program and hopfully we can tell you what to do about it

 

ok have found that thing seams like a lot running

[Jimbob-Squarepants ©]

depending on which version of windows your using it will be slitly different but basicaly ctrl-alt-del which may give you the option of opening windows task manager or just open it, then click processes, then you will be given a list of programs that are background running, there will be a colum labled cpu check to see if any of the programs are using a lot of the cpu and if you can post the name of the program and hopfully we can tell you what to do about it

 

ok have found that thing seams like a lot running

 

Or just scroll to the bottom of the list and look at the System Idle Process. The higher the number the better - for example: My system idle is between 90 & 97 in the CPU column, but that is because I have my CCTV running

[countrybumpkin]

depending on which version of windows your using it will be slitly different but basicaly ctrl-alt-del which may give you the option of opening windows task manager or just open it, then click processes, then you will be given a list of programs that are background running, there will be a colum labled cpu check to see if any of the programs are using a lot of the cpu and if you can post the name of the program and hopfully we can tell you what to do about it

 

ok have found that thing seams like a lot running

 

there will be a few programs running but your looking for ones with high numbers in the cpu colum, close all programs down apart from the task manager that you have opened, now check that list if any programs have a number over 10 in the cpu usage click them then click end process fist write down the name of the program tho, hopfully this will help, if it does ten let me know te names of the programs and i'll see if i can tell you why there running so much

[Vista]

It sounds like your hard drive is getting tired. It will either need to be low level formatted, or replaced with a new unit

 

What is low level formatted Jimbob?

 

Low level formatting is often refferred to as 'Zero Filling'. Inside your hard drive you will have a minimum of one physical disk or platter. The suface of this disc is made up of sectors and cylinders which is where your data is stored. This data is written and read to/from the disk by the hard drives heads.

 

Over time, data is shuffled about, be it by deletion, data put back in a different places etc. etc. which can make the computer slow because the heads on the disc are trying to find data which has been put in a different place.

 

One very common cause for this are these new recovery partitions and built in recovery software. When you recover a system, the built in software performs a high level format which basically deletes the data on the hard drive by giving it a quick skim over. As a result, there is still old data that has been missed and/or not deleted properly.

 

If this is performed to many times, the hard drive will become extremley slow and noisey because there is a build up of old data within the discs sectors.

 

Zero filling the drive does exactly that, it's a deep formatting process which writes zero's to every part of the disc. The disk will then be like a brand new hard drive with everything wiped.

 

On very old systems using DOS (pre DOS 5), all formatting was low level. Back then, if you formatted your drive to often, you would eventually ruin the it as it's only meant to be done when all else fails.

 

To give you an example: A quick format within Windows setup (High Level) will take a few seconds. A full format in Windows setup (Mid Level) will take 15 to 20 minutes and a Zero Fill (Low Level) will take hours. These times are based on a hard disk of about 40GB's

 

Sorry if I went a bit anorak on you all there

 

Normal sevice is resumed

 

Thanks mate, so how does one go about that and does it delete data / programs from your drive?

 

edit: I seem to have an awful lot running too, despite the fact thatall I currently have open is outlook and internet explorer

[Jimbob-Squarepants ©]

It sounds like your hard drive is getting tired. It will either need to be low level formatted, or replaced with a new unit

 

What is low level formatted Jimbob?

 

Low level formatting is often refferred to as 'Zero Filling'. Inside your hard drive you will have a minimum of one physical disk or platter. The suface of this disc is made up of sectors and cylinders which is where your data is stored. This data is written and read to/from the disk by the hard drives heads.

 

Over time, data is shuffled about, be it by deletion, data put back in a different places etc. etc. which can make the computer slow because the heads on the disc are trying to find data which has been put in a different place.

 

One very common cause for this are these new recovery partitions and built in recovery software. When you recover a system, the built in software performs a high level format which basically deletes the data on the hard drive by giving it a quick skim over. As a result, there is still old data that has been missed and/or not deleted properly.

 

If this is performed to many times, the hard drive will become extremley slow and noisey because there is a build up of old data within the discs sectors.

 

Zero filling the drive does exactly that, it's a deep formatting process which writes zero's to every part of the disc. The disk will then be like a brand new hard drive with everything wiped.

 

On very old systems using DOS (pre DOS 5), all formatting was low level. Back then, if you formatted your drive to often, you would eventually ruin the it as it's only meant to be done when all else fails.

 

To give you an example: A quick format within Windows setup (High Level) will take a few seconds. A full format in Windows setup (Mid Level) will take 15 to 20 minutes and a Zero Fill (Low Level) will take hours. These times are based on a hard disk of about 40GB's

 

Sorry if I went a bit anorak on you all there

 

Normal sevice is resumed

 

Thanks mate, so how does one go about that and does it delete data / programs from your drive?

 

You will need a Zero Fill program which will be system bootable. And yes, everything, absolutley everything will be gone. It will take a long time depending on the size of your drive, it wont be a 5 minute job.

 

I have a 160GB Western Digital here that requires a Low Level... that will take at least a whole day. Oh and you must leave your system on throughout

[flyingbanana]

download this trial version of tuneup ullities .. http://www.tune-up.com/products/tuneup-utilities/

 

and switch off all the 'startup program's ' that are running apart from what is needed ie firewall or programs you like to have running

 

it also has alot of other useful bits in it....have a try you might like it

[pauline]

depending on which version of windows your using it will be slitly different but basicaly ctrl-alt-del which may give you the option of opening windows task manager or just open it, then click processes, then you will be given a list of programs that are background running, there will be a colum labled cpu check to see if any of the programs are using a lot of the cpu and if you can post the name of the program and hopfully we can tell you what to do about it

 

ok have found that thing seams like a lot running

 

Or just scroll to the bottom of the list and look at the System Idle Process. The higher the number the better - for example: My system idle is between 90 & 97 in the CPU column, but that is because I have my CCTV running

 

ok the only thing what has a number in cpu bit is the system idle process which is 97 the onlything i have orunning on the thing is the task master

[countrybumpkin]

depending on which version of windows your using it will be slitly different but basicaly ctrl-alt-del which may give you the option of opening windows task manager or just open it, then click processes, then you will be given a list of programs that are background running, there will be a colum labled cpu check to see if any of the programs are using a lot of the cpu and if you can post the name of the program and hopfully we can tell you what to do about it

 

ok have found that thing seams like a lot running

 

Or just scroll to the bottom of the list and look at the System Idle Process. The higher the number the better - for example: My system idle is between 90 & 97 in the CPU column, but that is because I have my CCTV running

 

ok the only thing what has a number in cpu bit is the system idle process which is 97 the onlything i have orunning on the thing is the task master

 

hmmm the system idle should be high if things are working properly, so its probably not a background program running, ok, wat anti virus softwear are you running?