Recommend me a "speed up your computer" free download

[K.H]

I'm looking for a free program to speed up the laptop, i would prefer to use something that is recommended rather than risk picking one myself, i use anti virus, malware and spyware but things seem to have slowed down over time

[Julian]

Is there one?  Assuming all the hardware is still functioning correctly, deleting all the crap that builds up over the years may help.  You'll probably find that all sorts of programmes and up daters are running in the background.

I haven't got it to work correctly yet as there seems to be a conflict between it and my wireless card, but Linux looks to be a promising replacement for the pile of dogs droppings that is Windows 8.  It certainly runs lightening fast compaired with Bill Gate's over complicated offerings.

[Keef]

Assuming all the hardware is still functioning correctly, deleting all the crap that builds up over the years may help.  You'll probably find that all sorts of programmes and up daters are running in the background.

I think Julian's hit the nail on the head there, a damn good clean up and then get your running processes down to a minimum is probably your best way forward.

There are plenty of sites offering explanations for the processes and recomendations as to what to turn off or leave running but it's a very time consuming task to research it and then turn off the ones you don't need.

Plan B is to back everything up and just re-install your operating system and software and start again from scratch.

[photoman290]

how much room is left on the hard disk? do a defrag and remove tempory files. that should help. or do as suggested and start again if you arnt confidant. you shouldnt be able to remove anything vital without a warning flashing up.

[therecklessengineer]

http://linuxmint.com/

But that's probably not the solution that you were looking for. 

[RichardP]

Download and run ccleaner http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner
Go to Start - Run, open msconfig, click the Startup tab and untick all the crap that will be opening in the background at startup, most of it you don't need to run
Once you've done that then defrag your hard drive.

[greasemonkey]

I'd go with checking what is running in the backround first. I did this with my computer, and speeded it up considerably. There was a whole load of nonsense going on.
Got it going faster by it self, and online.
Just google it, there is loads of ideas.

[nigelb]

Here's a question then... what should be running on "start up?"

[RichardP]

All you really need running in the background are your anti-virus stuff etc. You'll find there's a load of stuff that gets in there from all kinds of programs, especially auto updaters. Get rid of them.

[K.H]

Well i ran the program and the start up list is as long as my arm and i haven't a clue what should be there, i may post it up so you can all tell me what to delete 

[Jmg]

http://linuxmint.com/

But that's probably not the solution that you were looking for. 

Seconded, Linux (ubuntu in my case) has rescued a few computers in this house that were far too long in the tooth to keep up with Windows anymore, not the perfect answer but if all you do is surf the internet and email it's no longer the terrifying command prompt from hell it used to be.

[photoman290]

to digress a bit to linux. i would love to run linux on my pc but i have a few usb devices i use all the time that have no support. asked the linux gurus at the local hackspace but no joy. not sure if  my Ethernet connected satellite modem will work either. i did try the command line nightmare about 12 years ago but far too busy to learn all that now..

[therecklessengineer]

What USB devices do you have? Your modem will be fine.

[photoman290]

What USB devices do you have? Your modem will be fine.

sony mx20 voice recorder. the files are in a msv format that has to be converted to wav . canon  a590 camera.

[K.H]

This is my start up!

Yes   HKCU:Run   Boca      "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Tafu\boca.exe"
Yes   HKCU:Run   ctfmon.exe   Microsoft Corporation   C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
Yes   HKCU:Run   Google Update   Google Inc.   "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe" /c
Yes   HKCU:Run   LightScribe Control Panel   Hewlett-Packard Company   C:\Program Files\Common Files\LightScribe\LightScribeControlPanel.exe -hidden
Yes   HKCU:Run   MediaFire Tray   MediaFire LLC   "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\MediaFire Express\mf_systray.exe" --boot-start
Yes   HKCU:Run   ROC_ROC_JAN2013_AV   AVG Technologies   C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\AVG January 2013 Campaign\ROC_JAN2013_AV.exe /PROMPT --mid 0633f61e9e2d47d1bb08d16846b7f18e-44afd874897a3d1f4385f43d5553deb1e806a98c
Yes   HKCU:Run   StartCCC      C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\CLIStart.exe                                                                                                                                                                                                       
Yes   HKCU:Run   SUPERAntiSpyware   SUPERAntiSpyware   C:\Program Files\SUPERAntiSpyware\SUPERAntiSpyware.exe
Yes   HKCU:Run   TomTomHOME.exe   TomTom   "C:\Program Files\TomTom HOME 2\TomTomHOMERunner.exe" -s
Yes   HKLM:Run   AccelerometerSysTrayApplet   Hewlett-Packard Corporation   C:\WINDOWS\system32\AccelerometerSt.exe
Yes   HKLM:Run   Adobe ARM   Adobe Systems Incorporated   "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\ARM\1.0\AdobeARM.exe"
Yes   HKLM:Run   AppleSyncNotifier   Apple Inc.   C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\AppleSyncNotifier.exe
Yes   HKLM:Run   APSDaemon   Apple Inc.   "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support\APSDaemon.exe"
Yes   HKLM:Run   AVG_UI   AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o.   "C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG2014\avgui.exe" /TRAYONLY
Yes   HKLM:Run   CognizanceTS   Microsoft Corporation   rundll32.exe C:\PROGRA~1\HEWLET~1\IAM\Bin\ASTSVCC.dll,RegisterModule
Yes   HKLM:Run   Cpqset      C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Default Settings\cpqset.exe
Yes   HKLM:Run   DeviceDiscovery   Hewlett-Packard   C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Digital Imaging\bin\hpotdd01.exe
Yes   HKLM:Run   HP Component Manager   Hewlett-Packard Company   "C:\Program Files\HP\hpcoretech\hpcmpmgr.exe"                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
Yes   HKLM:Run   HP Software Update   Hewlett-Packard   "C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Software Update\HPWuSchd.exe"
Yes   HKLM:Run   HPDJ Taskbar Utility   HP   C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\hpztsb09.exe
Yes   HKLM:Run   hpWirelessAssistant   Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.   C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Wireless Assistant\HPWAMain.exe
Yes   HKLM:Run   iTunesHelper   Apple Inc.   "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
Yes   HKLM:Run   KernelFaultCheck      %systemroot%\system32\dumprep 0 -k
Yes   HKLM:Run   MsmqIntCert      regsvr32 /s mqrt.dll
Yes   HKLM:Run   PDF Complete   PDF Complete Inc   "C:\Program Files\PDF Complete\pdfsty.exe"
Yes   HKLM:Run   PTHOSTTR   Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.   C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP ProtectTools Security Manager\PTHOSTTR.EXE /Start
Yes   HKLM:Run   QlbCtrl    Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.   C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Quick Launch Buttons\QlbCtrl.exe /Start
Yes   HKLM:Run   QuickTime Task   Apple Inc.   "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTTask.exe" -atboottime
Yes   HKLM:Run   Recguard      C:\WINDOWS\Sminst\Recguard.exe
Yes   HKLM:Run   Scheduler   Hewlett-Packard Company   C:\WINDOWS\SMINST\Scheduler.exe
Yes   HKLM:Run   SoundMAX   Analog Devices, Inc.   C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\Smax4.exe /tray
Yes   HKLM:Run   SoundMAXPnP   Analog Devices, Inc.   C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\Core\smax4pnp.exe
Yes   HKLM:Run   SunJavaUpdateSched   Sun Microsystems, Inc.   "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jusched.exe"                                                                                                                                                                                                             
Yes   HKLM:Run   SynTPEnh   Synaptics Incorporated   %ProgramFiles%\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
Yes   HKLM:Run   vProt   AVG Technologies   "C:\Program Files\AVG Secure Search\vprot.exe"
Yes   HKLM:Run   WatchDog   InterVideo Inc.   C:\Program Files\InterVideo\DVD Check\DVDCheck.exe
Yes   Startup Common   Bluetooth.lnk   Broadcom Corporation.   C:\Program Files\WIDCOMM\Bluetooth Software\BTTray.exe
Yes   Startup Common   DVD Check.lnk   InterVideo Inc.   C:\Program Files\InterVideo\DVD Check\DVDCheck.exe
Yes   Startup Common   Symantec Fax Starter Edition Port.lnk   Microsoft Corporation   C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\1033\OLFSNT40.EXE
Yes   Startup User   CCC.lnk   ATI Technologies Inc.   C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\CCC.exe