Maxmyspeed??Computer question

[gchappel]

Wife's computer is running really slow- nothing running that I can find. Antivirus, anti malware scans clean. She wants to try maxmyspeed.com. Tried the "free" trial and it found about 500 things wrong- of coarse it costs roughly $50 to activate the program to fix them. Does anyone have experience with this software? If it works it would be worth the money-but???
Thanks
Gary

[McLovin]

gawd knows I'm no computer expert, but I wouldn't touch a thing like maxmyspeed.

First, I wouldn't pay them, second, I wouldn't give them the remote access to my computer that they would seem to require. I just wouldn't trust them to not "engineer" problems to charge you to fix, or to otherwise basically rip you off.

Third, there's all sorts of articles on the internet on how to speed your computer up. "23 ways to speed up Windows XP," and that kind of thing. I've found that by going through the tasks on those lists, my computers have run fast and clean. It's easy to do (if I can, anyone can), free and you don't let some unknown company into your computer.

[Neilk]

Those 500 things are probably cookies. Don't buy the program, look for a program called Malware bytes or somethin like that. The free version should suffice. Good luck.

[dhoward]

CCleaner
Free

[slodave]

Don't do it.

[Radioactive]

+1 Don't do it

[gchappel]

Thanks, that is kind of what I thought. I use malware already- will try ccleaner
Thanks again
Gary

[911Freak]

I find that defrag the RAM, dump the cookies (Mozilla has a great tool for this) and fixing registry errors keeps my pc (3of them) running super fast.

The program I've used for years is 'system mechanic' costs 10-20 a year and in addition to simplifying all of the above it also has several other great pc health tools.


The cool feature is its health meters look like a tach & speedo guages!


Paired with Kaspersky internet security and malware/bites we have had zero problems (accept for one occasion where I had a HD issue and had to call SlowDave)

Anyway, that's what works for us.

Hope you're not using explorer still, my wifes work computer runs explorer and demands constant attention!

.02

[azasadny]

Don't buy that crap (and I'm being polite!). Reinstall windows if you really want to get it running right again. Update all drivers and be sure all components and applications are patched. Be sure you don't have multiple anti-virus programs running, the only A/V I can recommend is the free Microsoft Security Essentials.

[MysticLlama]

Funny thing, someone at work brought in their home computer to me last week, said it was super slow, probably had a virus.

So I took a look, and oddly enough, 100% clean. Super clean in fact, because there were 4 full AVs running, and when combined with multiple IE toolbars and a few other things, slowness ensued in a big way.

Uninstalled a bunch of them, updated MS Security Essentials, ran all the Windows Updates and such, and it left about 5x faster. (Though with some more memory it'd be 50x faster)

First time I've seen no virus and too many AVs.

[John Rogers]

Bring up the Task Manager and look to see what programs are running, make sure to check the "all users" box. Write them all down and then do a search on any of the several sites that list them and if you really need them or not. You can also grab a program named "Process Explorer" from Sysinternals that shows what those dubious programs like SVCHOST.EXE are actually doing and are there and DLLs running that should NOT be there. I find that when I have my students do that they find things like:

- Adobe Updater running.....don't need it
- HPprinter apps (usually 4 or 5) running........don't need them
- JVSCHD or the JAVA update scheduler running.........don't need it as any app that needs some new JAVA will tell you.
- ATI video driver/updaters running, usually 2 or 3 and you only need one.
- Anti virus background scans running in the middle of the day, change the timer.
- Usually 4 or 5 manufacturer specific apps that are not needed unless you do something specific.

Good luck

[azasadny]

Originally Posted by MysticLlama

Funny thing, someone at work brought in their home computer to me last week, said it was super slow, probably had a virus.

So I took a look, and oddly enough, 100% clean. Super clean in fact, because there were 4 full AVs running, and when combined with multiple IE toolbars and a few other things, slowness ensued in a big way.

Uninstalled a bunch of them, updated MS Security Essentials, ran all the Windows Updates and such, and it left about 5x faster. (Though with some more memory it'd be 50x faster)

First time I've seen no virus and too many AVs.

Rob,
Yep, I see the same thing quite often. Sometimes, the A/V are worse than the virii!