[Melas]

Back up the data that you know you want to keep, format the hard drive and re install Windows, then your security software. Finally, scan your backup, and reinstall your data if it’s clean.

[tacticalogic]

I’d recommend WinDirStat to investigate the file system:
http://windirstat.info/

[South40]

Run defrag and ScanDisk to look for and correct errors on your HDD.

[dangerdoc]

If that is all he has on his computer, his best move would be to reformat the hard drive and reinstall the OS and office.

[Tarantulas]

Or if you’re not prepared to go to that much trouble, try this. Start Windows Explorer. Right click on the C: drive and select “Properties.” Click the “Disk Cleanup” button and do what it says. That should take off all kinds of temporary and other files that aren’t needed and free up some space.

[mdittmar]

Advanced SystemCare Free

[Carriage Hill]

First, if you have an external drive, copy all folders w/ important files/data to it.

(Vista? Yuk.)

Do you have a separate Utilities Program?

Start->All Programs->Accessories->System Tools->Disk CleanUp->Disk Defragmenter.

If you have Norton/Symmantec, Run PC Tune-Up: use File CleanUp & Disk Optimization.

Reformat is last resort.

[Mark]

I use Glary Utilities and it works good. Free- give it a try.

http://glary-utilities.soft32.com/free-download?gclid=CKDt9qbvkrMCFQiCQgod0mMA7A

[mrsmith]

CCleaner is a great program for cleaning up Windows.
Very safe and easy. You see a marked speed-up.

Last time I updated I had to uninstall something (Chrome maybe?) that came with it so I quit updating it.

[HateBill]

I have a laptop with Vista and learned, through bitter experience, to do nothing on that computer but download podcasts of Rush’s show and listen to them while exercising. Even with this tiny task it crashes. If I listen to more than 2 hours I get a message that “memory is low,” which is absurd since I do absolutely nothing else (no open Windows with Excel, Word, e-mail, etc.). Vista is hopeless. Nothing will help ...

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Get a Mac.

[Greysard]

Several people already mentioned that you need to take the backup - reformat - reinstall route. This is the only one that will work for you. Some suggest repair tools. I do not advise trying that. First, you would need to be far more familiar with computers to run those tools. Second, they offer no guaranteed repair. Even people who repair PCs for a living prefer to do the full reinstall - it's a fixed length job, and the results are 100% predictable. Any repair that you do with tools still leaves you with defects here and there, and those defects (especially viruses) will bite you later on.

Also once you reinstall please find a decent browser (Firefox) and install the following add-ons: Adblock Plus, Ghostery, Flashblock, and maybe NoScript. This will make the computer safer to use. Do not use IE unless some broken Web site that you trust needs it. Make FF your default browser.

I'd suggest, if only you weren't using MS Office, to ditch Vista and install some Ubuntu instead. But if MS Office is a requirement then you can't do much about that. Running MS Office on Linux is only for the geeks who know what WINE is and what it is not. Perhaps you would be happy enough with OpenOffice ... but I personally cannot afford a free office suite - I cannot accept the risk to my business. But if OpenOffice works for you then I strongly suggest setting Vista aside and loading Ubuntu. It would be far more reliable that way.

[Uri’el-2012]

Defenestration !

Throw out windows.

Get a Mac !

[stylin19a]

Data on a hard drive should not necessarily slow down a PC except ifthe hard drive is out of space.

Reinstalling windows should be a last resort, not the first.

What is running on start-up?

Select “Start” then “Run”, then type: MSCONFIG then hit enter.
Select the Startup tab. Anything that is checked-marked executes and runs on start up. Do you need all that stuff running ? If not, uncheck it. After unchecking whatever you think needs to be unchecked, then click “Apply, then ok.

Others recommend disk cleanup and scan disk. Do it and do it now.

Run an anti-spyware and a good anti-virus.
Download malwarebytes then run it.
Always verify whatever the results of any anti-spyware\virus scan return, as they can identify things as viruses when they are not.

Also, you can set windows up to run for performance.
Select: Control Panel\System, Select: Advanced System Settings. Select “Advanced”. In the performance box select: “Settings”. Check the box for “Adjust for Best Performance” then click “Apply” then ok.

delete everything out of all you “TEMP” folders.
Do a search on C:\ for “TEMP” to find all the folders.

Restart you PC then run defrag again.

Just some easy things to do.

When in doubt, don't..ask first.

[waynesa98]

Ok first things first.

clean out the system. delete all temp folder items(not the folder)delete all *.tmp files. Next run chkdsk then defrag.
Assuming both complete build a MS defender offline usb stick or dvd and run that. Next make sure your temp dir are mostly empty, search for temp and delete.

After that patch everything. run windows update, patch your drivers and programs. Drivereasy and Secunia are great free tools. once that is all done we start on hardware.

If hubby's computer is a brand you can get hardware checking software from them. Personalty I'd rather go to the MFG for their diag software when it's available(especially for hard drives).

Lastly a good registry cleaner is now imperative. Backup before you run it.

Postscript, windows 8 drops next week, for $40 you can update, and a lot of clutter issues will go away, but not the clutter. Here to help, MIA monday