Need advice on more memory

[Guest]

My pc freezes now and then generally if I have three or more windows open ? am I right in thinking I need more memory ?
When it freezes and I try ctrl alt and delete it takes at least 3 goes before it opens.
Thanks

[PeteW1959]

Although this can be a sign of lack of memory, it is not the only cause. If your PC was previously OK and is now having problems, it isn't memory, but either system 'bloat' or a badly fragmented hard drive.

You need to look at just how much stuff is loading at startup, you will be surprised.

First and easiest is to clean up the hard drive. Right click the drive in Explorer and choose 'Properties', then the 'Tools' tab and Error checking, followed by Defragmentation.

If that doesn't work try the following:-

In the start menu search box type 'msconfig' and msconfig.exe should appear in at the top; click it.

Select the 'Startup' tab and have a look at what is in there. Some of it is important so don't disable stuff without checking. You can Google for an explanation or ask me, before turning off anything you don't need.

[Guest]

thanks Pete but my PC is set to do that every wednesday at 1pm and it says last done 9/4/2014 is it possible it hasn't done them ?? and I dont understand when you say right click the drive in Explorer ? where is that please.
I did disable quite a few start up programmes

[Guest]

Pete when I open the system configuration bit under General the normal start up is unchecked and the selective start up is checked but the load start up items is unchecked is that right ?

[PeteW1959]

The load startup box should be blue, indicating that you have manually disabled some items, but the others are correct.

Get to your hard drive by opening up 'Computer' from the start menu (that is actually Explorer you are using!). Then right click the C: drive, and any other hard drives you may have, but not the CD/DVD drive.

[Guest]

I did that thanks Pete but it says it cannot do it while I am using the files ? so came out of everything except that and it still wont do it but says I can schedule it for next time I start the PC up.

[PeteW1959]

If you do schedule to do it next time you switch on, I would suggest shutting down and restarting when you go to bed; it can take ages so best to leave it to run over night.

[Guest]

thanks a lot Pete

[Guest]

Pete can you tell me something I did all that before I went to bed now today a box was showing that Defrag was set to automatic but do you want to defrag now ?? how do I know it did the error check and defrag last night there is nothing to tell me what it did
Thanks

[PeteW1959]

Right click 'Computer' in the start menu and select 'Manage'

In the left hand panel click the little white triangle next to 'Event Viewer', then the one next to 'Windows Logs'

Select 'Application' and look for any entries referring to 'Defrag'. Click on it and it will tell you in the bottom panel what it did and when.

[Guest]

Capture.jpgnothing says de Frag this is all I get

[PeteW1959]

It looks like you expanded 'Application and Service Logs' instead of 'Windows Logs'

[Guest]

computer.jpgyou were right Pete cannot find anything about defrag in it but a couple of errors repeated, a yellow warning triangle which says User profile and an error in WMI
This is the box I got I dont understand the bottom one.
Sorry if I'm being a nuisance

[PeteW1959]

You are looking for 'Defrag' in the 'Source' column; if it isn't there then it hasn't run.

That image is too small to read properly. WMI errors are not necessarily anything to worry about, but I need to see the details.

For any entries that you are worried about, right click it (in the top window) and select 'Copy' then 'Copy Details as Text'. You can then paste it anywhere you want.

Probably be best to email them to me rather then post them on here. I think you have my email, but will PM it anyway.