my mates laptop is running really slow. I doubt it has any protection software on it, so no doubt full of virus' etc..

Can anyone tell me the best method to clean it all up and hope it solves it to make it run normal again please.. Ideally without doing a format as Im not sure we have XP etc on CD.

Thanks

 

Try THIS from Microsoft.

 

Download both AdAware Personal SE and SpyBot Search & Destroy. What one doesn't catch, the other usually does...

Onto AntiVirus - at the very least get AVG Free, aswell as AVAST if you want.

Run all of the above. I'd also run the Housecall from TrendMicro (visit thier site) to be safe....

After that, set the computer to defrag (START > ALL PROGRAMS > SYSTEM TOOLS)

 

thanks lads...

he's going to pop round with it, so I'll give it a go

 

Westy,

All the above will help, but you gotta weigh up the timescales of doing that, against wiping the fucker and starting again.

XP on cd can be sorted out

 

my laptop slowed right up, i usually reinstall xp every year cause it cloggs up. but this time it was my hard drive, it had bad sectors, replaced it and laptop was fine.
to check harddrive - right click on C drive in my computer, select properties, then tool tab, then click on error checking check now button.
this obviously wont help if u cant reinstall windows but atleast u know problem.

 

You need a Stu-Nuke

 

use the search function has been posted about before.

the best 1 to use is Superantispyware Pro