Hi! I've been looking for help with my computer. I'm not the best with computers, but I'm not a geezer either.
For the past few months my computer has been getting very sluggish while browsing the internet. I've ruled out malware, viruses, and registry issues as I've used various cleaners and anti-virus scanners. My regular day-to-day software is Microsoft Security Essentials however I have gone through periods with AVG and Malwarebytes.
Many people have suggested that it may just be Firefox, however Internet Explorer and Safari both proved to be just as slow. People have suggested that certain Add-Ons may lead to the browser slowing, however I have very few and as I mentioned the same went for other browsers.
I thought it may have been a memory issue so I've tried to reduce the amount of memory I use. I have an add-on that reduces the amount of memory Firefox will use in total, as well as using Add-block Plus and an add-on that doesn't activate Flash on a page until I click on the item that needs to use it.
I've ruled out the memory issue though considering I have 3GB of RAM on my Laptop and the only big programs that I usually have running that would take a lot is Firefox and Itunes. However I've seen computers with a lot less memory handle both of those programs and more.
Additionally I've switched many of the visual features of Windows 7 off, for more of a windows classic look. Again, I don't think this is a memory issue so this hasn't done anything major.
It's not a lack of space for files, I have 88.7 free of 148GB on my C Drive.
I'm running Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit.
The laptop I'm using is a Dell Inspiron 1545. It's a few years old and has been taken care of for the most part, regularly cleaning the vents and such. I'm wondering if it's just getting old at this point and that's why, but it's only three or four years old so I don't think that can be the reason.
