Quote Originally Posted by chavo View Post
Hi all.

I have an issue with a computer. my bro in law does not want to wipe the pc but his dell (approx 4 years old) is starting to be like a slug. loads of speed issues. the PC is only used for work and has no games etc software on it.

What is the best program/s to use to give it a thorogh cleaning?

I am thinking along these lines

Uninstall any unwanted software (revo uninstaller?)
clean registry (registry mechanic?)
then a good defrag (unsure of which is the best software)

Now i have used plenty of software over the years but can you guys think of anything better or alternatives to use?
1. I would remove all unnecessary software, including any garbage that might come with an OEM PC from Dell. I would also check MSCONFIG to see what programs are starting up. That causes a lot of junk in the background that isn't needed. Java, Adobe Reader, etc. Disable all of it and reboot.
2. No, do not touch the registry. It's merely a database and if nothing is pointing to database entries then no harm comes from it. I have never seen any registry cleaning program provide any significant difference. In fact, I have seen them do severe damage in most cases.
3. Defrag does very little difference. Well, maybe it did back in 1998 but hard drives and CPUs are so fast these days that it makes a negligible difference. It's certainly not worth paying extra money for either.

In the end, he might get a boost by just adding more RAM.