Why is my laptop so freakin slow!!!!!!!!!?

I have windows XP with Panda security and I swear it takes five minutes to fire this thing up. What can I do?

Why is my laptop so freakin slow!!!!!!!!!?symatec

Don't install programs to speed it up, like everyone else on here says - that'll be just patchwork, if you don't check the simple things first.

You should run msconfig by pressing, Start, Run, then typing msconfig and pressing enter. See the tab for startup programs and services (last tab usually) and uncheck the ones that you don't need running in the background. Apart from your firewall and antivirus, that means most anything in there.

Next, check the 'Startup' category in your start menu (Start, Programs - Startup) and delete stuff from there. Then go into your Configuration Screen, and at Add/Remove Programs, delete the big heavy programs that you don't really use that often. Delete the temporary internet files in Internet Explorer next, and lastly right-click your hard-drive in Explorer (My Computer icon) and use the option to clean it, throwing away temporary files and all, and then defragment it. The latter is an option that will run for over an hour maybe, but all in all this should make your laptop much quicker.

If the increase in speed is not sufficient, then do install programs other answerers here commented about - they can have an effect. Spyware does throw sand in your software, and there are ways to 'tweak' your BIOS settings and all, in order to startup quicker. It's nice then to have programs that do the cleaning tweaking for you, but be careful about what you download - often promises are broken and spyware could be included even in anti-spyware programs. Ad-Aware, SpyDoctor and WinPatrol are recommendable.