[Growster...]

I bought my laptop PC about ten years ago, and used it for our business, but since I retired, I used Mrs Growster's PC which is a standard sort of dek-top set up. The laptop has Windows 8.1 installed on it, and the desk top has been upgraded to Windows 11.

I cannot understand why the laptop fires up in seconds, and connects to the net in a trice, when the desk top fiddles and harts (?) for ages before deciding to connect, and even then, it's almost in 'basic' mode, and acting very slowly!

I'm not really bothered, but I seem to recall that other chums here had problems with Windows 11, so wonder if the desk top machine can't really handle the new system? I've cleaned it out of all sorts of junk regularly too!

Any comments anyone?

[Lardman]

so wonder if the desk top machine can't really handle the new system?

You probably push the desktop beyond it's capabilities Windows 10/11 are designed to take advantage or modern technology and spend half their time sending telemetry data back to microsoft.

What's the spec on the desktop (cpu/ram/hard drive) there may be a simple upgrade to make your life a little more swift.

[JayG]

My PC isn't a high spec model, but it is only 2 years old and should be able to cope OK with the pre-installed Windows 10.

I usually put it into sleep mode overnight for a 'fast' start up each morning, but I'm now resigned to the fact that various Windows components still apparently need to chat away to each other first for at least 10 minutes before deigning to allow me to do anything meaningful (like browsing through the news - how dare I?  )

As for the dreaded monthly 'update Wednesday', what used to take about half an hour with Windows 7 now takes at least 2 hours, during which the PC is again pretty much unusable. 

I've not bothered upgrading to Windows 11 yet as it doesn't seem to offer much in the way of benefits, and could conceivably waste even more time... 

[mumofstig]

I usually put it into sleep mode overnight for a 'fast' start up each morning, but I'm now resigned to the fact that various Windows components still apparently need to chat away to each other first for at least 10 minutes before deigning to allow me to do anything meaningful (like browsing through the news - how dare I?  )

As for the dreaded monthly 'update Wednesday', what used to take about half an hour with Windows 7 now takes at least 2 hours, during which the PC is again pretty much unusable. 

I've not bothered upgrading to Windows 11 yet as it doesn't seem to offer much in the way of benefits, and could conceivably waste even more time... 

Snap... I used to turn it on while drinking my first cuppa, now I have to remember to do that before I go in the kitchen, other wise I'm just left twiddling my thumbs while that little circle goes round and round in ever decreasing circles 
I don't understand the workings, but every time they add an update, it should have to delete the old data, rather than just adding more and more.....

[Growster...]

I've just fired it up to see the spec for Lards, and it's taking ages again!

One issue could be that Plusnet changed to Norton from McAfee, and since then it seems to have taken on a life of its own, even though I've assiduously removed all the other anti-virus kit, which they say can muck up the system as well!

BTW, Lards, it's an Acer low-range PC, with 4gb RAM, on a 64bit system, with a Pentium 5005 CPU @150 ghz... It's about three years old, but I can't remember for certain! Like Jay and Mum, I usually leave it on sleep during the night, but also, the updates are a nightmare, as is the stuff from C-Cleaner, which I really don't understand, as I only have the basic version, and have to keep re-entering passwords etc afterwards!

Bring back the humble Psion I say; now that really was a fabulous bit of kit!

...and it's been prattling on for well over half an hour since I turned it on, so I'm off to make some chips for lunch - just so you all know...;0)

[JayG]

I don't understand the workings, but every time they add an update, it should have to delete the old data, rather than just adding more and more.....

You can manually delete old Windows updates mum - saves quite a lot of disk space if you've never done it before, although it won't magically speed up your computer (search for 'disk clean up', then system files>Windows update cleanup.)

Growster: sounds like you have the 'delete cookies' box ticked when you use CCleaner, and cookies are where website login details are stored. Best to untick that box when cleaning (there is a facility with CCleaner to manage cookies individually, although you may well have hundreds of them and feel that life is too short to take that on!  )

[Lardman]

Acer low-range PC, with 4gb RAM, on a 64bit system, with a Pentium 5005 CPU @150 ghz...

Not exactly beefy but shouldn't run that bad. Your ram will be hurting you the most, today 8Gb is the expected norm and if you have a bucket load of other things going on in the background you'll really feel it, especially if using onboard video.

If you can find a model number check https://uk.crucial.com/ see if you can upgrade to 8gb. Also check the hard drive that's is solid state rather than a mechanical drive, that's an easy upgrade which will speed things up 10x instantly.

[Lardman]

FWIW - my work machine (which runs win 10 without issue) is a recycled optiplex 7010 with a 3rd generation I5 and 8GB RAM it cost me 80quid delivered from ebay.

[Growster...]

Thank you all!

Jay, I think you and Lards have decided me to sit back and think of England here - the task of manually chopping out so much dross fills me with the desire to fling my arms up in despair, light a tincture and enjoy the benefits of the ageing laptop, which works like a dream at the moment!

Also, because I like varifocal specs, the laptop's screen is in a much better position than the desk-top, so I don't have to keep ducking and diving to see what twaddle I've written!

Now...the next question is...




...yawn...

[Goosegirl]

Bummox! Can't see what make my pc is but think it's a Dell with a separate monitor and tower jobbie. Got it in  1997 and has Windows 11 though the updates don't happen now. It's only the odd occasion when it takes ages to boot up. I have a yearly subscription for Norton anti-everything (think it's called 365) which also defrags and clears out anything that slows my pc's performance. OK, not cheap, but reliably does the teccie jobs I have no knowledge of how to do.

[Plot 1 Problems]

Hi growster, if I could offer one piece of advice, get rid of Norton anti-virus. It's a resource hog all of it's own and Windows built in anti-virus is more than capable of defending your PC for normal use. If you've only got 4gb Ram you need to declutter as much as possible!

[Aunt Sally]

My PC isn't a high spec model, but it is only 2 years old and should be able to cope OK with the pre-installed Windows 10.

I've not bothered upgrading to Windows 11 yet as it doesn't seem to offer much in the way of benefits, and could conceivably waste even more time... 

I’ve been advised by my local PC repair shop, who replaced the SSD in my laptop and installed Windows 10, not to upgrade to Windows 11.   I have disabled it from upgrading and just get the security patches.

[wighty]

Our laptop   upgraded to Windows 11 and now is not compatable to either of our  printers.

[mumofstig]

I’ve been advised by my local PC repair shop, who replaced the SSD in my laptop and installed Windows 10, not to upgrade to Windows 11.   I have disabled it from upgrading and just get the security patches.

Despite update for 11 being offered nearly every week, I'm still saying NO, as well 

[Growster...]

Norton comes free with Plusnet, but it does seem to have mucked up everything on the desk-top PC, while this little laptop just gets going as normal!

I used to have AVG here, but if you fit another anti-virus, the two never see eye-to-eye...

I want our old Amstrad 464 back...