Hello all: My computer has slowed down dramatically over the last few months (ie. the cursor moves SLOWLY across the screen, programs take forever to load, it locks up constantly). I downloaded SpyBot and AdAware to get rid of unwanted junk, but it didn't help. Also, Windows Media Player no longer works (the icon has changed and it will not open). The hard drive has also started making a squeeling noise. Anyway, I bought an external hard drive and backed up all of my documents and I'm thinking about reformatting the hard drive. Other than getting a new computer...is that the best option at this point? If so, can someone point me to a site that has step-by-step instructions on how to do it? Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

You might try an online scan at Panda or SpywareGuide, as well as examining your startups with msconfig. If your HDD is on the way out, it's not likely to improve - a thorough testing with Scandisk etc might be advisable Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid. -John Wayne

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