Computer inexplicably running "like a bag of shite" (DH's words!!) Please can anyone clever advise?

[ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands]

It's only just over a year old - Vista Home Basic and in recent weeks has been becoming increasingly crap and DH and I can't work out work.

We have anti virus software which runs a test daily.

The main issues are:

• We can't uninstall our old printer (which isn't that old but has (also inexplicably) stopped working so trying to install "new" one someone gave us.. think the issue must be with the pc not the printers!)
  
  
• Our BT Hub will not allow us to see what is running on it when we try to check. Should show this pc.. plus DS1's laptop ustairs and his PS3 (or "other device").. instead the box you click on "Newtork and Sharing" just freezes and says "Not Responding".
  
  
• In other ways it is basically running really slow and rubbish - you ask it to do something and it either doesn't do it.. says "not responding" or takes about 10 minutes!!
  
  Can anyone advise or things we can look at/try to make it run better again please? And this printer issue.. I badly need to print but I can no longer make the pc recongnise that there is a printer there! Even when reinstalling another one, it didn't recongnise it was there.

[ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands]

I know its boring but please?

[toy23]

ok first of get a second antivirus and run that thare are plenty of virus scanners that are free i recomend bit defender. Vista is bloated piece of just and slows down fast if you dont clean it regualy. Have you scanned for spyware also? not just viruses thares plent free scanners around. Make sure clear all internet history and temp files. then run disk cleanup, and defrag.

[lou33]

ah i was just about to say similar

[toy23]

regarding issuse

• We can't uninstall our old printer (which isn't that old but has (also inexplicably) stopped working so trying to install "new" one someone gave us.. think the issue must be with the pc not the printers!)
  
  Thats bull crap its proably some fault in drivers or vista itself.
  
  
• In other ways it is basically running really slow and rubbish - you ask it to do something and it either doesn't do it.. says "not responding" or takes about 10 minutes!!
  
  Already exsplained in last post
  
  
• Our BT Hub will not allow us to see what is running on it when we try to check. Should show this pc.. plus DS1's laptop ustairs and his PS3 (or "other device").. instead the box you click on "Newtork and Sharing" just freezes and says "Not Responding".
  
  Cleaning the pc should help with problems hear.

[DillyTanty]

i'd consider doing a system restore back to a couple of weeks ago and switch off automatic updates. service pack 3 just about killed my computer, that's what i've had to do to rescue it.

[toy23]

system restor may not help if they have virus infection or spyware tho so best ruling them out first.

[toy23]

I have pc with 4gb ram 400gb hd quad core prosesser 2 x gforce 8800gts and i still use custom built xp becuase vista such hog I was going to upgrade to vista untill microsoft decided to bin vista also in the next 12 months.

[EvelynsDad]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest you try Ubuntu. You may find it's more reliable, faster and just better than Vista.

I would STRONGLY caution you that if you do install it, you really must back up everything you don't want to lose. The installation procedure is pretty good, but there's always a risk when installing a new operating system.

Provided you have the disk space you can leave Vista on there and the 2 operating systems can coexist.

It has a "live CD" mode that allows you to try it out first by running it from the CD without installing it on your hard disk. This is inevitably much slower than running it from the hard disk but it allow you to see how it works.