Installed windows 7, now my PC freezes alot

[JoeAgbajor]

My dad has an E-System Ei 314 computer. had alot of virus issues with windows xp, so i decided to get him windows 7. installed it, works fine, but freezes a lot. what could be the problem? btw i did a destructive formatting of the system and i don't have recovery disk (didn't think it would be a problem, Clearly was wrong, sigh...) but yea please help.

[KenB]

Hi Joe and welcome to ExTS

 

XP to Win 7 is a big jump.

Are you sure that your dad's system was compatible with Win 7 ?

 

How much RAM does it have ?

Some XP systems used to run on 512MB but this would be nowhere near enough for Win 7.

 

Run the Win7 Advisor tool and let us know what the results are.

click here

[Starbuck]

Hi Joe and welcome to FPCH.

 

This may simply be a lack of Ram memory.

I'm sure that the original E-System Ei 314 came with 1GB of Ram.

Did you upgrade the Ram at any time?

 

Click Start >> Computer >> System Properties.

 

On the screen that comes up:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/starbuck50/sysprop_zps20c51f3c.png

 

Let us know the installed Ram quantity and whether it's a 32bit or a 64bit Operating System.

 

Edit:

Sorry Ken we posted at the same time.

[JoeAgbajor]

hi guys thanks for the replies

well i think the pc can't handle it like you guys have suggested. also drivers might have been an issue but there are no drivers for that pc on windows 7. so just gonna have to installed windows xp for him again. but the security issues worry me.

[KenB]

Hi Joe

 

but the security issues worry me.

There shouldn't be a problem if your dad is careful how he uses the net.

 

Make sure Microsoft Security Essentials ( Anti-Virus ) has been removed if you where using it in the first place.

Replace with Avast / Avira / Kaspersky ......all free ....just have one only AV installed.

[ Starbuck can offer more up-to-date advice on this side of things ]

 

Install Malwarebytes from here too.

click here

 

Scroll down for the free version.

You need to update this regularly ( manually ) and run it say once per week ( again manually )

 

Make sure that a Firewall is installed.

[ again Starbuck can offer up-to-date advice ]

 

 

 

[Starbuck]

Hi Joe

 

I understand your concerns about XP.

Let me echo what i have said to another member already:

 

Normally i say just go for a free version.... but as you are running XP i would recommend a bit more than the free versions offer.

Because M$ aren't supporting XP any more it is possible that security issues may arise... so having that little extra protection is your safe guard.

 

These are the paid for versions that i recommend:

Emsisoft Anti-Malware (which i personally use on my Win7 system)

 

Don't be put off by the name 'Anti-Malware'....

Why is it called "Anti-Malware" and not "Antivirus"?

Our analysis lab has determined that classic viruses only make up less than 0.5% of total threats (in 2012). Referring to our product as an "Antivirus" would therefore be wrong by definition. We're perfectionists so we have elected to use the broader term "Malware" when naming our product. "Malware" includes all types of threats, such as viruses (0.5%), rogue security software (0.5%), rootkits (1.0%), adware (2.7%), possible malicious applications (4.1%), worms (4.6%), financial malware & password stealers (5.3%), online gaming password stealers (6.9%), backdoors (13.3%) and trojans (61.3%). Please note that not all "Anti-Malware" products on the market include the same functionality and protection level.

 

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

 

Kaspersky

 

On my Win XP and Win 8.1 systems i presently run:

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition

But in the next few weeks my XP system will be taken offline and will basically only be used to play my music collection. ( so BitDefender-free will be removed )

That is not to say that Avast or Avira or not worth having...... i have used both in the past.

 

Obviously the question arises.....

How long can I keep using XP without serious issues??

 

In my personal opinion:

With a decent security program and NOT using Internet Explorer ( because only old versions will run on XP ) you should be good for about 18 - 24 months.

Use Firefox, Chrome, Pale Moon etc as even the latest versions will run on XP.

 

One small correction to what Ken said here:

Install Malwarebytes from here too.

click here

 

Scroll down for the free version.

The free version and the premium version are the same now. (to start with )

The Premium version offers realtime scanning and updating.... plus a few extra options for scanning

So which ever you download .... it will be the same version.

If you click on the 'Premium' link, you will pay straight away.

Clicking on the 'Free' version will give you a 14 day trial of the Premium version.

The difference comes at the end of the install.

On the last install page you will see that A 14 day trial of the Premium features is pre-selected.

Deselecting this will give you the free version.

Leaving it ticked will give you the Premium version for 14 days and will then nag you to pay for it.

 

Make sure that a Firewall is installed.

[ again Starbuck can offer up-to-date advice ]

I personally use the built in Windows Firewall on all of my systems now.

But the XP firewall is not a full featured firewall. Normal firewalls allow you to specifically control each TCP and UDP port but XP’s firewall does not provide you with this capability. Instead, it takes a point and click approach to enabling or disabling a few common ports.

 

The XP firewall does a good job of monitoring, examining and blocking inbound traffic but makes no attempt to filter or block outbound traffic like most 3rd-party personal firewalls. Thus, the XP firewall does not identify which programs attempt to initiate outbound network or Internet communications nor does it block the traffic when suspicious activity occurs.

 

But if a decent Anti Virus protector is installed and the internet is not used for regularly visiting dodgy sites, it should serve its purpose.

After all, it is good at stopping things getting into your system .... just not good at blocking things on your system calling out to their malware mates.

A decent anti virus/anti malware program should have stopped those from making themselves at home in the first place.

 

I have used a few 3rd party Firewalls in the past, but have found that most seem to cause more problems than they cure and are not always easy to set up.

[sureshd2014]

There is one other possibility that you want to look at. Windows 7 opens up a Network Apdaptor and names it "4to6" every time you boot the system, or everytime the WLAN card is activated. You can look in device manager under network adaptors and see if you have mutlitple entries such adaptors. You will have to click 'View->Hidden adaptors' to find them. Just uninstall these adaptors and if you are not using IPV6 for any of your networking, just disable that in your WLAN adaptor settings. Windows 7 will then get back to normal speed. 4 GB is more than enough memory RAM for Windows 7.