Computer runs like a snail

I have an AMD Sempron 2800 with 512 mb of RAM. Nothing special, but it used to be able to run cool edit pro, photoshop, itunes and firefox at once like a champ. A year and a half later, it takes 5 minutes to start up. I have trouble running firefox and playing itunes at the same time, songs will sometimes skip and get distorted. Hell, I can't even double click to open My Computer and hit the 'start' button at the same time, because the computer will lag so bad.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to ramp my performance back up to it's original quality? I recently installed a 160gb HD, maybe I should move my primary disk over to that HD? TIA

First place I would start is scanning for viruses and spyware. After that I would look at what is running in the background. Also, you might want to defrag your hard drive.

I have a Norton firewall constantly running, plus a scan every week in addition to Adaware. I recently (within a month) did a defrag after someone suggested it to me. Here is a HijackThis log of my background processes:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 2:33:19 PM, on 1/7/2007
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\NISUM.EXE
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SPBBC\SPBBCSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ALUSchedulerSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\ccPxySvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTsvcCDA.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\gearsec.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Photodex\ProShowProducer\ScsiAccess.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\MsPMSPSv.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Center\SymWSC.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\devldr32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\hpztsb0 7.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Sony\SONICS~1\SsAAD.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\jusched.exe
C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe
C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\ShareDLL\CtNotify.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sony Shared\AVLib\SSScsiSV.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\UpdateService\ISUSPM.exe
C:\Program Files\DAEMON Tools\daemon.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\Sound Blaster X-Fi\DVDAudio\CTDVDDET.EXE
C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\Module Loader\DLLML.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\Sound Blaster X-Fi\Volume Panel\VolPanel.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTXFIHLP.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\ShareDLL\MediaDet.Exe
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CTXFISPI.EXE
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
C:\Program Files\InterVideo\Common\Bin\WinCinemaMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Kodak\Kodak EasyShare software\bin\EasyShare.exe
C:\Program Files\Privoxy\privoxy.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\Sound Blaster X-Fi\Entertainment Center\EAXLoadr.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\ShareDLL\CADI\NotiMan.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Console\NSCSRVCE.EXE
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\jucheck.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\hijack\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page =
O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {A8F38D8D-E480-4D52-B7A2-731BB6995FDD} - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HPDJ Taskbar Utility] C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\hpztsb0 7.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccRegVfy] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccRegVfy.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Symantec NetDriver Monitor] C:\PROGRA~1\SYMNET~1\SNDMon.exe /Consumer
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SsAAD.exe] C:\PROGRA~1\Sony\SONICS~1\SsAAD.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\jusched.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WINDVDPatch] CTHELPER.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [UpdReg] C:\WINDOWS\UpdReg.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Jet Detection] "C:\Program Files\Creative\SBLive\PROGRAM\ADGJDet.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Disc Detector] C:\Program Files\Creative\ShareDLL\CtNotify.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AHQInit] C:\Program Files\Creative\SBLive\Program\AHQInit.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AudioHQ] C:\Program Files\Creative\SBLive\AudioHQ\AHQTB.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DAEMON Tools-1033] "C:\Program Files\D-Tools\daemon.exe" -lang 1033
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ISUSPM] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\UpdateService\ISUSPM.exe" -scheduler
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DAEMON Tools] "C:\Program Files\DAEMON Tools\daemon.exe" -lang 1033
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CTDVDDET] "C:\Program Files\Creative\Sound Blaster X-Fi\DVDAudio\CTDVDDET.EXE"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RCSystem] "C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\Module Loader\DLLML.exe" RCSystem * -Startup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AudioDrvEmulator] "C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\Module Loader\DLLML.exe" -1 AudioDrvEmulator "C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\Module Loader\Audio Emulator\AudDrvEm.dll"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VolPanel] "C:\Program Files\Creative\Sound Blaster X-Fi\Volume Panel\VolPanel.exe" /r
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CTHelper] CTHELPER.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CTxfiHlp] CTXFIHLP.EXE
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [updateMgr] C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AdobeUpdateManager.exe AcRdB7_0_5 -reboot 1
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [SetDefaultMIDI] MIDIDef.exe
O4 - Startup: Adobe Gamma.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Gamma Loader.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Free WebSite Tools.lnk = ?
O4 - Global Startup: InterVideo WinCinema Manager.lnk = C:\Program Files\InterVideo\Common\Bin\WinCinemaMgr.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Kodak EasyShare software.lnk = C:\Program Files\Kodak\Kodak EasyShare software\bin\EasyShare.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Logitech Harmony Remote Software 7.lnk = ?
O4 - Global Startup: Privoxy.lnk = C:\Program Files\Privoxy\privoxy.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Google Search - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmsearch.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Translate English Word - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmwordtrans.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Yahoo! Search - file:///C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycsrch.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Backward Links - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmbacklinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Cached Snapshot of Page - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmcache.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O8 - Extra context menu item: Similar Pages - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmsimilar.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Translate Page into English - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmtrans.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Yahoo! &Dictionary - file:///C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycdict.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Yahoo! &Maps - file:///C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycmap.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Yahoo! &SMS - file:///C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycsms.htm
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\ssv.dll (file missing)
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\ssv.dll (file missing)
O9 - Extra button: Yahoo! Services - {5BAB4B5B-68BC-4B02-94D6-2FC0DE4A7897} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\shdocvw.dll
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: AIM - {AC9E2541-2814-11d5-BC6D-00B0D0A1DE45} - C:\Program Files\AIM\aim.exe
O9 - Extra button: PartyPoker.com - {B7FE5D70-9AA2-40F1-9C6B-12A255F085E1} - C:\Program Files\PartyGaming\PartyPoker\RunApp.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: PartyPoker.com - {B7FE5D70-9AA2-40F1-9C6B-12A255F085E1} - C:\Program Files\PartyGaming\PartyPoker\RunApp.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O16 - DPF: {406B5949-7190-4245-91A9-30A17DE16AD0} (Snapfish Activia) - http://photo.walgreens.com/WalgreensActivia.cab
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{A96E4A83-2BEB-4334-92A2-48CC1D6262A8}: NameServer = 4.2.2.1,4.2.2.2
O23 - Service: Adobe LM Service - Adobe Systems - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe Systems Shared\Service\Adobelmsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: ATI Smart - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ati2sgag.exe
O23 - Service: Automatic LiveUpdate Scheduler - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ALUSchedulerSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Event Manager (ccEvtMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Password Validation Service (ccPwdSvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccPwdSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Proxy Service (ccPxySvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\ccPxySvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Settings Manager (ccSetMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
O23 - Service: Creative Service for CDROM Access - Creative Technology Ltd - C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTsvcCDA.EXE
O23 - Service: gearsec - GEAR Software - C:\WINDOWS\system32\gearsec.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\11\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service - Apple Computer, Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: Kodak Camera Connection Software (KodakCCS) - Eastman Kodak Company - C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\KodakCCS.exe
O23 - Service: LiveUpdate - Symantec Corporation - C:\PROGRA~1\Symantec\LIVEUP~1\LUCOMS~1.EXE
O23 - Service: Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect Service (navapsvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Norton Internet Security Accounts Manager (NISUM) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\NISUM.EXE
O23 - Service: Norton AntiVirus Firewall Monitor Service (NPFMntor) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\IWP\NPFMntor.exe
O23 - Service: Norton Protection Center Service (NSCService) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Console\NSCSRVCE.EXE
O23 - Service: O&O Defrag 2000 (OOD2000) - O&O Software GmbH - C:\WINDOWS\system32\OOD2000.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec AVScan (SAVScan) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\SAVScan.exe
O23 - Service: ScsiAccess - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Photodex\ProShowProducer\ScsiAccess.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Network Drivers Service (SNDSrvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec SPBBCSvc (SPBBCSvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SPBBC\SPBBCSvc.exe
O23 - Service: SonicStage SCSI Service (SSScsiSV) - Sony Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sony Shared\AVLib\SSScsiSV.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Core LC - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
O23 - Service: SymWMI Service (SymWSC) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Center\SymWSC.exe

Norton Internet Security is killing you. Get rid of it. You could also kill off the Java Updater and the Adobe Reader startup.

Yep, i'd get rid of norton. I had it on my PC as a free trial and it sucks resources like no other.

I ditched Internet Security but kept Antivirus, didn't really notice a difference on startup. What do you guys suggest as an alternative to Norton?

Also, I remember msconfig used to allow you to change what programs start on startup, but when I hit start>run and type in msconfig, it doesn't come up. Am I doing something wrong?

I ditched Internet Security but kept Antivirus, didn't really notice a difference on startup. What do you guys suggest as an alternative to Norton?

Also, I remember msconfig used to allow you to change what programs start on startup, but when I hit start>run and type in msconfig, it doesn't come up. Am I doing something wrong?

What OS? msconfig should work. get rid of all referencese to Norton, a huge resource hog. i turned off all anti-virus programs and run a scan occasionaly as needed and let the firewall keep me secure. also turn off indexing on your hard drive, indexing will just keep getting bigger and bigger and slower and offers no real benifit.

What OS? msconfig should work. get rid of all referencese to Norton, a huge resource hog. i turned off all anti-virus programs and run a scan occasionaly as needed and let the firewall keep me secure. also turn off indexing on your hard drive, indexing will just keep getting bigger and bigger and slower and offers no real benifit.
XP SP2

I get the error message "Windows cannot find 'msconfig'". Did it get deleted somehow? Anyway to download it from MS?

What firewall do you use? And indexing? How do I manage that?

EDIT: Was able to find a copy of msconfig, configured a lot of stuff (including indexing) and startup is much improved. As is photoshop and itunes startup, guess I just had too much shit on here. Thanks for everyones help, but still, what's a good alternative firewall? Is Windows' any good?

yeah, lots of tunes with indexing on will bog down even the fastest PC. I use Zonealarm's firewall, it used to be free for personal use. try a google search on it. just don't play with anything above the default settings unless you know what you're doing or it will lock out ports and require you to reformat and reload your OS.

I installed a program called WinPatrol a few years back. It helped speed up my system by allowing me to view which programs startup when I turn on my computer, and allow me to disable them to speed it up. It also sends a warning when a program tries to add something or modify something within itself and allows you to block it or allow it. It is a free program and here is a link to the site:http://www.winpatrol.com

All I use for a firewall is the hardware firewall built into my router and the XP firewall. I scan for viruses once in a while with BitDefender's free online scan. I scan for SpyWare with Ad Aware and Spy Bot once in a while. I also use a program called CCleaner that helps clean crap out of the registry. Lastly I make sure to check what is running in the BG and defrag every now and again.

All I use for a firewall is the hardware firewall built into my router and the XP firewall. I scan for viruses once in a while with BitDefender's free online scan. I scan for SpyWare with Ad Aware and Spy Bot once in a while. I also use a program called CCleaner that helps clean crap out of the registry. Lastly I make sure to check what is running in the BG and defrag every now and again.

CCleaner also lets you delete startup programs, which I found useful. Just don't delete stuff that you have no idea what it is. I hear Trend Micro makes some good antivirus, or you could go with something free like AVG or Avast.

If you have time: do a full backup/rebuild. Computers collect cr@p over time and the performance heads south. One of the downsides to MS OS becoming more and more stable is the performance issues you describe.

If you're going this way, post here and I'll hook you up with some awesome utils that will save you much time and frustration. The whole process should only take a few hours.

If you have money: load the thing up to the gills with RAM. RAM is very, very cheap these days and if you have >=1.5gb the whole computing experience improves greatly.

Other:
Set you pagefile to 1.5x your RAM, defrag the drive, get rid of Norton (recommend: NOD32, Trend Micro, AVG if your broke)
and uninstall anything you haven't used in the past month or two then run a registry cleaner (recommend: Registry Mechanic)

There are a few other things to try, but I'm tired. :) Let us know how that lot goes.

i personally had some junk problems like that. i personally would upgrade the amount of ram, but that wouldn't help out with start-up times.

i would personally go into the add/remove program tool in control panel and get rid of all the stuff you dont use at all anymore.

go out to bestbuy and buy ram. im dead serious. i got 1gb of ram for about 50 bucks on a sale kinda thing. this was aout 2 yrs ago. ram is dirt cheap these days its not even funny. also easy to install. i could list steps here:
1. unscrew steel or w/e your side panel on the computer is made of.
2. remove the panel
3. remove as much dust as possible, with paper towels, and hair blowdryer, gret that crap outta there.
4. push the two plastic clamps that hold in the ram sticks toward the motherboard, and the ram sound become somewhat free
5. remove the previous ram stick
6. insert new ram stick

-no need to remove the current ram stick as most computers these days have slots in them to allow for expandability-

norton shouldn't be too much of a hassle taking up your cpu and things of that sort. it might be other things as well. i currently have norton on mines, and it takes about maybe 2 min to start up. yet again i do remember having internet security from them, and it was a bitch if i had their firewall on for ram usage. that was with 512 or w/e ram though. never got the new security, just the systemworks, mostly for goback.

...yet again, i have an old azus motherboard, with a 3200+ amd processor, underclocked to 1.8ghz put to 12.5x multiplier, and currently volter to 1.600v, 1.5gb of ram. this computer is about 7 years old. i think the newest thing i bought for this was the newer cpu, and the graphics card to a 256mb agp ati radon something. it works for what i want it to do...

yes im a youngin, but it seems to me you have about 3 or more audio file managers loading up at the same time. creative, sony sound stage, itunes helper. those are only the basics i looked that that seemed unusual.

i could name a couple things you could try and edit so they don't appear on start up, but this won't guarenttee it'll go faster.

no need for these thigns at start up ---- adobe, quicktime player, daemon tools, microsoft messenger, the sony audio, creative audio, kodak easyshare, ipod helper, and ipod service, itunes helper, java updater, real player updater. those are only a couple that i could identify without going to google to find out what that process was for originally.

also looking around, seems like you also have all those google and yahoo, and party poker plug-ins for internet explorer. those take up space too.

yea, just what oz said, i just did a rebuild after mine was running slower than crap considering im only running a 600mhz p3 processor and 768 mb of ram, 120gb hdd, another 40gb hdd (i can acctually run some decent games with the thing), and it loads up in half the time that it did here a while ago, back up and reinstall windows, easier than finding all the crap and removing it

I agree w/ Oz. A clean reinstall works wonders for all the remnants of programs hanging around on your system.

Oz - Sorry for the late reply, but I'd be very interested in learning about these programs that make backup/reinstall easier.

CCleaner also lets you delete startup programs, which I found useful. Just don't delete stuff that you have no idea what it is.
I run CCleaner on my computer and do a backup as recommended. After I scan for issues, and before I attempt to fix those issues, a box comes up and asks me if I want to do a backup, which I always do.If you do that, can't you go back through that backup you did and "undo" those changes you made if you should change or delete something you shouldn't have?

Another thing to do is clean up is your profile. Anything thats part of your profile (documents and settings\<login name>\...) takes up resources. As an example, iTunes defaults to a subdirectory in there. Now XP has to dedicate resources to them. Get large files off your desktop. Move your music and pictures to an alternate location.

Do those few things and you'll have a nice bump in performance.

Oz - Sorry for the late reply, but I'd be very interested in learning about these programs that make backup/reinstall easier.

BACKUP YOUR DATA:
http://fabs.dyndns.org/autobackup/autobackup.php?lang=en
Create a new folder called Backup, and use the above software to auto-backup most things on your hard drive.

It doesn't do Custom Office Templates or Email Signatures, you'll need to do them manually.
Likewise, it won't backup any custom folders you have data in on your hard drive, copy them into backup manually as well.

Create a folder called Drivers inside the backup folder, and then sub-folders inside that called "fast" and "full".

Use this software called WinDriver GHOST to backup all your drivers.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/WinDriver_Ghost_d1744.html

Do a fast backup first, then do a ful backup just in case.

Now make a list of all installed software on your PC in a file called Programs.txt in the Backup directory.

Copy the backup directory elsewhere - a network share or external drive. Run a antivirus and anti spyware checks over it.

Reinstall Windows, use Fab's to restore all the stuff it autobacked up, reinstall the drivers manually, copy other folders back manually.

I think that covers most of it, hope this helps.

:)

Thanks mate, I'll give it a shot when I have some time

Improve your system design when you format too - format a 15-20gb partition for the OS and use the rest for data storage, then you can just backup everything to the data partition if there are problems later and easily format the OS partition.

I run CCleaner on my computer and do a backup as recommended. After I scan for issues, and before I attempt to fix those issues, a box comes up and asks me if I want to do a backup, which I always do.If you do that, can't you go back through that backup you did and "undo" those changes you made if you should change or delete something you shouldn't have?

Your referring to the registry issues, I was talking about startup programs.

Your referring to the registry issues, I was talking about startup programs.
Oh okay, thanks for the clarification. I thought when you do the backup within CCleaner, it covered all the changes you make while running that program. I didn't realize it only covered registry issues.