Here are the steps I take when I am having PC performance problems:
- Delete all temp files by going to Start, Search, Files or Folders and searching for ~*.*,*.tmp (this will search for anything starting with ~ or ending with .tmp).
- Then I go to C:\Documents and Settings\<profile>\Local Settings\Temp and delete everything from there. Also delete all files in the C:\Documents and Settings\<profile>\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files folder.
- Next, run Ad-Aware, Spybot and CCleaner.
More than likely after these steps you should notice a definite improvement in PC performance. Some of these steps may seem redundant (like deleting temp files and still running CCleaner) but trust me it does seem to help when doing things this way.
Good luck!