Kids have been downloading loads of and the computer takes longer than it used to for starting up and running applications-and hints or advice to remedy this? Cheers!

Start with Task manager and see if anything’s running that shouldn’t be.
Run a virus scan.
Longer term, maybe best to set up user accounts so your children can’t install stuff.

CCleaner used to be free, probably is and does a better job than the MS ones.

If this is just recently then you could use system restore to go back to the days when it worked well.

If you can’t do that then go to control panel and uninstall all of the programs that you don’t need or want any more

As a final thing you could use CCleaner but take care. The best way to use it is just to control the startup programs rather than cleaning the registry which can cause problems.

Also use defraggler, made by piriform, to tidy up your hard drive.

Might also be worth using Crucial.com’s app to see if you could add a bit more RAM to your PC, also worth seeing if your HDD is close to being full up.

In the long term treat yourself to a Mac and let the kids bugger up the PC. 😉

http://www.ubuntu.com

And don’t let the kids have an admin password, if mine want to install anything they have to ask me first.

In the long term treat yourself to a Mac your own computer and let the kids bugger up the PC.

FTFY.

Look in Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs (assuming XP) and uninstall all the crap they’ve installed.

Drown your kids create a non-admin user account for the kids so that they can’t install software.

Run a malware scan – http://www.malwarebytes.org