Windows XP Painfully slow laptop / Reload Windows

[loucoulson]

Hi,

I have just had an annual healthcheck and 1Gb ram added to my Laptop by those wonderful Techguys at PC World!!! Whilst I appreciate that as they said this may not improve the current problems ie painfully slow start up and running speed, I did not expect it to come back worse.
I am now unable to open any files or get onto the Internet without it grinding away at an infuriatingly slow speed. This has also got worse since upgrading to Norton 2008. I am thinking that the only thing left for me to do is to reformat the hardrive and reload Windows XP and start again from scratch. This has not been done since I originally loaded it 4yrs ago.
Does anybody know of a really good idiots step by step guide on how to do this as I am a little uncertain of how to go about it.
Any advice would be much appreciated
Cheers
Lou

 

[Abarbarian]

If they did some work and its worse than what it was then you should take it back and ask then to fix it .

 

[billybobbbuddy]

I have to agree with Abarbarian, if those wonderful folks messed with it, and its worse, then those wonderful folks should fix it right!

 

[loucoulson]

normally I would agree but in this instance I have completely lost faith in them. and it is not close and convenient for me to just go back. The guy did say if it was no better then windows ws probably corrupt and would need reloading, but he did not see the point in me paying them to do that if it was something I could do myself

 

[Anon_F]

Could get rid of Norton & see if it works better without it?
Or if you have the Windows Operating System/Recovery disc then reformat & start from scratch!

 

[loucoulson]

Yes I have the discs, & that is what I would like to do but I am unsure of how to go about it. Thats why I was asking if anybody knew of a good step by step guide.

cheers
Lou