My internet use to be really fast on my computer but now is slowing down allot. The video games is were I mostly can tell and they lag allot more to the point were I can't play them. My computer I believe does not have a virus and all we do to put on is pictures and songs. I did though have a few large games that were slowing it down which I got rid of and only kept one which still acts slowly. My internet box also says sometimes it looses connection all together and sometimes at night we won't get internet at all randomly. We use charter and I was wondering if I could talk to them and ask to see if its them causing it or is it are internet boxes or even my PC but I thought I would ask here first.

P.S. I don't want to have to get better parts for the p.c. and have to deal with that I just want to know if there's something else I can do
Thanks

What antivirus software are you running... and how old is it?

Several issues may be affecting your performance.

1. Internet bandwidth and latency. I would first check bandwidth and latency of your broadband Internet connection. You may do this free of charge here:

Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test (http://www.speedtest.net/)

Compare your results with what you are paying your internet provider for.

2. Virus', trojans, & spyware. etc. Ensure you have the latest definitions/signatures available.

3. System Resources. Check your physical memory usage in the task manager.

Open your task manager:

(a) Click start, then run. Next type "taskmgr" then hit enter.
(b) Hold Ctrl, Alt, and Delete for 1 second, then release.
(c) Hold Ctrl, Shift, and press Esc.
(d) Right click on the taskbar and click "task manager".

Once opened, mouse over to performance tab and click on it to open. Check physical memory usage stats.

Hope this helps.

Windows requires constant maintenance, as Windows computers get older more software is installed on them more file system and registry errors are present and spyware, viruses or other malware may also slow your computer down.
Increasing RAM will speed up all your computer's functions. Short of installing additional RAM removing or disabling programs that partially load at boot will free RAM. Programs like Apple Update loads into RAM every time you start ans it will check for updates to iTunes or your iPod-iPhone. This can be done manually by the user. Most USB All in one printer scanners also load something at boot. These programs can be disabled in MSConfig just type "msconfig" in the "Run Application" Box. Make a list of your changes so that you can undo them if you find some needed function or service no longer works.
You can also run a full virus scan and repair any problems you find. Scan for and repair other malware. Defraging the hard disk may offer some added preformance when reading or writing larger files. Remember to maintain 20% of your hard disk as open space to allow for better performance, this is especaly helpfill when your computer needs to write, virtual memory or a swap file.
Clearing registry errors may also increase your performance, though it is usually not that big of one. With Windows you will need to keep your software up to date as well as your Anti Virus. Run a AV scan and clean your temporary file
Set up a scheduled time to do some maintenance every two to three weeks