this is a very good article with suggestions by Miekie MVP, as she and most MVP's agree do not try using a registry cleaner they are not for novice users. The outline she presents is a very good one. Help! My computer is slow! You did not mention how much memory you have on that pc, can you tell us that please. If you do not know much about your pc and would like a good tool that will tell you everything about your pc get the free belarc tool. Belarc' and to make sure you do not have a malware infection you can get the free malwarebytes antimalware, install it update it then run full scan and allow it to remove all infections it finds. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

In your initial post you say you have left the computer switched on but it is frozen. Is that the state right now? If so you need to remove the left side panel and look at the fan on the motherboard to see if it is spinning. Perhaps this is as simple as the processor cooling fan quitting. The computer would quit to protect your CPU or processor from overheating. As you have a new computer on order perhaps we can assume this machine is a bit older. After checking the fan mentioned above switch off the computer, remove the power cord from the rear of the case and check the cooling fins underneath that fan. Are they full of dust and dirt? If so a can of compressed air will work wonders, be sure to place a finger on the fan to prevent it spinning wildly as you use the compressed air to remove all that crud. (Do this outside if it is particularly dirty, saves a lot of dusting afterwards) Your data is probably safe because the hard drive is probably still good to go. What ever happens you could use this as a wake up call and back up your data. Also if you have not already done it you should create a set of recovery disks - unless Dell provided them at purchase time of course.

I read this forum quite regularly, but rarely post here...But sometimes.... I just gotta say it..... You people are nuts...... I am quite used to people telling me I am nuts and have no idea what I am talking about when it comes to such matters, BUT since I am never, make that NEVER the one who has neither virus/malware issues and problems and NEVER have spent even a dime nor any time on such matters, the reality of the situation is that I and the few other Linux users here are really the only ones who have any idea what they are talking about when it comes to PC Operating Systems and PC "security".... A whole forum of "what should I get","what's wrong" "I bought/installed and/but" "what should I do". Soon many reading this will be thinking "Oh he's just one of those Linux nutscases" But, ask yourself, does he "Buy this", "get this", "do this"......Oh yeah, and then ask yourself if your system can match mine on safety, security, performance. I have yet to have either of these boxes contract a virus or a worm or a root-kit nor any other form of malware, not bad for systems running zero AV/security software..... I very rarely ever disconnect from the W3 and rarely ever even turn either of these things off. I have 4 browsers running right now and my email account has been open for days. Other than an outgoing firewall, I am currently running absolutely zero "security" software of any kind. And no reformatting, no scans, no defrags, no registry anythings. I watch videos, play music, redo photo's, make phone calls and do all sorts of other sometimes fun stuff with neither and never a worry nor a care. And my total investment in Operating Systems and software on both boxes equals zero dollars and zero cents. And all my upgrades/dates are free too..... Do yourselves a big favor and go to distrowatch.com, read about the different flavors of Linux and pick yourself out a few LiveCD versions to trial. Or you can always just wait for MSWin7 to be released and start buying all sorts of new software to go along with your already penetrated and compromised, outdated and obsolete brand new high dollar Operating System. Some of the new Linus distro's are so simple to install and use that my best friends 59 y.o.wife has installed several different versions on the same hard-drive and has figured out how to use them all with little more than dang near no assistance from any body. She has even figured out how to use Knoppix6 full time and save everything she does/wants to a persistant image. Oh yeah, she is really good at kids and cooking and sewing and fishing and growing things and all sorts of DIY stuff, but, when it comes to computers, she has the techno-savvy and training of your average box of rocks..... Dang folks....even my daughter, whose "technotude" is somewhat close to absolutely zero has installed and has everything running and learned the ins and outs of both SimplyMepis and VectorLinux on her PC all by her little ol' self. And while her friends are having regular issues after frequenting such mandatory malware magnet sites as YouTube, and MySpace she has nothing of the sort, ever.... But, if you wanna believe that you must MUST have MSWin-something, feel free to spend way too much for way too little, and want to keep spending and installing/scanning/removing/etc for no other reason than you insist on running something as shaky and insecure as Vista1, hurry up and buy the fix for Vista1, Vista2, otherwise known as MSWin7, that's certainly your right.... Well, let's see...I may have exaggerated things a bit by stating the "free" thing........Getting Linux will cost you somewhere around $.125 for a blank CD-R, or the current cost of a blank DVD-R.... HAGD Here is a link that might be useful: better than MSWindows, IMHO it is anyway

I would think it's fine. Between the sanitize cycle and the dryer you should get everything. I know what you mean though. I would probably rewash the towels because I wouldn't be able to get the "ick" factor out of my mind!