How to Fix Windows XP Problems for Free

1. Log on to your computer and click 'Start.' Choose 'Control Panel' from the list and double-click the 'System' icon. Click on the 'Hardware' tab to begin diagnosing and troubleshooting your system.
2. Click the 'Device Manager' button to see a list of all the hardware in your system. Click the plus sign (+) next to each hardware category and look for any red exclamation points or yellow question marks. These are indications that a particular piece of hardware is not functioning properly.
3. Right-click on the malfunctioning piece of hardware and choose 'Update driver.' This will force Windows XP to search for and install a new driver for the device. Corrupted drivers are a common source of problems in Windows XP, so simply updating the driver can solve many problems.
4. Click on the 'Start' button and choose 'All Programs.' Choose 'Accessories' from the list and then 'System Tools.' Select 'System Restore' from the list of options. The 'System Restore' feature undoes recent changes to your computer and it is a good troubleshooting tool if Windows XP started acting up after the installation of a new piece of software or hardware.
5. Choose a restore point that is before you first started experiencing problems with your XP system. Click 'Next' to confirm the date and 'Finish' to start the restore process.
6. Wait for the restore process to complete. Your computer will automatically reboot when the restore process is finished. Log on to your computer again and confirm that you wish to keep the restore point you have chosen.