Recently, according to 'Windows Task Manager / Performance', my CPU is seemingly always up around 100%. I have a Dell Dimension 2300 - 1.8 GHz w/ 1G RAM. I have dumped cookies and temp files, run Spybot and AdAware and have defragged all for seemingly no change in CPU usage percentage. Can I do anything else to speed up my processor? Any assistance would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

The question I have is when you view the CPU Usage on Task Manager is it colored Green or Red?

If its Green then all is in Order But if its showing Red consider doing a Memory upgrade.
If you want a bit more flexiblity Upgrading the Memory to 2Gb. checking How the Virtual Drive settings are configured
Plus a clear out with CCleaner and then a Defrag will Speed up things

Sorry about the cUp (my fingers don't always keep up with my brain). The top of the CPU Usage moving bar chart and graph is green and about half way up is red. I just last week upgraded my RAM from 512M to 1 Gig with no noticable change in speed. I'll try CCleaner and defrag yet again and let you know if that helps.

Half a Tip CCleaner displays the Memory installed on your computer (top of its Front page) -- will say 1.0 GB RAM Is that correct?

Additional question Have you a Graphic card installed or are you an "Onboard graphics" Person?
That will be shown too .
Installing a card does take some of the workload off the Processor ...The latest Cards can run by themselves with their Processor called CUDA but that's a few years away for most peoples budgets at $100 and up each
Cheap and Cheerful Cards I estimate, are $35 each?

The line of data in CClean is:

Intel Celeron CPU 1.80GHz, 1.0GB RAM, Intel 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller

No graphics card - plain old word processing, spread sheets, internet and net games.

Another area which can be edited is the Startup Program Menu
If you Look down by the Clock at the Items residing there .Ask youself How many of these do I Need? They can be "exited" but be still available on the Start Menu
Things like Media players and Office Programs Messengers too
Make a note of those Items you rarely use "Exit" all these programs (antivirus programs NO)
Next open CCleaner click on the "Tools " Icon then Click Startup
Remember those Items you exited can you see any name that Look familar on this list? Highlight the Item and Click the "Disable" Button
Deleting the Item may cause problems later?
If in doubt Ignore OK?

Still no noticable increase in response time. I'm afraid that one of the biggest offenders is McAfee which is installed and appears to eat a lot of memory. It is provided free of charge by my cable company or I would replace it with something more efficient and less of a memory hog.

quote:

I'm afraid that one of the biggest offenders is McAfee which is installed and appears to eat a lot of memory.

There lies your Problem
Is it just an antivirus Program or the Complete Security suite, Firewall/AV, or C) a firewall only
You are on the Right track with monitoting the Task Mamager for Heavy Memory Usage
Kill those you don't need or replace if possible .Processing will speed up smartly
Enditall is a good Program which works like the Task manager but simpler to use where you can Stop applications and read the numbers easier
http://enditall.en.softonic.com/

I'm afraid it is the whole suite....

As a Matter of interest How big is the File for McAfee?
And I'll bet It rarely Updates? And, you Have to do it manually

Is I suggested to you I could Get you a Good Firewall of less than 5MBs called Filseclab
plus a SpywareStopper of 3MB SpywareBlaster
And a reliable Antivirus program which Updates daily Avast!
Is about 40 MB (New version due soon)
And they are all More powerful than the suites in the Boxes
And they are 100% free
Would you be interested?