stretch009 said:

I have a 3 year old Western Digital. I know WD's are the best. Don't they usually last longer than that?

Three years is awhile, but Western Digital hard drives are not the best as they do tend to run hotter than other HDDs.

Hitachi and Samsung used to be the best, but their hard drive manufactorums were bought out by Western Digital and Seagate respectively. I've lost track of who makes the best currently, because I haven't really been keeping up in the tech world... it may still be Hitachi and Samsung.

Anyway, computers do get old and do slow down no matter what. You can certainly try a backup and complete Windows reinstall (which I suggest be done regularly, actually), a new OS (as much as I'm a Windows fanboy), or perhaps a new hard drive, or just slowly start upgrading the rig if you're willing to dive into the wonderful world of building your own machines.