I simply mean scrolling past it and not worrying too much :)
As for your other computer issues, here is what I recommend to spruce up an old computer.
First off, the best thing you can do but the most tricky thing is to completely wipe your hard drive and reinstall your operating system and programs. After years and years of using the same setup, you accumulate all sorts of crufty files and unused bits and pieces that, even though they only slow things down by 0.1%, that times fifty, 100, 1000 is where the problem lies. My man-mate runs one of the best and tightest systems I’ve ever seen (stripped down to necessity, without the needless components) and even he reinstalls every 5 years or so. It’s like giving the computer a good thorough bath. However you need to back up all your files onto external media (twice, in case the one attempt fails somehow) and reinstall all your drivers, programs, etc. It takes a good few days, but then you have a system that is like new.
Without reinstalling your operating system, there are a few things you can do. Even though your data should be safe, please back up first, there is no need to risk your data at all. First off, always run an adware-detecting program like Ad-aware (the free version) or Spybot Search and Destroy (again free), these will find and kill any hidden programs that might be slowing things down. You can uninstall un-needed programs from your Control Panel, this will not have a large effect but it can help. What has more of an effect is disabling or uninstalling programs that start up and run in the background – these guys are what hog your memory and slow the computer down, things like constant and automatic Norton AntiVirus scans (versus once a day, such as at night when you aren’t on your computer), etc. You can also defragment your disc drive, this is an advanced computer thing which I would say is analogous to shaking a box of cereal to make it all settle to the bottom, which leaves the top of it free and clear (and in the case of the computer, makes it easier to access larger chunks of the hard drive). I’ll try to think up other things I do to spruce up slow systems, and I’d be more than willing to guide you through doing any of these tasks yourself.