This requires an USB drive or a blank DVD. Most people have one or the other, so I'm hoping you do too. The step will require burning an ISO of Ubuntu to either a USB or a DVD. Do not worry, we won't be installing it. It will be installed onto the drive as a "live" test, meaning it'll be a fully operational OS on a DVD or USB drive.
To achieve this,
if you are willing to test it out, we need the ISO of the latest Ubuntu. You can get it here:
https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop
download the ISO and save it someplace you can easily get to it. Next, download this program (I'm going with the USB guide but if you don't have one and need steps to burn Ubuntu to a DVD, just tell me and I'll help):
https://www.linuxliveusb.com/
Open Linux Live USB.
You'll see a colorful semi-transparent window pop up. In the first drop box called STEP 1, select the desired USB (
THIS PART IS IMPORTANT! MAKE SURE IT IS A USB YOU HAVE SELECTED!) and then in the next step, STEP 2, click "ISO / IMG / ZIP" and then search for the Ubuntu ISO you downloaded earlier. Now, skip the rest of the steps and click the
yellow lightning bolt image. This will start the "install" process. When the process is finished, the program will tell you as well as chime and bring up the program's website telling you the USB is ready.
Now, keep the USB in your USB slot and reboot the PC. Unless your BIOS is set to automatically boot off DVDs or USBs, you will have to manually do so. Dependent on your motherboard or prebuilt PC brand (HP etc) this process will be different. However, it should be one of the F keys or DELETE. What we want is to bring up a BOOT MENU but
not the BIOS. For me it is F9 while BIOS is DELETE.
Once in this BOOT MENU, there will be a few options. Look for the one called USB (or if your USB is named, look for it) and then select it. It will boot into the USB, which has Ubuntu on it.
Now you should be in Ubuntu. Exit out of the INSTALL screen of Ubuntu to the desktop. If it however takes you to a black screen with a list of options, click "TEST OUT UBUNTU FIRST". It will then bring you to the desktop. Ignore any further prompts to start the install process and instead scroll over to the left side of the screen to what is called the "Dash menu" and select Firefox.
Go to a few of the websites that have the slow issue and test to see if the issues persist. If it does, it is a networking issue. If it doesn't, something is "wrong" with your Windows install. If the later, it could be a virus, a stray program, a internet setting, a missing file etc.