It'd help if you posted the model name/number of it. That way we can determine if there's much to be done or if you just need an upgrade.
... You can't expect people to be able to help you unless you give some information, it's possible your computer is crap, in which case that is the problem. Anyhow. Generally what you want to do with a slow computer is rinse it of all crap - spyware, viruses, etc. That is simple, just run a virus scan and remove viruses. Spyware is simple as well, just download a spyware remover. Additionally, you could upgrade your RAM, your CPU, HDD, etc.
Without any details, it's tough to tell you what to do. Best I can say is scan it, clear your cache, delete some old documents/pictures/files you don't need anymore, and defrag it. But without knowing what make/OS/service pack you have, I can't offer much more than that. That's like going to the doctor and saying "I don't feel good, give me drugs." Doesn't get you too far.
You're going to need to provide more details than that if you want us to assist. Simply giving us the a brand name won't do anything.
No, but it gives a good pointer. A lot of people upgrade to W7, for example with an inadequate amount of RAM and CPU, leading to slow performance. Also, if you run with 2GB worth of RAM and a Pentium 4 CPU, it doesn't take long until it slows down.
It's a netbook, he can't upgrade or change his OS easily. Try out the free version of Wise Care 365, it's a decent software to clean your computer from junk files, fix registry errors, defragment the hard disk and do many more things such as optimize memory. http://www.wisecleaner.com/wisecare365.html
Could you possibly go to the Start menu, right click on "Computer" or "My Computer", and choose properties? Then take a screen shot and show us. (If you don't know how to take a screenshot, see basic tutorial here: http://www.wikihow.com/Take-a-Screenshot-in-Microsoft-Windows)
