Windows XP Problems

[andy]

Recently, my computer has been running extremely slowly, with the taskbar taking about 5 minutes to load up when Windows XP loads. The computer also randomly stops, then starts again. I've scanned for Viruses, Spyware and Adware and there have been none found, so is there a corrupt file somewhere, and would the best solution be to reinstall windows?

[5614]

Well there's been a lot of "me computer doesn't work, help me" kinda issues lately.

 

Well, your computer runs slow.

 

Has it always been like this? If so it's nothing new... if it's recent then maybe some dodgy software is eating up all the memory, have you installed new programs? (You say you have no viruses or anything).

 

Go to task manager and go to processes, view>select columns>tick 'memory useage' & 'peak memory useage' (if they aren't already) and then see if any programs are using massive amount of memory. For me peak mem is 34K although highest current is 30K probably because programs use more memory when starting or loading data and current no program is doing that.

 

Maybe some hardware is failing, but you would have recieved error warnings.

 

If you have a newer edition P4 processor then when it heats up it will run slower.

 

Go to start menu > run > [type] msconfig > startup [tab] and get rid of any programs you don't want running from startup.... remember you don't need MS office running from the beginning, nor quick time, adobe, AIM, MSN etc.

 

Oh yeah, go to task manager and go to processes, how many are running? (It says bottom left, will normally be a number between say 20 and 50... and if it's 50 you've got a problem!)

 

And as you say, maybe it is a corrupt file, it can never harm to reinstal windows, you can do it without losing any data other than your theme settings, which you can just save by right clicking on the desktop > properties > themes [tab] > 'save as' and then you just select 'browse' from the drop down menu to load it up again.

 

To reinstal XP just boot from the XP CD, click instal, it says it detects a current version do you want to repair*? say yes and it does it.

 

*DO NOT click repair at the beginning, click instal new copy and it will find the current one and offer to repair it, by clicking repair at the beginning it will do something different.

[Dak]

what anti-virus/anti-slyware did you scan with, and did you update their definitions before scanning?

 

is it always the same system-tray item that takes a long time to load (ie, does it load at normal speed, freese when getting to a certain point, then carry on again after a few minits), or does the entire prosess just take a long time?

 

Maybe some hardware is failing, but you would have recieved error warnings.

could it be the fan is broken? would that trigger a warning?

 

back up your data before reinstalling (even an over-the-top instalation) if thats the rout you end up taking.

[andy]

Thanks for the advice- 5614, I ticked the Peak Memory Useage and the computer is running faster than ever before

 

Thanks as well Dak- I'm using Norton 2005 and AVG Free btw

[5614]

WTF?!?!?!

 

Ticking peak memory useage allows you to see which program is using the most memory! It doesn't do any more than allow you to see something!

 

Norton 2005.... is that norton AV? norton internet security?

I never thought much of AVG, although it's kinda personal preference, for AVs I always though Avast was very good, well, not always, after my subscription ran out for one AV, I tried about 7 or 8 in a day, I came to the conclusion that avast was best on user options and an amazing scan, as well as catching things that several other AVs missed.

 

Anyway, that's strange that the problem randomly disappeared it's been a pleasure helping .... but your problem will probably be back because as I said, peak memory just adds the peak mem column to process list (in task manager) so you can see which, if any, program is eating up memory.

[Dak]

having two antiviruses running at the same time can cause conflicts which prevent both of them from working. id advise disabling/uninstalling norton and keeping avg cos 1/its better and 2/norton is a known resorse hog (actually thinking about it, running two AVs at once could have caused your problem)

 

also note avg and norton 2005 dont scan for spyware/adware, so id download microsoft antispyware beta and let that have a savvy of your pc, you'll probably find a load of nasties.

 

I never thought much of AVG, although it's kinda personal preference, for AVs I always though Avast was very good, well, not always, after my subscription ran out for one AV, I tried about 7 or 8 in a day, I came to the conclusion that avast was best on user options and an amazing scan, as well as catching things that several other AVs missed.

from what iv heard, AVG and Avast are the two best available

[Dak]

actually im intruegued... andy, did you also follow 4nums advice about trimming down your msconfig>startup list, or did you fix the problem just by clicking peak memory usage?

[Sayonara]

Say hello to Crap Cleaner, champion of champions.

[Dak]

one of my favorites, but make a back-up of the reg before using it,

 

go to run and type regedit

 

goto file > export

 

chose a location for your back-up of the reg and click save

 

crap clean away!

 

if anything goes wrong, inport your back-up copy of the reg (regedit>file>import)

 

i still wanna know how your pc got fixed?

[flash]

When U run 2 antivirus soft. then one antivirus detects another av's virus definition as virus and thus causing conflicts.

and when u accidentlly delete the so detected virus and are filled with all praise 4 ur smartness of installing two av's untill the next reboot where u see a BSOD (Blue screen of Death)

So b satisfied with one only

[5614]

Actually I use Avast 4.6 professional alongside norton internet security 2005 (which includes norton AV 05) and I've been able to configure them to run perfectly alongside each other.

 

The only reason for that is because I particuarly like Avast and the norton firewall which comes with the AV (and in 05 you cannot have the firewall without the AV like you can in 03, of course you can disable it, but it'd still be installed), so there are two AVs.

 

Main disadvantage being resources being used up, but then I can't notice the difference 99% of the time anyway, so it don't really matter.

[andy]

WTF?!?!?!

 

Ticking peak memory useage allows you to see which program is using the most memory! It doesn't do any more than allow you to see something!

 

Well it seems like its running faster than before, but maybe thats co-incidence and to do with me deleting some files.

[Dak]

Actually I use Avast 4.6 professional alongside norton internet security 2005 (which includes norton AV 05) and I've been able to configure them to run perfectly alongside each other.

usually, to run 2 AVs side by side you have to turn off one of their active protections, otherwize they conflict.

[5614]

usually, to run 2 AVs side by side you have to turn off one of their active protections, otherwize they conflict.

Yeah I know, but I was just pointing out that "usually" does not mean always with a personal experience to back me up

[The Thing]

If there is a recursive program in your computer (like in my old computer, there is a program that tries to upgrade a program but fails everytime, so it retries, and eats away all my resources), you should probably end its process. Boot up task manager, and check what processes are running with big chunks of memory. Go msconfig or regedit to check for any abnormal programs that run on startup etc.

[flash]

check the drivers and use the newest WHQL certified drivers only

nVidia and ATi both hav a number of buggy drivers.

c the process which is using maximum cpu power via task manager.

U didn't posted ur config ???

may be ur config may b a liitle slow

[Dak]

Yeah I know, but I was just pointing out that "usually" does not mean always with a personal experience to back me up

did u do anything special to make them run next to each other without conflicting? i thought that the active-protections of AVs almost always start having bitch-fights with each other if you have two on the same pc?

 

oh, and you seem pretty computer-savvy, but just to check: you do run the AV scans regulaly, yeah (ie, you do know that you dont actually have a virus)? just curiouse.

[5614]

did u do anything special to make them run next to each other without conflicting? i thought that the active-protections of AVs almost always start having bitch-fights with each other if you have two on the same pc?

Well it's kinda weird, because when the computer starts up I get this message:

But there are two proofs I have that it IS running, (1) it acts as though it is, it can detect viruses and cuts in when I know it should, it responds to tests I put it through, its clearly active (2) the processes are running, a friend sent me a list of all his processes (he's got avast but doesn't have a 2nd AV), I circled out all of the avast ones and all of the one he's got I've got. It must be running for me!

 

oh, and you seem pretty computer-savvy, but just to check: you do run the AV scans regulaly, yeah (ie, you do know that you dont actually have a virus)? just curiouse.

Yes I do. With active AVs running it is hard but by no stretch of the imagination is it impossible for a virus to get through. I run antispyware, antivirus kinda stuff whenever I think of it and am also not using the computer, so if I go down for lunch, I'll do a antispyware, if I'm going out for over an hour I'll do an AV scan (I really like the avast boot time scan, because basically some viruses can avoid scans once they're active, this boot time scan scans before windows fully starts up so the viruses aren't active, so can't avoid the scan).

So AV scans happen, well, between twice a week and once every two weeks.

 

When you're not using your computer run:

disk cleanup

disk defrag

anti spyware

reg cleaner

check disk

AV

That kinda stuff, gives my comp something to do whilst I'm away!

[Dak]

well, i didnt know that you could do that. might experiment with trying to squish avast in next to my AVG.

[5614]

Can't harm to try really.

 

AVG is renowned for a quick scan, whereas avast is good at the expense of traditionally using more resources and spending longer over scans. I say "traditionally" because in the new avast 4.6 they use a new resource allocating thing and it's meant to be a lot better. I say "meant to" because I wouldn't really notice the difference much as I don't use my computer and do AV scans at the same time and programs don't tend to use mega amounts when just normally running in the background, it is small enough for me not to notice it.... If I did notice it I'd have reconsidered having two AVs.