Slow, balky PC?****update****

[Boomyal]

Could this be a sign of a failing hard drive? It is slow to finish booting and slow and balky at opening and using applications. It almost acts like it is loaded up with malware but I seldom go on the internet with it. I am now running SuperAntiSpyware, just in case. It is zipping right along with no threats shown in 13 minutes of scan,

This is a Pentium 4 @ 2.4 GHz with 2.5 GB of ram, Win XP w/ SP3

This is a fairly new phenomenon. It has always worked well in the past.

Is there any thing else I should be looking at?

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

How much of the hard drive is free? Since it's XP, do you perform Disk Clean Up and Disk Defragmenter occasionally? CCleaner is also a good utility to clean up your registry, as well.

 

[alldodge]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Could this be a sign of a failing hard drive? It is slow to finish booting and slow and balky at opening and using applications. It almost acts like it is loaded up with malware but I seldom go on the internet with it. I am now running SuperAntiSpyware, just in case. It is zipping right along with no threats shown in 13 minutes of scan,

This is a Pentium 4 @ 2.4 GHz with 2.5 GB of ram, Win XP w/ SP3

This is a fairly new phenomenon. It has always worked well in the past.

Is there any thing else I should be looking at?

With every application that is loaded on to the computer it can use some of your RAM. The page file setting on the hard drive can also be an issue if the HD is getting full. The P-4 processor can be anywhere from 1.4 to 3.8 GHz and Buss speed from 500 to 800 MHz. All this and malware or such can cause these issues. Programs like Java can eat up performance. This type of app is needed but best to uninstall and then reinstall the latest. I suggest going to this link and go through the 10 steps listed.

10 steps to speed up a slow Windows PC | Ask Jack | Technology | theguardian.com

 

[nwcove]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

sorry to hijack , but does formatting the hd clean the registry? i only ask because i have this old dell that was formatted a week or so ago and xp was reinstalled, but avg software still says there is over 100 registry errors?

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

With every application that is loaded on to the computer it can use some of your RAM. The page file setting on the hard drive can also be an issue if the HD is getting full. The P-4 processor can be anywhere from 1.4 to 3.8 GHz and Buss speed from 500 to 800 MHz. All this and malware or such can cause these issues. Programs like Java can eat up performance. This type of app is needed but best to uninstall and then reinstall the latest. I suggest going to this link and go through the 10 steps listed.

10 steps to speed up a slow Windows PC | Ask Jack | Technology | theguardian.com

I'll check it out AD, but in the mean time, I checked my C drive and it has about 5.5 Gb free, out of about 27 total. I know that is getting a little slim. I opened up Control Panel to access 'add/remove' programs. At first I just got the little flashlite waving back and forth looking to find the CP. Finally a frame opened up with the message that it was waiting to populate the screen. It sat there like that for close to 5 minutes until I finally closed it. It never displayed all the programs.

Now I am back to the CP and will try to open add/remove programs again.

Could my 2.5 Ghz of ram be a problem? It never was before.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Now it is hung up with the Control Panel open. I hit ctr/alt/del and it opened up the task mgr. It is showing 97-100% cpu usage?

Now I am trying to shut down the computer and I am getting a whole string of End Program boxes stating that a specific program is not responding. I hit cancel and another one pops up.

 

[alldodge]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

I'll check it out AD, but in the mean time, I checked my C drive and it has about 5.5 Gb free, out of about 27 total. I know that is getting a little slim. I opened up Control Panel to access 'add/remove' programs. At first I just got the little flashlite waving back and forth looking to find the CP. Finally a frame opened up with the message that it was waiting to populate the screen. It sat there like that for close to 5 minutes until I finally closed it. It never displayed all the programs.

Now I am back to the CP and will try to open add/remove programs again.

Could my 2.5 Ghz of ram be a problem? It never was before.

5.5Gig free would be real good but if it is 5.5 Meg free that would be a problem. Your processor speed would not be an issue, all that means is that if you had a new PC it would lets say take 10 seconds, yours might take 2 minutes. The time all depends on what the computer is trying to do and what is currently running.

Now it is hung up with the Control Panel open. I hit ctr/alt/del and it opened up the task mgr. It is showing 97-100% cpu usage?

Now I am trying to shut down the computer and I am getting a whole string of End Program boxes stating that a specific program is not responding. I hit cancel and another one pops up.

Your going to have to wait or rebuild the entire PC from scratch. With your processor running at full capacity it has no more room to speed anything up. This is noted by when you try to shut down you get a string of programs saying not responding. You need to wait and let it catch up because your system is running so much stuff it is over loaded. The PC should come back but it could take some time, don't know how long because I don't know what the issues are. Pushing buttons or clicking the mouse just makes things worst.

With other things popping up and you just lately put a antivirus program on you may have a virus or malware. During any "FULL" scan (not the quick one) does anything show up that it found? If so you would need to turn off system restore and reboot in safe mode and run the scan again.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Since this is a new problem, it isn't your hardware configuration per se. This is symptomatic of malware or failing hardware.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Now it is hung up with the Control Panel open. I hit ctr/alt/del and it opened up the task mgr. It is showing 97-100% cpu usage?

Now I am trying to shut down the computer and I am getting a whole string of End Program boxes stating that a specific program is not responding. I hit cancel and another one pops up.

What program is not responding during the shutdown? Or more than one program?

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Last time I had anything similar, it was an automatic upgrade of my security software....went wrong...slowed the PC to crawl and worse.
Uninstalled it all, then reinstalled the latest version cleanly and the problem vanished.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

What program is not responding during the shutdown? Or more than one program?

a string of programs. close one and another pops up.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Since this is a new problem, it isn't your hardware configuration per se. This is symptomatic of malware or failing hardware.

This was my concern.

 

[generator12]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

I suggest you download and install "Wisecare 365". It's a nice little piece of freeware that I found on CNet when I was dealing with a similar problem. One capability it has is to list for you each of the programs starting up on boot and providing you an easy one-click means of disabling any of them from auto-start-up. I found several that I had no use for, took them off the boot, and noticed an increase of boot speed. The program can do other interesting things for you as well.

If you care to try it, send me a PM and I'll forward the install file to you. You've got nothing to lose.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Boom,

Do you have this computer set up to do auto restore points? If so, boot in to safe mode and then run the restore program to re set the computer to a date before this started happening, it sounds like and update or malware is causing things to hang up on you, ONe of the best features Microsoft included in XP and 7 was the auto restore to an earlier date function.

Also if you boot into safe mode, you should be able to look at your configuration files to see what exactly is starting up with you boot, then go through and disable everything on start up and then start clicking boxes to add each one back in until you find out what is going on.

I can almost guarantee that you are not having a hardware problem, it has the classic symptoms of a software hang up.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Maybe try running this link to malwarebytes? I run the free version periodically. Can't hurt......... Delete anything it finds...
Malwarebytes : Free anti-malware download

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Download a program called "Process Explorer". It is way better than the task manager to see what programs are running. Might help identify culprits.

Process Explorer

You don't have more than one anti virus software running right?

Malwarebytes is good. I also use ESET online scanner.
http://www.eset.com/us/online-scanner/

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Process Explorer

You don't have more than one anti virus software running right?

^^^
That, in essence,was the cause of the problem I had.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Download a program called "Process Explorer". It is way better than the task manager to see what programs are running. Might help identify culprits.

Process Explorer

You don't have more than one anti virus software running right?

Malwarebytes is good. I also use ESET online scanner.
Free Virus Scan | Online Virus Scanner from ESET

I disabled my single real time anti-virus program and ran SuperAntiSpyWare then Malwarebytes. They both came up with nada. However, when trying to close a program/function that would not populate or close, I hit Ctrl/alt/del and it brought up the process page that showed cpu usage at between 97-100%.

I have disconnected the 'puter and am no taking it down to a geek service.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

I disabled my single real time anti-virus program and ran SuperAntiSpyWare then Malwarebytes. They both came up with nada. However, when trying to close a program/function that would not populate or close, I hit Ctrl/alt/del and it brought up the process page that showed cpu usage at between 97-100%.

I have disconnected the 'puter and am no taking it down to a geek service.

My .02 - get a new computer. For what you are likely to pay someone to look at it you could buy a new 100x better machine.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Re: Slow, balky PC?

Geek squad is very expensive, just look at a buddies computer a couple of weeks ago, they charged him $265.00, I agree with oldjeep, if that is the only option, I would just put the money to a new computer and then take the HD out, put it in an external enclosure and transfer the files you need. I have done this a few times over the last couple of years.