S...l...o...w

[Skip Miller]

Something is wrong with my desktop. It has slowed down to a crawl. Any suggestions, please self-announce!

It is a Del 2.5ghz with 80 gigs HD storage (two 40 gig HDs) and 2 gigs ram. It should step right along. But it doesn't. The problem comes when you switch applications or switch users, the HDs make normal noises but take forever to accomplish whatever they are doing and return control to the keyboard/refresh the screen.

The machine is not infected with anything according to AVG and Ad-Aware, both updated to the most current database. Swapfile setting is 384 megs determined automatically by the system. I could take it up to 9gigs but would that help? The problem seems to be bus speed and a huge page file would take longer to flush out when changing users or some such.

Thanks in advance for tips and hints!

-Skip

 

[Skip Miller]

I forgot to mention that i opened up Task Manager and copied the names of all processes running. I then verified through Google that they belong to Windows, or other programs I want to have running. All are OK, sort of. There are many viruses that use the name of legitimate files and I have not been able to verify if these files are good or unknown malware.

Thanks again. -Skip

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Skip:

What are you using to clean it up; 'spcially eliminating temp files and stuff?

XP is terrible at cleaning itself if you use their program. Had to go into personal settings the other day and found gobs of temp files and old cookies (luckily, I wasn't hungry at the time) after using XP disk clean up.

Of course, the other is to defrag. (That reminds me of turning hand grenades in after missions overseas, hummmm.)

Worth checking.

Best,

Dave

 

[Skip Miller]

Worth checking.

Yes, I had forgotten about cookies and temp internet files. They are now deleted! Let's see if I remember all those passwords... (groan)

-Skip

 

[Steve]

Crap Cleaner works well.

http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/

 

[SCCutler]

Crap Cleaner works well.

http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/

I always wanted something to do just that; thanks, Steve, for the link.

 

[Skip Miller]

Please look at the attached screen shot of the System Information page.

I have 2 gigs of physical RAM installed. Why is this showing just 256meg of Physical memory? How do I get the machine to recognize the rest of the RAM?

Thanks in advance.

-Skip

 

[Steve]

Have you run the Dell Diagnostics utility and verify what it indicates for memory?

Please look at the attached screen shot of the System Information page.

I have 2 gigs of physical RAM installed. Why is this showing just 256meg of Physical memory? How do I get the machine to recognize the rest of the RAM?

Thanks in advance.

-Skip

 

[KennyFlys]

Something I do on every new install is go into Internet Options and make some changes... So, In IE, goto...

Tools Menu

Select: Internet Options

Select: Privacy Tab

Click: Advanced

Check: Override Automatic Cookie Settings

Check: First Party Cookies: "Prompt"

Check: Third Party Cookies: "Block"

Check: Always Allow Session Cookies

This way, you're prompted every single time a cookie wants to be installed. That way you know what is trying to get into your computer. If you don't know it, block it. You can choose to block permanently or you can block once until you find out what it is. Same goes for accepting sites you attend regularly. Check the "Always Accept" and click the Accept button.

I've never had a problem with bogus sites that might link from a cookie that gets in from a sister site. Once in a blue moon I'll get a pop-up that gets buy windows or Google. There are sites that once they get a cookie installed, you're done with and they own you.

Worst case, re-install the OS and start out with these settings. A clean system goes a long ways at keeping it clean if you maintain it along the way. Downloading regular security updates from Microsoft and monitoring by a decent virus program like McAffee, Norton or Trend Micro will help.

I'm far from a computer guru but I've learned a lot the hard way. Strangely, I've never heard a system guru recommend the above. Probably because they make their money on other's ignorance.

Practice Safe Computing!

 

[Skip Miller]

Thanks for the heads-up on cookies. I'm aware of cookie problems.

Thanks on the advice to reload. That is (probably) using a sledge hammer to swat a fly - a bit of overkill and an extreme PIA - but it may come to that.

The question at hand is getting simple. I have checked the BIOS on startup and it reports that I have 256 meg of memory installed when in fact there is 2 gig on the box. No wonder the disks are breaking a sweat to handle the swap files!

So now what? Help please!

-Skip

 

[SkyHog]

Someone mentioned temp files, but I think an important part of the temps was missed:

windows\temp

If the computer isn't turned off correctly, that area gets massive, and windows sucks at cleaning it up. You may want to go purge that crap too, and see if it helps.

As far as the memory, when you boot your computer, what does the memtest show for memory?

 

[Skip Miller]

Someone mentioned temp files, but I think an important part of the temps was missed:

windows\temp

If the computer isn't turned off correctly, that area gets massive, and windows sucks at cleaning it up. You may want to go purge that crap too, and see if it helps.

Crap Cleaner to the rescue!

As far as the memory, when you boot your computer, what does the memtest show for memory?

I'm not sure it shows anything on this computer. What I need is a memory testing utility to verify that my memory is addressable and functioning properly.

Then... if that tests positive, how to get Windoze to recognize it?

Finally, when I upgraded from 0.5 gig memory to 2 gigs, I am sure that all 2 gigs was available. It isn't now. Might this imply that one or more memchips have failed? Without error messages?

Thanks in advance for the help to come!

-Skip

 

[Greebo]

Finally, when I upgraded from 0.5 gig memory to 2 gigs, I am sure that all 2 gigs was available. It isn't now. Might this imply that one or more memchips have failed? Without error messages?

Have you checked from CMOS to see what it shows as available? If so and it's 256 megs, then yes, one chip may have failed, and if it failed badly enough that the PC doesn't recognize it then windows won't mention it at all. Try removing all the chips and then installing one at a time, booting to cmos and seeing what you get as a result - may help ident the bad chip(s).

Or it could be a MB fault with the ram...

 

[Skip Miller]

CMOS

Whazzat?

-Skip

 

[Greebo]

When your computer cold (ie: power fully off, not a restart) boots initially, you should see a brief message that says "Push *** to enter setup" or something similar, where *** is one of the standard keys - F8, F10, DEL, INS - it varies by manufacturer.

This takes you into the hardware setup section of your computer - NOT a place to tinker blindly (ie: don't change ANYTHING) but you can look around and learn a lot of useless low level info about your computer, and some useful stuff like how much RAM it thinks it has.

Every CMOS is slightly different, so I can't be more specific. Your best option when you go into CMOS to look around is to 1) make sure you NEVER tell it to save and B) REBOOT to exit (or be very VERY sure you Exit WITHOUT saving using their menus). THe menus can be a bit tricky, so if you get stuck and unsure how to get out, just reboot.

 

[mikea]

Take out the memory DIMMS, gently clean the contacts with a pencil eraser, carefully keeping the debris away, and put them back - in different slots. Prolly just making sure they're seated tight will help.

 

[Skip Miller]

When your computer cold (ie: power fully off, not a restart) boots initially, you should see a brief message that says "Push *** to enter setup" or something similar, where *** is one of the standard keys - F8, F10, DEL, INS - it varies by manufacturer.

This takes you into the hardware setup section of your computer - NOT a place to tinker blindly (ie: don't change ANYTHING) but you can look around and learn a lot of useless low level info about your computer, and some useful stuff like how much RAM it thinks it has.

Every CMOS is slightly different, so I can't be more specific. Your best option when you go into CMOS to look around is to 1) make sure you NEVER tell it to save and B) REBOOT to exit (or be very VERY sure you Exit WITHOUT saving using their menus). THe menus can be a bit tricky, so if you get stuck and unsure how to get out, just reboot.

Been there, have made changes in the past (like boot order of the drives, adding another drive, etc.) without apparent problems. Currently the CMOS page reports 256 meg of ram.

I'll start pulling chips when I can get to it. It might have to wait for the weekend.....

-Skip

 

[Skip Miller]

I remember being in a MD's office going through a complicated series of symptoms. The conversation went on for a while and the MD was clearly not able to home in on a diagnosis. Finally, he said: "Well, when all else fails, examine the patient".

I examined the patient. To my surprise and embarrassment I found that the DIMM sockets were not fully populated. That was my other 'puter that I upgraded last year. I was also able to prove to myself that half of the single existing DIMM was not functioning by moving it from one socket to the other, and the system saw the same amount of reduced RAM.

So I went down to the local "DIMMs-R-Us" and bought some new DIMMs for the 'puter. It was a simple plug-in installation and Man! What a difference multiplying RAM by 4x makes!

Thanks to all those who replied in this string.

-Skip