[blackstone]

Hi and thanks in advance for your help.
I try to open Audacity and the outline of the control panel opens but it never loads. It doesn't matter how long I leave it, the hour glass never goes away.
I have uninstalled and re-installed several times and downloaded a fresh copy.
I installed it yesterday on my kids' computer and it worked fine. I can see theirs through the network but when I try to access it, it behaves the same.
I also ran a virus and adware scan and defragged with no change
I have shut down all open programs with the same results.
I am running XP pro, SP1; 2.4gb Celeron; 300gb hd
766mb ram.
I haven't noticed any problems with other programs.
Well, now that I think about it, I installed a new Maxtor 300gb HD about a month ago and certain things open very slow.
If I click on a Word or Excel document, it opens slowly. Also, I preview all my emails in Mailwasher and, if I click a link, it also takes a long time to open.
Not sure what else you may need to know. Or if any of this stuff is pertinent.
I am guessing that it's a conflict somewhere, but have no idea where to start.
Thank you for your help,
Larry

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If you have Norton anti virus, click options, misc options, remove the tick for Office plug in, click apply

Items in blue which are underlined are clickable to give more information about the process

Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit then select all, right click any file then click delete, confirm delete

Click start, all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, then from system tools, run disc defragmenter.

Click start then run, type sfc /scannow then press enter, you need the XP CD and Windows File Protection will show a blue onscreen progress bar, when the bar goes, reboot

If you do not have an XP CD you can borrow a same version as was originally installed XP CD, if you downloaded SP2 then you need an SP1 XP CD

Click start then run, type chkdsk /f /r then press enter, type Y to confirm for next boot, press enter then reboot.

Windows will appear to load normally then either the monitor will show progress or the screen will go blank, do not disturb this.

This will take an hour or so before it gets to the desktop.

Download and install Tune Up 2006 Trial

Run Tune Up Disc Clean Up

Run Tune Up Registry Clean Up

Click Optimize and Improve to run Reg Defrag, which will take a few minutes and need a reboot. You should disable the antivirus programme to run this and check it is running after the reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to optimize the computer, select computer with an internet connection from the drop down menu, this also requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to accelerate downloads, select the speed just above your actual connection speed, this requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to run system advisor

[Retired Tech]

If you have Norton anti virus, click options, misc options, remove the tick for Office plug in, click apply

Items in blue which are underlined are clickable to give more information about the process

Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit then select all, right click any file then click delete, confirm delete

Click start, all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, then from system tools, run disc defragmenter.

Click start then run, type sfc /scannow then press enter, you need the XP CD and Windows File Protection will show a blue onscreen progress bar, when the bar goes, reboot

If you do not have an XP CD you can borrow a same version as was originally installed XP CD, if you downloaded SP2 then you need an SP1 XP CD

Click start then run, type chkdsk /f /r then press enter, type Y to confirm for next boot, press enter then reboot.

Windows will appear to load normally then either the monitor will show progress or the screen will go blank, do not disturb this.

This will take an hour or so before it gets to the desktop.

Download and install Tune Up 2006 Trial

Run Tune Up Disc Clean Up

Run Tune Up Registry Clean Up

Click Optimize and Improve to run Reg Defrag, which will take a few minutes and need a reboot. You should disable the antivirus programme to run this and check it is running after the reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to optimize the computer, select computer with an internet connection from the drop down menu, this also requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to accelerate downloads, select the speed just above your actual connection speed, this requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to run system advisor

[blackstone]

Hi, Keith. Thanks for your input on this.
Prior to doing some of these steps, I think I'd like to make a good back up. I like back ups.
But here's the rub. I use Acronis True Image to back up to an external hard drive. The problem is that my computer does not detect when I plug the external into a usb port. So I have nowhere to back up.
I'm beginning to wonder if the following is related. I tried to go into safe mode today and it would launch and go to the first screen which was a whole screen of files but wouldn't continue to fully load.
After numerous attempts, I started and walked away. It took about 45 minutes to get into safe mode but it finally did.
I'm beginning to wonder if I left the computer alone long enough, that Audacity may load. I have left it for up to an hour; maybe it would take a day.
I did run prefetch. Just 2 days ago I did disk clean up and defrag.
After I solve my back up problem, I'll move ahead with further steps.

[Retired Tech]

If you click sfc and chkdsk you can see what they do, essentially replace missing system files and check the hard drive for errors

Tune Up will show you the errors and you can either correct them or just close it without doing anything

If none of the USB ports are recognised you can use device manager to uninstall them and reboot

You could plug the external drive in when the PC is off then boot it to see if it finds new hardware

[blackstone]

Thanks, again Keith.
I removed 4-USB root hubs and they re-installed properly but my drive isn't recognized yet even from reboot.
I have 4 Intel USB Universal Host Controllers that I didn't remove. Should they also be removed?

[Retired Tech]

Yes, Windows will find them the same way it found the hub when it loads

I take it the external drive is being plugged in to one of the Intel ports

[blackstone]

Yes, that is where it's plugged in. Just dl the tune up software. Will report back in a bit.
Thanks
Larry

[Retired Tech]

You might want to remove the USB leads from the back of the PC before removing the ports in device manager

[blackstone]

You mean whatever is plugged into the ports?

[Retired Tech]

Yes, not essential, so no worries if the leads are difficult to access, the theory is that windows can find the ports then it can look at finding whatever you plug in

[blackstone]

Hi, Keith.
That Tune up cleaner is a pretty neat tool. Might have to buy that one,too.
After doing pretty much all of your steps, my computer does run a lot faster.
I did a short test on Audacity and it did not load in a minute or so. I then shut it down. I opened 2 different Word docs. The first took about 30 sec to open Word and load; the second about 50 secs.
My USBs still don't recognize my external. In the morning, I will look for something else to plug in and see if it's the device or the plugs.
I really appreciate all the help you are giving me on this.

[Retired Tech]

If you have Norton anti virus, click options, misc options, remove the tick for the Office plug in, click apply

While offline, you may want to try audacity with the anti virus programme disabled

[blackstone]

I run Trend PcCillin and Microsoft Spyware Beta.
Never a big fan of Norton.
I'll try disabling the antivirus.
Thanks.

[Retired Tech]

Have a look for an Office plug in PC Cillin

[blackstone]

I can find nothing like an Office plug-in for Trend. I did disable it and allowed Audacity to try to load for maybe a minute or two. It didn't in that time. Even though it didn't take all the resources, that's how it acted.

I have a friend that has a theory that the slowness in loading is like trying to find something in a 2 foot closet as opposed to finding something in a whole house. When I put the 300 gb hd, I changed from the closet to the house and the slow loading is because the new hd is "the house". I'm not sure I agree with this, but hemay be right.

Regarding the back up problem, I moved the external to another computer and that computer didn't "find" it, either. It does turn on and I can feel it turning through the case. Maybe it's bad.

There are days that I hate computers.