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Sys Performance problems


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#1
holdeni

holdeni

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Hi,
I tried to find simillar problems by other members, but couldn't make out much.
As many other i too encounter lately quite slow sys performance:
- Sys boot takes longer
- Programs take longer to load & start, although within the pgms it works ok.
- Poor video (webcam) and audio
- Sometimes the sys hangs (but this is an older recurring problem), although now it seems to happen less... (?)
It seems that the sys is somehow "choked". I kepp looking at the Task Manager but can't make out much.
All this started when i had a removable HD which started to "tick", thus i assumed it's going to crash.
So i copied it to D:\, which is a split disk of C:\, removed it and changed all references to its folders and files.
Both C: and D: have plenty of free space for paging (gigas).
Inevitable, some may still linger somewhere in the system, but if so, i can't find them. Anyway, i don't get any warning or error on this.
I thought about Registry cleaning, but friends told me it's quite risky...
I looked into PCStats and got lost with all them services.
My system is a XP Pro home system, with SP2 using several local users.
Any assistance will be welcomed.
Attached are the images of the T.M. Performance & Processes tabs.
Thank you very much.

Attached Thumbnails

  • Performance1.jpg
  • Performance2.jpg

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#2
The Skeptic

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Please do the following: (For downloads use links in my signature).

1: Click Start > run. Type msconfig. Choose selective startup. Go to the "startup" tab and
uncheck everything which is not essential to run in the background. Leave only
antimalware programs running. (if you change your mind latter you can reactivate those
programs). Confirm and reboot. Upon ebooting you will see a message that should be
checked.

2: Download and run ccleaner. Run the "cleaner" and "issues" options a number of times
until nothing is left to be cleaned. Use the backup option (in "issues") when prompted to
do so.

3: Run a thorough scan with updated antimalware programs. Use Spybot Search and
Destroy, AVG Anti-Spyware and Adaware SE. Run your Antivirus. Run full system
scans (all files), preferably in safe mode. Run the programs one at a time,

4: Run disk defragmantation. Click start > all programs > accessories > system tools >
disk defragmenter.

5: Download and run PageDefrag. This program defrags system and page files which are
not defragged by other means. Set it to work upon next boot and reboot.

6: After you finish the previous stages press ctr+alt+del to enter task manager. Under Performance tab look for "physical
memory". Please report Total and Available.
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#3
holdeni

holdeni

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Thanks Skeptic.
Yesterday, after posting the problem, i dared and went to PCStats and followed their advice as to what services are really needed.
It seems like a small improvement, but not enough.
Now, what do you mean by: "For downloads use links in my signature"? To use the links at the bottom of your reply?
I'll do all this asap, although some of them i did upon encountering the problem (AVG anti-virus scan, AddaWare, Spybot Search&Destroy and Defragmentation). Didn't find any special problems, except for... AVG anti-virus mentioning that... "System32\user32.dll" -> CHANGED and "System32\ntoskrnl.exe" -> CHANGED, but didn't say it's serious...
Perhaps this may be the problem... :whistling:
I'll perform your suggestions nevertheless. I'm not so familiar with the other tools you mentioned (msconfig, CCleaner, PageDefrag), hope not to mess anything...
Thanks again, and i'll report back the results as you asked (he, he, if i mess up something, perhaps i'll not be able to report...).
P.S.: I'm also "skeptic" at times.
Thank you very much.
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#4
The Skeptic

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Hi Holdeni.

Being a Skeptic is an Israeli charachtaristic, I assume, so we have something more in commomn then the flag.

And yes, I meant that you can find links to the proposed programs down, at the bottom of the page. You click the name of the software and it takes you to a download page. PageDefrag is straight forward. Regarding msconfig just follow my instructions. None of these processes is dangerous and you shouldn't have any problem.

I do not say that these will solve the situation but these are first, preliminary steps, from which we can continue. Very often these are enough to solve or improve the situation, but not always.
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#5
holdeni

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Hi Skeptic,
I did what you suggested. Uh, that was looong.
Anyway, it cleaned a lot and defragmented a little (since i did it not long ago).
Now the Task Manager looks like this (see attachment).
The situation is more or less the same, althoug at times it looks a bit faster. I keep playing MP3 and each time i start a program or even move activity to one already open i get distortions.
Still, when programns start to open, the CPU &/or memory seem like choking.
Maybe it's connected somehow with a "hardware" issue?
Before i had an HD as scondary master, a separate device (F:), now i have only C: and D:, the last one being part of the same phisical HD. So, perhaps the memory swaping causes all the problems. Since they started after copying all F: to D: removing the F:.
Disk space is no problem, there is plenty on both C: and D:.
Adding memory may help, now it's 500Mb?
Are there more things to do?
Thanks.
Ps: This time i included all them things in the taskbar.

Attached Thumbnails

  • Perf_1_070514.jpg

Edited by holdeni, 14 May 2007 - 01:59 PM.

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#6
The Skeptic

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Looking at the pictures you attached Iget the impression that two possibilities exist.

1: You have a number of programs which run in the background and consume a considerable amount of resources. These, for example, are ICQ, Incredimail, Babillon and some others. Add to that the fact that you have several users and you find a loaded computer. I suggest that you uncheck these programs in Start > run > msconfig > srartup. confirm and reboot. Open the programs when you need them.

2: The graph in your picture shows quite regular peaks. Open task manager > processes and let the computer idle. Look at the list of processes and see if there is any particular one that once in a while peaks up in cpu usage. Please report.
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