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Very Slow PC


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#1
doublexd

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My PC is running incredibly slooooooow. It takes about 4 mins just to start up. I've run ATF cleaner, have firewalls and virus protection but can't work out what's wrong. I couldn't even open up word yesterday. The program just wouldn't respond. I seem to have a lot of stuff in the startup menu but I'm not sure what to remove. These are the enabled programs in startup:
igfxtray
hkcmd
SMTray
ucstartup
ibmmessages
qttask
wcmdmgr1
avgcc
cfp
rlvknlg
ibmmessages
Adobe Reader Speed Launch

Any advice about what to get rid off to try and speed up the PC would be reeeeaaally appreciated!! :)
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#2
The Skeptic

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Switch off your modem/router and uninstall AVG. See if the computer is better now. If it is, reinstall AVG. Corrupted AVG installations frequently slow down computers. If that doesn't help please do the following.

To speed-up your computer please do the following: (For most downloads use links from the list below).

1: Click Start > run. Type msconfig. Check Selective Mode and click the "startup" tab. Uncheck everything which is not essential. Leave only antimalware programs (if you change your mind latter you can reactivate those programs). Confirm and reboot. Upon rebooting a message will show up. Please check it and continue. For laptop users: do not uncheck items that clearly relate to the operation of the computer.

2: In Add/Remove programs, in Control Panel, uninstall all unnecessary toolbars such as Yahoo, google and others. Latter on you can download them again.

3: If you have Internet Explorer 7 installed as a windows update, uninstall it in add/remove programs in control panel. This will roll you back to internet explorer 6. Latter on you can download it again as a Windows Update.

4: Download and install CCleaner. Do not install the Yahoo toolbar that comes packed with the program. In addition to items checked by default please check "Old Prefetch Data". Run the "cleaner" and "registry" options a number of times until nothing is left to be cleaned. Use the backup option (in "registry") when prompted to do so.

5: Run a thorough scan with updated antimalware programs. Use the link in my list to the malware forum and follow all the preliminary steps. Run full system scans (all files), preferably in safe mode. Run the programs one at a time,

6: Run disk defragmantation. For this operation I use and recommend Auslogic Disk Defrag. Alternatively you can run Microsoft's defragmenter.

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

8: Download HD Tune and under Benchmarking run a complete performance test. Please report Average data transfer for the entire test.

9: Press ctr+alt+del to enter task manager. Under Performance tab look for "physical memory". Please report Total and Available.

10: Enter "My Computer", right-click drive C: and then Properties. Please report Capacity and Free Space of your hard disk (each partition, if you have more then one).

11: Go to Device Manager, expand IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers, Double click IDE Primary Channel, click Advanced Settings and write down what you see in Current Transfer Mode. Repeat the procedure for Secondary IDE Channel.
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#3
doublexd

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I've done what you've suggested and realised that the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers were on PIO. I've switched that back to DMA and that seems to have done the trick. However when I was going through and deleting some of the unused programs on the control panel, I still have Skype listed down, even though I thought I removed this ages ago. It tells me that the program is used often which isn't the case. However when I try to remove the program, it won't let me. Any ideas? :)
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#4
The Skeptic

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download Microsoft's Windows Installer cleanup utility from here. Run the program and remove Skype.
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#5
doublexd

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OK I've downloaded Microsoft's Windows Installer cleanup utility and I've run the program. When I go into control panel, Add/Remove programs, it says that Skype was last used today (which it wasn't). I've tried to remove it but it still won't let me. Any other ideas?
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#6
The Skeptic

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Click Start > Run. In the test line type msconfig and press Enter. Check Selective Mode and open Startup menu. Uncheck Skype, confirm and reboot the computer when asked to do so.

Reboot into Safe Mode by clicking F8 repeatedly as soon as the computer starts booting. Try to uninstall the program in safe mode . Do this directly from Add/Remove programs or by using Microsoft's cleaner.

If still not successful download Unlocker from the links below. Install it and boot again to safe mode. Right click Skype in All Programs or in Add/Remove in control panel. Choose to delete with Unlocker. When the program opens choose Delete from the given options and allow the removal.
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#7
doublexd

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OK I've still had no luck. I've done the following:

Click Start > Run. In the test line type msconfig and press Enter. Check Selective Mode and open Startup menu. Uncheck Skype, confirm and reboot the computer when asked to do so.



Skype was already unchecked. So then I did the following:

Reboot into Safe Mode by clicking F8 repeatedly as soon as the computer starts booting. Try to uninstall the program in safe mode . Do this directly from Add/Remove programs or by using Microsoft's cleaner.



It wouldn't let me uninstall in safe mode and the program wasn't in the Microsoft cleaner list. So, then I progressed onto your final suggestion.

If still not successful download Unlocker from the links below. Install it and boot again to safe mode. Right click Skype in All Programs or in Add/Remove in control panel. Choose to delete with Unlocker. When the program opens choose Delete from the given options and allow the removal.


Now I downloaded this program, and still had no luck. The program is in the startup menu but unchecked, and is in the control panel, add/remove programs, but I can't get rid of it. It must be connected to something, probably internet because it is still being used. Next suggestion???

Edited by doublexd, 15 May 2008 - 06:18 AM.

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#8
The Skeptic

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Try to download and install it again, then remove it in safe mode.

Another tool that you may use is Killbox. Download the program and open it. Use the folder icon to browse and find Skype. Check Delete on Reboot and All Files and click the red circle to delete the program. You will have to reboot the computer to accomplish the removal.
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#9
doublexd

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I've uninstalled and then re-installed unlocker but still are not having any luck. I can't even get the unlocker assistant to work. I've also downloaded Killbox, but I can't find the skype program anywhere in the dropdown boxes. The only place that the skype program shows up, is on the control panel - add/remove programs list - and its STILL running. I can't find a file path for it either. It's the same in safe mode.
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#10
Artellos

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What about downloading a SkypeSetup from the Skype website.
Running that will either let you repair it them remove it, or completely un-install it.

Just a suggestion :)

Regards,
Olrik
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#11
The Skeptic

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Thanks, Artellos, for joining forces. Your suggestion is exactly what I meant in my previous post. Reading back, it looks as if I wasn't clear enough.

Please download and reinstall Skype. Run it and then remove with one of the many tools we discussed so far, starting with Add/Remove program.
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#12
Artellos

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No problem The Skeptic! :)
I've learned loads from your posts, Keep up the good work :)

Regards,
Olrik
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#13
doublexd

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OK I've downloaded skype again. In my add/remove programs list, I then had 2 listings for skype. I was able to successfully remove the one I had just downloaded , but I'm still left with the original one. It's coming up in this list as "Skype for internet explorer". This last one just wont budge. :)
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#14
doublexd

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I thought I would try something else and ran a search for any programs/files with the word Skype in it. Quite a few came up. Some were hidden in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\macromedia\Flash Player\Macromedia.com\support\flashplayer\system\skype. There were others in C:\Program Files\Skype (but these wren't visible when you looked through the program list normally), and also under 'my documents' as well. I've deleted everything I could find, and then went back to add/remove programs but it still won't let me delete skype. I've run a search again for Skype in all files and folders and nothing is coming up. I think it mut be linked to the internet explorer somehow.
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#15
The Skeptic

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Since the computer is running well now why not leave the Skype dormant in place? I know it's annoying but sometimes it's best solution. I had cases in which AVG antivirus became corrupted and I couldn't remove it completely, not could I reinstall it, whatever I tried, even deleting all AVG entries in the registry. Eventually I decided that it doesn't cause any harm and left it at that.
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