[mpkeith]

Can anybody tell me which of the following running processes I can end without harming anything? There's just way too many and I think it's the culprit in my slow computer and freezing windows. The help would be greatly appreciated!

Here is a screenshot:




Thanks ahead of time,

Matt

Edited by mpkeith, 02 June 2008 - 02:20 AM.

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My computer is running 43 processes and using around 100 MB's. Thats twice your numbers and my computer is not slow at all. How much memory are you using? I have 2 gigs of memory in each of my newer computers. If your only running 512 MB of memory it really is not quite enough for XP to run good. If you really want to stop some programs i would type in msconfig at the RUN box and use the selective startup. Also in msconfig you can find most all things running on your computer. I would look at the updater programs and maybe disable them.

SRX660

[SRX660]

My computer is running 43 processes and using around 100 MB's. Thats twice your numbers and my computer is not slow at all. How much memory are you using? I have 2 gigs of memory in each of my newer computers. If your only running 512 MB of memory it really is not quite enough for XP to run good. If you really want to stop some programs i would type in msconfig at the RUN box and use the selective startup. Also in msconfig you can find most all things running on your computer. I would look at the updater programs and maybe disable them.

SRX660

[Fenor]

I agree with SRX660. 29 processes running (and actually only 27 if you don't include the iexplore.exe [Internet Explorer window you had open] and wordpad.exe [Wordpad that you had open at the time]) is not that many at all. I had around 40-50 running when I was using XP. That being said, there are two processes that don't need to be running and those are jusched.exe and realsched.exe. Those pertain to Java's and Real Player's automatic update checking scheduler respectively.

You can stop these from starting up, because they really are not needed, by going to START-->RUN and typing msconfig. In the new window that appears, click on the STARTUP tab and then uncheck the two boxes that correspond to those two files. Then click APPLY and OK and when prompted that the changes will not take effect until you reboot and do you want to reboot, click YES and your computer will reboot.

Once rebooted, you will receive a popup window stating that you are running in Selective Startup Mode, because you unchecked two of the boxes in the STARTUP tab. Just click the box that says don't show this window again and click OK.

Those two processes will now not startup when your computer does, getting you down to 25 processes, which is not many at all.

Fenor

[mpkeith]

Thanks for the responses. Maybe that's not my problem then, huh? I don't have any popups or anything, and I clean my computer of viruses/adware/spyware regularly with a few different programs.

Also, I just recently deleted a bunch of old files from my computer that were taking up 4-5 gigs of space. I'm really not sure what else to do.

I know you don't know what all my specs are, but are there any other general things I can try to speed things up? Any common problems that could be causing this that I can try to fix?


Matt

[Fenor]

Could you please post your specs as it would be immensely helpful in determining what could be done to help remove the freezing up problem you are having.

Also, you say your computer gets slow and you have freezing windows. When exactly does this happen? Is it only certain windows/files that cause this or is it a general problem?

[mpkeith]

Here is my system info:



Also, here is a screenshot of my device manager:




As for the windows freezing, it seems to do it if I'm running a program such as Photoshop or Windows Media Player and am surfing maybe just one or two open windows in IE.

In instances like this, quite often the webpage I'm on will freeze and I'll get a "program not responding" error. I'll end the task, then it will take sometimes 30 seconds to a minute for the window to close, and when it does, it slowly wipes off the screen from top to bottom. Then, I usually have a 30 second or so period of dial-up-like speeds.

Generally, though, the computer is just sluggish and slow-loading for the most part... funny thing is, downloads seem to complete fairly quickly unless I'm downloading multiple files at once.


Please let me know if you need to know anything else. I can post my HJT logs if that will help at all. I really don't know much about that stuff so I try not to mess with it myself.

I greatly appreciate your help!


Matt


EDIT:

SRX660, I just reread your post and you said 512 MB isn't really good with XP... Looks like I'm running at 254. Maybe that's the problem?

Is this something that can be raised without purchasing a new drive? My computer wasn't always running like this.

Edited by mpkeith, 02 June 2008 - 10:48 PM.

[SRX660]

Although it says you can only run 512 MB of PC100 memory on your computer i would try finding a couple of sticks of 512 MB PC100/133 memory to add to the computer. It will do wonders for your old computer.


Your computers spec's
http://h10025.www1.h...p;product=92736

Some memory you could buy
http://www.partspc.c...mp;ProdID=18487

OR maybe just browse for what you are looking for.
http://www.pricewatc...pc133_512mb.htm

It is quite easy to replace the memory. After shutting off the computer and unplugging the power cord, Just open the side case on the computer, find the memory, flip the 2 levers at the ends out , and pull the old memory stick out. Then carefully inserting the new memory and pressing straight down on the memory until you see that the locking levers have closed in. Make sure the levers are all the way closed. Also make sure the slots in the bottom of the memory sticks match up with the bumps in the memory slot, They can only go into the slot correctly ONE WAY. Put the side cover back on and your done. Start your computer back up and see if it sees the memory.

SRX660

Edited by SRX660, 03 June 2008 - 03:50 AM.

[mpkeith]

That sounds like an easy and inexpensive fix. $15 apiece isn't bad at all!

The page you posted ( http://www.partspc.c...mp;ProdID=18487 ) explains the difference between high-density and low-density memory, and if it's compatible with your motherboard. Will high-density cards work on my system? Sorry, I really don't know where to find what it's saying I need.

Also, if I use (2) 512 memory cards, will that give me 1024 of memory?

Thank You!


Matt

Edited by mpkeith, 03 June 2008 - 11:58 AM.

[SRX660]

If you are going to choose between high density and low density, alway go for the LOW density memory. Low density is compatable with 90% of the computers while high density is really only compatable with about 20 %. You may not be able to run 1024 Mb of memory on your computer, as the page i linked to says the MB only supports 512 MB. That said i have a H-P computer that said the same thing in the manual, but it recognized 2 - 512 sticks of memory when i installed them( for a total of 1024). Yours may not see all of ithe memory or may not boot at all until you pull one stick out.

SRX660

[mpkeith]

I'll give this a shot... it definitely seems like it could be the problem.

Thank you for the help!


Matt