[kmagarden]

Hi, I am "software" literate, and can get around most programs. I am "hardward" ignorant and just don't understand how it all works. I'm not certain I'm posting this in the correct forum. Please forgive me!

About six months (roughly) ago my computer slowed down significantly and I started getting a lot of "virtual memory too low, please wait while Windows fixes" (obviously I haven't written down the exact message, but I'm guessing you get my point)

Programs take FOREVER to open. If I have Explorer and Outlook open, it takes a long time to switch from one application to the other. It takes FOREVER to open a new tab in explorer. . .

Well, it is slowly driving me insane. Please help me. I run McAfee and have run all the scans it offers. I also downloaded and ran Webroot Spysweeper and Advanced System Optimizer. Nothing major was found and it certainly didn't help.

My computer is a few years old, is it just out of date? Do I need to update memory? RAM? What? (PS- those words "memory" and "RAM" etc. . . mean little to me other than I know the computer needs them. . . )

Thank you so much for your valuable time.

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Hello kmagarden.... Welcome to GeeksToGo,

Ram and Memory usually are the same animal in computer terms.
Let's see if we can help you out. Please follow the next steps in order and reply back with the requested logs.

Download Autoruns from the link in my signature below:

1: Extract the Autoruns Zip file contents to a folder.
2: Double-click the "Autoruns.exe".
3: Click on the "Everything" tab
4: Remove any entries that mention "File Not Found" by right-clicking the entry and select Delete.
5: Go to File then to Export As.
6: Save AutoRuns.txt file to know location.
7: Attach to your next reply.


Download and install EVEREST Free Home Edition
Open it.
1: In left pane expand Computer folder.
2: Click once on Summary
3: In upper menu, go Report
4: And then to Quick Report-Summary
5: Save it in text file, and paste it in your next post.


DO NOT INCLUDE ANYTHING UNDER THE LINE THAT SAYS "DEBUG- PCI"

[rshaffer61]

Hello kmagarden.... Welcome to GeeksToGo,

Ram and Memory usually are the same animal in computer terms.
Let's see if we can help you out. Please follow the next steps in order and reply back with the requested logs.

Download Autoruns from the link in my signature below:

1: Extract the Autoruns Zip file contents to a folder.
2: Double-click the "Autoruns.exe".
3: Click on the "Everything" tab
4: Remove any entries that mention "File Not Found" by right-clicking the entry and select Delete.
5: Go to File then to Export As.
6: Save AutoRuns.txt file to know location.
7: Attach to your next reply.


Download and install EVEREST Free Home Edition
Open it.
1: In left pane expand Computer folder.
2: Click once on Summary
3: In upper menu, go Report
4: And then to Quick Report-Summary
5: Save it in text file, and paste it in your next post.


DO NOT INCLUDE ANYTHING UNDER THE LINE THAT SAYS "DEBUG- PCI"

[wyattd]

This is for RShaffer. Sorry to add on to this post, but I can't seem to figure out how to post my own and this is the same problem I have. (Slow computer, low virtual memory) I went through the whole list of things to do: Malwarebytes, MBAM, TFC, SysrestorePt, ERUNT, etc. I had to remove Symantec so that my Avast would run and I googled how to do that because it was tricky, but I think I'm good now. I updated Windows through the website, but it just kept running and never seemed to resolve itself, so I closed it out and tried again. Ran it last night and this morning it was done and said to reboot. A black screen with Windows XP showed up and said to wait, but never fully rebooted - just sat like that for hours. I finally turned it off and restarted it. Still terribly slow. I am running 50 (yes, 50) processes at all times and I think this is the culprit, but I don't know how to deal with them. Could you please help?
Thanks, Rachel

[rshaffer61]

wyattd if you go HERE and on the top right corner you will see a button that says New Topic
Click that and then put in your title Low Virtual Memory and Slow XP
I will or one of the other Tech Staff get to you asap.

[kmagarden]

Here are those text files. Hope I did it right!?!?!

Thanks so much for your help.

Kelly

Attached Files

•  AutoRuns.txt   101.68KB   279 downloads
•  Report.txt   3.99KB   144 downloads

Edited by kmagarden, 05 August 2009 - 01:34 PM.

[rshaffer61]

Issue one is
512 MB (PC2100 DDR SDRAM)
This is minimum for XP to run correctly not counting anything more to run.
This is also directly tied to your virtual memory issue also.
I suggest you think seriously about increasing this to 1 gig of memory.


Go HERE and run the Crucial online scanner.
This will give you the exact memory configuration for your system. You do not have to buy the memory from there, but write down the information and if you need assistance in purchasing the upgrade memory GTG can assist with suggestions also.


Since your Hd doesn't seem to be running low on space, I want to make sure we can get rid of the Virtual memory problem. Please follow the next steps:


Go to Start and then Right click on My Computer
Click on Properties and then click on the Advanced Tab
In the Performance area click on the Settings button
When the new Window opens click on the Advanced Tab
In the Virtual Memory area please click on Change
Half way down the window you will see the System Managed Size option
Select this if it isn't already selected
Now click OK, OK, OK. This will now hopefully end the warnings.


Let me know how everything works then.


I'm checking your Autoruns now and will post with those results next

[rshaffer61]

Open Autoruns, click on "Logon" tab, and UN-check:

+ QuickTime Task
+ SunJavaUpdateSched
+ MSMSGS




The next file needs to be manually disabled and is only needed if you use multi language on your keyboard. If you do then skip the step.


To turn off just ctfmon.exe go to:


Control Panel then to Regional and Language Options

Click on the Languages Tab then click the Details button

Click on the Advanced tab

Check the box that says Turn off advanced text services option

Click A and then OK




When done restart computer and then:


Download Temp File Cleaner (TFC)
Double click on TFC.exe to run the program.
Click on Start button to begin cleaning process.
TFC will close all running programs, and it may ask you to restart computer.



Download Auslogics Defrag from the link in my signature below. Auslogics Defrag in my opinion is better because:

It does a more comprehensive job at Defragging
It will actually show you what it is doing
At the end of working it will show you how much speed you picked up
You can view a online log of the files that Auslogics defragged

[kmagarden]

OK, thanks for your help. I did all you've said, and it cleaned up the computer quite a bit. But I am still getting the message. Guess I need to upgrade the RAM. Just weird that it only just started happening a few months ago. Sigh. :-) I was afraid that was the problem. Now I just need to figure out how to do that! LOL

I appreciate your time.

[rshaffer61]

As a system gets more programs running in the autooruns it will use more and more memory.
Over time that means in your case the little memory you have is not enough.
By increasing the issue should resolve itself.

[The Skeptic]

The cause for the message can be that virtual memory files became too fragmented. Try this:

1: Control panel > system > advanced > settings (in performance) > advanced > change (virtual memory. Click Custom Size and change minimum and maximum to some 100 MB. Click Set, approve and reboot. Now repeat the process and in Minimum write 1000 MB and in Maximum write 2000 MB. Reboot.

2: Download PageDefrag from the link in my list below. Install, allow to defrag on next boot and reboot.

Apart from the message, is your computer working fast now?

[crooz]

Just for the heck of it rshaffer61, I ran Everest on my PC and couldn't find anything under 'Report' about 'Quick Report-Summary.'
Maybe Lavalys, Inc upgraded in the meantime? ...or else I'm doin' something wrong.

Edited by crooz, 09 August 2009 - 04:15 PM.

[happyrock]

see screenshot...

[rshaffer61]

Thanks Happyrock

[crooz]

Oh... in the menubar NOT the tool bar 'Report' button.
Sorry

[kmagarden]

OK The Skeptic - I did that.

My machine is still slow. I mostly use explorer and outlook. I do use other applications, but these 2 are almost always up also.

I did read in someone else's post about looking at task manager and seeing what was using cpu resources. Twice today when my system slowed down to nothing I looked and winword.exe was using 95-100% of the cpu. I didn't even have it open. The only time I've used word today (if that's what it is) was in replying to some emails. I did reboot between occurances. . . . It tends to speed my computer up for a bit if I reboot. . .

Kelly