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Slowdown

Started by pegbern , Aug 29 2009 07:48 AM

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#1
pegbern
Posted 29 August 2009 - 07:48 AM

pegbern

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Recently my system with XP has begun to slow down at random and even come to a complete stop when it virtully crashes, but sooner or later but not always recovers and begins operating normally. I have done a full virus scan and received a clean bill of health. These occurrances are accompanied by the CPU usage jumping to 100%, staying there for a while, then dropping to nought for a moment and then repeating the cycle. This is sometimes accompanied by a humming noise as though the hard drive is running at high speed although I'm not sure whether the two things are connected. Some commands are responded to very slowly and sometimes not at all. This is obviously very inconvenient especially when the system 'crashes' and I have to shut it down and restart as I lose the work I've done since my last save.
Help is much needed and would be very welcome.
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#2
happyrock
Posted 29 August 2009 - 07:58 AM

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click on start...run...type in MSCONFIG...press enter...click on start tab...
on a desktop you uncheck everything EXCEPT your ANTI VIRUS and firewall...on a laptop you have to be more selective or your touchpad ...wireless and things like that won't work...you will have to google each one and then decide what you can get rid of in the start up section....

these tweaks will speed you up some...
turn off indexing...click ...START...MY COMPUTER...right click on the hard drive...properties..uncheck allow indexing and compress drive...then click on OK...when it asks about subfolders say YES...it will take a little while to finish...

go to add/remove programs and get rid of anything you don't want or use
get rid of real player... Quicktime ...and Adobe reader
they are resource hogs...lower down I will give you the alternatives for them all..
get CCLEANER
To clean your temp folder, recycle bin, etc..please download this free tool...

CCleaner

Don't install any Toolbars, or other programs, should it ask you!Just
uncheck the option of installing the Yahoo toolbar....if you get
the slim version it does not have the toolbar
thats the one I recommend...
It will put a shortcut on your Desktop.

Before first use...
Select Options then Advanced.
UNCHECK "Only delete files in Windows Temp folder older than 48 hours"
The rest of the standard settings are fine...

Click on CCleaner to start it. Then click "Run Cleaner"

DO NOT USE ANY OF THE OTHER TOOLS...RUNNING THEM MAY CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS

What JavaRa does is to check if your computer has the latest version of Java Runtime Environment (JRE).
If the version you have installed has been superseded by a newer version the program will download and install this newer version for you, by running Java's update program.
JavaRa then allows you to remove all possible older versions of this program. This way it will ensure that the security of your PC is enhanced will create extra space on your hard disk....get it here

this replace's Adobe reader
Foxit Reader is a free utility that includes some tools that Adobe lacks, including a "typewriter" tool that lets you type text over any PDF, and edit any of the text they contain. not just files that have been set with form fields.
Foxit launches very quickly (in about one second) and it requires no installation... It allows you open, view, print, and change the page layout in PDF files. For some functions, such as the typewriter function, FoxIt Reader shows an ad for FoxIt Reader Pro. However, these functions still work with minor limitations.
get foxit reader

I highly recommend these alternatives to quicktime and real player..
they both are
- Quick and easy install..about 30 seconds..
- No background processes
- Low on resources
- Smaller size
QuickTime Alternative...QuickTime Alternative will allow you to play QuickTime files (.mov, .qt, .3gp and other extensions) without having to install the official QuickTime Player

Real Alternative.. will allow you to play RealMedia files without having to install RealPlayer or RealOne Player.
==================================================================
Starting Disk Cleanup

* Click Start ... Programs... Accessories ... System Tools ... Disk Cleanup
OR
* In Windows Explorer or My Computer... right-click the disk in which you want to free up space... click Properties... click the General tab... and then click Disk Cleanup....

next get diskeeper lite here...
and Defragment Your Computer...click on the diskeeper icon...close the NAG screen...select the C drive if that's the drive your operating system is installed on...towards the bottom click on defrag..the first time you run it it could take 20 minutes or so...run it about every two weeks and it will only take about 5 minutes..YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE WHILE ITS DEFRAGGING...close it when your done...it will tell you how many fragmented files you had...give us that number when you reply..

you do not have to defrag in safe mode with diskeeper lite and its 10 times as fast than the defragger that comes with windows....
you should time your computer before doing these and then again after doing the tweaks..
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#3
pegbern
Posted 29 August 2009 - 09:14 AM

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Before I carry out the procedures you have described, I thought I ought to create a Restore Point in case anything goes wrong. I did this and later when I checked to see if it worked, Syystem Restore seemed to go through a procedure, but when it restarted my computer, I got the message that the Restore was unsuccessful. It seems as though I might have a problem there as well. What would you advise me to do?
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#4
happyrock
Posted 29 August 2009 - 03:54 PM

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try a different restore point and if it is unsuccessful you will have to turn of restore to clear out all the old bad restore points...then turn it on again and manually create a new restore point...
restore points are linked ..so if one is bad ..they are ALL bad...
a better way is to use ERUNT...get it here...they have a good description of it there...
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#5
pegbern
Posted 30 August 2009 - 02:10 AM

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I followed your instructions, turned off Restore, turned it on again and created a new restore point, but when I tested it, Restore came up with the same message that the restore was unsuccessful. You mentioned that a better way is to use ERUNT. I have previously downloaded that and used it to make a backup of my Registry. I thought that was all it did and I can't see how it could be used to correct a System Restore problem. Could you explain?
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#6
happyrock
Posted 30 August 2009 - 06:46 AM

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erunt is not used to fix a restore not working problem...its to replace it...it does the same thing only better...

but lets try and get restore working..
How to ReInstall System Restore

click on start...control panel... click on Folder Options... Click on View tab

In the advanced Settings put tick next to the Show Hidden Files and Folders Click OK ...

click on My Computer... click on the C: drive ...then the windows folder

Scroll down and click on the inf folder...its a super hidden file so it will look kind of faint..

Right Click on sr.inf... click on Install

You may be asked for the Windows XP CD. if you haven't got a retail copy of the XP CD, point your browser to the i386 folder, locate the inf folder and see if you can install System restore form there...
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#7
pegbern
Posted 30 August 2009 - 08:12 AM

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Thanks for the info.

I followed your instructions a far as Right Click on sr.inf....click on install, and as expected a message came up asking for the Windows cd, so I pointed my browser to i386, but none of the sites had a folder i386 with an inf folder in it. I did a search of my C:\ drive for i386 and came up with half a dozen locations, but none of these had an inf folder either. Could you redirect me?
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#8
happyrock
Posted 30 August 2009 - 11:59 AM

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you will have to borrow a xp cd from someone you know...
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#9
pegbern
Posted 31 August 2009 - 02:04 AM

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Sorry I don't have any friendsnwith XP disc. Could we try using ERUNT?
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#10
happyrock
Posted 31 August 2009 - 05:34 AM

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erunt is a great registry backup program...it will not do anything else :)
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#11
pegbern
Posted 31 August 2009 - 08:47 AM

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I'm confused because in your post 4 on 29 Aug, you said 'a better way is to use ERUNT... and in post 6 you said erunt is not used to fix a restore not working problem...its to replace it...it does the same thing only better. This doesn't seem compatible with the statement in your last post.
Are you now saying that there isn't a method available to me that will fix the System Restore not working problem?
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#12
happyrock
Posted 31 August 2009 - 11:26 AM

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if you want restore to work again ...then you HAVE to borrow or BUY a xp.cd...
the work around is to just use erunt...want to know more about system restore and erunt just google them ...read up until you understand what they are and what they do
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#13
pegbern
Posted 01 September 2009 - 01:42 AM

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First you say ERUNT can be used as an altenative to System Restore and then you say it can't. This correspondence is a waste of time and I@m ending it now.
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#14
happyrock
Posted 01 September 2009 - 06:57 AM

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erunt is a way to back up your registry...it is not a way to fix system restore that came with your system...
I don't know how else to explain it and for whatever reason YOU can't understand what I'm saying...thats why I included link to sites that explain what each are and what they do...it appears to been a waste of time ...
don't worry...this IS our last chat ...you have been added to my ignore list and from this point on I will not even see your posts...
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