[nicky_k_]

Hi, I think this is the right place to post this.

I have a Dell Optiplex 320
running XP professional SP3
Pentium D processor 2.8GHz
Ram: 2GB
Hard Drive 74GB (Free space 17GB)

Up till a few days ago my computer ran wonderfully, I could have atleast 10-12 programs open including firefox (with lots of tabs) and multiple databases and outlook etc and experience no significant delay when using it normally.
But then two days ago it just seemed to get really sluggish. I don't often restart my computer as it hosts some documents and pages for a network, but I decided a restart might clear it up. It didn't, and the startup seemed a lot slower than I remember. After a number of hours it seemed more responsive. But then last night I noticed the system process was using 102.7MB of RAM, which seems excessively high. When I came in this morning it had gone up slightly to 102.768MB. I have AVG network edition. I hasn't found any viruses and it scans every day.
I ran Ccleaner, but it didn't change anything.
I've run malwarebytes quick and full scans, it found nothing.
I ran spybot search & destroy, also nothing.
I looked at the startup processes and removed some of them (teatimer.exe, NASnavi.exe etc) but this still didn't help.
When I restarted I ran task manager as soon as it started and the system was using 102.672MB already and I hadn't opened anything, but also wuauclt was using 118MB but windows update didn't seem to be open at all (i assume this is to do with windows update).

I ran process explorer (the screenshot of system should be attached) a number of the processes under it are to do with Apache and the internal server the computer hosts, however I stopped the apache and sql processes, but this didn't adjust the system usage at all.

I did run HiJack this and a rootkit finder, and I had a look through the hiJack this log, I didn't see anything that looked odd. But I can try and find the logs if needed.

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas about what it could be. I don't remember installing anything shortly before it seemed to slow. It does return to a reasonable speed after a while following a reboot, but I haven't yet tried using all the programs I wish to.

Thanks,

Nikki

(and sorry for the long post, hope it's got most of the info you need atm)

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That is NOT of course a particularly large use of ram. 102 odd Mb, out of 2Gb.
1. Have you installed anything just before this believed decrease in performance. - that I would think is your first line of enquiry.
2. There are a number of programmes/applications running which are unless you paricularly want them, unnecessary.
3. I hope you did not use the registry cleaner aspect of CCleaner. The program, other than that aspect is excellent. (Although I prefer ATF Cleaner)
4. How slow is it, have you run memtest, just in case.
5. Reading your post, you know what you are doing, so do not be annoyed for the suggestion, but you do not have two anti-virus/malware protection running - I presume.
6. Have you tried a clean boot and see if it makes an appreciable difference.
7. Is Windows indexing running.
8. I cannot remember if CCleaner deletes the add-ons from the browser. I suggest you check the number of add-ons.
9. Is the machine generally slow, or rather just the net.

[Macboatmaster]

That is NOT of course a particularly large use of ram. 102 odd Mb, out of 2Gb.
1. Have you installed anything just before this believed decrease in performance. - that I would think is your first line of enquiry.
2. There are a number of programmes/applications running which are unless you paricularly want them, unnecessary.
3. I hope you did not use the registry cleaner aspect of CCleaner. The program, other than that aspect is excellent. (Although I prefer ATF Cleaner)
4. How slow is it, have you run memtest, just in case.
5. Reading your post, you know what you are doing, so do not be annoyed for the suggestion, but you do not have two anti-virus/malware protection running - I presume.
6. Have you tried a clean boot and see if it makes an appreciable difference.
7. Is Windows indexing running.
8. I cannot remember if CCleaner deletes the add-ons from the browser. I suggest you check the number of add-ons.
9. Is the machine generally slow, or rather just the net.

[nicky_k_]

That is NOT of course a particularly large use of ram. 102 odd Mb, out of 2Gb.

I know, since firefox generally uses at least 200Mb but i just didn't remember it using anywhere near that before. It has gone up again since yesterday though, but only slightly to 102.812Mb I haven't left it running for long enough with it being monitored, but I wonder if it is going to keep creeping up. =/
1. Have you installed anything just before this believed decrease in performance. - that I would think is your first line of enquiry.
I don't think I did. I downloaded programs recently, but only since it was slow.
2. There are a number of programmes/applications running which are unless you paricularly want them, unnecessary.
Yes I imagine there are a few, I did have a look at services and startup and removed a few, but which ones would you suggest removing some of them like apache and sql-nt I do use, some others I probably don't
3. I hope you did not use the registry cleaner aspect of CCleaner. The program, other than that aspect is excellent. (Although I prefer ATF Cleaner)
I used it to clean out the files, but there didn't seem to be much there other than recycle bin...
4. How slow is it, have you run memtest, just in case.
I've never heard of memtest, so I haven't run it.
5. Reading your post, you know what you are doing, so do not be annoyed for the suggestion, but you do not have two anti-virus/malware protection running - I presume.
I run AVG as my standard antivirus, and anything I only run to check every so often (like malwarebytes) I don't have any other antivirus installed.
6. Have you tried a clean boot and see if it makes an appreciable difference.
A clean boot, what exactly do you mean by that?
7. Is Windows indexing running.
As far as I can tell, no it isn't.
8. I cannot remember if CCleaner deletes the add-ons from the browser. I suggest you check the number of add-ons.
9. Is the machine generally slow, or rather just the net.
In actual fact the internet seems reasonably fast, unless the internet connection goes faulty. But it's more when the computer is rebooted it can be very slow, it doesn't take that long to actually get to the user screen, but for a time afterwards opening programs and changing between them is slow.
I don't know if it is connected at all but my outlook has recently been crashing when I start it up and then I have to open it again, and it opens fine the second time. I've never really had this problem before though.
Now the machine is running how it normally does, with quick transitions between programs. But I did try with closing all the memory intensive components of system in process explorer (apache, apache, sqlsvr and mysql-nt) but it didn't make any difference to the memory listed by system. Does it not necessarily release the memory?
The other thing I read was about AVG having a memory leak or something like that, but I'm not sure if this is anything current. I haven't tried uninstalling it because I've been trying to restart the computer as little as possible to keep the server running.

Thanks for your help.

[Macboatmaster]

Run chkdsk from My Computer. Right click the HDD carrying Windows. Click Properties, Tools, Error checking, Click Check Now. Click to check "automatically fix file system errors". Click Start. Reschedule for next restart. DO NOT INTERRUPT. Check results in Control Panel, Administrative tools, Event Viewer, Application and scroll down to Winlogon. Double click that entry and results will be displayed.
Any file system errors found.

If so HOW is it now.
If you perceive it still slow try this.

Clean boot instructions.
http://support.micro....com/kb/310353/

[The Skeptic]

Download PageDefrag from the link in my list below. PageDefrag is the only program that I know of that defrags registry hives and page files. Fragmantation of theses files can cause lots of problems. Install the program and set it to run on next reboot. Reboot and let it run.

[nicky_k_]

Okay. I'll do those as soon as I can, but I can't really restart my computer until after work has finished. I probably won't be able to post any results for a week or so, as I won't be near this computer for a while. But I'll let you know if it helps as soon as I get back.

Thanks