[frostyr1]

I have a dell Inspiron 6000 laptop that has gotten extremely slow when it is turned on or if it sits idle for a while. Then, all of a sudden it will catch up with a bunch of previous commands that hadn't processed.

It is XP Media Center Edition
Version 2002
Serivce Pack 2
Intel Pentium M processor 1.70GHz 1.19 GHz
504 MB of RAM
C drive 36.5GB Free of 51.1GB

[Advertisements]

Is this the same computer on which the thread was run in Malware in June of last year

[Macboatmaster]

Is this the same computer on which the thread was run in Malware in June of last year

[frostyr1]

No, that was a desktop with Vista!

[Macboatmaster]

Run a chkdsk /r at cmd prompt or right click hard drive, properties, tools, error checking, check now, click to check both boxes, click start and agree to run on restart.
When that finishes it is a five stage check. Pls do NOT interrupt it.
Go Control Panel, admin functions, event viewr, application in left pane and winlogon in main window, that will be the chkdsk results.
Any file errors and any bad sectors are the relevant points. Minor file inconsistencies are of no importance.

The go start, run and type "sfc /scannow"
You may need the CD.
If you have it insert it.If not click retry and then if it still asks ignore,
If it continually asks for the CD it means the system files are corrupt. Post back with that pls.

[frostyr1]

Did all that. The event properties said 4kb in bad sectors. I haven't found my disc yet, and it keeps telling me "Insert your windows XP Professional CD2 now"
When I hit retry, another window opens that says "The CD you provided is the wrong CD. Please insert the Windows XP Professional CD2 into your CD-ROM drive.

[Macboatmaster]

On the evidence available your hard disk is failing.
It is a common misconception that chkdsk can repair bad sectors, it cannot, it simply attempts recovery of the data from the bad sectors and rewrites it to good sectors.
There is no way of knowing how long it will take to fail completely, an increasing number of bad sectors is a severe warning that the disk is likely to fail at anytime.

Do this pls.
1 Shut down the computer.
2 Connect the computer to an electrical outlet.
3 Turn on the computer. When the DELL™ logo appears, press <F12> immediately.
If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the
Microsoft® Windows® desktop. Then shut down your computer (see "Turning Off Your
Computer" on page 75) and try again.
4 When the boot device list appears, highlight Diagnostics and press <Enter>.
The computer runs the Pre-boot System Assessment, a series of initial tests of your system board,
keyboard, hard drive, and display.
• During the assessment, answer any questions that appear.
• If a failure is detected, the computer stops and beeps. To stop the assessment and restart the
computer, press <n>; to continue to the next test, press <y>; to retest the component that
failed, press <r>.
• If failures are detected during the Pre-boot System Assessment, write down the error code(s)
and contact Dell before continuing on to the Dell Diagnostics. See "FCC Notices (U.S.
Only)" on page 101.
If the Pre-boot System Assessment completes successfully, you receive the message Booting
Dell Diagnostic Utility Partition. Press any key to continue.
5 Press any key to start the Dell Diagnostics from the diagnostics utility partition on your hard drive.
52 Solving Problems
Dell Diagnostics Main Menu
1 After the Dell Diagnostics loads and the Main Menu screen appears, click the button for the option
you want.
2 If a problem is encountered during a test, a message appears with an error code and a description of the
problem. Write down the error code and problem description and follow the instructions on the
screen.
If you cannot resolve the error condition, contact Dell. See "FCC Notices (U.S. Only)" on page 101.
NOTE: The Service Tag for your computer is located at the top of each test screen. If you contact Dell, technical
support will ask for your Service Tag.
3 If you run a test from the Custom Test or Symptom Tree option, click the applicable tab described in
the following table for more information.
4 When the tests are complete, close the test screen to return to the Main Menu screen. To exit the Dell
Diagnostics and restart the computer, close the Main Menu screen.
Option Function
Express Test Performs a quick test of devices. This test typically takes 10 to 20
minutes and requires no interaction on your part. Run Express Test
first to increase the possibility of tracing the problem quickly.
Extended Test Performs a thorough check of devices. This test typically takes an
hour or more and requires you to answer questions periodically.
Custom Test Tests a specific device. You can customize the tests you want to run. - the Hard drive.
Symptom Tree Lists the most common symptoms encountered and allows you to
select a test based on the symptom of the problem you are having.
Tab Function
Results Displays the results of the test and any error conditions encountered.
Errors Displays error conditions encountered, error codes, and the problem
description.
Help Describes the test and may indicate requirements for running the
test.
Configuration Displays your hardware configuration for the selected device.
The Dell Diagnostics obtains configuration information for all devices
from system setup, memory, and various internal tests, and it displays
the information in the device list in the left pane of the screen. The
device list may not display the names of all the components installed
on your computer or all devices attached to your computer.
Parameters Allows you to customize the test by changing the test settings


PERFORM THE EXTENDED TEST this is a copy and paste from Dell, so ignore the lines about contact Dell.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 02 March 2011 - 03:05 PM.

[frostyr1]

I'm a little confused, am I supposed to get something from dell for the extended test?

[Macboatmaster]

No it is on the diagnostics. Give me two minutes and I will highlight it for you.

[frostyr1]

OK, I reread everything, and think I understand. I am doing the extended test now!

[frostyr1]

I did the extended test and it passed.

[Macboatmaster]

PLEASE BE AWARE that although it has passed that, there is still a concern with the bad sectors found on the chkdsk.
I advise you to check again in say a week and see if it finds a greater quantity than 4Kb of bad sectors.
If it does, I strongly advise you start thinking of a new hard drive.

In the meantime backup of your important data if you do not have it is critical.
If that HDD crashes the recovery partition on that drive is of no use.
Backup to an external drive - a complete image will make replacement easy or if you do not have one and cannot buy one back up your important data to DVD.

I think you would be well advised to run system file checker.
However it requires, without the CD, you to alter a registry key - how do you fell about this, do you know your way around.
The instructions are not complicated but require careful following.

In the meantime go back to event viewer. Have another look in Application and System . Is it full of errors.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 03 March 2011 - 05:58 PM.

[frostyr1]

I did the check disk, and then the event viewer again. There is one error today in the application (same as yesterday) and 10 in the system, there were 11 yesterday in the system.

[frostyr1]

I have what I think is the only CD that came with the laptop. "Application" "For Reinstalling Cyberlink PowerDVD 7.0 Software"

I am comfortable following directions for system file checker!

[rshaffer61]

Go HERE and read the tutorial that shows how to do SFC or System File Checker and running in a Elevated Command Prompt in Vista and Win7.

[Macboatmaster]

There is one error today in the application (same as yesterday) and 10 in the system, there were 11 yesterday in the system.

What were they please.

• Please download the Event Viewer Tool by Vino Rosso VEW and save it to your Desktop:
• Double-click VEW.exe
• Under 'Select log to query', select (as appropriate):
  • Application
  • System This one in your case pls.
    
• Under 'Select type to list', select (as appropriate):
  • Error
  • Information
  • Warning

Then use the 'Date of events' or 'Number of events' as follows:

Either:

• Click the radio button for 'Number of events'
  Type 3 in the 1 to 20 box (or any number from 1 to 20) in your case enter 15
  Then click the Run button.
  Notepad will open with the output log.
• Click the radio button for 'Date of events'
  In the From: boxes type today's date (presuming the crash happened today) in your case the date of the 10
  In the To: boxes type today's date (presuming the crash happened today) in your case the same date.
  Then click the Run button.
  Notepad will open with the output log.

Please post the Output log in your next reply


Posted with acknowledgement to rshaffer61.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 03 March 2011 - 06:19 PM.