[Light Knight]

Hello.

So my computer doesn't really have anything specifically "wrong" with it. But in the past month or so, I've noticed it's general health isn't very good. Here are some symptoms:

* When booting, after Windows has loaded, the computer takes a long long time to open all the start up programs.
* Opening certain programs, (Firefox and Word, for example) takes almost twice as long as it used to. Sometimes Firefox won't even start, and I have to kill the process and try again
* Occasionally, usually when trying to read a USB, or SD card, or Android device, Windows Explorer crashes.
* I'm having a hard time accesses my Android Phone. Sometimes it doesn't work, and I have to reboot.
* Slower in general

The only thing that really correlates with my issues is when I updated a bunch of windows updates I had put off for a while, but it could be coincidence. Here are things I have done to try to help it:

* Ran/updated/immunized: MalewareBytes, Superantispyware, McAfee, Spyware Blaster, and ATF-Cleaner
* Used msconfig to turn off unwanted start up programs
* Defrag
* Updated my BIOS and my Chipset Driver

I run Windows 7, 64 bit. My computer has been working well for the past 2 years, it just started not running at 100%.

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Did this happen just after updating the BIOS ? Sometimes updating the BIOS can be risky, unless you feel there is a good reason to, a listed improvement in BIOS update.

Do you regularly use a program to clean out cache and temp files or do it through windows c: drive properties?

How about trying Chkdsk /f / r at a admin. command prompt after a restart this will take some time


After that in a admin command prompt type: dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
wait for it to reach 100%

Then in same command prompt run sfc /scannow.

See if this helps you any

Edited by jds63, 30 December 2013 - 09:29 PM.

[jds63]

Did this happen just after updating the BIOS ? Sometimes updating the BIOS can be risky, unless you feel there is a good reason to, a listed improvement in BIOS update.

Do you regularly use a program to clean out cache and temp files or do it through windows c: drive properties?

How about trying Chkdsk /f / r at a admin. command prompt after a restart this will take some time


After that in a admin command prompt type: dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
wait for it to reach 100%

Then in same command prompt run sfc /scannow.

See if this helps you any

Edited by jds63, 30 December 2013 - 09:29 PM.

[phillpower2]

Hello Light Knight

Can you run Speccy and post the url for us please, see here

[Light Knight]

Did this happen just after updating the BIOS ? Sometimes updating the BIOS can be risky, unless you feel there is a good reason to, a listed improvement in BIOS update.

Do you regularly use a program to clean out cache and temp files or do it through windows c: drive properties?

How about trying Chkdsk /f / r at a admin. command prompt after a restart this will take some time


After that in a admin command prompt type: dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
wait for it to reach 100%

Then in same command prompt run sfc /scannow.

See if this helps you any

Hi jds63, thanks. The disk scan went well. After using the "restorehealth" command, I got error 87 saying the restorehealth option was not recognized in that context.

The sfc scan came back fine.

I use ATF-Cleaner, not as regularly as I should, but I have used it since this problem. And I updated my BIOS just yesterday to try to help my problem that started a while ago. The new version was suppose to increase stability regarding USB issues.

Hello Light Knight

Can you run Speccy and post the url for us please, see here

http://speccy.pirifo...JWE1waMd6kaLhQL

[phillpower2]

Is McAfee the paid for version or the free version and for how long has it been your AV protection.

You are getting low on free storage space on the C: drive partition #1 and this will slow down your data transfer rate, if it gets too low the data on the drive can become corrupt and this can be disastrous if the OS is on that partition, in extreme cases the HDD can fail.

Partition 1
Partition ID:
Disk #0, Partition #1
Disk Letter:
C: File System: NTFS
Volume Serial Number: C497BF65
Size: 837 GB
Used Space: 701 GB (84%)
Free Space:
135 GB (16%)

Partition 2
Partition ID:
Disk #0, Partition #2
Size: 93.6 GB

Your voltage readings are inconclusive and so need to be checked, see below.

Can you provide the brand and model name or number of your PSU please.

To check the status of the HDD;
Go to Start then to Search
Type in compmgmt.msc and click Enter
On the left side click on Disk Management
On the right side you will see your hard drive.
Now I need you to take an expanded screenshot and attach it to your next reply.

Download Speedfan and install it. Once it's installed, run the program and post here the information it shows.
The information I want you to post is the stuff that is circled in the example picture I have attached.
If you are running on a vista machine, please go to where you installed the program and run the program as administrator.


(this is a screenshot from a vista machine)

To capture and post a screenshot;

Click on the ALT key + PRT SCR key..its on the top row..right hand side..now click on start...all programs...accessories...paint....left click in the white area ...press CTRL + V...click on file...click on save...save it to your desktop...name it something related to the screen your capturing... BE SURE TO SAVE IT AS A .JPG ...otherwise it may be to big to upload... then after typing in any response you have... click on browse...desktop...find the screenshot..select it and click on the upload button...then on the lower left...after it says upload successful...click on add reply like you normally would.

Depending on the results we may need to run further software for comparison http://www.cpuid.com.../hwmonitor.html

Screenshot instructions are provided to assist those that may read this topic but are not yet aware of the “how to”.

[jds63]

YW ,Light Knight, usually that error 87 with DISM due to way was put into command prompt space after dism.

I will let Phillpower help you out on rest,Good luck

He has helped me a lot.

[Light Knight]

I got the Full McAfee for being a member of a bank, with a one year subscription. But now that you mention it, some of the issues did start around the time I got it (three weeks or so ago). I've cleared up some disk space today, but will be able to do a lot better when I get an external hard drive tomorrow.

My PSU is an XFX PRO550W. I built the computer about 2 years ago, and at the time seemed to be adequate for my needs.

Here are some screenshots:

https://www.dropbox....x/Disk Mgmt.jpg
https://www.dropbox....sn/SpeedFan.jpg

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the update Light Knight

Your free storage space looks better already
For now see how things are with more free storage space available, if the performance is still not how you would like it uninstall McAfee using the recommended steps here, install either Avast free or MSE which is also free as your AV protection and see if that helps.

Let us know how things go when you are ready.

If you make a note of your McAfee account number details before you uninstall it you can reinstall it at a later point should you wish to do so.

[Light Knight]

Thanks for the update Light Knight

Your free storage space looks better already
For now see how things are with more free storage space available, if the performance is still not how you would like it uninstall McAfee using the recommended steps here, install either Avast free or MSE which is also free as your AV protection and see if that helps.

Let us know how things go when you are ready.

If you make a note of your McAfee account number details before you uninstall it you can reinstall it at a later point should you wish to do so.

Hi,

I've purchased an external drive, and have liberated almost 100 GB from my computer's HDD already. I've also switched to MSE, and I find it a little lighter on the system for sure.

While start up time is a little better, I'm still having weird problems. Windows Explorer crashes, and a new one I've noticed is sometimes, every 10 seconds or so, my computer completely freezes (even the mouse) and then unfreezes (thaws?) and repeats until I restart the computer. Also my mouse icon will occasionally look odd... like a squished hand. It's the default hand icon, but it's as if it's not being displayed properly; I will try to get a screenshot next time it happens.

Just so you know, I do have the windows installation disk, if that helps.

[phillpower2]

Run SFC now, please note that if errors are found you sometimes need to run SFC 3 or 4 times to correct them all;

Go to Start and then to Search
Type in: sfc /scannow
Click OK (Enter in Vista - 7)
Have the correct Windows CD/DVD handy (not always required).
If System File Checker (sfc) finds any errors, it may ask you for the CD/DVD.
If sfc does not find any errors in Windows XP, it will simply quit, without any message.
In Vista - 7 you will receive the following message: "Windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations".
For Vista & W7 users ONLY: Navigate to C:\Windows\Logs\CBS folder. You'll see CBS.log file.
Usually, it's pretty big file, so upload it to http://www.mediafire.com/ and then post the download link here.
How to use mediafire http://en.kioskea.ne...es-to-mediafire

[Light Knight]

It came up with no integrity violations.

Here is the link to the CBS: https://www.dropbox....u9g250r/CBS.log

[phillpower2]

SFC results

When you have backed up all of your important data from the drive run Chkdsk /r on C:

Go to Start and then to Search
Type in Chkdsk /r Note the space between k and /
Click Enter ...It will probably ask if you want to do this on the next reboot...click Y

If the window doesn't shutdown on its own then reboot the system manually.
On reboot the system will start the chkdsk operation
This one will take longer then chkdsk /f

Note... there are 5 stages...
It may appear to hang at a certain percent for an hour or more or even back up and go over the same area...this is normal...
DO NOT SHUT YOUR COMPUTER DOWN WHILE CHKDSK IS RUNNING OR YOU CAN HAVE SEVERE PROBLEMS
This can take several hours to complete.

When completed it will hopefully boot the system back into Windows.

[Light Knight]

Hi. I'l get right to it tomorrow. but juat so you know, I did run Chdsk a fews days ago.

[phillpower2]

[Light Knight]

Hi. Sorry it took a while. The scan has been done.