[curlytop]

Hi:

Just referred over by Buckeye Sam, who was evaluating my problem for malware. After multiple exchanges, he des not think it is malware.

The computer is very slow on startup and opening programs, Windows Explorer does not recognize my internal dvd rom or zip drive but does find an external cd r/w and internal floppy. IE previously would not start due to errors but as a result of some work, it now starts.

Buckeye Sam looked at multiple HJT logs and had me run several malware programs and antivirus scans. I also reinstalled W98SE and from the control panel (add/remove) did the repair on IE 6 SP1. I have disabled some of the malware programs to see if this would speed things up--no help. I have McAffee VS and Firewall running. More than 75% of my hard disk is free.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

[Advertisements]

Hi Curlytop,

Was this machine always slow?

How much ram do you have? (right click on MyComputer and click on properties - it should tell you there at the bottom of the list)

[shard92]

Also check the device manager for any yellow marks....

Right click my computer
select properties
then select device manager at the top.

Sounds like it might have a problem with one of your controllers...

[curlytop]

OK, I've done all of the recommended steps to clean up and remove stuff and simplify startup (this helps a bit on startup, but not much). Note that the computer, despite being somewhat old, has never run anywhere close to this slow. Running older versions of software and having modest needs, it has, until this problem, run quite fast. It has 128MB RAM.

In the device manager, there are 3 yellow marks, next to:


floppy disk
standard floppy disk controller

hard disk
primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)

[curlytop]

When I click Update Drivers, it seems to (maybe?) search the web and the win98se cd and come back saying I am already using the most updated version.

I then tried finding and moving (to some temporary folder) the existing driver file (for ex. c:\windows\inf\mdfdc.inf), and then trying the update. Now it does not find a driver file to add in, and I don't know where to look for it.

Ideas?

[shard92]

What hardware do you have in this computer? How are the drives hooked up ( primary master/primary slave, etc )

[curlytop]

I have a single hard disk, a floppy, a cd/dvd and a zip drive--all of these are Dell factory installed. I have an external cd r/w running through a USB port. I also attach an SD card reader through a USB.

Through Windows Explorer, it only finds the floppy, hard drive, and external cd r/w.

[shard92]

well I would suggest disconnecting first the zip drive and then the internal cd drive. Another possiblity is that the controller those two are on is turned off in setup.... Try looking for secondary ide in there...( usually either f2 or del to get into setup.... sometimes f1. ) Name brand computers are often limited in what can be done in setup though so you might not find it....

[Duct tape dude]

My suggestion would be reinstalling the IDE drivers from the dell installation CD or going to dell.com and getting them if you dont have the CD.

[curlytop]

I've got a "Dell Resources CD" that came with he computer but can't locate (or it doesn't have??) the right drivers. I can't find were to look on the Dell web site either. Maybe the following will help you to help me. When I look at the properties of the controllers, the driver file details for the one with yellow marks are as follows:

Standard floppy disk controller

c:\windows\system\iosubsys\hsflop.pdr
c:\windows\system\vmm32\ios.vxd

primary IDE controller (dual fifo)

c:\windows\system\iosubsys\esdi_506.pdr
c:\windows\system\vmm32\ios.vxd

secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)

c:\windows\system\iosubsys\esdi_506.pdr
c:\windows\system\vmm32\ios.vxd


So is it just that these files are corrupted so I need to replace them, and then the controllers will work fine??

Thanks.

[Retired Tech]

This will rebuild rather than restore the registry and also replace missing or corrupt system files

Boot the PC and keep tapping F8 right after the beep until you get options, select command prompt only, type scanreg.exe /fix then press enter, it will run through a few screens then say registry repaired. Press enter then press ctrl + alt + delete keys together to reboot.

When Windows has loaded, click start, all programmes, accessories, system tools, system information, tools then run system file checker and replace any files it asks for from the 98SE CD then reboot.

When it has loaded to the desktop, click start, programmes accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, then run disc defragmenter from system tools

[curlytop]

OK Keith. I ran everything as you said and it all appeared to run fine. No change in computer behavior however, and the three controllers still have yellow marks next to them.

Other ideas?

[Retired Tech]

Boot the PC and jkeep tapping the delete key (or possibly F2) until it enters set up, look for and load BIOS defaults / failsafe defaults, press F10, press enter, type Y, press enter

Look in device manager, right click the ones with yellow bits, click hardware, troubleshoot, or update if that's an option