[FOOD]

This just blows my mind!!! I can't figure it out! yesterday I took my computer apart to get rid of the terrible dust building up. When I put it back together, Windows has since only worked in super-slow motion!. I could understand if I put it back together incorrectly, resulting in no functioning operations at all. But here, I turned it on and Windows is running with all of the proper programs, etc., only very slowly (like 15 minutes for the initial startup). It has also popped up some small error messages. this morning the internet and explorer were working, only once again at a mind-numbing pace. What have I done????? Has anyone ever encountered this problem before?? I have never heard of this personally. Please help....anyone!! I'm stuck working in China with a faulty computer!!!!!!!!

thanks for the first aid.. j.

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... It has also popped up some small error messages....

thanks for the first aid.. j.

I'll ask the obvious....don't you think those error messages might be useful in helping us diagnose the issue?

[gerryf]

... It has also popped up some small error messages....

thanks for the first aid.. j.

I'll ask the obvious....don't you think those error messages might be useful in helping us diagnose the issue?

[mcpscomp]

What do you mean by take it apart? How much apart was it apart?
For example:
-If the CPU fan was off and back together without new paste, it could be heat problem.
-If the CMOS battery was off and the CMOS will need a new set up.
-If the comp was pulled off the wall after a long time pluged in without knowing of your CMOS battery was dead it could result in need of reset CMOS too.
-In some cases, with cheap components, very rare but If you don't run the cables right and keep them distance it could cause problem too
................
It is not new that system run differrence after apart.
What I would try to do is carefully reconnect every thing and have the battery replace and have the BIOS reset at least to " most stable" option to start with.

[FOOD]

Thanks so much for the reply! i'm definitely far from a computer whiz so any help you can offer is greatly appreciated. two questions..

how do i go about resetting the BIOS to 'most stable'?
you mentioned a paste necessary for when you re-screw in the CPU fan? what is this? when i unscrewed it and took it off in the first place, this old piece of crap computer didn't show any signs of a paste...perhaps that's why the computer kept freezing even before this all happened!

also about the error messages, the messages do not appear all the time during a start-up, but they do appear randomly. some messages include; explorer.exe, rundl32.exe (?), etc. they're also not the same errors every startup...odd. Also odd, is the random appearence of what seems to be a WINDOWS diagnostics test ongoing. my crap computer has Windows XP in chinese, so every message that comes up is baffling..so frustrating!! the test appears to show what i think to be an operating efficiency rate of 15%...not a very uplifting number!

I'm in the process of gutting my computer of picture files and programs in hopes of an improvement, but I don't think too much will come of it. I'm preparing for the hated reinstallation of WINDOWS if it gets to that point...hope i'm not much out of luck! thanks for the post and I will thank you in advance for another thoughtfull reply.

Food....J

[dsenette]

IF there truly was absolutely NO thermal compoiund on your heatsink (thermal paste..thermal pad..etc..) TURN OFF THE COMPUTER AND DO NOT TURN IT BACK ON UNTILL YOU GET SOME>..

[mcpscomp]

My Friend. There are few things:
-You mentioned about thoses screws for fan that mean you did not take the heat sink apart because the heat sink and CPU attatched together mostly by clip, which is good.
-The machines uses screws to attatch CPU fan is old old old machine, which is not very good.
-You mentioned you are in China, I know for fact that the parts that they use over there are garbage... That is not good either.
-You post your post in XP section that make me think that you run XP on that machine? If so the Opperating system way to heavy for your machine. and if so, it could be the main reason for the thing freeze at first place.
Anyway,
For the BIOS part. To get in there you will need to hold on to your DEL key while the machine booting up. Or if there is any thing differ than that you should have intruction at bottom of the very first screen that come up, follow it. When you got there usually right at the main menu you will see "most stable" option or some thing similar to that depending on who made it but you should be able to regconize what ever word they use that mean 'simplest and most stable'. highline it and hit enter. choose the option that let you get out of there with saving change( again it is difference from board to board but you will 99% figure out without any problem). Reboot. but I WOULD NOT DO THIS RIGHT NOW if your machine is running XP.
Now, If the machine is running XP for real, then 90% of your problem right there. Find 98SE or ME then give it a fresh install after you got every thing backed up at NUMB SPEED.
If I was wrong about the XP part and you have 98 or ME already then you can alway have windows reinstall without wiping all of your data.
It may take couple of hours.
Hope this help.