Slow LapTop

Hi Haajee,

Sorry to hear of your difficulties. These kinds of problems are frustrating to say the least!

My first thought is that you have Adware/Spyware. You didn't mention what antivirus software you are using. If you are using older AV software, it may not cover the Adware/Spyware.

You can get free software to take care of these pests at:

http://free.grisoft.com/

Download it, install it, run it, and let us know what happens!

Kindest Regards,

Mike

Dear Sir !

Thanks for advise.

I am already using AVG 8 Free Ed [the latest] & daily update & scan for virus daily once

For Adwares/Malwares using ADAware 2008 & Spybot-Search & Destroy, scan & update as a routine.

Kind regards.

Have a Good Day !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Haajee,

Sorry to hear that my advice is already being implemented by you!

It is very unlikely a hardware problem, which you probably already know.

The only other thing to do is (aaaargh!!) save all of your files, format the hard drive, and reinstall WinXP and all of your programs from disk. I know how much this sucks because I've had to do it.

Wait a while maybe for someone to post a solution before resorting to formatting!

After thinking more on what the problem could be:

• Is the fan in your laptop working?
• Can you check the processor temperature? If so, is it abnormally high?

Just some more thoughts.

Mike

Regards & thanks a lot for your kind attention to my problem.

Hope for some more advise from an expert.

Thanks

Don't know if this applicable, but if you have split your physical hard drive into seperate partitions (C:, D: etc...), and the Operating System drive (usually C: drive) is almost full, then it will slow down - drastically.

IF that is the case, then you can move files to the second partition, and/or move the swap file to the second partition.

Hope this helps.

Dear Sir

My HDD is 40GB & only 1 partition installed by manufacturer.

Has quite a lot space; more than 20 GB.

And I have uninstalled numerous SW rarely used to make space & programms to run automatically.

Thanks a lot for your advise.

You probably need to clean your Registry. I use RegCure, it does a pretty good job of speeding up my machine. It isn't free, but it was definitely worth the price.

Righto regcure is helpful but if you're savvy enuf try "Hijack this" to find a bug

Even if you have lots of 'free space', I have found it helps to:

0. if you have a benchmarking utility, run it now, and save the results.

1. review and remove (including emptying the 'trash can') un-needed files.

2. run check disk (reboot if necessary)

3. Use 'disk cleanup' to compress old files, get rid of more old files.

4. ... now this sounds stupid, but hear me out ... go to the system settings and turn OFF any page files.

5. reboot

6. run defrag of the C: drive

7. ... apparent sanity returns ... now go back and turn ON page file, with a FIXED size page file, I suggest 2G or twice amount of real memory, whichever is larger. You make it fixed by setting the MINIMUM and MAXIMUM to the same amount. (This keeps windows from wasting time trying to recover disk space - if you run a LOT of Adobe Photoshop or CAD programs you MIGHT need more, but you can expand that more later)

8. reboot

9. if you have a benchmarking utility, run it now.

And if you can afford it, maximize the amount of REAL memory you put into your laptop. ... More is ALWAYS better, but make sure it is the 'right stuff' for your machine! I have just maxed out the memory on 3 machines for friends who were having 'slow computer' problems and it seems to have 'cured' them. ... Yes, we did all the above steps too, but the more real memory had the greatest effect.

... I hope this helps. ... Jack

Regards & thanks for your advise.

Bring up task manager (or Sysinternals Process Explorer - sysinternals.com - redirects you to microsoft who bought it) what is using up your CPU time when you sort by it (click on the heading in task manager)?

Try reseting your BIOS to the defaults and then change any settings you need to.

Wondering if you have one or more device drivers causing conflicts - such as Hard disk controller or CD-ROM drive

Back in the Win 95 days, general rule of thumb used to be if HD was more than 3/4 full, Win 95 would give you problems, I have not heard of a similar rule of thumb with Win XP and the larger harddrives, but gives you an idea.

Dear Sir

Sysinternals Process Explorer - sysinternals.com is my favourite program since it was not taken over by Microsoft & fully use it.

As for as the "device drivers causing conflicts" is concerned System info shows no conflict. Any how I will try to disable CD ROMs & let you know the results.

Thanks

I have a desktop that uses Windows XP SP2. It had been getting slower and slower as time went by. A few days ago, I saved all the files (pictures, music, documents, pdf files, presentations, etc.) into CDs. I freed up over half of the hard disk. I have to say, the difference is astounding!

I don't need to keep pictures or music in the hard disk. I can play or watch them from the CD drive. Other files I can also open from the CDs. I'll be keeping only those files that I often use in the hard disks.

I'm not saying that it will be the same for you. Just try it.

Two other things.

If you have the standard memory, it will be 256MB right?. Try putting in more memory.

Next, go to your virtual memory settings and set your paging file to zero. Reboot and then defrag the drive. Go back to the virtual memory and set it to x1.5 of your memory. Also, make your initial and maximum equal.

Doing this ensures that your paging file is not fragmented and will be in one contiguous file. I can't say that it improves performance but sounds like a logical thing to do anyway.

Dear Sir!

Thanks for advise. Though I have a little on HDD excep my Favs & keep necessary info on USB Stick. Any how will check for such file & transfer to CDs or USB

Of cource memory is 256M & have already ordered the vender for another stick. Hope it will improve some what.

Pray for a good result.

Thanks & kind regards

Let you know

I think that adding memory is a very smart move, today even 512 MB is small, try maxing out your memory even though it may mean discarding the memory stick(s) currently in your machine with bigger ones.

That and keep your disk defragmented.

I have found using the task manager to find out where the CPU cycles are going can be a very usefull technique for speeding things up by deleting programs that don't need to be running but which will suck the machine dry if the can. I found a program that was constantly looking for updates to a browser plugin but it was using 90+ % of my CPU.

Good luck.

I suggest you think about downloading and installing LINUX, and get away from using Windows. The Mandrake version of Linux is a great one to use... and ALL of the Software and the Operating System are FREE!!! They also have programs that will run most of your windows programs and files. Save your important files to CD/DVD then download onto your computer from the internet, burn LINUX version onto a CD/DVD then boot-up your computer from the Linux CD/DVD. You will be given a choice to have BOTH Windows AND Linux on the same computer. OR you can install ONLY LINUX OS.

You can goto http://www.linux.com to see and download any version they list there. There is also alot of info on what Linux is, HOW it works, and WHY Linux works the way it does! (i.e. GNU). You will be surprised how well, and FAST linux works on even an older computer! It's the BEST!!!

Vito

I have a Toshiba laptop satellite 1905 s277.

Adding the max memory helped greatly but there are few other methods try everything first before rescue:

First back up your files.

From the start menu right click My Computer then click the advanced tab, then under performance click Settings. At top choose advanced again then at the bottom under virtual memory click change. Reduce the page file size to about 700MB, click apply then OK 2x. At top choose System restore tab, In 'disc space usage' set at about 2500MB. Then click okay.

From the start menu left click My Computer, right click "C" drive or your system drive, left click properties, under the general tab next to the graphic disc click 'disc clean up'. This may take awhile. What you've done is reduce the amount of memory tied up by windows as it by attrition hogs space creating fragmented files and you've reduced the redundancy created by system restore (it needed a clean up occasionally). When disc clean up completes it will display files that may be deleted I'd check all and then click OKAY. When done here close out and return to the start menu, go to 'all programs', accessories, system tools, and click 'disc fragment', click fragment. This may take a very long time just let it run, then defrag again about 3-4x until it completes in about 4minutes or less. All the areas you reduced will build up again and then repeat.

Go to Toshiba website under support and update hardware/software etc. it's free.

If you have an Intel processor you have three free service calls, use one maybe. The call can be a very long one it's free too.

I had a similar problem with my Toshiba. It appears to have been related to the CPU running very hot. Toshiba has cooling subroutines available on their website that can be downloaded free of charge. Although I don't understand all the details, my belief is that it takes battery power to cool a computer, and that Toshiba's allotment of cooling power may not be ideal for your processing requirements. For example, I keep my computer plugged into the mains all the time so I can afford to commit a larger part of the power budget to cooling. At any rate, my computer has been much faster since it has received more cooling power.

On a desktop computer running Win XP Pro I created an additional new identity, gave it very limited access to programs, a couple necessary programs, speeding up CD burning was the intent, and it worked great.

It made a great difference, still had all the programs available under the original identity, but the new identity apparently only loaded the selected CD burn software and ran fast.

I have had more then 6 anti-virus/spyware programs running concurrently on one laptop PC, eventually some of them start to find and eliminate each other. I now have McAfee, StopZilla, PC Tools Spyware Doctor, had CounterSpy for several years, reloaded it several times until it got decaptitated. I have still been hacked and really don't like it. One site left tracks indicating they accessed my email, copied address book, my addresses and ? Reported them to the FBI. StopZilla report indicates it found something and it couldn't eliminate it, something has set-up limits on the websites I can browse, including some of the FBI reporting website. The key-logger software can slow things down. Any really good de-bugging software or sites ?

I have a second laptop (also Acer) and it is speedy, has almost the same software, use it for doing video, this PC has many fragmented files, had one software that eliminated a lot of the fragmented files, this PC can't keep up with my two finger typing. Any good software to eliminate/fix fragmented files ?

My PC also sometimes just shuts off, no black screen, just crashes, cooling fan on processor is regulated and is on high speed right now. This just started within months. I travel a lot so the PC's get physically vibrated and flexed. Any tracking software that tells why a computer crashed ?

have had more then 6 anti-virus/spyware programs running concurrently on one laptop PC,

This is descriptive of a dysfunctional configuration. You need one and only one good anti-virus/antispyware program and you don't have one. Go here, go to products drop down list at top choose 'Security Suite', buy the download and a back up disc will come in the mail. When on the zone alarm site you will be secure, uninstall each current anti-virus/antispyware program, then go to program files and delete Mcafee and others if listed there yet. Follow directions to set up zone alarm Internet security suite.

Any really good de-bugging software or sites ?

Zone alarm will suffice, update and scan often. If you are computer savvy you may find 'Hijack this' helpful, if not computer savvy you can wreck your pooter quickly.

Any good software to eliminate/fix fragmented files ?

Why pay for what comes with XP? It works as well as any other, run 3-4x back to back or until it completes in less than 4 minutes. Then next time it will be quick and defrag after every video session.

My PC also sometimes just shuts off, no black screen, just crashes, cooling fan on processor is regulated and is on high speed right now. This just started within months. I travel a lot so the PC's get physically vibrated and flexed. Any tracking software that tells why a computer crashed ?

No, buy a better case. You probably have a loose cable, open case and reattach firmly to Mother board. This isn't designed for trouble shooting but you could use as reference to effect a fix.

Glad to help if can, send feed back after...

All it takes for a laptop to get flaky is for one overheating to happen or for one static zap (that you can't even feel). When either of these things occur, it won't kill your laptop, but they will be unpredictable forever after.

If your system occasionally just goes bye-bye, try downloading MEMTEST. You need to make a bootable disk for it. It will start your PC on its own little operating system, and will thoroughly test your memory. If it's wobbly, MEMTEST will find out.

Ya know, after a number of these LapTop postings, I'm starting to think that the LapTop is an idea whose technological time has yet to come.

Sure, a whole lot of companies make them, but between the memory, the processors, the power supplies and the cooling, not to mention the hard drives... I just get the feeling that technology just hasn't quite advanced far enough for LapTops to exist in a stable and less fragile form.

Perhaps soon - New displays are coming out, new types of more robust memory are on the horizon, even solid state hard drives of about 64 Gig are available (but they cost $750.00). Even battery technology isn't quite there for LapTops yet. I'd be willing to bet that out of all the LapTops in the World today, about 30% of them are marginal.

So what the heck, why don't we all forget about LapTops, and use the money to get ourselves LapDances instead!

What box did you open??

Ha! We keep those as pets in California!!!

I got the Registry Booster 2 software, it found a few hundred problems and fixed them. This seems to have sped up the computer, sometimes.

I got the ZoneAlarm software and am adjusting it to be able to see the CR4 website, get to this response form, did a virus scan last nite, I think it eliminated another of the protection software - that prevents software from installing without permisssion.

just trying to get back where I was before.

I got the Hi-Jacker software and I see what you mean about it finding a lot of stuff. So one day when I have lots of time.

The computer has shut down instantly once also, the cooling fan is running at top speed,

Go to the processor manufacturers site and see if there is a BIOS update. The BIOS controls the fan operational characteristics

One of the most significant ideas posted here is the one about hard drive space. If you have only a little hard drive space left, you're starving Windows for virtual memory. That's going to slow things down a lot!!!

Due to a wast response by friends, I beg pardon to reply collectively instead of individual replies.

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Mikerho #3 in addition to my post #7:

<< Can you check the processor temperature? If so, is it abnormally high? >>

Yes I can check it. There are various SWs like "SpeedFan" by <http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php>; a verstyle program to check Temperatures in addition to PSU Voltages.

Temperature is quite normal.

In addition I have made an indiginous Stand for Laptop having extra fans below it, while covers of CPU & HDD to have additional cooling as you know in tropical aras temperature is a problem.

Thanks & regatds.

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Kilowatt0 #4 in addition to my post #8:

<< IF that is the case, then you can move files to the second partition, and/or move the swap file to the second partition.

Hope this helps. >>

Dear Sir.

I have read this Tip long ago & using it on my Desk-top with 2 HDDs as the tip's further comments say that it is only helpful if the SWwap file is on another HDD. In case of 1 drive it has to run swap as well as the programs & shares time while the 2nd drive only hunts for Swap-file.

In a lp-top we don't have a chioce for the 2nd drive.

I forgot to reply this tip from you.

Thanks % kind regards

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Don_PC_Tech #5

<< Sysinternals Process Explorer .. >>

For your kind info:

1. AutoRuns Ver 9.11 is online http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/Autoruns.zip

2.

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bwire #12

Oh God !!!!!

Le me some time to try.

Regards.

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The_curious_one #13

Thanks with kind regards

<< ... From the start menu right click My Computer ... >>

Please let me have some time to work-around

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bwire #12

<< Go to Toshiba website under support and update hardware/software etc. it's free. >>

I have tried a number of times their site but nothing of intrest. I registered them on receipt of laptop.

I abondoned due to slow Srevers here in Pakistan & @ Urban localities Broad-band facillities are still a remote chance.

Thanks

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vermin #14

<< You probably need to clean your Registry. I use RegCure, it does a pretty good job of speeding up my machine. It isn't free, but it was definitely worth the price. >>

Still reply is pending

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bwire #16

<< ... try "Hijack this" to find a bug ...

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3155.html >>

Dear Sir.

I had been using it till it's till its Ver 2.0 beta [A stand-alone] by Trend Micros [If I am correct], but have not used lately.

Will try the lates as soon I get on it

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vermin #21

<< ... So what the heck, why don't we all forget about LapTops, and use the money to get ourselves LapDances instead! >>

All the cooling is blocked if "In LAP you can't run it for more than 1/2 an hour " Even then it is called

LAP-TOP in stead of "In-Lap".

With thanks & Kind regards to all who replied

Reply to:

Regards to all !!!!!

#5

I disabled CD ROM & tried but no improvement felt

#6

memory was 256M & I told you that my son is sendinding & I received 2 x 512M & installed.

Got a fairly good improvement. !

But still I feel that it would have been much better results with 1G mem.

CPU may be the bottle-neck?

Thanks & kind regards !!!

Your last assumption is sort of like saying, "The bottle is the cause of the bottleneck!"

memory was 256M...I received 2 x 512M...would have been much better results with 1G mem

I don't get what you're saying. 512MB x 2 = 1024MB = 1.024GB. You already have 1GB of memory. Most PCs I know can accept up to 2GB (2 sticks of 1GB each). You should have gone for the biggest you can get.

My nephew maxed his PC to 2GB of memory because he just loves playing games.

Dear Sir

I meant that after havin 1GB RAM I think that results improved well but not what Iwas expecting.

Thanks & regards