{OT} -- Computer Problem

This raises a good point also.... remove any program from the 'Startup"
folder that doesn't actually have to be there. These programs consume
resources that you are already too short of.


"Curtis" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> personally I would atttempt to figure out the offending application or
> driver before loading _anything_ .
>
> boot the workstation up, bring up task manager, take a look at your
> resources, what is using the most memory, what is the CPU at, you may
> find a service or app is using tons of memory...an example would be AOL
> messenger...if so de-install or kill that process.
>
> It sounds to me if the box is dead slow unless your hard drive is
> spinning endlessly, you probably have your memory or cpu maxed out by
> some process.
>
> If your hard disk is spinning endlessly, you can always remove your
> pagefile then defrag then add it back. if the page file gets fragmented
> especially with low RAM it can slow things down...
>
> good luck
>

"Will Honea" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:05:50 +0000, Jeff Strickland wrote:
>
>> I suspect (still) that my b-in-law's machine might have a virus. I use
>> the
>> built-in Defrag that comes with Windows, but I haven't a utility that
>> cleans the Registry. I have a strong suspicion that my troubles are in
>> the
>> Registry, but I am not smart enough to know what is a Registry
>> Requirement
>> and what is a Bogus Registry Entry.
>>
>> Do you, or anybody else, know if I can reinstall XP using a different
>> copy
>> of the OS than the one that came installed on the machine?
>
> If you have the install disks - not the recovery disks that came with the
> machine - you are home free.

Those are the disks that did not come over with the computer.




You can use the recovery version (if the OEM
> supplied it) on the machine it shipped with (others if you are clever and
> a bit lucky) but the honest-to-goodness Install Disks from MS will work on
> anything meeting hardware specs.
>
> I have a problem with about all of the anti-virus apps at times.
> I've watched McAfee bring even the fastest machines to their knees. One
> office had all sorts of email traffic and the 2007 version basically
> killed the box during mail retrieval. To see if that is the problem,
> disconnect the machine from the net, do a full scan, then turn the virus
> scanner OFF and see what it's doing.
>

The machine is not on a network, either here at my house or at its own home.
At home, it has a hardwire connection tothe fiber optic system, here at my
house, it connects to the fiber optics via a wireless adaptor.

You may be onto something though. I Uninstalled the McAfee Security Suite,
and removed a couple of legacy entries in the Registry, and the machine
seems to be much improved now.

OpenOffice is pretty good and free as well.

Dave Milne, Scotland
'91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

"billy ray" > wrote in message
...
> Unless your needs are unusual all you need out of Office is Word, Excel,
> and PowerPoint and my main use of Excel and PowerPoint is the stuff people
> send me for laughs or to review.
>
>
> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
> news:6wRrh.9554$Wz.6650@trndny06...
> >
> > "Earle Horton" > wrote in message
> > m...
> >> This step is just to make sure he is not using weird shareware or PD
> >> stuff.
> >> It doesn't seem to be the issue in this case, but you never know.
> >>
> >> Earle
> >
> >
> > I don't think the shareware is an issue. Everything I can find seems to
be
> > valid. That is, the machine has the assrotment of Office programs, the
> > software to support hardware devices, that sort of thing.
> >
> > Since I cleaned Acrobat Reader 3.0 (a long ago deleted program),
> > SpyBeGone, and the McAfee Security Suite, the machine is much faster.
> > That's M-U-C-H faster.
> >
> > The Task Manager was reporting CPU Usage at 100%, but now is hovering in
a
> > range of about 5% to 30%, and seems to spend most of the time at about
> > 20%. And, it's actively Defragging at this time.
> >
> >
>
>

"Curtis" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> personally I would atttempt to figure out the offending application or
> driver before loading _anything_ .
>
> boot the workstation up, bring up task manager, take a look at your
> resources, what is using the most memory, what is the CPU at, you may
> find a service or app is using tons of memory...an example would be AOL
> messenger...if so de-install or kill that process.
>
I know how to start the Task Manager and move around inside of it. My
trouble is that I do not know what are valid applications that NEED to run,
and what apps that are running that do not need to be. I went around and
turnd stuff off once, and shut down essential services.


> It sounds to me if the box is dead slow unless your hard drive is
> spinning endlessly, you probably have your memory or cpu maxed out by
> some process.
>
> If your hard disk is spinning endlessly, you can always remove your
> pagefile then defrag then add it back. if the page file gets fragmented
> especially with low RAM it can slow things down...
>

Not the problem at all. The computer runs, it just runs slowly. Task
Manager's Performance window was stuck at close to 100% almost all of the
time.

I NEED TO REPORT
Since I removed some legacy crapola that was in the Registry, and
uninstalled McAfee Security Suite, the machine runs pretty good now.

Talk to me about the Page File some more. I made some changes to the size
(made it larger), but that did not change anything for the better. (The good
news is that it did not change anything for the worse either.)

Should I be trying to manually set the Page File, or should I allow Windows
to make the necessary settings? I have plenty of hard drive space for the
maximum page file, so I do not need to walk the tightrope between storage
space and performance.

Yes, but is it farked up as soon as they take it out of the trunk and carry
it back inside?





"ufatbastehd" > wrote in message
ps.com...
> Earl you are so right. As the resident Techie in my family I should
> have screwed up my first few times I helped out. Now I get the machines
> running smooth only to have it farked up again by those I just fixed
> it for.
>
>
>
>
> Earle Horton wrote:
>> Don't let relatives know that you have computer expertise. If you get
>> assigned a computer maintenance or repair job, screw it up. If you are
>> not
>> going to listen to reason, the following may be helpful.
>>
>> Run http://securitycheck.symantec.com no matter what kind of anti-virus
>> is
>> on the machine now.
>>
>> Defrag the hard drive and make sure that it is not almost full.
>>
>> Put XP Professional on it.
>>
>> Make him justify any non-Microsoft software that he has installed.
>>
>> Earle
>>
>> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
>> news:KBPrh.21233$wq.14150@trndny07...
>> > I (my brother in law, really) have a computer that has a SERIOUS case
>> > of
>> The
>> > Slows. It takes FOREVER to open apps, and complete any number of
>> > different
>> > tasks.
>> >
>> > It is an off-brand box that came from Fry's (I think). I don't recall
>> > what
>> > the architecture is, but I'm pretty sure my 286-based laptop was
>> > faster.
>> >
>> > The computer is on its way to my house for a checkout. I'm not sure
>> > what
>> my
>> > strategy will be.
>> >
>> > The machine has a valid version of XP Home edition, but I do not know
>> > if
>> it
>> > has the Restore CD or not. Can I use a different copy of XP to do
>> > restore
>> > operations? I assume that I have to use the Key Code that is on the
>> > computer, not the one that belongs to the copy of XP that I will
>> > restore
>> > from.
>> >
>> > Do not hesitate to offer suggestions on what to do ...
>> >
>> >
>> >
>

It was once pointed out that one can be neither too rich, too thin, or have
too much RAM.

I dispute that rule, one CAN be too thin -- though it's much easier to be
too fat.





"James" > wrote in message
...
> With Windows XP, you are a bit underpowered on ram. Many folks believe
> that 512 mb is minimum, and more is better.
>
> Good luck !!
>
> --james--
>
>

If running smooth is farked up then I guess so


Jeff Strickland wrote:
> Yes, but is it farked up as soon as they take it out of the trunk and carry
> it back inside?
>
>
>
>
>
> "ufatbastehd" > wrote in message
> ps.com...
> > Earl you are so right. As the resident Techie in my family I should
> > have screwed up my first few times I helped out. Now I get the machines
> > running smooth only to have it farked up again by those I just fixed
> > it for.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Earle Horton wrote:
> >> Don't let relatives know that you have computer expertise. If you get
> >> assigned a computer maintenance or repair job, screw it up. If you are
> >> not
> >> going to listen to reason, the following may be helpful.
> >>
> >> Run http://securitycheck.symantec.com no matter what kind of anti-virus
> >> is
> >> on the machine now.
> >>
> >> Defrag the hard drive and make sure that it is not almost full.
> >>
> >> Put XP Professional on it.
> >>
> >> Make him justify any non-Microsoft software that he has installed.
> >>
> >> Earle
> >>
> >> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
> >> news:KBPrh.21233$wq.14150@trndny07...
> >> > I (my brother in law, really) have a computer that has a SERIOUS case
> >> > of
> >> The
> >> > Slows. It takes FOREVER to open apps, and complete any number of
> >> > different
> >> > tasks.
> >> >
> >> > It is an off-brand box that came from Fry's (I think). I don't recall
> >> > what
> >> > the architecture is, but I'm pretty sure my 286-based laptop was
> >> > faster.
> >> >
> >> > The computer is on its way to my house for a checkout. I'm not sure
> >> > what
> >> my
> >> > strategy will be.
> >> >
> >> > The machine has a valid version of XP Home edition, but I do not know
> >> > if
> >> it
> >> > has the Restore CD or not. Can I use a different copy of XP to do
> >> > restore
> >> > operations? I assume that I have to use the Key Code that is on the
> >> > computer, not the one that belongs to the copy of XP that I will
> >> > restore
> >> > from.
> >> >
> >> > Do not hesitate to offer suggestions on what to do ...
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >

Yes more ram is better. I wouldn't run less than 1 gig.

But Microsoft says
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;314865


James wrote:
> With Windows XP, you are a bit underpowered on ram. Many folks believe
> that 512 mb is minimum, and more is better.
>
> Good luck !!
>
> --james--

And what the hell does this all have to do with jeeps?
"ufatbastehd" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Yes more ram is better. I wouldn't run less than 1 gig.
>
> But Microsoft says
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;314865
>
>
> James wrote:
>> With Windows XP, you are a bit underpowered on ram. Many folks believe
>> that 512 mb is minimum, and more is better.
>>
>> Good luck !!
>>
>> --james--
>

Hi Jeff,
Do the normal maintenance like click on computer, left click C drive
Properties, and cleaned disk, Tools tab, Check disk, then Defrag, this
usually take hours, and runs a little faster without errors from the Save
Mode.
See what's running, what's in your Start Up, then Run, MSConfig, and
uncheck all the unnecessary programs under Startup, looking very carefully
for a Trojan.
See just how infected it is by running Ad Awa
http://www.lavasoft.de/news/product/info/ AVG:
http://www.grisoft.com/doc/1 McAfee Stinger: http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/
All free.
God Bless America, Bill 0|||||||0
http://www.billhughes.com/

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
news:KBPrh.21233$wq.14150@trndny07...
> I (my brother in law, really) have a computer that has a SERIOUS case of
The
> Slows. It takes FOREVER to open apps, and complete any number of different
> tasks.
>
> It is an off-brand box that came from Fry's (I think). I don't recall what
> the architecture is, but I'm pretty sure my 286-based laptop was faster.
>
> The computer is on its way to my house for a checkout. I'm not sure what
my
> strategy will be.
>
> The machine has a valid version of XP Home edition, but I do not know if
it
> has the Restore CD or not. Can I use a different copy of XP to do restore
> operations? I assume that I have to use the Key Code that is on the
> computer, not the one that belongs to the copy of XP that I will restore
> from.
>
> Do not hesitate to offer suggestions on what to do ...
>
>
>