Sound card making computer run slow???

The Sound is NOT the initial problem.  When you are downloading (not "uploading") that has nothing to do with the sound.  However, it sounds like the PC is slowing down, for whatever reasons, and other system devices are being affected by this.  One source can be the amount of memory (RAM) that you have.  If there is insufficient RAM, you can be limited to the number of programs open at one time and it can affect (slowdown) operations.  With XP, 1GB of RAM would be a good start, with Vista 2GB. 

The download speed on your Internet connection can also be a bottleneck and cause slowdowns in the PC.  Since you are also getting the slowdowns trying to update Windows that would be a prime suspect.

I take it from your post that you tried to do a manual install, since you have to install all the drivers.  The E521 has (or had) a Dell recovery partition that will restore the PC to the original factory condition from the partiton on the hard drive and no discs or driver downloads are needed.  For systems with XP it's CTRL/F11 at initial boot up.  For systems with Vista it's F8 at initial boot up.  In additon there is a diagnostic partition on the hard drive accessed by F12 at boot up - if you suspect the hardware run a complete set of diagnostics.

I may have used the wrong words to describe what I did so I don't think it was a "manual" restore. I hit F8 and did the restore using the option to restore to Dell's factory image and then went to Dell's driver and dowload page to update some of the drivers and software.

That's where they have the updated driver for my sound card which I needed in the past because there were problems with the original driver but now I'm afraid to use it since everything slowed right down again when I installed it.

I'll reboot the computer and try doing the diagnostic on it.
I think I should be ok with ram since I have 4GB and I think my internet speed is ok or least it was until I tried to do different multi tasking.

Sheryl

Run a line test with this site, to see how your speed compares to what it's supposed to be.  http://www.speedtest.net/

I ran the speed test and I'm not sure if this links takes you to my results.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/694270524.png

I guess it does but it doesn't show you the download box on the left of the screen which said my internet speed was average.
Maybe you would know that by reading the results.
I think I'll run that test on my laptop and see if the results are the same. My laptop runs fine even when using the internet and since the computers are on the same network, I would think that means my internet is ok.
If this desktop is slower, could that be because of my ethernet card which is built into the motherboard?

Just thought I'd add that I ran the test on my laptop and it's actually a minute slower for downloads and showed 1.33mbs for download and .41 mbs for upload.

I did the diagnostic test hitting F12 and it said my hard drive passed.

Is there a test to check your motherboard and all the hardware?

After I posted my last message, I tried to restart the computer but apparently some of my updates hadn't loaded so it wouldn't let me reboot until 31 updates were installed.
I ended up having to leave the computer because it was taking too long and I had to go out.
When I got home, it looks like it was done but I had a message saying there was an error with the update manager. Error# -5
It had a link go consumer.installshield.com but it didn't open when I clicked it.
I'm not sure what that's about. I never saw that message in all the years I've owned a computer.

Sheryl

In MOST cases slow downloads or apparent slow download is NOT a PC problem.  The Ethernet link can be a problem but as you have more than one PC that can access the internet you also have a Router.  I've seen several "slow internet" problems caused by routers.  Sometimes just powering off the router then back on will fix it, in some cases the router will have to be replaced. 

One additional link test.  Power off the PC, then power off the router and connect the PC directly to the Broadband modem, bypassing the router.  Power on the PC and after Windows starts run the link test again and see what happens (and try downloading and see if it makes a difference).

The speeds shown on the test are about right for SOME DSL speeds - again, it depends on what downlink and uplink speeds you are supposed to have.

Take one thing at a time rather than several things at once or assuming that something is causing the problem. 

The sound in most systems is just a chip on the motherboard.  If the sound was bad or causing the problem you would have to replace the motheboard.  You have convinced yourself that the sound is the problem and it is NOT the problem.

I'm going to try and finish doing all the windows updates and install my software and see how things run. It everything still seems to run slow, I think I'll take it to a computer repair shop and let them take a look at it.

I was hoping all I might have to do is replace the sound card but I guess I better be sure that's the problem and not something else.

Thanks for all your suggestions and help.

Sheryl

Actually I was hoping it was just something as simple as the sound portion of my motherboard being bad but from all you've told me, I realize something else is causing my computer to run slow.

Hopefully a repair shop can figure it all out for me and get it fixed.

Sheryl

Sheryl, I know your post is a year and a half old so but I thought I would try anyway. I have a Dell XPS 600 and I have a major problem installing drivers every time I have had to re-format or upgrade and my computer takes almost 3 minutes to re-start so I am trying to determine if it is related. Did you ever resolve your problem? Thanks Bob

It was actually my hard drive that had gone bad. Once I replaced it the computer started running fast again.