UNSOLVED
help, please
dimension E520 windows xp
Running so slow it is unusable. Programs, files, folders everything even control panel and task manager takes minutes to open. This is after repeated attempts to open. Some things never seem to open. Once open, same deal. Mouse does not respond. This has happened several times over the 3 yrs I have had it. I reformat it is ok for a while and then it degenerates to this condition.
I uninstall programs re-install. I don't install anything from a questionable source.
I think I am doing everything to keep the computer clean and functioning. However, this has been an ongoing problem.
I have had difficulty in the past reformatting (after dozens of attempts it finally worked).
At this time, I have tried dozens of times to reformat with no results. I have done control F11. The screen comes up with restore and reboot. No matter what I do it only allows me to reboot. I have tried to reformat w/the disc. I get a screen that says a problem has been detected and windows has been shut down...Run chkdsk /f. Ran and it restarts.
I have run Dell Diagnostics. OK
I have followed the directions on
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?c=us&cs=19&dl=false&l=en&s=dhs&docid=58F73F9BAFEA490FB2B13EAADC6BC4D0&doclang=en
After step #3 "microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" is my only choice
I choose "Administrator" c prompt I type CD 1386 - The system cannot find the pat specified
Type winnt32 then "is not recognized as an internal or external commandoperable program or batch file
The only way to shut down is at the tower
To sum it up, computer becomes unusable. I spend dozens of hours reformating and reloading everything.
AND now I can't even get to reformat.
Thank you in advance for your help.
mombodog
2 Intern
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12735 Posts
408
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Posted December 29th, 2009 15:00
What might be happening:
Your hard drive mode is reverting to PIO mode instead of DMA, this will slow things down to a crawl. If you can get into Device Manager you can check this, in DM right click on IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, and select uninstall, when DM refreshes close DM and restart the PC, see if things speed up for you.
What causes this? Your hard drive or IDE controller is having problems reading and writing to the disks, after so many read/write errors, XP will back down the mode of the drive, if errors continue, it will back it all the way down to PIO mode, the slowest of slowest. Most of the time it is an aging hard drive that needs replaced, worst case is you need a new PC or motherboard.
To reinstall XP, it is better to Boot from the reinstallation CD
http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_pro_install_-_graphic.htm
.