try disabling the startup items in MSCONFIG ( Start - Run - type msconfig) click the startup tab and click disable all. After that, click on the Services tab also and check the box that says "Hide All Microsoft Services" and click disable all also. you may need to check on the list anything about your anti virus program.
If it is still the same, you may need to back up your data and do a complete reinstallation of your operating system using OS cd...hope this helps...for any other concerns, you can send me a PM
adding more ram will definitely help, you should see an immediate difference in boot time and the amount of time taken for a program to open. You 'll also be able to multi task more effectively, ram is the cheapest and best solution that i know off to improve a sluggish computer. check www.newegg.com , zipzoomfly, or http://shop.pcmag.com/ or any other major online e-tailers. 1 gig of ram is dirt cheap atm. For optimizing you operating system download a suite os optimizer, the 30 day trial should be good enough , download "tuneup utilities 2007" from http://www.tune-up.com/ Good luck :)
Message Edited by sillywabbit on 09-06-2007 10:18 PM
How much space is left on the hard drive? Clean out your internet browser cache, delete .tmp files and burn photos, music, etc onto CDs and then delete them from the hard drive.
Open device manager and expand list under IDE/ATA controllers. Click on Primary IDE Channel. Click Advanced Settings tab. Make sure Transfer Mode is set to "use DMA if available", and check that "Current Transfer Mode" reads "Ultra DMA mode 2" for both Device 0 and Device 1. Do the same for secondary IDE channel. If Current Transfer Mode says PIO for any device, that's part of your problem. In that case, post back and we'll tell you how to fix it.
Things you can do to improve the performance of your system in addition to what has been suggested.
[
Generic response – Not all may apply to you]
1. Add more ram. For Windows XP, 512 mb minimum, 1 GB or more will improve things.
2. Hard drive needs to be defragged from time to time
3. If your hard drive is full or near full, this will slow the system down, and you need to unload some of the programs, pictures, music, etc to free up some space. Or get another larger hard drive
4. Speaking of hard drives, if yours is one that has a spin rate of 5400 rpm, get another drive that is 7200 rpm to improve the overall performance.
5. Use two spyware programs, and keep them up to date, use them often to get the spyware off.
6. Disable all but the anti virus software, and firewall at boot up. No other program really needs to start up at boot, which takes resources, and slows things down
Stop Unnecessary Startup programs
Below procedure will provide a faster boot up, and eliminate wasting memory on programs that are not in use at this time, and may help gaming……
Procedure to disable Start up programs for Windows XP:
Click on START, Click on Run, than put in the box MSCONFIG Click OK. Now you are in the System Configuration Utility Program. Click on START UP you see on the top of this Utility Program. Uncheck the programs from here that you do not want to start at boot up, leaving the anti virus and any third party firewall alone. You can always go back into this program to restart them. They will not be uninstalled. Click on APPLY, than it will ask you if you wish to reboot the system. Do so. After it boots up again, you will be presented with another window from the System Configuration Utility Program telling you that you have made an adjustment. If you don't want to see this pop up each time you boot up, put a check mark in the little box in the lower left corner of this announcement.
Link above is to a site that can explain what you have starting up, if you do not already know, and which ones you can safely un-check. It’s a long list. Or you can Google Search for what is showing in the Msconfig program, and see what it is...
7. If your video card is of the low end or older now, you may wish to install a better one if you can.
8. If you have the
integrated video chip ( Which is not a real video card as some have thought), it will take some of your systems memory, leaving you with even less to run windows, also slowing down everything, you may be able to upgrade to a dedicated video card, unless you made the mistake, and got a system which cannot be upgraded ( Some notebook systems ) in the graphics department, and you are now stuck. Should have done the homework first prior to the purchase to see what hardware is available, and if it will meet your requirements.
9. Use the Disk CleanUp program
By freeing disk space, you can improve the performance of your computer. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.
Use Disk Cleanup to:
• Remove temporary Internet files.
• Remove downloaded program files (such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets).
• Empty the Recycle Bin.
• Remove Windows temporary files.
• Remove optional Windows components that you don't use.
• Remove installed programs that you no longer use.
10. Many have done a complete Reformat, and Reinstall of the Operating System, which will bring it back to day one again, making things faster. Lots of work, and you must save everything you do not wish to lose prior to the reformat. Your system may even have a Restore Utility that will give you the opportunity to start fresh on the day the system was shipped, which includes any bloatware as well. Use it, but remember, you will loose all that you have saved, so back them up.
11. Clean out E-mail Inbox, that may help to speed up your system
12. Dusting, and cleaning the system, reducing heat build-up will help matters as well. Use a can of compressed air on a regular basis. Notebook system weekly in the vents.
13. Check your drivers. They maybe way out of date. Download the more current drivers if need be.
Another thing you might want to try is to throw the Mcafee disc out the window download AVG free run a scan and see how many Trojan Viruses Mcafee has missed.
techfanatic
87 Posts
0
September 6th, 2007 16:00
sillywabbit
1 Message
0
September 7th, 2007 01:00
Message Edited by sillywabbit on 09-06-2007 10:18 PM
RoHe
10 Elder
•
45.2K Posts
0
September 7th, 2007 02:00
Open device manager and expand list under IDE/ATA controllers. Click on Primary IDE Channel. Click Advanced Settings tab. Make sure Transfer Mode is set to "use DMA if available", and check that "Current Transfer Mode" reads "Ultra DMA mode 2" for both Device 0 and Device 1. Do the same for secondary IDE channel. If Current Transfer Mode says PIO for any device, that's part of your problem. In that case, post back and we'll tell you how to fix it.
Ron
SR45
2 Intern
•
12.1K Posts
0
September 7th, 2007 08:00
[ Generic response – Not all may apply to you]
1. Add more ram. For Windows XP, 512 mb minimum, 1 GB or more will improve things.
2. Hard drive needs to be defragged from time to time
3. If your hard drive is full or near full, this will slow the system down, and you need to unload some of the programs, pictures, music, etc to free up some space. Or get another larger hard drive
4. Speaking of hard drives, if yours is one that has a spin rate of 5400 rpm, get another drive that is 7200 rpm to improve the overall performance.
5. Use two spyware programs, and keep them up to date, use them often to get the spyware off.
6. Disable all but the anti virus software, and firewall at boot up. No other program really needs to start up at boot, which takes resources, and slows things down
Stop Unnecessary Startup programs
Below procedure will provide a faster boot up, and eliminate wasting memory on programs that are not in use at this time, and may help gaming……
http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/ Fair reading on start up programs
Procedure to disable Start up programs for Windows XP:
Click on START, Click on Run, than put in the box MSCONFIG Click OK. Now you are in the System Configuration Utility Program. Click on START UP you see on the top of this Utility Program. Uncheck the programs from here that you do not want to start at boot up, leaving the anti virus and any third party firewall alone. You can always go back into this program to restart them. They will not be uninstalled. Click on APPLY, than it will ask you if you wish to reboot the system. Do so. After it boots up again, you will be presented with another window from the System Configuration Utility Program telling you that you have made an adjustment. If you don't want to see this pop up each time you boot up, put a check mark in the little box in the lower left corner of this announcement.
http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php
Link above is to a site that can explain what you have starting up, if you do not already know, and which ones you can safely un-check. It’s a long list. Or you can Google Search for what is showing in the Msconfig program, and see what it is...
7. If your video card is of the low end or older now, you may wish to install a better one if you can.
8. If you have the integrated video chip ( Which is not a real video card as some have thought), it will take some of your systems memory, leaving you with even less to run windows, also slowing down everything, you may be able to upgrade to a dedicated video card, unless you made the mistake, and got a system which cannot be upgraded ( Some notebook systems ) in the graphics department, and you are now stuck. Should have done the homework first prior to the purchase to see what hardware is available, and if it will meet your requirements.
9. Use the Disk CleanUp program
By freeing disk space, you can improve the performance of your computer. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.
Use Disk Cleanup to:
• Remove temporary Internet files.
• Remove downloaded program files (such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets).
• Empty the Recycle Bin.
• Remove Windows temporary files.
• Remove optional Windows components that you don't use.
• Remove installed programs that you no longer use.
10. Many have done a complete Reformat, and Reinstall of the Operating System, which will bring it back to day one again, making things faster. Lots of work, and you must save everything you do not wish to lose prior to the reformat. Your system may even have a Restore Utility that will give you the opportunity to start fresh on the day the system was shipped, which includes any bloatware as well. Use it, but remember, you will loose all that you have saved, so back them up.
11. Clean out E-mail Inbox, that may help to speed up your system
12. Dusting, and cleaning the system, reducing heat build-up will help matters as well. Use a can of compressed air on a regular basis. Notebook system weekly in the vents.
13. Check your drivers. They maybe way out of date. Download the more current drivers if need be.
bobbloke_1
143 Posts
0
September 7th, 2007 09:00