My old, 5 years,dimension has the hard drive in a plastic holder, grounds through the power plug. Works OK. I would try:www.simplisoftware.com, download HDtach 2.7, and post your read test result. I get 44 MBps on my newer Seagate drive. Try both drives. Could also be an XP installation problem or driver. I changed a driver for the hard drive controller, and it became slow, but not as slow as yours.
Alternately, get Dell to send a technician back to fix it for you, it's still under warranty. Still, I am curious what your drives are doing for speed..
when you turn your computer on for the first time, all the icons that arent shown, in the task bar, when you click on the (<<) to show them, does it open slowly or really fast? because mine opens like its crawling, and it doesent go any faster after using it.
Message Edited by Christopher R on 02-19-2004 05:00 PM
Message Edited by Christopher R on 02-19-2004 05:01 PM
Your drive speed is FAST! My system tray takes less than one second to show or hide, lower right corner. What programs are in there? I have:clock/mouse/nortonantivirus/speaker/and messenger. How is HD speed on the 60 GB? Try this: ctrl-alt-del/ windows task manager/performance tab/what are cpu% and page file use. If cpu use high (mine is 4% down to 0% on the web, either PC I have), go to Processes tab, see what's taking the largest number in the CPU column. Then post it. Maybe you have "spyware", my friend's brother had Gator and it kept him from printing. I had a soundcard driver swamp my Dell 99% and it was slow indeed.
i noticed on slow computers, that it opens really slowly, and on faster machines, it opens really fast in like less than a second.
becuase mine is slow, but after a few horus of using it it goes instantly open. i think my pc isnt slow, but it isnt working as fast as it can, becuase my friends who have dells, have tuns of spyware, and stuff running all the time, and they run perfect but my comptuer has no spyware, and nothign running. such as, when you turn your comptuer on, and you click on the start menu, does it insatntly appear? or it sorta popups choppy, then the next time you do it its fine. and when you out of something, does it just go away or parts really quickly. maby im not formatting it right, the way i do it is, i restart, with the windows pro CD in it, then i deleate the current partition, and then create a new one on the drive. it takes about 2 horus to compleate. when i get on windows i install the drivers and software. then the stuff i use, like steam, cs, kazaa lite, AIM. in regedit, the only things that i have that start up with my pc are the drivers and stuff. maby im just to used to speed or something, when i got the computer it had 120MB of ram, and then i went to best buy and baught some till i had 1GB, maby that might be the problem? also, when i turn on the pc, everything loads, and then a minuite later the icon that shows im connected shows, and my AIM today windows popups, which means its done logging on
Message Edited by Christopher R on 02-20-2004 12:29 AM
Did you check processes as I mentioned above? You could remove all the RAM except the original amount. Watch out for static and be sure the PC is unplugged. If it goes fast all of a sudden, add one stick at a time, test until it slows down. Newer PC's can have 1 gb ram. Definitely check processes though.
i reformatted last night, and installed the things that i use, its running really fast, when nick came over, he said that my pc is fast and that im just to used to the speed, which i thought at first too, but i did have alot of past problems though, but thoes were hardware related
I saw your Task Manager, it looks fine. You get 4417kbps, on cable? That's incredible. Which company? The fastest my DSL provider can give is 483 kbps on a good day! I still wait for the day Frontier connects my DSL to the nearby station instead of the one 5 miles away! I might get 2000kbps then. My neighbor's cable does about 1000 kbps. I only stay on DSL because of my sister's need to not change e-mail addresses. I think you have solved your PC problems, enjoy it until the next upgrade.
Yeah i think thats becuase the people who install the software at dell, really dont care they just install it even if it doesent work. If they come across a problem with the operating system they dont bother to reformat for you again because they have alot of computers to do the same thing to. so lazy :O
Also, i installed the privacy service from Macafee. and after that when i boot it would ask me for my windows password a 2nd time, i didnt want to do that so i uninstalled macafee, and since it deleated the dll files in the windows folder, i couldnt get back on to reinstall it, so i had to reformat it, after that i use norton anti vuris. i dont use a firewall on my computer because they take up ram and slow down internet bandwidth. my firewall is in my router.
Message Edited by Christopher R on 02-20-2004 10:45 PM
I received myNEWDell Dimension 4600i on December 23, 2003 and it was dead, right out of the box. After several calls to the tech support line I finally got a call back on Dec. 26, 2003 (phone message actually with a follow up direct call on Dec. 29, 2003). I was offered a total exchange for a new computer but figured since I had paid for next day, on site service why not have the issue settled at home. A technician came to my house and replaced the motherboard/hard drive on Dec. 30, 2003. Things seemed to be ok but I am starting to have a lot of problems. I have had to reconfigure the hard drive with lengthy calls to the support centre... several times being on hold only to have the line cut. I have seen a big blue screen at least 4 times telling me to reboot and hit F8 for safe mode. Now I'm getting messages about serious errors with Internet Explorer just about every time I boot up. Add to that the fact that the MCAFEE protection package... right out of the box... is a little mixed up. I have managed to "resolve" the MCAFEE issue for now.. but every time I start my computer.. I brace myself for the next error message on screen. The Dell support people have been ok.. but my lingering question is... should this happen with a brand new computer? Anyone else luck out like this?
Fleetship1
7 Posts
0
February 19th, 2004 12:00
It could be, the harddrive have a bad ground. Put the system on the side (horizontal) and check, if the system
runs now faster. if yes, take the harddrive and check the hdd-holder (green). Bending the metalclips more out.
Regards,
Fleetship1
JDre
1.3K Posts
0
February 19th, 2004 15:00
Message Edited by JDre on 02-19-2004 11:25 AM
JDre
1.3K Posts
0
February 19th, 2004 17:00
Christopher R
38 Posts
0
February 19th, 2004 19:00
when you turn your computer on for the first time, all the icons that arent shown, in the task bar, when you click on the (<<) to show them, does it open slowly or really fast? because mine opens like its crawling, and it doesent go any faster after using it.
Message Edited by Christopher R on 02-19-2004 05:00 PM
Message Edited by Christopher R on 02-19-2004 05:01 PM
JDre
1.3K Posts
0
February 19th, 2004 22:00
JDre
1.3K Posts
0
February 19th, 2004 23:00
Christopher R
38 Posts
0
February 20th, 2004 01:00
i noticed on slow computers, that it opens really slowly, and on faster machines, it opens really fast in like less than a second.
becuase mine is slow, but after a few horus of using it it goes instantly open. i think my pc isnt slow, but it isnt working as fast as it can, becuase my friends who have dells, have tuns of spyware, and stuff running all the time, and they run perfect but my comptuer has no spyware, and nothign running. such as, when you turn your comptuer on, and you click on the start menu, does it insatntly appear? or it sorta popups choppy, then the next time you do it its fine. and when you out of something, does it just go away or parts really quickly. maby im not formatting it right, the way i do it is, i restart, with the windows pro CD in it, then i deleate the current partition, and then create a new one on the drive. it takes about 2 horus to compleate. when i get on windows i install the drivers and software. then the stuff i use, like steam, cs, kazaa lite, AIM. in regedit, the only things that i have that start up with my pc are the drivers and stuff. maby im just to used to speed or something, when i got the computer it had 120MB of ram, and then i went to best buy and baught some till i had 1GB, maby that might be the problem? also, when i turn on the pc, everything loads, and then a minuite later the icon that shows im connected shows, and my AIM today windows popups, which means its done logging on
Message Edited by Christopher R on 02-20-2004 12:29 AM
JDre
1.3K Posts
0
February 20th, 2004 14:00
Christopher R
38 Posts
0
February 20th, 2004 15:00
i reformatted last night, and installed the things that i use, its running really fast, when nick came over, he said that my pc is fast and that im just to used to the speed, which i thought at first too, but i did have alot of past problems though, but thoes were hardware related
http://img14.photobucket.com/albums/v43/slipknotcs2000/?action=view¤t=speed2.jpg
Message Edited by Christopher R on 02-20-2004 12:06 PM
JDre
1.3K Posts
0
February 20th, 2004 20:00
I saw your Task Manager, it looks fine. You get 4417kbps, on cable?
That's incredible. Which company? The fastest my DSL provider can give is 483 kbps on a good day! I still wait for the day Frontier connects my DSL to the nearby station instead of the one 5 miles away! I might get 2000kbps then. My neighbor's cable does about 1000 kbps. I only stay on DSL because of my sister's need to not change e-mail addresses. I think you have solved your PC problems, enjoy it until the next upgrade.
Christopher R
38 Posts
0
February 21st, 2004 01:00
Yeah i think thats becuase the people who install the software at dell, really dont care they just install it even if it doesent work. If they come across a problem with the operating system they dont bother to reformat for you again because they have alot of computers to do the same thing to. so lazy :O
Also, i installed the privacy service from Macafee. and after that when i boot it would ask me for my windows password a 2nd time, i didnt want to do that so i uninstalled macafee, and since it deleated the dll files in the windows folder, i couldnt get back on to reinstall it, so i had to reformat it, after that i use norton anti vuris. i dont use a firewall on my computer because they take up ram and slow down internet bandwidth. my firewall is in my router.
Message Edited by Christopher R on 02-20-2004 10:45 PM
mlb53
4 Posts
0
February 21st, 2004 01:00
I received my NEW Dell Dimension 4600i on December 23, 2003 and it was dead, right out of the box. After several calls to the tech support line I finally got a call back on Dec. 26, 2003 (phone message actually with a follow up direct call on Dec. 29, 2003). I was offered a total exchange for a new computer but figured since I had paid for next day, on site service why not have the issue settled at home. A technician came to my house and replaced the motherboard/hard drive on Dec. 30, 2003. Things seemed to be ok but I am starting to have a lot of problems. I have had to reconfigure the hard drive with lengthy calls to the support centre... several times being on hold only to have the line cut. I have seen a big blue screen at least 4 times telling me to reboot and hit F8 for safe mode. Now I'm getting messages about serious errors with Internet Explorer just about every time I boot up. Add to that the fact that the MCAFEE protection package... right out of the box... is a little mixed up. I have managed to "resolve" the MCAFEE issue for now.. but every time I start my computer.. I brace myself for the next error message on screen. The Dell support people have been ok.. but my lingering question is... should this happen with a brand new computer? Anyone else luck out like this?
Murray.