computer help... very s..l..o..w....

[RobM77]

Does anyone know what's up with my computer? It runs incredibly slowly. Logging on to XP takes about two minutes, and every single action seems to take longer than other computers that I use. If you minimize or maximise a window, you can sometimes be kept waiting for about 10 seconds before anything happens. Same when you are waiting for a 'Save As' window to open, etc etc.

It is a Dell with a 2.6Ghz Celeron processor and 256Mb of RAM running Win XP. We have Mcafee's full suite of Anti-virus and anti-spyware etc, and no unusual programmes running in the background.

Anyone got any ideas?

[mybrainhurts]

What's your steam pressure running at....?

[Smartie]

Don't suppose you've installed Google desktop have you - that pretty much stopped my PC!

Seems be worth having a fresh intall of windows once in a while though its a PITA to backup everything b4 u do!

[RobM77]

well, the screensaver was on when I just sat down and it took two minutes to show the log on screen! then one minute to log on!!

No Google desktop, no steam!

[F.M]

I bought MacFee anti-virus and it done the same to mine....I went out and bought norton instead...Have you recently installed it?..

[greenv8s]

I can only think of two reasons. Either it's radically short of RAM and swapping (you'd hear the disc hammering away while you were witing for it to respond) or it has been infected.

[d-man]

RobM77 said:

256Mb of RAM running Win XP. We have Mcafee's full suite of Anti-virus and anti-spyware etc

That's your problem. Win XP and Mcafee hog lots and lots of memory and 256Mb just isn't enough, as GreenV8s says it'll be hammering the disk the whole time as it swaps things in and out. 512Mb will help, but 1Gb would be best.

[RobM77]

Thanks guys, I think that's the answer!

Yes, to me it did seem like low memory as well. I can't hear the disk accessing virtual memory, but still we might be low on it. It slows down during actions that access RAM.

I guess the solution is to upgrade the RAM or change to Norton.

thanks very much.

[Trooper2]

Norton is probably a worse resource hog than McAfee. My P.C. came with 256MBs of RAM and Norton and upgading to 1024MBs of RAM made a huge difference. Until then run "Disc Clean-up" on a regular basis.

[annodomini2]

Trooper2 said:

Norton is probably a worse resource hog than McAfee. My P.C. came with 256MBs of RAM and Norton and upgading to 1024MBs of RAM made a huge difference. Until then run "Disc Clean-up" on a regular basis.

They are both crap, if you're willing to pay, get SpySweeper, Kapersky labs anti-virus, and Keiro Personal firewall.

If not, AVG, Zone Alarm, Ad-Adware, Spy Bot.

[Trooper2]

Yep I think that's pretty much what I said.

[annodomini2]

Trooper2 said:

Yep I think that's pretty much what I said.

I didn't disagree with what you said if you read, just added a bit more information for him!

[havoc]

annodomini2 said:

If not, AVG, Zone Alarm, Ad-Adware, Spy Bot.

How bizarre - that's my exact security suite!

Back to the original topic:-
- Try disk cleanup
- Try defragging the C-drive - if it's badly fragged there'll be no large 'clumps' of free memory to dump swap files into.
- In the same vein, once defragged try increasing the virtual memory allocation on the C-drive. About 1GB should help a bit, but no more really than 50% of the free C-drive memory.


Mine's started going very slow too...think it might be one of the new programmes I've installed conflicting with something...so it's either Civ IV or the Creative Labs MP3 software for my new Nano...

...but I don't want to uninstall either, although I think I might have to soon. Bother!

[Zad]

Do yourself a favour, buy some more memory. It'll pay you back in a very short time.

[Trooper2]

annodomini2 said:

Trooper2 said: Yep I think that's pretty much what I said. I didn't disagree with what you said if you read, just added a bit more information for him!

I must have been grumpy this morning...

[RobM77]

Thank you to Zad, Trooper2 etc and all those who suggested extra memory. We have now upgraded from 256Mb to 1.2Gb of RAM and the computer runs like lightening! An instant transformation! thanks again.