Community Newsletter: Q&A: 5/13/05 My new PC performing worse than my old one
- 5/12/05 2:31 PM
5/13/05 My new PC performing worse than my old one
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 5/12/05 2:31 PM
Thanks to all of you who contributed to this past week's Q&A topic.
Mitch, I hope this week's members' recommendations give you some insight to help solve your mysterious slow computer. And if you have a moment please do swing by the discussion and tell us if these here solutions helped out.
Members, if you have more questions or additional advice for Mitch, feel free to post them in this thread below. It’s all up to you as a community to contribute and learn from one another.
Thanks everyone and have a great weekend!
-Lee Koo
CNET Community
Question:
We have a Dell Dimension 2400 P4 2.4GHz at home that runs
slower than my old Gateway Pentium 500MHz. I upped the Dell
memory to 768MB from 256MB and saw a marginal improvement. It
also has XP Home SP2 on it. The other machine is never going
to see Service Pack 2 after what we have experienced. Any
guidance on speeding up the "new" 2.4-gigabyte monster that
is turning out to be a giga-snail?
Submitted by: Mitch C.
Answer:
Hi, Mitch:
You did not give us a whole lot of information to go on here such as: Did the Dell run well at first and has now slowed down, or has it always run slowly? Did it slow down only after installing Service Pack 2? If so, check the Dell Web site for the latest drivers and issues with SP2. When you say slow, is this for specific tasks such as the Internet or just slow on everything? All things being equal, your Dell should perform far better than your 500MHz computer running Windows XP. One note on upgrading memory: many people think that double the memory means double the speed. Not so. Excluding complex tasks, such as video editing and high-resolution photo editing, for general computing, once you go beyond 256MB, the return on investment starts to diminish, and most people don't even notice a difference after 512MB. It is not like the days when increasing memory from 32MB to 64MB on a DOS machine really did make a big difference in performance. With today's Windows XP computers, I would recommend 512MB for most everyone. In some cases, going from 512MB to 768MB may even reduce performance slightly, especially if you went from a single 512MB module to a configuration of two memory modules. But that is for another day.
Service Pack 2 – I noticed you indicated a level of frustration with Service Pack 2. I have found that as long as you upgrade a fairly clean running computer that is not already infected with viruses and spyware and check the manufacturer’s website for known issues and driver updates, SP2 is generally a worthwhile update. I perform this update on every computer I work on and have not had a single issue yet. But it does take some preparation prior to updating. Updating Windows as well as other software is important for not only fixing small bugs, but to correct potential security issues.
Sudden Slowdown – If your computer has experienced a sudden change in performance, you might want to try a system restore to a date prior to the problem. Click on START > ALL PROGRAMS > ACCESSORIES > SYSTEM TOOLS > SYSTEM RESTORE and then select Restore My Computer to an Earlier Time. Pick a date prior to the problem. Note: A system restore does not affect your data, only programs and settings. But you still should always have your data backed up before performing any major system maintenance.
First Check Running Processes – With no programs running, the first thing to do is check the Task Manager for CPU usage and Processes running. You may spot the problem right off the bat. If the CPU Usage (bottom center of the window) is pinned at 100%, check the process list to see if you can see what is causing the problem. Disregard the System Idle Process figure which it is often at 70-90%. If you find one process that is at 100%, you can try and disable that process and see if things improve. Disabling a process is only valid until you restart your computer. I would suggest you search Google for the process name to find out what it is before disabling it. At the bottom right of the window you will see a box that shows the total number of processes running. This number will vary depending on your exact computer configuration but here is a general guideline.
23-30 Processes – Fairly Clean Installation of Windows XP with few extras
30-40 Processes - XP Computer with several extras such as Printer, Scanner and CD or DVD writer
40-55 Processes - is usually too many or an indication that you have too many programs running in the background such as AOL, Instant Messenger or other programs. This may affect the performance of your computer
55+ Processes – Too many for most installations, but again depends on your exact system and installed hardware and software.
Example:
1. My Son’s P4 Computer setup for online gaming Only with no extras has 23-25 processes running.
2. My Fujutsu Laptop running Windows XP pro normally has about 29-31 processes running. It has CA E-Trust Antivirus, SpyBot, Ad-Aware, Office 2003, Act! 2005, Corel Draw, Access 97 and Access 2003, Wireless PCMCIA Card, USB Mouse.
3. One of my Desktops running Windows XP Pro with dual monitors and DVD Writer has about 49-52 processes running. It has AVG antivirus, AOL, Office 2003, Wordperfect Office, Act!2005, Quickbooks Pro, Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator, Epson Scanner, Minolta Color Laser, Casio Label maker, Kodak Camera Dock, SpyBot, Ad-Aware and Microsoft AntiAdware Beta.
4. Customer Windows XP Home Computer that just came in for service, Complaining that it is running slow with a lot of pop-ups. 84 process running.
Note: Installed Firewalls, Antivirus Software, Spyware tools/blockers, system maintenance tools, ink monitors and printer utilities will all add to the number of processes running. Also background operations such as windows and antivirus updates will increase process numbers while they are running.
Excluding any major hardware or driver problems, I would have to guess that your Dell is probably suffering from virus and/or spyware problems. You did not mention whether or not you are running any antivirus software or spyware removal tools, so I will start from the beginning. These instructions are specifically for Windows XP although they would be similar for other operating systems. NOTE: If your computer does not contain a large amount of data and you have very few programs installed, you might find it easier to just perform a complete restore and just wipe everything out and start over but you will lose everything you have saved on the computer and will have to reinstall any programs that you added since you first set it up.
1. Scan Hard Drive for Errors – Open My Computer and RIGHT Click on your C Drive, LEFT click on Properties, LEFT Click on the TOOLS Tab, Select ERROR CHECKING, Check the box for Automatically Fix File Errors, Click OK. This will tell you that you must restart the computer to scan the drive. Repeat this step for other drive letters, if you have more that one hard drive.
2. Run Disk CleanUp – To delete all temporary files Click on START > ALL PROGRAMS > ACCESSORIES > DISK CLEANUP.
3. Backup all your important data - Depending on the programs that you have installed, you may have a backup program or simply copy your data to an external hard drive or other networked computer. You could even use Microsoft Backup which is part of XP Pro or install it from the XP Home cd. I often use Microsoft Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to make a backup of my data and settings. Here are a few things you may want to backup:
a. All Documents and Spreadsheets
b. All Quicken or financial program data
c. E-Mail and Address books
d. Photos
e. Music
f. Favorites and bookmarks if you want them.
g. Anything else you don’t want to lose.
h. NOTE: Scan your backup data for viruses before restoring it to your computer.
4. Install and Update Tools – You will need some tools. All of these are Free. Even though you may have just downloaded some of these programs, you MUST run update on each one before continuing. You need to install and update all of these before starting, but don’t run the actual scans just yet.
a. Run update on your Antivirus Software.
b. Download, Install and Update Spybot Search and Destroy (http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10289035.html).
c. Download, Install and Update Lavasoft Ad-Aware. (http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10319876.html)
d. Download, Install and update Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware (Beta), you can download this directly from Microsoft.com (http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx).
5. Uninstall any programs that you don’t use or need
a. Look down through your list of programs installed on your computer. START > ALL PROGRAMS.
b. Check to see is there is an uninstall selection for any programs that you want to remove. If not write the name down to be used later. Restart your computer after uninstalling each and every program.
c. Go to START > CONTROL PANEL > ADD OR REMOVE PROGRAMS and look down through this list of programs installed on your computer. You can click on the individual programs to see when you last used them. If you are not sure about any of the listings, leave them or perform a Google Search for the name to find out what they are before uninstalling. I would personally would remove any programs that have anything to do with searching such as “Search Assist”, “Search Optimizers” for many of these are forms of spyware. I would also remove any “Rebate” type programs as well as weather and time programs. Again, it is best to restart your computer after each removal. Again, if you can’t verify what the program is, then you are best off leaving it alone.
6. Disconnect your computer from your network and internet connection - This can be done by simply removing the Ethernet and/or phone line from the back of your computer.
7. Turn OFF System Restore – RIGHT Click on MY COMPUTER > Select PROPERTIES > Select SYSTEM RESTORE tab > Check box for TURN OFF SYSTEM RESTORE > OK
8. Restart into Safe Mode – by continuously tapping the F8 key during startup and selecting safe mode from the menu.
9. Run a complete Virus Scan – This process will depend on which antivirus software you a using.
10. Run Microsoft AntiSpyware Scanner – Double click on the AntiAdware Icon
11. Run Lavasoft Ad-Aware Scanner
12. Run SpyBot Search and Destroy Scanner
13. If you run into some stubborn problems found by any of the above scanners that can not be removed, you may have to scan again. If that does not work you may have to research the problem and remove them manually.
14. Restart Computer – Restart computer to normal mode
15. Turn System Restore Back ON – Uncheck box in step 7
16. Run Disk Defragmenter – Click on START > ALL PROGRAMS > ACCESSORIES > SYSTEM TOOLS > DISK DEFRAGMENTER
17. Check Startup Programs – Click on START > RUN > Type in “msconfig” (no quotes) > OK > Select the STARTUP tab > Uncheck any item you do not want to automatically load when the computer starts. You can always go back and recheck any items that you need.
18. Turn off your computer
19. Reconnect your Network, phone or Internet Connection – Reverse step 6
20. Restart your Computer
If this does fix your problems or you do not wish to go through this involved set of steps, you could always perform a complete factory restore/recovery. This may be the best option especially if you don’t have a lot of programs and data on your computer. Depending on the exact date that your Dell computer was manufactured, you may have a built in Recovery option that will return your computer to day one. This option, if you have it, can be found by pressing the Ctrl key and F11 when you see the Dell opening screen. KEEP IN MIND THAT YOU WILL LOSE ALL YOUR DATA AND ANY PROGRAMS AND UPDATES THAT YOU HAVE INSTALLED SINCE YOU PURCHASED YOUR COMPUTER. If this option is not available on your model then your will have to use the recovery CD’s that came with your computer.
Dana H.
Wayland Computer
http://www.waylandcomputer.com/
Submitted by: Dana H. of Wayland, Massachusetts
Honorable mentions
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 5/12/05 3:54 PM
In reply to: 5/13/05 My new PC performing worse than my old one by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
*** HONORABLE MENTION ***
Answer:
Mitch,
We have a Dell Dimension 2400 P4 2.4GHz at home that runs slower than my old Gateway Pentium 500MHz. I upped the Dell memory to 768MB from 256MB and saw a marginal improvement. It also has XP Home SP2 on it. The other machine is never going to see Service Pack 2 after what we have experienced. Any guidance on speeding up the "new" 2.4-gigabyte monster that is turning out to be a giga-snail?
The main question to ask is exactly WHEN did the Dell 2.4 GHz computer start running that way. Did it start behaving like a snail out of the box? Or did it start after you applied SP2? Or was it just over time?
For the record... Windows XP SP2 doesn't add that much load on a system - even with the new features - to slow a computer down so much that an old boat anchor Pentium 500 runs faster...
There are a number of possible reasons for why your computer is behaving like a lame horse:
1.) Spyware - Spyware/Adware tends to slow the fastest speed demon and make it look like a candidate for the glue factory.
2.) Viruses - Likewise, some viruses tend to make fast computers run badly.
3.) Norton products - Things like System Doctor - a utility that checks the "health" of your PC - or even Norton Antivirus sometimes tend to bog down even the fastest machines out there to the point where they're unusable.
In either of the above scenarios, the thing to do is to SCAN, CLEAN, REMOVE the offending bits and bytes and in the case of #3 above, find a better alternative product.
The fix for the first problem would be to get AdAware, Microsoft Antispyware Beta and a few other legit scanners to get rid of any offending spyware.
MANY spyware programs available in the wild tend to serve TONS of pop-up ads and other junk. In fact, one such nasty piece of malware infested a client of mine's computer, popping up 50 or more (I lost count trying to close them
out!) ads for a competitor's antivirus solution. It was for a no-name brand that most people probably would not recognize. Like I would EVER visit, let alone buy that piece of junk being advertised.
The 2nd problem listed above - viruses - have become fairly clever. Some of the little buggers can now disable your PC's antivirus program. It's best to scan your computer from multiple sources BESIDES your desktop AV solution.
Two of my favorites would be http://housecall.trendmicro.com and the online scanner found at http://www.pandasoftware.com.
Norton... It used to represent the cream of the crop as far as computer utilities and anti-virus tools. However, in the past few years, their products have become nothing but bloatware - and that bloat has been known to significantly slow computers down. You're better off without them.
Ok, so let's say you've gone through the above shortlist and your machine still runs like a snail. Your machine is clear of spyware and viruses. You don't have Norton installed... Now what?
The next thing to do is right-click on the task bar (in an unoccupied part of it) and select Task Manager.
Task Manager can generally be quite useful to determine what programs are busy doing things on/to your computer. When Task Manager appears, click the processes tab. You will notice that the 3rd column is titled CPU. You will then see a list of numbers in that column that represents what
application(s) are taking the CPU's attention and the percentage of attention they're getting. A computer at complete rest should show that the item called "System Idle Process" should have approximately 92 to 100% of the CPU's attention. This may fluctuate if you move the mouse for a moment or two.
Once you've found the app/apps that are taking up the CPU's time, make note of the file name in the leftmost column. Click on Start | Search and look for the file in question. Once you've found the offender, you can usually tell what application is contributing to your computer running like it's out of gas. Some names will be more obvious than others. Files beginning with HP may be linked to your printer. Files beginning with ATI - may be drivers for your video card. Others will NOT be so obvious.
Keep in mind, you may need to change some options in Windows Explorer to find certain files. By default, Windows hides "operating system files" and other critical files so users don't accidentally delete them. You can click on Tools | Folder Options from any Windows Explorer window and turning that off on the View tab.
Now then, you've found the offending file... What to do..? That all depends on what the offending file is and what it's doing. You can use Google to find out what a given file is/does by searching for the filename. There are sites out on the web that will tell you what that mystery DLL or EXE is for and who produced it. As a general rule, it's best to not delete anything unless you're absolutely 100% certain that it's not going to kill the computer.
Windows XP has a utility called MSCONFIG - It allows you to safely disable most start-up items that get loaded when you boot the computer. Click Start
| Run and type in MSCONFIG.EXE and click OK. On the Startup tab, you can
disable items you do not need/want to run the next time you boot the computer. When you've restarted the computer, check to see if the performance is any better.
Note: SOME things can't be easily disabled. For instance, QuickTime will put it's taskbar utility back into the start-up routine even if you disable it.
At least, you can safely right-click on it once it's started and click Exit to shut it down.
If by this point, you've scanned, cleaned all viruses and spy/adware and found NOTHING to disable from the MSConfig start up options, then, depending on your level of expertise, you may want to look into having the computer looked at by a qualified technician. A computer a colleague of mine recently came across had similar symptoms - and it turned out that the wrong network card driver got installed somehow. Removing the offending driver and installing the correct ones solved the problem.
Submitted by: Pete Z.
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Answer:
In response to the question of the slow Dell 2400...
This always seems to be an issue with new PCs, especially ones from major brands. The slowness could be caused by any number of reasons, but the ones that I have found to most often the culprits are these:
1) All of the extra software from the brand. Companies like Dell will put a ton of extra software that is not needed on your PC when it comes from the factory. I would suggest one of two things.
a-Remove all software that you don't need, just go to the control panel and use the add/remove software control.
b-Do a clean install of Windows XP. If there is nothing important on the PC, just wipe it clean and do a fresh XP only install (without the Dell software).
2) The ever present Spyware and Malware. In order to effectively remove 99% of them you will actually need to run a minimum of 3 different programs. Yes I said 3. Don't be affraid, I know that it sounds like a lot, but there is not 1 program out there that gets them all. Not even 2 combined. But 3 usually gets almost all of them. Which 3 are up to you. I am not one to tell you to spend a lot of money on 3 programs that do the same thing. But I pesonally would use the Microsoft product, something like Spysweeper or SpywareBegone or XoftSpy, and a free one like Trend's Housecall. Any of those three in combination (or all 5 would be even better) will get pretty much everything.
3) Of course there is always viruses (or viri) as well... And by now we all know who are the major players involved with antivirus programs, pick one and clean away.
4)Turn off all of the "extras" in XP. You know what I am talking about... animated icons, animated menus, etc...
If you do all of the above you will probably note a huge difference in speed.
Then there are the normal maintenance type things that most everyone knows how to do but forgets to do:
5)Run defrag.
6)Run disk cleanup.
I hope this helps!
Submitted by: Frank L.
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Answer:
Mitch, here are some simple things you can check to verify all is well with your system setup.
1) Check your hard drive as it may be too full and not be functioning at optimum speed. Your system requires free disk space. If it is fragmented and close to being full then it will take more time to search around for space.
2) A fragmented hard drive can cause major slow down. Information should be on your drive in a contiguous fashion thus eliminating unnecessary search time.
3) Empty out your recycle bin as this can be full of unwanted information. (Before running a defrag right click on the RECYCLE BIN ICON on your desktop and select EMPTY)
4) Run the Windows hard drive defragmenter which can be found under programs/accessories/system tools. This will give you an increase in speed and you should run it a couple times a year or even more often depending on how much data manipulating and storing you do.
5) If you are an individual who like to play games which do a lot of graphics you may not have enough system memory to handle it. Check your system and ensure that the additional memory you put in your machine is being recognized. With less memory a lot of swapping of files is done which can cause performance degradation.
6) A virus can also be the culprit and I recommend you run a good virus scan (make sure you have all the latest updates prior to running).
7) Are you running programs in the background you are unaware of? This limits memory and causes the CPU to do unnecessary chores. You can verify what you have running by checking the icons in the bottom right of your system tray. If you see any unnecessary programs sitting there you can right click on them and close them.
8) You can also close any background programs running on your PC by pressing ctrl + alt + delete at the same time. After a few moments you will see a list of programs which are running on your system. Click to highlight the program you don’t want to continue running. Be careful of what you end as you may take down a necessary program and grind your system to a halt.
9) You can stop programs from starting at your next boot up by finding the program and configure it not to run. You can start the program at a later time selecting it and clicking on it. Click on start/all programs and select the program you wish to start.
10) Please check and make sure you don’t have conflicting device drivers. To do this you can boot your computer in safe mode by pressing and holding the F8 key at start-up. At boot completion time you can select Start/Settings/Control Panel/System/Devices. Click on all the devices and see if any drivers have a yellow or red exclamation mark beside them which would indicate a driver conflict. You can also check to see if there are any duplicate drivers for the same device that you can eliminate. Do all these steps carefully and if you need to reload a driver make sure you have the latest driver and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
11) Lastly, check your machine for overheating. Amazingly your system innards can and will accumulate dust and I recommend you remove the cover and clean it with canned air to blow away all dust. At the same time you can verify your cooling fan is operating. Hopefully by going through this list you can isolate and fix the cause of your problem and be on your way once again. Happy Computing.
Submitted by: Joe V.
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Answer:
The most likely reason for very slow performance is bloatware — that is spyware, adware and malware. The best way to combat this is by downloading one of the many free spyware removal tools available.
I would personally recommend a two-pronged approach to this — firstly download and use the new Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta (very stable actually) here; then download a slightly different, yet equally effective tool called SpywareBlaster from here. The Microsoft solution is very useful for scanning for and removing spyware/adware, and has an effective real-time protection system to prevent spyware installing. The SpywareBlaster software, on the other hand, attempts to prevent adware and spyware from installing through browser hijacking — ActiveX controls and unwanted toolbars that prove difficult to remove. After installation, update both software products, run a full scan in AntiSpyware, remove all the rubbish, and then enable all protection in SpywareBlaster. This will provide a very effective barrier from future spyware/adware, and you should see a huge performance boost.
The next task on your list should be to install sufficient Antivirus and Firewall software (if you don't already have it). This will prevent viruses propagating in the background, and stop hackers from using your computer as a tool to attack other users and companies.
While the Windows Firewall in Service Pack 2 is better than nothing, it is very basic and not the best option — I would strongly recommend a suite such as Norton Internet Security, that provides all round protection from viruses and hackers. If you aren't too inclined to spend money, or need several copies, you may find the free solutions ZoneAlarm Firewall and AVG AntiVirus just as effective. It is important to ensure that all your Firewall/Virus software is kept regularly updated to keep secure.
Once you've scanned and removed any potential threats, you still can't rest easy. You may have performance slowed down by processor-hogging background programs.
The easiest way to check what you have running in the background is to right-click the Taskbar and click 'Task Manager'. Click the Processes tab to see a list of running processes and the percentage of CPU load they are taking up — the higher, the more performance slowing the process is (the System Idle Process may show a huge percentage, this is simply the computer sitting doing nothing). If you have a process using huge amounts of processing power, note it down, and check it out by doing a Google search. You will find the true use of the process and whether it is essential or not. As a general rule also, processes with SYSTEM, LOCAL SERVICE, or NETWORK SERVICE are part of the Windows system and shouldn't be touched.
You can check whether system hogging programs are being loaded at startup and stop them from loading with the 'msconfig' utility. To use it, click Start > Run, and type msconfig in the box before clicking OK. The System Configuration Utility should appear. Click the Startup tab and you will see a list of programs that are being loaded on boot. By clearing the boxes next to the programs you don't want, you will speed up your startup and improve performance by stopping unwanted programs from loading into memory. Once you click OK, you will have to restart your computer for the changes to take effect — you may see a dialog box telling you that changes have been made to your startup. Unless you want to change your selections, you should tell it to not show the box in future.
The final factor in slowing your computer down could be the Windows Indexing Service. This attempts to speed up searches by indexing your hard disk, but invariably has little effect.
To shut this service down, again click Start > Run, and type services.msc /s into the box. A window should appear with the available Services. Scroll down to find the Indexing Service, right click and select 'Properties'. In the window that appears, choose 'Disable' from the 'Startup type:' drop down list and then click the Stop button just below the drop down box to close the service. This will prevent the service from running in future.
You should now see a huge increase in overall performance, and you'll also benefit from the protection offered by Microsoft AntiSpyware and your Antivirus/Firewall software.
I hope this lengthy response covers your problems, and good luck for the future!
Submitted by:
Jamie T. of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Answer:
Newer computers are advertised to be much faster than older machines, and when comparing pure processor speeds, this is true. However, there is much more that affects a computer's speed. I've listed some of them below:
1. Cache - the greater the amount of Cache on the processor chip, the faster the computer runs. This is because more information can be loaded into immediate access memory each time the chip has to make a call to memory and/or hard drive for information.
2. Front side bus - Just as bandwidth is important for an Internet connection, a larger Front Side Bus means more data can be transmitted together (think of it as a 4 lane expressway vs. a 2 lane road - the expressway can handle a greater amount of traffic).
4. Paging file - The PC has an area in memory called a Paging File. If this file size is set too small, the PC will take an excruciatingly long time to do even the simplest tasks. Some malicious software will try to change this file size. To check the paging file, right click "My Computer" and click "Properties". Click on the "Advanced" tab, then click on the "Settings" button in the "Performance" frame (usually the top "Settings" button). Click on the "Advanced" tab and look at the bottom of the window. There is a frame called "Virtual Memory" that will show how big the file is (in Mb) that the system uses. A good rule of thumb is that the file size should be at least the size of RAM that your PC has (i.e. 768Mb of RAM should have a paging file of at least (768Mb).
3. Software/services - The new machines may be much faster, but they're also doing a lot more. There may be a number of programs and services that are started when the PC starts up. You can check what's starting by clicking "Start", "Run" and typing "MSCONFIG" and pressing Enter. Click the "Startup" tab. If there are programs that you know you don't want started, you can uncheck the box by the program name. Click "Apply" to save your changes. There will be a window that pops up, telling you to restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
4. Hard disk fragmentation - The PC's hard drive may have a lot of small files scattered throughout, making it work harder to access data. Defragmenting your hard drive can help system performance. Click "Start", "Programs", "Accessories", "System Tools", "Disk Defragmenter". It will bring up a window with recognized drives. Click on a drive and click "Analyze". It will determine if your hard drive should be defragmented, or if it's still okay.
These are just some suggestions for improving system performance, but there are other considerations as well. If your system is still running exceptionally slow, you may need to take the PC in to a professional to find the problem, or in extreme cases (heavily infected with viruses etc), scratch the hard drive and reload the operating system and programs. However, this should ONLY be considered in extreme cases, and only after backing up all of your files.
Hope this helps!
Submitted by: Thad S. of Portage, MI
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Answer:
RE: giga-snail
The first thing to do is determine what is running on the machine, and how its resources are being allocated.
Open the Windows XP Task Manager - running XP Home, right-click any blank portion of the task bar and select Task Manager. Then click on the Performance tab and see what percentage of resources is being consumed. That gives you a relative indication of what is running. Now, to see specifics, click on the Processes tab, and then click on the CPU column header. If the top-most process shows zero CPU usage, click the CPU column header again (the idea being to sort the processes such that the highest CPU usage is at the top of the list).
Generally, the "idle" process consumes about 99% of the CPU time, indicating that nothing else is working too hard. If that is the case, and your machine is still "slow", perhaps you need to define exactly what "slow" means in your case (slow to open an application, slow while running an application, slow to respond to disk requests, slow video display, etc).
There are numerous things that can cause a PC to run slow, or to appear to run slow. For example, you might find that a high-end video game would run slow even on a 3GHz CPU if the only video memory available was 4MB with a "on the motherboard" video controller. Installing a high performance 256MB video card would make a world of difference in that case.
If you find that some applications open very slowly, that is generally an indication of a corrupted or "messy" registry. A registry cleaner can often help.
Sometimes a background disk indexing utility will slow a machine to a crawl. For example, I've seen "IBM/XPoint Rapid Restore" bring systems to their knees, making them almost unusable. I've also seen many applications trying to establish network communications slow a machine to a virtual crawl, if/when there is a network problem. The network may be "working", but may have a high collision rate or some other issue.
Less likely, but still a candidate, are antivirus and antispyware applications. Some are severe resource hogs, while others require very little (and still do a great job).
And, saving the worst for last...
Spyware can and will often slow a machine quite a bit. Make sure you run a good antispyware program; one with good real-time monitoring capability that is enabled. Microsoft has a free one that is in "beta", but it works pretty well and does not hog system resources.
Scan the machine for spyware, and if in doubt use more than one scanner (not at the same time). For example, you could download and scan with "Spybot Search & Destroy" followed by Lavasoft's AdAware, followed by Microsoft Antispyware. For best results, totally uninstall each before installing the next. During the actual system scan, do not be connected to the internet, and disable any antivirus software that is running. It is a time-consuming process, but if the machine is infected it may be the only recourse short of doing a system restore.
In summary, you need to look at what is running, and shut off unnecessary applications one by one to see if one is causing poor performance. If need be, shut off any/all peripheral devices to see if one or more is causing a problem; including internet access, network cabling, etc. If running wireless network, temporarily disable it.
For what its worth, I have access to a Dell 2400 2.4GHz P4 w/512 MB RAM, also running XP Home, and it shows no performance issues at all. It is running CA eTrust antivirus software, Microsoft Antispyware, it is networked (not wireless), has local external USB drive and local external USB DVD burner attached. It has Microsoft Office XP, Sonic MyDVD Studio Deluxe, WinTasks Pro, FTP Voyager, MediaPlayer, Keyhole LT, Flash plug-in for MSIE, latest Sun JVM, VNC, Hummingbird Exceed, Microsoft Digital Image Suite, Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer, Adobe Acrobat, and is current with all critical patches and updates.
Here's what it does NOT have:
NO instant messenger software
NO Symantec/Norton software
NO AOL software
NO Dell JukeBox software
NO Roxio software
NO QuickTime software
NO RealPlayer software
Good luck with getting the machine running properly. Computers can be frustrating sometimes.
Submitted by: Steve T. of Westborough, Massachusetts USA
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Answer:
Mitch,
First, try closing down any unnecessary programs running in the system tray (by the clock). Check your startup folder under the start menu/programs for any weird programs that you don't need and delete them.
Also, go to the start menu, hit "run" and type in 'taskmgr' (no quotes). See if there are any weird processes running that are hogging "CPU" or "Mem Usage" - if you see a process hogging the CPU/Mem Usage, then there is a good possibility you have spyware, malware, or even a virus.
I would suggest downloading and installing these programs (all available at downloads.com):
(Freeware spyware scanning software)
Spybot
Ad-Aware
Spyblaster
CWShredder
HijackThis
(For a good firewall: non-pro version is free) Zonealarm Firewall
(For Virus scanning)
McAfee Viruscan - generally the best one
After installing the recommended software, make sure you update each of them to the latest patches/updates.
- Go ahead and scan and protect your machine with the spyware scanning software.
- Run a Virus scan to see if there are any viruses.
Make sure you enable email virus scanning and also create scheduled scans
- Install Zonealarm, unless you prefer the SP2 Firewall for other reasons.
- As an extra check, go to C:\Windows(or WINNT)\system32\drivers\etc and open the "hosts" file with an editor such as notepad. If you see numerous IP address entries (besides '127.0.0.1 localhost'), delete those entries so that you only have '127.0.0.1 localhost' left. Spyware/viruses will often change your hosts file to hijack your web browser.
Conversely, programs like Spybot can help protect you from unwanted websites by adding a list of them and essentially telling your computer not to communicate with certain sites (i.e. '127.0.0.1 clickhereforvirus.com' will tell your computer not to browse to that website)
If worst comes to worst, you should backup your valuable data and reformat the machine. Once you have a completely 'clean' system, follow the steps for installing the listed software above.
And most importantly, be very careful of opening strange emails and attachments, any weird websites you may visit, and what you download from the internet.
Good luck!
Submitted by: Jeremy L.
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Answer:
MY ANSWER:
First off I'm assuming you have the stock shipped motherboard version with CELERON based 2.4 Ghz processor. This DELL DIMENSION 2400 system is at least a year and a half old, or outdated, whichever you prefer.
Next, it is shipped with MINIMAL everything. NO AGP slot(onboard video chip only with RAM size being??), only 3 PCI slots, minimal RAM(256MB), etc, etc, etc. Critical considerations here to consider before just leaping for the CHEAP PRICE. I've heard DELL may even be shipping some of these units with older 40-wire IDE cables instead of the newer 80-wire IDE cables that all newer ATA 100/133 hard drives now require. This can definitely cause data transfer problems, slow running and even lock-ups. Trying to add another PRI Channel slave hard drive might prove to be a headache if not impossible too. Check this out for your own peace of mind.
Anyone today can build their own fast/powerful computer today for less then $500 if you want to shop for parts/components.
Your system was no doubt shipped with a single DDR RAM module supposedly running at 333MHz, but in actuality it only runs at 266MHz speeds on the Celeron Processors and P4 systems up to 2.2 Ghz speeds. Most newer RAM strips being made today are no longer backwards compatible, as such is the case with PC100 and PC133 for instance. I cannot say with any certainty if this is going on with, or is the same case with all DDR memory being made today or not, so don't quote me here? I haven't had to shop for memory in years, as all my boards use DDR2100 modules. Not all memory is created equal especially when it comes to GENERIC memory. Sometimes BRAND NAME and quality are everything. Not sure as to who makes DELL memory for their packaged systems.
Another Consideration is that this is a Single Channel vs a Dual Channel RAM system board configuration. Big difference in speed if it’s a Dual Channel board! In order to get the full 333MHz speed, you have to go for one of the Intel P4 versions of over 2.4Ghz. Can you say UPGRADE?
I'm not quite sure why DELL over-hypes/misquotes their memory by saying it runs on or at 400Mhz. This is clearly false advertising in my book. I would much rather like to see their Motherboard Specs instead to actually see what I can or cannot add or upgrade as to the system. That would be an industry plus for sure! But that is DELL for you.
Now, as to the issue of using XP anything on your system. I still use WIN98SE and WIN2000 on both my computers and they are bulletproof! I can't stand XP!
Here's a good hint for you to try. When the/your computer comes take and immediately format your hard drive and re-install Windows. This will get rid of all that junk that gets shipped on these new computers(no matter who is the maker). You will see your system become noticeably faster.
Assuming you are really familiar with XP then you know you can customize it to run much like WIN98SE desktop. That being, shutting down programs within that don't need to run and take up or eat up your system resources.
That's the nature of XP after all. Power hungry OS! This customize could take a few hours of your time, but it's well worth the effort! If your XP system crashes however, which is typical, it will default back to original settings by software design. BUMMER! The nature of the beast...
Another big consideration or concern here is computer viruses and such, as related to what A/V program you are running? Most people today that have NORTON A/V installed don't even have it set up to scan daily and don't even have the LIVE UPDATE feature selected or activated. STUPID!! I prefer TRENDMICRO PC-CILLIN and their free online HOUSECALL SCAN. It's the best as far as I'm concerned as it finds things NORTON can't even see. And everyone thinks NORTON is the best. Go figure.. Enough on A/V, as I can't preach it enough!
Get, or install to begin with, at LEAST a minimum of 512MB of ram in a single strip form preferably, as this board supports up to 1GB total with its 2 RAM slots. Any more RAM capacity on this board would be a waste anyway. The one good thing about this particular motherboard is that at any time you can just take out the Celeron CPU chip and put in a Pentium 4 CPU chip in its place. They have the same socket, the same voltage, the same FSB as the 2.4 Celeron is based on, or off of, the P4 chip.
So I'm guessing for about another $100 or so you could have a 2.6 Pentium
4 if you shopped around. Maybe even cheaper! I couldn't tell you as I am strictly an ASUS motherboard and AMD CPU chip user. Both my ATHLON systems are now going on close to 5 years old now, mostly in part because I built and programmed them myself and I change, or replace, the Power Supplies every year whether needed or not! That's the biggee there...
Submitted by: Frank jr
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Answer:
Hi Mitch,
There are three major problems of a sluggish computer and I described them below.
Slow computers can be caused from many different things such as registry issues. When you uninstall and install software and perform other tasks it leaves junk in something in windows called the registry which stores settings and information about your programs. You can get free registry cleaners or purchase registry cleaners that seek out and remove junk that you do not need in your registry. A favorite registry cleaner of mine is registry cleaner and downloadable here: http://www.download.com/3000-2094_4-10190447.html .
Another problem that causes a sluggish computer is spyware. Spyware spies on you while you are using your computer and sometimes submits personal information to companies or bad people that can use your information without your consent. There are many programs out there that find spyware and delete it, some programs include spybot search and destroy, Microsoft anti-spyware, and Ad-Aware. Here's where you can download them: http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10319876.html?tag=lst-0-2 for ad-aware and http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10289035.html?tag=lst-0-1 for spybot search and destroy, and finally HYPERLINK http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx Microsoft anti-spyware beta.
Viruses can cause your computer to also slow down, good anti-virus programs include Norton antivirus, Mcaffe, and for a free antivirus you could go with the free version of AVG which is what I use and I think works very good. AVG is downloadable here www.free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php and Norton and Mcaffe can be found at many computer retailers.
If all fails to speed up your computer you can start from scratch by reformatting your hard drive and reinstalling windows. To do this you need to have an xp disk or system restoration disks. System restoration disks are easiest because you can perform a destructive recovery which reformats your hard drive and reinstalls everything including windows and everything that came with your computer. If you don’t have recovery cd's and only an xp disk you can reformat and reinstall windows manually, you can find detailed instructions on how to do so here: HYPERLINK http://www.winxpcentral.com/basics/reformat.php http://www.winxpcentral.com/basics/reformat.php. Be warned to backup your data that you need because it is lost when reformatting.
Submitted by: Dallas W.
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Answer:
Dear Mitch,
*The Problem*
It seems likely that your computer is not being slowed down by your hardware but more likely the software that is installed on your computer. Often times when a computer with decent hardware starts to run slowly it's because it has a combination of spy ware, adware, and viruses running on it. These programs suck up valuable system resources, and can often render your computer inoperable.
Spy ware and adware are often grouped together in a category known as malware. Adware is running in the background of your computer delivering ads such as pop ups to you while your computer runs. Spy ware runs silently collecting data about you and your Internet habits.
Unless you are concerned with your privacy, spyware is not really a major concern, except that having many spyware programs running at once sucks up all your system resources. Adware also sucks up valuable system resources, and delivers annoying ads.
*The Solution*
Do these things in this order:
1. Virus Removal: Viruses are malicious programs that attack your
computer and spread themselves to people in your email account
address book, as well as attack other computers on your network.
My personal favorite program to use is Norton Anti virus 2005
(http://www.symantec.com/nav/nav_9xnt/)$49.95 which not only scans
your computer for viruses but also protects you from receiving
them by scanning your email and alerting you when a program
attempts to access the Internet. Other well known anti virus
products include Mcafee Internet Security Suite
(http://us.mcafee.com/?wt.mc.n=us_us_learnmore_home&wt.mc_t=int_pro_hom&cid=10348)
$49.95, and Avast Anti virus (http://www.avast.com/) free to try.
2. Malware Removal: The best free way to get rid of malware is to
use a combination of the free programs Spy bot: Search and Destroy
(http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/) and Lavasoft's
Adaware SE Personal (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/)
both of which are free to download. These programs operate in
very different ways. Adaware runs a complete system scan and
checks each file for malware, whereas Spy bot searches your
computer for a list of known malware programs. The reason to use
both is tht neither is able to eliminate 100% of malware, and
together they make a more effective team then when they are used
alone. Spy bot also has an active program that scans incoming
content automatically.
3. Speeding up your startup: Another thing that slows down your
computer is when many of the programs that you installed decide to
start themselves up automatically, so that they can be loaded
quickly when you click on them. The problem is, these programs
also suck up system resources.One way to correct this is to click
on start>run and then enter "msconfig" without the quotation
marks. You will see a tab at the far right on the top that says
"startup", click on this. There you will see a list of programs
that boot when you start your computer, if you see a program that
looks suspicious type it in on this website
(http://www.processlibrary.com/) to find out what it is.
If you successfully complete these steps you will find that your computer runs quite a bit faster because it is not putting nearly as much in to running programs that you don't want.
Submitted by: Cully H.
NEW PC PERFORMING WORSE THAN THE OLD ONE
by annhere - 5/13/05 1:42 PM In reply to: Honorable mentions by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Mitch, I sympathise truly. I bought a Dell Dimension 8300 1.5 years ago and it turned out to be a lemon. With all the bells and whistles plus taxes it cost me Can.$3000,00. It was my third Dell but by now they had moved into "Outsourcing" where the technicians do not have the technical skills nor the language skills to be of help. They did send out a new hard drive and memory which did not help. I think in hindsight it needed a new motherboard. I could not begin to name all the problems but getting to the "slowness" issue, one thing did help. I removed the Norton Internet Security that came with the computer, then reinstalled Norton Antivirus which I had been using on the old computer. To that I added Zone Alarm. The computer sped up immediately.
I have since given the Dell computer to a relative who only uses it for listening to music and playing Free Cell, and purchased a Sony Vaio which is an absolute dream and does everything I had expected from Dell but did not get.
I noticed that someone mentioned replacing Norton with a better product. I am still not happy with Norton but don't know what else is better. Can someone please recommend a really good product? I will be most grateful.
Thanks,
Ann.
antivirus
by Memyself - 5/13/05 7:40 PM In reply to: NEW PC PERFORMING WORSE THAN THE OLD ONE by annherehi ann....i like panda a LOT...especially now that it has been upgraded so nicely to include the anti-spam, anti-adware and spyware. it runs very smoothly on my puter too...something that norton never did.
Slow Dell.
by Katrina - 5/14/05 10:09 AM In reply to: antivirus by MemyselfJust a suggestion but dump everything Dell in the computer.
My husband got a new Dell computer with all the bells and whistles. Our older computer would not handle the size of some of the newer games never mind the video card etc.
I networked both computers on to the internet but I found his New Dell running XP was doing just that it was running.
I was running a Pentium 2, with windows 98 ( 128) faster and loading pages, programs much quicker then the Dell ever did.
The Dell is a pentium 4 with XP ( 512) and should of been much faster.
What I found is Dell in a sense took full control of the computer.What Dell had loaded with the computer as a customer service program between security, update links etc. was no more than a tracking system and their own form of spyware.
After removing any and all Dell links the computer now does what it is suppose to do.
All I can say is beware of any bundled packages, this is the same problem with Norton and the security suite. They act like they are the only programs running on your computer and use up a lot of space where the stand alones are already programmed to share and work together.
AVG
by PlatinumPPC - 5/13/05 9:48 PM In reply to: NEW PC PERFORMING WORSE THAN THE OLD ONE by annhereAlthough I admittedly use Norton being an authorized reseller, I hear excellent things about Grisofts AVG Anti Virus.
NEW PC PERFORMING WORSE THAN THE OLD ONE
by annhere - 5/15/05 5:20 PM In reply to: AVG by PlatinumPPCThanks PlatinumPPC. Will check it out.
Ann.
AVG!
by davejyd - 5/16/05 9:06 PM In reply to: NEW PC PERFORMING WORSE THAN THE OLD ONE by annhereI too had Norton "factory installed" on my PC - I downloaded AVG antivirus (www.grisoft.com) and installed it - the next day AVG had caught and stopped 3 viruses that Norton missed!
Plus, AVG is free, with free updates - Norton will start charging you for the updates after a year!
Use AVG in conjunction with Zone Alarm, Spybot Search & Destroy, and Lavasoft Ad-Aware to keep your PC virus and adware free. All of these programs are free (How do they do it?) and easy to use.
Question concerning Indexing Service option
by DeeJa - 5/15/05 10:48 PM In reply to: Honorable mentions by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
In the Honorable Mentions above, Jamie T. had a tip about changing the Indexing Service by going into Start, Run, services.msc /s and changing the Indexing Service to Disabled. How does this relate to My Computer, General, Local Disk Properties, where at the bottom it says ''Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching''? It is clicked by default. I went through the steps to disable Index Searching by going into Services. Should I now uncheck the option in the Local Disk Properties box? Or are these two different types of indexing? Thanks for your help.
If you want to fight back
by mrwillybil - 5/17/05 11:32 AM In reply to: Honorable mentions by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I worked directly with MicroSoft on this matter. Providing it's not your computer itself. Download the following programs: Spybot Search and Destroy, Spyblaster and Adaware. All the programs are free versions.Do not install yet while you're connected to the net. If you are still using internet explorer, that too needs to be addressed as many of the things we get bombarded with on the net change the settings without our permission. 100's of new things come out everyday, but here's 2 more things to help protect yourself. Once you have the downloads, be sure you have no live connection to the net, specially if you're dsl or cable. Once you're disconneted,
1. Reset Internet Explorer back to default by: Start/Run/type in: Netsh winsock reset.
You will see a black box pop up then disappear, this is normal.
2. Install the programs you downloaded. Go back online quickly and get any updates before you run them.
This should get you running faster. Then keep your system in shape by doing weekly checks. I do mine either Saturday or Sunday. I also keep in mind, at any time I notice lagging, hanging and such... it's time to check my pc for things. Remember, 100's of new bugs are flying at you as soon as you go online. It's only right that we (byte) them back before they get us.
Additional suggestions from our members (section 1):
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 5/12/05 4:22 PM
In reply to: 5/13/05 My new PC performing worse than my old one by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
****Additional suggestions from our members (section 1)****
Answer:
Without looking directly at your computer I can think of these suggestions:
1. The video sub-system: the Dimension 2400 uses Intel AGP integrated video.In my experience this video sub-system is inadequate to say the less to handle images. You should consider buying a separate video card to speed up things.
2. Verify that your computer really has a Pentium 4. Dimension 2400 uses Celeron processors most of the time and this kind of processor has a quite small built-in cache memory. If you discover that your computer uses a Celeron, I suggest to change the operating system to Windows 2000 Pro or Linux.
3. Use the device manager (Control Panel > System>Hardware>Device Manager) to look for problems in your devices and fix them acordingly.
4. Check the resident programs running on your computer. Most of them leave an icon in the lower right corner of your screen. These programs are always running in the background and take a heavy toll on the machine performance. Disable those that are not critical for you.
5. Take a look at the virtual memory settings. Most of the time the auto settings are OK but you test some settings of your own.
6. Last but no least: Have you checked the computer for viruses, worms, spywares and all the related stuff?
Hope this helps....
Submitted by: VICTOR C. S.
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Answer:
Because this is a Dell, we know it was furnished with re-installation CDs for the Operating System and other programs supplied with the computer when new. That means you can get back to square one if it turns out that is what should be done.
Before doing anything radical, I would make sure the memory modules are of the same type. If you can't tell that for sure, visit Crucial's website and see if their scanner can tell you. Go to
http://www.crucial.com/
and pretend you don't know what kind of computer you have. Click on "Scan My System" and Crucial will tell you a lot. If the memory modules are not the same type, it will probably be better to use only the larger module.
I assume the computer was supplied with 256 MB DDR RAM and that 512 MB was installed in the second of the two available memory slots. Try using only the 256 and then only the 512 to see how they compare. Then, try using both putting the larger into the A socket (the one closer to the Intel processor is A; the one farther away from the processor is B).
Another good step would be to install and run Adaware and Spybot and maybe others to free the computer of spyware and adware which can slow a computer dramatically.
After having made those determinations and needing further analysis, the following is available free of charge from Dell:
1) Go to the following Dell Support site and let Dell compare your current configuration with the original configuration.
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/my_systems_info/en/details?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=2
fill in your service tag and see what you learn.
2) Check out Dell's very fine Interactive Troubleshooting at
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/entry?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd
3) Check out Dell's Top Technical Solutions for the 2400 including an analysis of whether you should reinstall Windows or not.
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/en/itpro/toptechsolutions?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~section=000
Submitted by: Chuck M.
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Answer:
I've had no ill effects from SP2. You may be suspecting it where actually your problem
is something else.
The only time my system slows down, drags a bit, is if I allow the temporary internet
files to build up too much. This happens if the computer is in use for a long time
between shut downs. Fresh start ups remove those temporary files. If your system
runs better following a restart, then this could be your problem.
For you to remove temporary internet files without shutting down, with your browser open
click the "Tools" button on the tool bar at the top, then click open the "Internet Options"
from the menu that is offered.
In the opened panel, near the center is a button marked "Delete Files". Click it and on
the panel that opens, click "OK". Allow 5 or 10 seconds and then click "OK" to close
the panel and return to your work.
Submitted by: Bruce
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Answer:
Re: Mitch C. and his slow Dell Dimension 2400. I've heard of this before, and the problem may lie with the processor driver in SP2. Try this: Go to Device Manager, select Processors, then Properties. Select Roll Back Driver. Windows may complain about the driver being uncertified, just ignore it, carry on and reboot. If this motherboard has an Intel Chipset, he may also want to install the latest Intel inf driver utility, as well as the latest Intel Application Accelerator utility.
Submitted by: Randolph W. of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
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Answer:
Well, seeing as how I've been both too lazy and too ignorant in the past to set up a firewall or any security outside of ad-aware, I came to figure out from past experiences that there are few possible answers to that question.
1. Spyware. There are pieces of spyware floating around that can consume up to 99% of physical memory and/or CPU capacity.
2. Background Applications. This is sort of where spyware falls in place, but i won't deem it 'worthy' of getting the status of application. Anyway, how many background apps are running, just letting stuff start and run in the background that is in essence, unnecessary, can just swallow up resources no matter if you're pushing 2 gigs of RAM or sitting on a minimal 128MB like me.
3. Sure About That Hardware? Mostly from what I've seen in my now 'extensive' 5 minute search says your 'dimensia' 2400 is rockin the celeron 2.4 ghz, not a p4, and came installed 512mb of ram. Anyway, along that train of thought, are running integrated graphics? IG can sometimes work out real well for a system and other times be a big let down, integrated graphics is more or less coming up with a makeshift graphics card out of your physical memory and CPU.
Submitted by: Colton H.
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Answer:
First, I am not a computer whiz but have learned that many "Brand" computers
employ their own start-up desk-tops which use a lot of memory. Reconfiguring
the computer to start up with a standard desk-top not only speeds up your start-ups
but frees much of your resource memory for other tasks as well.
Second, so many things impact "perception of speed" that it would be difficult
to recommend corrections without knowing how many "events" your computer
is handling simultaneously; what programs are running in the background and what
resolution you are calling for on your monitor.
Fat is slow, slim is quicker. Trimming down takes a while, but generally pays big
dividends.
Submitted by: Bob S.
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Answer:
We have seen certain new Dell's ship with old drivers. I would contact Dell support and download the latest BIOS, drivers for all installed cards etc.
Submitted by: Lee W.
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Answer:
Contact Dell or look in Dell Alerts for a fix. SP2 did a number on my Inspiron and slowed it to molasses until Dell put a fix on their Alerts. Seems to have done the job.
Submitted by: Sam W.
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Answer:
I have the same computer. I will now list the steps you should do to speed up your system:-
1. Buy and install Registry Mechanic, it will clean up
your system, and avoid doing recoveries.
2. Delete All Temporary Internet files in Internet Explorer. Delete the cache in Firefox. (equivilent)
3. I run Bit Defender Anti Virus, which keeps my system very clean.
4. I run one after the other
a) Spybot
b) Microsoft Anti Spyware
c) Aluria anti spyware
d) Pest Patrol anti spyware.
After all the above, my computer so far is running like a dream. My Dimension 2400 (daughters)is almost as fast as my 3000.
After all of the above you should have no problem with your system.
Best of luck
Submitted by: Elinor W.
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Answer:
First of all the P-4 2.4 in your PC is a Celeron Processor, not as fast as a P-4 non-Celeron Processor. But it can probably be made faster. 1) Clean out all cookies, 2) go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools and choose Disk Clean Up.
The click on OK it will search for Temporary Internet Files, Compressed files (you will have to check the boxes of what you want cleaned). They are: Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, Office Setup Files (If you have MS Office…leave this one unchecked), Recycle Bin, Temporary Files, WebClient/Publisher Temporary Files, Compress old files, and Catalog files for the Content Indexer. Then run Disk Defragmenter.
If you have an Ad Ware and Spy Ware programs, run them. Be very sure that you have a Firewall and Anti Virus program, Zone Alarm Suite is a good one which contains both Firewall and A/V. Often times while visiting some sites, they can install programs on your PC without you knowing about them, especially Pop-up Ads. Search and Destroy is a good Spyware tool which is free, as is Microsoft’s Spyware tool.
Another common slow down is what is running when you start up the PC. To see what is running, and what you can live without, click on Start, choose Run and type in msconfig and OK, a box will appear, the last Tab is called Startup, click on that tab and there will be a list of programs that start running when you turn on your PC. If you KNOW there is something there you do not need, uncheck the box next to that item. On some Items you may have to search to see what they are, do not uncheck anything you are not sure of.
There are some programs out there that tell you what each item is, and will allow you to disable it from inside that program; this is for advanced users only. If you know what you are doing, try downloading The Ultimate Troubleshooter.
Do the above at least once a month and it will keep you PC running faster with fewer problems.
Submitted by: Wes L.
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Answer:
First, Mitch, I am not a computer geek or tech. All I can do is tell you about my, similar, experience.
My previous PC was a Dell Dimension 400. Celeron processor with a 13.6 gig HD, 256k RAM and Win98. I enjoyed my some four years with it but finally decided to upgrade.
A few months ago I "upgraded" to the following: Dell Dimension 8250, 512k RAM, WinXP (w/ service pack 2), 2.4 gHZ Pentium 4, and a 120 gig HD.
I am currently using the same monitor and sound system I used with my previous PC. Also, I am using the same internet connection (Cox cable).
Mitch, perhaps you and I had the same expectations when we "upgraded" your systems. I thought I'd be "driving" perhaps a 2003 Lexus instead of a 1984 VW. There may be a lot of "bells and whistles" on my current system that either run in the background or which I don't understand or use, but I certainly don't feel as if I'm "driving" a Lexus now!
I went from a rather obsolete PC to a much less obsolete one -- yet I don't notice a huge difference in performance. My system resources meter still shows, as it did with my OLD system, that I am running at around 50% -- no matter how many programs I do or don't have running. Perhaps programs load a bit faster -- but what's the difference between 2 or 3 blinks of an eye??
Here is my honest, albeit a naive, opinion: I don't think there is much difference between today's computers and those of, say, five years ago.
Now, all that said, let me add one more comment....
As (I'm estimating) 93.2% of everyone who replies to your question will suggest such things as 'turning off running processes' or 'cleaning up your computer' those things ARE important.
But, the bottom line is: I have my current as well as previous computers running no processes than the minimum needed. And I 'clean up' my system daily.
I also run, and use daily, highly recommended programs such as Ad-Aware, a registry checker/cleaner, and -- of course -- a currently updated virus program.
But I assume, Mitch, since you submitted your question to this forum for comment, you are aware of all those types of things.
Therefore, all that crap said, I say again: I don't think there is a great deal of difference between today's computers and those of several years ago.
BTW, after scores of hours of trying, I *still* cannot get my HP DeskJet 722C printer to work with WinXP.
Submitted by: DH in Las Vegas
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Answer:
There are a lot of things that can slow down any computer, but SP2 is not one of them. The CPU is only one part of a computer, and it does not totally determine the speed of a computer. The amount of memory is very important, as well as the Chip set which determines the front side bus speed, the faster it is the faster your compute will operate. Does your video card have its own memory so the CPU does not have to process the video information? Is your Hard Drive fragmented? You should defragment your hard drive once a month. If you hard drive is too full, it will slow down any operating system, The operating system needs at least 10% of the hard drive to be free so it can use it for swap files. If your hard drive is full, or getting there, get rid of the junk you do not need or use. You could have ad ware, spy ware, or viruses or worms on your computer, which will also slow it way down. You should run a good antivirus program, and spy ware programs at least once a month. Do you have a good firewall? Zone Alarm Pro is very good and does not cost that much.
Submitted by: Richard N.
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Answer:
A lot of things can affect the speed or your computer. I purchased a 3 GHz Dell Dimension 8300 about two years ago, and to my chagrin my $3,000 "monster" was not as fast as I hoped. What I've come to realize, is that although the hardware on PCs is getting much faster these days, the software is getting much bulkier as well. So any gains in speed that faster processors can provide are often offset by more demanding software. If you wish to try to speed up your PC, then I'd recommend defragmenting the hard drive. You also might wish to update your computer's drivers which you can download at Dell's support web site, support.dell.com. Programs running in the background can slow your computer, so if you press Ctrl Alt Delete you can shut some of these programs down in the Windows Task Manager. Use your antivirus program to check your system for viruses because they can slow down your system. Finally, check your software applications for patches and updates because they might speed up your system.
I hope this helps!
Submitted by: Joe J.
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Answer:
would do the good old “run” then “msconfig” and turn every thing OFF that Dell likes putting in the start up, not counting any other software that may be running in the background that you may have downloaded or bought. Programs love to put themselves in you start up menu now without your knowing.
I also have the Dell Demension 2400 and there is “No Way” that it is even remotely close to being as slow as a Gateway 500 mzh.
Submitted by: Gregory S.
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Answer:
When you got the Dell, my guess is you left it loaded with (what Lee likes to call) bloatware. Mostly pointless trial versions of random software... anyways, Dell bloatware, coupled with the spyware and viruses you've likely accumulated after surfing the internet for a while, will slow any system to a crawl. Then throw in SP2 on top of a "dirty" system, and of course you'll have the nightmare that many CNET users are. Many blame SP2, when in reality, it simply needs to be installed on a system clean of any virus, spyware, adware, etc.
My advice to you, backup your personal files, wipe the system, and reinstall only the programs you need or use. Then you can install SP2 worry-free AND enjoy the speed of your new computer! To other readers out there... Google "slipstreaming." It will allow you to install SP2 at the same time you install Windows.
Submitted by: Josh L.
A few missing ''tweaks''
by adkmom - 5/13/05 5:58 AM In reply to: Additional suggestions from our members (section 1): by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If Mitch wants a truly lean & fast machine, he needs to reinstall XP (unless it's a brand-new, just delivered unit). Otherwise, start the steps below & I guarantee a faster system:
Go into add/remove programs to remove the junkware tossed in by Dell (ANY demo- including & especially the bloated Norton or McAfee)- there are better freeware programs available than the stuff they inject. Keep the antivirus in place until you have the one mentioned below downloaded onto your PC. If you're on broadband, unplug from the net while you uninstall one/install the other. I also like to restart the PC between these two steps.
Get, from majorgeeks.com:
Diskeeper Lite, Adaware, Spybot: Search & Destroy, Microsoft Antispyware, AVG antivirus, Zonealarm- all are free.
Install & run Diskeeper. Install/update & run the rest.
Right-click My Computer>advanced tab>performance settings>tick ''adjust for best performance''- then tick the last 6 items only>apply/Ok. System restore tab>adjust to 3% max. from 12% default. 12% of any drive is an awful lot of ''reserved'' space. Most people restore back one or two days when they see a problem- you don't need weeks-worth of restore points.
Right-click My Computer>explore>right-click ''C'' drive>properties>disk cleanup. When the cleanup is done, uncheck ''allow indexing to index this drive''- this is a major drag on your system & I have found no issues whatsoever turning this off- but a big overall performance increase. If a box comes up saying it cannot change/access a certain file- click ''ignore'' & it will complete.
Get all Windows updates. Defrag, again, after they are all done & up-to-date. Lastly, right-click My Computer>explore>right-click ''C'' drive>properties>tools>error checking>tick both boxes & restart after the dialog box tells you it needs to run at the next boot.
I have all of these previously mentioned programs set to be run, manually, once per week- the exception being AVG & Zonealarm. I have Windows automatic updating turned off- but that is up to you. If you don't think you can remember to run a small set of programs once a week- you can autoset them. However, if you install many programs that must monitor your system 24/7, you will begin to see a performance hit. I also feel that manually running a program puts you more “in touch” with the workings of the program.
I created a folder on my desktop: ''run once per week'', & dragged the desktop icons into this folder. It's really not a big deal to do- & I have never had a virus get past these defenses. I am on broadband, am online most of the day (I do PC work & consulting)- this is how I do it.
Hope this help s someone out there- try it as outlined- you'll see a big performance difference,
TF
PS- as an added tip- get a good imaging software: Acronis True Image or Ghost, as examples. Once you have your system tweaked perfectly & all personal info in place (email, address book, internet settings)- make an image to CD & put it away somewhere safe. You'd always be able to restore back to this same perfect system if anything really bad ever happened. Be sure to ''verify'' the image, within the program, after it is created.
Good Suggestions.......Self-tested too
by ankitmathur - 5/13/05 12:30 PM In reply to: A few missing ''tweaks'' by adkmomThese are really good suggestions. While I do follow some of them already there are a few which I haven't been following but will be doing so now onwards. Thank God! my PC is relieved of any performance related issues.
One thing one must remember when dealing with performance issues is the number of background processes. MSCONFIG utility can let u know all ur startup programs & very often u may find some unwarranted programs that got added all by themselves but are of no use, atleast daily. Usually I have noticed that an increase in number of programs besides the startup programs list is minimal (ofcourse depending on ur usage). But if ur startup list is small ur PC will boot quickly & even later when u open ur working programs the performance will remain pretty much stable.
I totally agree on updations part. One must rather keep a list of programs that require regular updates & update them once a week manually rather then setting up auto-update feature & losing out on ur system's resources. Suggestion of creating a folder on desktop & putting all update required programs there is one good idea. If u r in love with desktop icons & open most of ur programs from desktop u may create a second desktop by having all the icons placed in Quick Launch toolbar too. So the next time u plan to update ur PC completely just start by clicking all programs from quick launch one by one. You can check for updates simultaneuously for 3-4 programs, thanks to multi-tasking PCs. It doesn't take more than 15-20 mins to check around 10-15 programs.
Choice of programs is also very important. In my opinion keeping a lot many programs that are slated to do the same thing is not a good idea. Like I noticed in case of Spywares people tend to have about 6-7 different programs intalled all trying to do the same thing. Rather one must have faith in 2-3 best of the lots & use them properly by going thru the complete feature list of respective programs. Often people aren't able to use a program to its optimum & install more programs to do the work that an already installed program could have done too. My choice for important programs to secure ur PC without losing much on resources is exactly the same as given by "adkmom". Just one inclusion being Spywareblaster which works really well in conjunction with Spybot S&D.
I hope readers will be benefitted by posts & experiences of members & will have a powerful machine, capable of meeting most standards by owners, in hand.
Adjust for best performance vs. Custom?
by DeeJa - 5/13/05 9:09 PM In reply to: A few missing ''tweaks'' by adkmomIn My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Perfomance, Settings, I am not able to use both Adjust for best performance and Custom. When I tick the last 6 items, the green button moves to Custom and I lose the ability to ''adjust for best performance''. When I close out and go back in, I have only one or the other...it can't be both ways. As a sidenote, I would like to encourage the newbies who might not know better to BACK UP first. BEFORE DOING ANYTHING. I had a hard drive to go out on a Dell that was less than three months old and it was inaccessible. I heard a noise, but since the computer was new, I did not recognize trouble. The first time I decided to check the drive for errors, I sure found one. It took a very long time for it to go through the process and the end result was a dead hard drive. I realize the odds of this happening are very small, but if it happened once, it could happen again. The tech who replaced the drive gave me some great advice. This machine is my first one with a cd writer. His suggestion was to use four rewriteable cds and back up on a regular basis, according to my personal use. I try to back up once a week, then for week five I erase the cd, then write over it--week six is copied on what was week 2, and so on. To be on the safe side, it would probably be smart to buy four new cds every year for just this purpose. I have most of my data in My Documents, but also copied program downloads and favorites. I am putting music on a CDR. I know this is elementary to most of you, but for the few that might not know how to go about saving the data, I found it helpful. Then in the event a computer really konks out, at least you have something. Thanks for all the great ideas and tips!
glitz and zero byte files
by knighte - 5/13/05 9:28 AM In reply to: Additional suggestions from our members (section 1): by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi all,
A couple of things I have not seen in the suggestions:
I repair computers and have found that XP has a little too much "glitz". Go to the performance settings and reset everything for max performance. Also make sure your cache preferences are set to favor programs and files.
I have also found that some machines have had a trojan, usually some variant of "downloader", that has supposedly been cleaned, etc. Problem is that if left long enough on the system, a lot of zero byte files are generated and left on the system. I've seen as many as 25,000!! Well, Windows must be accounting for these because when removed things improve greatly. Similar to too many font files. If you start removing them, check the dates so you don't remove something that came with the operating system.
The startup programs were mentioned, and trimming those to the bare minimum helps a lot.
By the way, I'm still running Win98 Se because it does what I need and the speed perception is obvious.
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