Computer Problem

[CYCLOPTERSAURUS]

my computer is running extremely slow. So slow in fact, that the mouse pointer lags, and the boot time takes nearly twice as long as my 450MHz HP computer, which is terribly slow. Since it involves the startup of the computer, I don't imagine it's any software thing, but I haven't a clue as to what it could be. I can't play games or anything as not only are the graphics shot, the frame rate is 1 frame every few seconds. The mouse still freezes up consistantly, and I don't have any idea what could be causing this. The slowdown starts at the windows loading screen, and it takes some 10 minutes to boot up from there.

Also, sometimes in the BIOS, it doesn't detect my Hard Drive, but upon reboot, it's fine. This is bizarre, because I had this problem several weeks ago with my secondary hard drive causing the problem and when I removed it, it was fine - I sent off for a new secondary HD, but now this starts up with my primary hard drive? I got the new HD and it works fine, and I haven't had the problem since, but I'm afraid it has something to do with my primary HD.

[Bad Guy]

That happened to my computer downstairs. It took 10 minutes to click on the start button, it took forever for the internet to work and even if it did i couldn't do anything. so i just got my start-up disk and just reformatted. everything's fine now but i lost everything.

[CYCLOPTERSAURUS]

That happened to my computer downstairs. It took 10 minutes to click on the start button, it took forever for the internet to work and even if it did i couldn't do anything. so i just got my start-up disk and just reformatted. everything's fine now but i lost everything.


It would really be a huge pain in the ass if I had to reformat. I'm really hoping there's some other way.

[Silent]

Have you tried placing one of your other drives in the primary, and the faulty one in a secondary?

[Ninti the Mad]

Just save all your stuff and reformat.

It's good to reformat occasionally anyway.

[CYCLOPTERSAURUS]

Too bad I don't have the start-up disc anymore. Nor do I have a CD burner on this comp, so I'd have to send stuff in small parts to my other computer with half the capacity hard drive and is almost full, with nothing I can really spare.

Is there absolutely no other way?

[The Snake]

Try this. If its not a windows 2000 machine. Go to Start, Run and type in msconfig.
Click on the startup tab. Uncheck stuff that isn't essential to windows. Like if you have AIM or Real Player or all that type of stuff appearing next to the time when you start up make sure anything related to them is unchecked. Also any stuff like Easy CD creator can go. This won't delete them, it just makes sure they won't start right when you boot up. When you're done, hit Apply and then let the computer restart. Also, even though like you said, it may take a while, go to the start menu again and go to Programs and find the section that says Startup. Delete any links in this part by right clicking them and deleting them. Again this won't delete the programs, just keep them from starting at boot. See if this helps you out any. You may have to reboot a time or two while the computer gets itself reconfigured depending on which Windows you're using.

[Vega]

1) Run Disk Cleanup
2) Go to IE > Options and delete all files and cookies
3) Run scandisk if your running an old enough version of windows to have it
4) download a virus checker and check for viruses
5) DL a spyware detector and check for spyware
6) Defrag

should be fine if you do all that, you probably don't need to reformat.

[CYCLOPTERSAURUS]

Try this. If its not a windows 2000 machine. Go to Start, Run and type in msconfig.
Click on the startup tab. Uncheck stuff that isn't essential to windows. Like if you have AIM or Real Player or all that type of stuff appearing next to the time when you start up make sure anything related to them is unchecked. Also any stuff like Easy CD creator can go. This won't delete them, it just makes sure they won't start right when you boot up. When you're done, hit Apply and then let the computer restart. Also, even though like you said, it may take a while, go to the start menu again and go to Programs and find the section that says Startup. Delete any links in this part by right clicking them and deleting them. Again this won't delete the programs, just keep them from starting at boot. See if this helps you out any. You may have to reboot a time or two while the computer gets itself reconfigured depending on which Windows you're using.

Yeah, I did try that - the startup menu in the start menu is completely empty. I did the msconfig too, and I deleted everything I could, and then looked up some of the programs that I didn't know what were, and most were legit.

1) Run Disk Cleanup
2) Go to IE > Options and delete all files and cookies
3) Run scandisk if your running an old enough version of windows to have it
4) download a virus checker and check for viruses
5) DL a spyware detector and check for spyware
6) Defrag

should be fine if you do all that, you probably don't need to reformat.

1. What exactly do you mean by that exactly? If you mean delete unneeded programs and the like, I did that already - I have about 3 or 4 gig free.
2. I did that, except for the cookies - I should do that, but I need to use a lot of them. I'll try that though.
3. Done, several times
4. Yeah, I have Norton and it detected and deleted several viruses ("Download" virus in particular which tends to download other viruses). However it has reappeared several times (the infected file) so I suspect that it's source is still around somewhere.
5. Did that
6. I haven't done that either lately, I did it once a few months ago but I've been meaning to try it again. In my experience, this hasn't usually had a huge effect on performance.

Thanks for the help guys, I'll try some of that stuff. Does anybody else have any suggestions or ideas?

[Vega]

no, theres an actual program called disk cleanup you can run, it's on XP and older versions, go to start > Programs >accessories >system tools to find it, it helps a lot.

[CYCLOPTERSAURUS]

Oh, I just tried it - it's that thing where you delete temporary internet files and empty recycle bin, etc. right?

Update, I reinstalled a different copy of Windows XP and downloaded Service Pack 1, and most of the problems seem to have died down, at least for now. I'm running a virus scan again now and will defragment it, and hopefully the problems won't be such a problem.

[Vega]

Oh, thats another thing I forgot. You want to download all the windows updates, except for the driver updates.

[CYCLOPTERSAURUS]

Another problem about my network - I accidentally screwed up somehow and now both computers require me to "log on", like at school computers. It's a huge pain in the ass - does anybody know what I did wrong and how to change it? I just want to be able to access the hard drives of one computer on another computer - and I had it working before. I don't like these user profiles and passwords and shi</>t.