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#1
01-07-2007, 03:23 PM
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Computer runs like a snail
I have an AMD Sempron 2800 with 512 mb of RAM. Nothing special, but it used to be able to run cool edit pro, photoshop, itunes and firefox at once like a champ. A year and a half later, it takes 5 minutes to start up. I have trouble running firefox and playing itunes at the same time, songs will sometimes skip and get distorted. Hell, I can't even double click to open My Computer and hit the 'start' button at the same time, because the computer will lag so bad.
Anyone have any suggestions on how to ramp my performance back up to it's original quality? I recently installed a 160gb HD, maybe I should move my primary disk over to that HD? TIA
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"The greatest Americans have not been born yet, they are waiting patiently for the past to die" 
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#2
01-07-2007, 03:28 PM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
First place I would start is scanning for viruses and spyware. After that I would look at what is running in the background. Also, you might want to defrag your hard drive.
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#3
01-07-2007, 03:32 PM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
I have a Norton firewall constantly running, plus a scan every week in addition to Adaware. I recently (within a month) did a defrag after someone suggested it to me. Here is a HijackThis log of my background processes:
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"The greatest Americans have not been born yet, they are waiting patiently for the past to die"
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#4
01-07-2007, 03:53 PM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
Norton Internet Security is killing you. Get rid of it. You could also kill off the Java Updater and the Adobe Reader startup.
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'92 3000gt SL Zoom Stage 1 Clutch Quote:
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#5
01-07-2007, 04:58 PM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
Yep, i'd get rid of norton. I had it on my PC as a free trial and it sucks resources like no other.
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-Josh- 96' Integra GSR / ITR cams/valvetrain. Skunk2 IM, Greddy evo2, AEM CAI, RMF Header, Megan testpipe, Hasport mounts, Eibach coilovers, Beaks tie bar, Megan H brace, Rota Attacks, F/R strut bar, Kirk 6 point cage, Bride Cugas, Takata 4 Point, ITR Steering wheel 98' SVT Contour, 3L Port-Matched swap with SVT cams/full bolt ons; 224fwhp. 01' Chevy Blazer, DD.
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#6
01-07-2007, 05:36 PM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
I ditched Internet Security but kept Antivirus, didn't really notice a difference on startup. What do you guys suggest as an alternative to Norton?
Also, I remember msconfig used to allow you to change what programs start on startup, but when I hit start>run and type in msconfig, it doesn't come up. Am I doing something wrong?
__________________
"The greatest Americans have not been born yet, they are waiting patiently for the past to die"
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#7
01-07-2007, 06:06 PM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
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#8
01-07-2007, 07:23 PM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
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I get the error message "Windows cannot find 'msconfig'". Did it get deleted somehow? Anyway to download it from MS? What firewall do you use? And indexing? How do I manage that? EDIT: Was able to find a copy of msconfig, configured a lot of stuff (including indexing) and startup is much improved. As is photoshop and itunes startup, guess I just had too much shit on here. Thanks for everyones help, but still, what's a good alternative firewall? Is Windows' any good?
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"The greatest Americans have not been born yet, they are waiting patiently for the past to die"
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#9
01-07-2007, 08:49 PM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
yeah, lots of tunes with indexing on will bog down even the fastest PC. I use Zonealarm's firewall, it used to be free for personal use. try a google search on it. just don't play with anything above the default settings unless you know what you're doing or it will lock out ports and require you to reformat and reload your OS.
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#10
01-07-2007, 10:40 PM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
I installed a program called WinPatrol a few years back. It helped speed up my system by allowing me to view which programs startup when I turn on my computer, and allow me to disable them to speed it up. It also sends a warning when a program tries to add something or modify something within itself and allows you to block it or allow it. It is a free program and here is a link to the site:http://www.winpatrol.com
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Thought for the Day… Alcohol does not make you fat - It makes you lean... against tables, chairs, floors, walls and ugly people.  If a prostitute here in America loses her job to a prostitute in India , is that considered "outwhoring"??-Jay Leno
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#11
01-07-2007, 10:52 PM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
All I use for a firewall is the hardware firewall built into my router and the XP firewall. I scan for viruses once in a while with BitDefender's free online scan. I scan for SpyWare with Ad Aware and Spy Bot once in a while. I also use a program called CCleaner that helps clean crap out of the registry. Lastly I make sure to check what is running in the BG and defrag every now and again.
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#12
01-08-2007, 12:44 AM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
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__________________
'92 3000gt SL Zoom Stage 1 Clutch Quote:
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#13
01-08-2007, 01:42 AM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
If you have time: do a full backup/rebuild. Computers collect cr@p over time and the performance heads south. One of the downsides to MS OS becoming more and more stable is the performance issues you describe.
If you're going this way, post here and I'll hook you up with some awesome utils that will save you much time and frustration. The whole process should only take a few hours. If you have money: load the thing up to the gills with RAM. RAM is very, very cheap these days and if you have >=1.5gb the whole computing experience improves greatly. Other: Set you pagefile to 1.5x your RAM, defrag the drive, get rid of Norton (recommend: NOD32, Trend Micro, AVG if your broke) and uninstall anything you haven't used in the past month or two then run a registry cleaner (recommend: Registry Mechanic) There are a few other things to try, but I'm tired.  Let us know how that lot goes.
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#14
01-08-2007, 01:44 AM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
i personally had some junk problems like that. i personally would upgrade the amount of ram, but that wouldn't help out with start-up times.
i would personally go into the add/remove program tool in control panel and get rid of all the stuff you dont use at all anymore. go out to bestbuy and buy ram. im dead serious. i got 1gb of ram for about 50 bucks on a sale kinda thing. this was aout 2 yrs ago. ram is dirt cheap these days its not even funny. also easy to install. i could list steps here: 1. unscrew steel or w/e your side panel on the computer is made of. 2. remove the panel 3. remove as much dust as possible, with paper towels, and hair blowdryer, gret that crap outta there. 4. push the two plastic clamps that hold in the ram sticks toward the motherboard, and the ram sound become somewhat free 5. remove the previous ram stick 6. insert new ram stick -no need to remove the current ram stick as most computers these days have slots in them to allow for expandability- norton shouldn't be too much of a hassle taking up your cpu and things of that sort. it might be other things as well. i currently have norton on mines, and it takes about maybe 2 min to start up. yet again i do remember having internet security from them, and it was a bitch if i had their firewall on for ram usage. that was with 512 or w/e ram though. never got the new security, just the systemworks, mostly for goback. ...yet again, i have an old azus motherboard, with a 3200+ amd processor, underclocked to 1.8ghz put to 12.5x multiplier, and currently volter to 1.600v, 1.5gb of ram. this computer is about 7 years old. i think the newest thing i bought for this was the newer cpu, and the graphics card to a 256mb agp ati radon something. it works for what i want it to do... yes im a youngin, but it seems to me you have about 3 or more audio file managers loading up at the same time. creative, sony sound stage, itunes helper. those are only the basics i looked that that seemed unusual. i could name a couple things you could try and edit so they don't appear on start up, but this won't guarenttee it'll go faster. no need for these thigns at start up ---- adobe, quicktime player, daemon tools, microsoft messenger, the sony audio, creative audio, kodak easyshare, ipod helper, and ipod service, itunes helper, java updater, real player updater. those are only a couple that i could identify without going to google to find out what that process was for originally. also looking around, seems like you also have all those google and yahoo, and party poker plug-ins for internet explorer. those take up space too.
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2008 Mazda 6 ATX 2.3 Liters of Slowness For those 9 seconds it takes me to reach 60mph, will be the most fun ill have in this car.
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#15
01-08-2007, 02:02 AM
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Re: Computer runs like a snail
yea, just what oz said, i just did a rebuild after mine was running slower than crap considering im only running a 600mhz p3 processor and 768 mb of ram, 120gb hdd, another 40gb hdd (i can acctually run some decent games with the thing), and it loads up in half the time that it did here a while ago, back up and reinstall windows, easier than finding all the crap and removing it
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1994 Honda Civic - D15B7 W/5 spd 2000 Olds Intrigue - 3.5 Cory
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