Hi all,

I have a HP laptop that is a C2D 1.86Ghz which is almost 2 years old, has
3gigs ram and the hard drive on it still had around 50gigs free. I normally
set the virtual memory manually but because the machine is slowing down
badly decided to put it all back to auto for a test. It appears to have
helped a little so it remains on Windows automatically deciding what is best
for now though the option to use it more for progs rather than background
processes is chosen. I tried the other way and it seemed to slow down some
programs so back to programs it is.

Anyway, over time on its Vista SP1 (64 bit ultimate, BTW) it has slowed
dramatically. I have:

1) Defragged, cleaned out garbage of all sorts using ccleaner and also
removed old restore points and so on using Disk Cleanup.
2) Gone through registry using JV16 Power Tools 2009 and cleaned out any
mistakes that were possible to remove.
3) Checked out what is starting up and uninstalled any program that I no
longer used and adjusted ones I still use to only load what they need when I
actually click on them to start.
4) Did an image backup of "C" drive and then deleted all partitions and
formatted the drive as one partition and blank then used another machine to
attach the drive to and check for any faults including bad sectors then put
the image back.
5) Downloaded HWMonitor to check heat and it SOMETIMES gets up to 56C when I
really am pushing it but for the most part hovers around 40C. So overheating
isn't it.

I cannot get to the thermal exchanger so cannot be entirely sure but with
the best inspection I could do, I could see there was nothing blocking the
vents or exchange unit. I also stand the laptop on a cake stand (which is
the metal wire stand thing you put cakes on to cool down) so that air flow
under and around it is maximised.

All those things did nix to help. So I decided to use SFC /SCANNOW and it
went through the entire process and reported that two files appeared to be a
problem but couldn't be fixed because they were locked. OK, so I tried to
use SFC /SCANBOOT as I used to on XP but that option doesn't exist for SFC
under Vista so I cant reboot and have a windows OS file scan be performed
when no file is locked. Not daunted I thought about "repair install" which
*CAN* be done on my desktop Vista Business if needed with the DVD there but
the laptop came with Vista Ultimate 64 bit already installed and with a
restore partition on it, no disk, as usual and I cannot actually DO a repair
install because of that.

The machine works slower than it really should because at most times I have
only Outlook 2007 loaded which doesn't automatically check for mail but I
use it extensively for reminders and appointments which is why it is almost
always open when I am awake. So when I go to the machine, when it is using
wall power and never goes into hibernation or sleep mode at any time (my
choice) until I either shut the lid or take it off wall power and I load IE7
when it was what I used or IE8 as I now use (and yes, Firefox is installed
for a test and does no better than IE7 or 8 on this machine) it is slow to
actually come up from when I click on it until the screen finally appears.
The machine also, as I said above, generally is running slower.

I have Kaspersky AV installed (no firewall other than the Vista one),
Adaware 2009 Anniversary Edition running and that is about it apart from
Outlook 2007. The machine takes a reasonable amount of time from a turned
off state to get to where I have to either use the fingerprint scanner to
logon or type in the password to logon (2 users on the computer, the second
one not used any longer but there in case things change) but once I use
either of those options to logon, you could go away on a day trip waiting
for it to load just to get into where it is ready for you to load something.
Even when it gets there it is slow to load anything. Safe mode isn't slow
like that at all and this is why I suspect the two files that SFC said it
cant fix due to them being locked are the problem.

Does anyone know of a way to fix those two files short of a format and
reinstall given the above, please? I cant think of another way to fix them.
HP isn't really any help on this either, surprise, surprise!

Oh and lastly, I have the machine set for "HP recommended BALANCED" power
use when plugged in. I did try "high performance" once but it didn't seem to
make any difference whatsoever.

Thanks for any help.

> I have a HP laptop that is a C2D 1.86Ghz which is almost 2 years old, has
> 3gigs ram and the hard drive on it still had around 50gigs free. I
> normally set the virtual memory manually but because the machine is
> slowing down badly decided to put it all back to auto for a test. It
> appears to have helped a little so it remains on Windows automatically
> deciding what is best for now though the option to use it more for progs
> rather than background processes is chosen. I tried the other way and it
> seemed to slow down some programs so back to programs it is.
>
snip...
..
Well, you've really covered the bases. First, have you run the Windows
Experience Index to confirm that components are reaching the same
performance levels (or not)?

I would suggest downloading the trial version (free and fully functional for
thirty days) of PerfectDisk 10 which supports Vista x64. It will really
optimize file placement, defrag system files, etc (boot time defrag) and
show you clearly how things are laid out on the drive. I would go back to a
custom pagefile because using the System Managed setting means the file is
deleted/recreated every time you shutdown/boot up (waste of time). Also
PerfectDisk will make sure the pagefile is contiguous.

Regarding auto-starting processes I use Winpatrol to see apps, services and
browser bho's. It might provide some help.

"Victek" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news213C1F1-AA28-44C3-B454-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I have a HP laptop that is a C2D 1.86Ghz which is almost 2 years old, has
>> 3gigs ram and the hard drive on it still had around 50gigs free. I
>> normally set the virtual memory manually but because the machine is
>> slowing down badly decided to put it all back to auto for a test. It
>> appears to have helped a little so it remains on Windows automatically
>> deciding what is best for now though the option to use it more for progs
>> rather than background processes is chosen. I tried the other way and it
>> seemed to slow down some programs so back to programs it is.
>>
> snip...
> .
> Well, you've really covered the bases. First, have you run the Windows
> Experience Index to confirm that components are reaching the same
> performance levels (or not)?
>

Yep. It reports the machine as running well but that is because it rarely
crashes more than anything else. It isnt a true reflection of the state of
the machine, though.

> I would suggest downloading the trial version (free and fully functional
> for thirty days) of PerfectDisk 10 which supports Vista x64. It will
> really

Sorry I forgot to mention that. Yes I did that as well. Honestly it made no
difference. I use Defraggler to defrag and if there was a Vista version of
Bootvis would also be using that. However, Defraggler allows you to sort the
LARGE files to the end of the drive and though I didnt use that option at
first, I tried it out of sheer desperation. It didnt seem to make a
difference either.

> optimize file placement, defrag system files, etc (boot time defrag) and
> show you clearly how things are laid out on the drive. I would go back to
> a custom pagefile because using the System Managed setting means the file
> is deleted/recreated every time you shutdown/boot up (waste of time).
> Also PerfectDisk will make sure the pagefile is contiguous.

Actually, I do think deleting prefetch periodically and also the pagefile
isnt a waste of time. I have no real reasons to think deleting the pagefile
is good other than that I have had times, years ago pre Vista, where my XP
developed a problem that actually was repeated over and over no matter what
I did. I deleted the pagefile and it went away. I worked out that the
pagefile was sitting on top of a disk error that couldnt be corrected and in
deleting the pagefile and scanning the disk, it was then fixed and never
came back.

>
> Regarding auto-starting processes I use Winpatrol to see apps, services
> and browser bho's. It might provide some help.
>

I use the "Manage Add-ons" to manually disable anything with IE that may
make it slower and also use HiJackThis2.02 to check what is starting up,
BHOs etc. Nothing unexpected there but still no better. I still think it is
those two files that SFC /SCANNOW cant fix. If only I could get to them! How
in the WORLD do you do a Vista "repair install" on a HP laptop? I cant find
a way!

Thanks anyway.