Can't find a basic display/performance setting

B

Bob Stringer

I recently had to reformat my hard drive and reinstall
WinXP, and cannot figure out what setting is now different
and where to change it.

An example of the problem is that when I navigate through a
folder by using the left and right arrows, going from column
to column, the movement is "jerky" and slower than it was
before. Another example is if the folder has a lot of files,
and the first file is selected, when I hit Ctrl + End, I see
the screen move through all of the columns, in a jerky
fashion, until it gets to the last file. Before I
reinstalled WinXP, the cursor jumped from the first file to
the last one virtually immediately.

This behavior has occurred from the moment I reinstalled
WinXP. In other words, it didn't happen as the result of my
installing other programs.

There may be other, similar things, but the only other one
I've noticed so far occurs in WordPerfect, when the document
has a table. If the left column has, say, only one item
(e.g., a page number), and the right column has numerous
rows (e.g., the text), it used to be that with the cursor in
the left column, hitting the down arrow immediately dropped
me down to the next row. Now, however, the screen jerks its
way down to the next row, as though it's having to scroll
its way through the text in the right column.

Any ideas what the problem is and how to fix it?

WinXP is otherwise working just fine, and so I'm hoping this
is just some setting or two.

Thanks very much.
 
G

Guest

Have you checked your mouse? If a little bit of fluff gets trapped inside it can cause the jerky movements you describle, also if it's drivers aren't compatible with XP you'll get all manor of strangness going on (believe me, this happens!

It surprises me, that you have the technical ability to beable to re-format your drive/reinstall windows etc., yet you can't find your basic diplay/ performance settings !?! Such is life I guess...All the kit you need is in your control panel - via the start menu

You can also monitor PC performance by pressing Ctrl, Alt & Delte buttons, together, once. this will prompt the Task Manager to pop up & you can find what is running, processes etc.

Only other thought, you may simply have a virus - which can be zapped for free with http://housecall.trendmicro.co

viruses cause random jerkyness & slow performance too.
 
M

Malke

Bob said:
I recently had to reformat my hard drive and reinstall
WinXP, and cannot figure out what setting is now different
and where to change it.

An example of the problem is that when I navigate through a
folder by using the left and right arrows, going from column
to column, the movement is "jerky" and slower than it was
before. Another example is if the folder has a lot of files,
and the first file is selected, when I hit Ctrl + End, I see
the screen move through all of the columns, in a jerky
fashion, until it gets to the last file. Before I
reinstalled WinXP, the cursor jumped from the first file to
the last one virtually immediately.

This behavior has occurred from the moment I reinstalled
WinXP. In other words, it didn't happen as the result of my
installing other programs.

There may be other, similar things, but the only other one
I've noticed so far occurs in WordPerfect, when the document
has a table. If the left column has, say, only one item
(e.g., a page number), and the right column has numerous
rows (e.g., the text), it used to be that with the cursor in
the left column, hitting the down arrow immediately dropped
me down to the next row. Now, however, the screen jerks its
way down to the next row, as though it's having to scroll
its way through the text in the right column.

Any ideas what the problem is and how to fix it?

WinXP is otherwise working just fine, and so I'm hoping this
is just some setting or two.
When you reinstall the operating system, you also need to reinstall
drivers for the hardware in your computer. First, try installing
updated video drivers from the card mftr.'s website. Do not update
device drivers from Windows Update. If the new video drivers fix the
problem, great. Otherwise, if you have a special mouse - like an MS
Intellimouse or a Logitech, etc. - then get updated mouse drivers, also
from the mftr.'s website.

Malke
 
B

Bob Stringer

When you reinstall the operating system, you also need to reinstall
drivers for the hardware in your computer. First, try installing
updated video drivers from the card mftr.'s website. Do not update
device drivers from Windows Update. If the new video drivers fix the
problem, great. Otherwise, if you have a special mouse - like an MS
Intellimouse or a Logitech, etc. - then get updated mouse drivers, also
from the mftr.'s website.

It's not the mouse, because it problem was there from the
get-go. But card drivers sounds like a good idea, and I'll
give it a try.

Thanks.
 
B

Bob Stringer

Have you checked your mouse? If a little bit of fluff gets
trapped inside it can cause the jerky movements you describle,
also if it's drivers aren't compatible with XP you'll get all
manor of strangness going on (believe me, this happens!)

Since you mentioned it, I double checked to be sure, but
it's clean. Also, I get the same effect whether I use the
keyboard or the mouse, and so the problem has to be
elsewhere.
It surprises me, that you have the technical ability to beable to
re-format your drive/reinstall windows etc., yet you can't find
your basic diplay/ performance settings !?! Such is life I guess..
.All the kit you need is in your control panel - via the start menu.

I know where the settings are, and I've played with
everything that appears to be a likely candidate (e.g.,
those which appear in Ctrl Panel | System | Advanced |
Performance | Settings | Visual Effects), but I've yet to
find something that changes the thing that's bothering.
You can also monitor PC performance by pressing Ctrl, Alt & Delte
buttons, together, once. this will prompt the Task Manager to pop
up & you can find what is running, processes etc.
Only other thought, you may simply have a virus - which can be
zapped for free with http://housecall.trendmicro.com
viruses cause random jerkyness & slow performance too.

I'll check just to be sure, but I'm fairly confident that
it's clean.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
B

Bob Stringer

It's not the mouse, because it problem was there from the
get-go. But card drivers sounds like a good idea, and I'll
give it a try.

That was it. All better now.

Thanks very much for the help.
 

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