Is Windows XP becoming sluggish natural?

[Nero]

I've had Windows XP running smoothly and fast without any problems
for about a year and a half now, but it has become sluggish now and I
have tried everything to get it running faster again like before
without any success.
Now I remember Windows 98 becoming sluggish was natural and
having to do a fresh install was something you had to do every 6-12
months if you wanted a smooth system. I am someone who's system gets
heavy use. What I want to know is this the same with WinXP?
I've used Kaspersky's Anti-Virus, Ad-Aware, Spybot, Registry
Mechanic, Reg Cleaner and who knows what else to get the kinks out, it
just ain't happening. I was thinking maybe it's the hard drive slowing
down because of a lot of use (who knows maybe dying soon). What do you
think? Is it Windows XP needing a fresh install or is it a hard drive
wearing down? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

I would recommend performing some computer housecleaning
maintenance:

Download the thirty day trial version of System Mechanic and
scan your computer for 'Junk Files', then 'Find and Fix Broken Shortcuts'.
http://www.iolo.com/sm/5/index.cfm

System Mechanic Optimization Tools
http://www.iolo.com/sm/5/index.cfm#optimize

Then perform the following:

Download Ad-aware SE and scan your PC for the presence of sp­yware:
http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html?part=69274&subj=dlpage&tag=button

Symantec Security Check
http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=FTPSUQIZQVMUYTACDCO

Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en

3 Simple Steps to Help Ensure the Protection of Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athom­e/security/protect/default.msp­x

Utilize the following maintenance programs, at least monthly,
to maintain the optimum performance of Windows XP:

Description of the Disk Cleanup Tool in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310312&Product=winxp

How to Perform Disk Error Checking in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315265&Product=winxp

HOW TO: Analyze and Defragment a Disk in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305781&Product=winxp

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

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:

| I've had Windows XP running smoothly and fast without any problems
| for about a year and a half now, but it has become sluggish now and I
| have tried everything to get it running faster again like before
| without any success.
| Now I remember Windows 98 becoming sluggish was natural and
| having to do a fresh install was something you had to do every 6-12
| months if you wanted a smooth system. I am someone who's system gets
| heavy use. What I want to know is this the same with WinXP?
| I've used Kaspersky's Anti-Virus, Ad-Aware, Spybot, Registry
| Mechanic, Reg Cleaner and who knows what else to get the kinks out, it
| just ain't happening. I was thinking maybe it's the hard drive slowing
| down because of a lot of use (who knows maybe dying soon). What do you
| think? Is it Windows XP needing a fresh install or is it a hard drive
| wearing down? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[C A Upsdell]

I've had Windows XP running smoothly and fast without any problems
for about a year and a half now, but it has become sluggish now and I
have tried everything to get it running faster again like before
without any success.
Now I remember Windows 98 becoming sluggish was natural and
having to do a fresh install was something you had to do every 6-12
months if you wanted a smooth system. I am someone who's system gets
heavy use. What I want to know is this the same with WinXP?

Most likely causes:

1. Spyware
2. HD that needs to be defragged

 

[frodo]

XP normally does a periodic "self tune" to keep the things you use most
often "optimally organized on the disk" for best performance. It does
this every few days, but only when the system is idle. If you don't leave
the system turned on and idle it won't get a chance to do it. And you can
disable it, intentionally or not. So,...

Did you do something that may have disabled the prefetch and optimize
defrag from running, like turning off the Task Scheduler, or checking some
box in some tweaking utility (like cacheman, tweakui, perfectDisk, etc).

check in \windows\prefetch, there should be a file in there called
layout.ini that is no more than a few days old. And there should be .pf
files that are from today, or yesterday at the most. If so you're ok;
just be sure to let the system idle for about 30 mins to give it a chance
to run the defrag.

If not, check that the Task Scheduler service is running. It needs to be
running to do the prefetch/optimize thing.

You can force them both manually:

start | run :

%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

this will cause the background "Idle Tasks" to run, which includes the
prefetch post-processor (it makes/updates the layout.ini from info stored
in the .pf files), and runs the background defrag (if you haven't disabled
that w/ a tweak). If this causes the disk light to run for only about 15
seconds (rather than a full minute or so) then I'd guess the layout.ini
got updated (check it), but the defrag was disabled; you can force that
manually too:

start | run: defrag c: -b

[subst your drive letter for C:]. The -b says to do the "boot optimize"
defrag, not the full defrag. It should take about 60 seconds. [Note: if
you use PerfectDisk, run it instead as it can do this boot layout optimize
even better than defrag -b can].

Afterwards reboot, and it should boot faster (in some cases MUCH faster,
especially if you haven't done this before). And your favorite apps should
launch faster.

Of course, you still need to do a full defrag occasionally (every 3-4
months is probably reasonable for a stable system - and after any major
change, like installing/deleting a major application.)

 

[Roger Blake]

I've had Windows XP running smoothly and fast without any problems
for about a year and a half now, but it has become sluggish now and I
have tried everything to get it running faster again like before
without any success.

Windows has a reputation for being a self-corrupting operating
system, as well as being wide-open to every form of malware imaginable.
Reinstalling it from scratch every once in a while can be considered
"normal maintenance."

 

[Jerry]

I have had XP running now for 3 yrs without it slowing down. I do turn off
many of the services within XP. The one thing I do maintain is an imaging
program. I personally like Ghost 2003, but there are many others. I have
two HDs, with only XP and Programs <partitioned> on the Master HD and keep
an Image on a single DVD disk just incase it is ever needed. It includes
all my major programs. Should I need to use it, yes I would have to update
my AV and Windows, but that is a far cry from doing a new install.
You may want to give this some consideration.