Applications Running Slowly

[Guest]

My problem is two-fold. Or many fold?

As part of my severance package from a company I no longer work for, I inherited a Dell computer. This had Windows 2000 on it and was connected to a NT server. A computer person uninstalled my computer from the server, but warned me at the time that I really should wipe the computer clean, because of left over fragments that might be lurking around from the server.

I, of course, didn't do this. *sigh*

In the meantime, I've upgraded the computer to Windows XP Professional. Since I did that, all the Microsoft Office applications take forever to load up every document, HTML page or whatever. This is after the requisite Anti-virus scan.

For instance, I'll pull up a document in Word (2000) and it will run the virus scan and then put the document on the screen. But it's usually 1 - 2 minutes before I can do any editing in the document. It's like it's frozen. It does it for opening documents and saving them to disk.

Front Page 2002 does the same thing. Each page in my web takes about 1-2 minutes to load to a point where I can actually edit the thing. Once it gets past this point, it's fine. But if I open another page, it's the same problem...and any currently opened pages are also frozen.

Office seems to be the only programs affected by this, but then again, Office and the internet are just about the only programs I use on the computer.

The second problem is that when I log in under my name (which was the profile used at my company) and try to install a new program from disk, it usually stops, mid-load, asking for access to a file on the old server...some "pictures" directory which it shouldn't need access to anyway.

I've managed to get around this by creating another profile and loading programs under that profile name.

But I'm wondering if there's some way to check the registry or fix something in the computer so it stops looking for that file.

And any help with the slow running Office programs would be appreciated.

I'm really hoping not to have to wipe the computer clean and start over again, just for the sheer volume of programs I'd have to reload. *sigh*

Thanks for any help you can give me!

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Not great news, but you'd be better off doing what you were told to do in
the first place and start with a clean installation. The problem is that
your profile has bits and pieces of it's domain leftovers scattered all
around the system. Locating and removing all of them is nigh to impossible.
You may want to try scanning the registry for mentions of that server name
and deleting any references you find, though that too carries with it the
danger of munging the system even further. Your office programs may also be
looking for these same types of references, and the delay in loading could
well be the result of the applications timing out after not locating them.
Repairing the existing installation likely will not help, clean installing
it may.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Windows
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

My problem is two-fold. Or many fold?

As part of my severance package from a company I no longer work for, I

inherited a Dell computer. This had Windows 2000 on it and was connected to
a NT server. A computer person uninstalled my computer from the server, but
warned me at the time that I really should wipe the computer clean, because
of left over fragments that might be lurking around from the server.

I, of course, didn't do this. *sigh*

In the meantime, I've upgraded the computer to Windows XP Professional.

Since I did that, all the Microsoft Office applications take forever to load
up every document, HTML page or whatever. This is after the requisite
Anti-virus scan.

For instance, I'll pull up a document in Word (2000) and it will run the

virus scan and then put the document on the screen. But it's usually 1 - 2
minutes before I can do any editing in the document. It's like it's frozen.
It does it for opening documents and saving them to disk.

Front Page 2002 does the same thing. Each page in my web takes about 1-2

minutes to load to a point where I can actually edit the thing. Once it
gets past this point, it's fine. But if I open another page, it's the same
problem...and any currently opened pages are also frozen.

Office seems to be the only programs affected by this, but then again,

Office and the internet are just about the only programs I use on the
computer.

The second problem is that when I log in under my name (which was the

profile used at my company) and try to install a new program from disk, it
usually stops, mid-load, asking for access to a file on the old
server...some "pictures" directory which it shouldn't need access to anyway.

I've managed to get around this by creating another profile and loading

programs under that profile name.

But I'm wondering if there's some way to check the registry or fix

something in the computer so it stops looking for that file.

And any help with the slow running Office programs would be appreciated.

I'm really hoping not to have to wipe the computer clean and start over

again, just for the sheer volume of programs I'd have to reload. *sigh*

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Rick. I appreciate the advice and the help.

That's kinda what I was afraid of. *g*

Ah, well, I can look on the bright side...maybe that will finally get rid of some of these fragments of programs that I didn't want in the first place on my computer.

Guess I've got myself a project for the weekend! *grin*

Susan

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Well, some of us consider that a "fun" project. Good luck.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Windows
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

Thanks, Rick. I appreciate the advice and the help.

That's kinda what I was afraid of. *g*

Ah, well, I can look on the bright side...maybe that will finally get rid

of some of these fragments of programs that I didn't want in the first place
on my computer.