Help with slow computer

[Skip Haberlack]

For the past few months my computer has been running very slow and jerky
whenever I start up any program. It's really bad during Windows start up.
Watching the Task Manager, anytime I start up a new program, CPU usage shoots
up to 100% causing everything to slow down. I also have problems streaming
video (movie previews, etc.) without the videos jumping and skipping
excessively. I've tried defragging, cleaned the hard disk, run Spybot and
Adaware as well as Registry cleaners (Registry Mechanic and CCleaner) and
searched for viruses with AVG and nothing seems to work. I've also
downloaded and installed all new drivers for everything in my computer. I'm
currently running on XP Media Center Edition. I just want to be able to use
my computer because it's gotten to the point where I am ready to throw it out
the window due to frustration. If anybody can assist with this, I would
greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[1PW]

For the past few months my computer has been running very slow and jerky
whenever I start up any program. It's really bad during Windows start up.
Watching the Task Manager, anytime I start up a new program, CPU usage shoots
up to 100% causing everything to slow down. I also have problems streaming
video (movie previews, etc.) without the videos jumping and skipping
excessively. I've tried defragging, cleaned the hard disk, run Spybot and
Adaware as well as Registry cleaners (Registry Mechanic and CCleaner) and
searched for viruses with AVG and nothing seems to work. I've also
downloaded and installed all new drivers for everything in my computer. I'm
currently running on XP Media Center Edition. I just want to be able to use
my computer because it's gotten to the point where I am ready to throw it out
the window due to frustration. If anybody can assist with this, I would
greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

Hello Skip:

Thank you for relating more than the average poster. Good work.

Please pass us some of your system's hardware details when you're able.

Two hints may have come through your posting. One is your use of AVG.
This is no doubt when of the best antivirus applications out there.
However, many reported that their upgrade to version 8 showed what a
resource hog it can be. Many therefor have changed to AntiVir from
Avira, and hence a somewhat superior product, according to some.

Secondly, your search for other malware may not have been as thorough as
you thought. Try scans with the free versions of MBAM and SAS.

Lastly, download, install and run the Process Explorer from Microsoft.

<http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx>

This will report which applications are using your resources.

Please post a follow-up with your progress.

Pete

 

[Daave]

For the past few months my computer has been running very slow and
jerky
whenever I start up any program. It's really bad during Windows start
up.
Watching the Task Manager, anytime I start up a new program, CPU usage
shoots
up to 100% causing everything to slow down. I also have problems
streaming
video (movie previews, etc.) without the videos jumping and skipping
excessively. I've tried defragging, cleaned the hard disk, run Spybot
and
Adaware as well as Registry cleaners (Registry Mechanic and CCleaner)
and
searched for viruses with AVG and nothing seems to work. I've also
downloaded and installed all new drivers for everything in my
computer. I'm
currently running on XP Media Center Edition. I just want to be able
to use
my computer because it's gotten to the point where I am ready to throw
it out
the window due to frustration. If anybody can assist with this, I
would
greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

We will need some more information:

1. How much RAM do you have?

2. What are your Total, Limit, and Peak values under Commit Charge (see
number 4 below)?

3. How large is your hard drive and how much free space do you have?

4. What happened a few months ago that may be repsonsible for the
sluggishness? Did you install any programs or updates (especially
Windows updates) at that time?

5. Did you once run either Norton or McAfee products? If not
*completely* uninstalled, the traces left behind can cause problems.

6. What is the make and model of your PC?



Regarding sluggishness in general, here are its usual causes:

1. Malicious software (malware)

2. Certain programs that are designed to combat malware (e.g., Norton
and McAfee). Ironically, they can slow things down because they simply
use way too many resources. Sometime they cause conflicts with other
programs. And their default mode is to scan your entire hard drive each
time you boot up.

3. Too many of *certain types* of programs always running in the
background -- with or without your knowledge.

Use these sites to determine what these programs are and to learn how to
configure them not to always run at startup:

http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#THE_PROGRAMS
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

Sometimes it is recommended to use msconfig to configure the programs to
not run at startup. A better, more thorough program is Autoruns:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

4. Not enough RAM, which causes the PC to overly rely on the pagefile. A
quick way to determine if this is happening is to open Task Manager
(Ctrl+Alt+Del) and click the Performance tab. Then note the three values
under Commit Charge (K): in the lower left-hand corner: Total, Limit,
and Peak.

The Total figure represents the amount of memory you are using at that
very moment. The Peak figure represents the highest amount of memory you
used since last bootup. If both these figures are below the value of
Physical Memory (K) Total, then you probably have plenty of RAM.
Otherwise, you may want to explore this further by running Page File
Monitor for Windows XP:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_pagefilemon.htm

5. You might also want to check that your hard drive's access mode
didn't change from DMA to PIO:

http://www.technize.com/2007/08/02/is-your-hard-disk-cddvd-drives-too-slow-while-copying/

and

http://users.bigpond.net.au/ninjaduck/itserviceduck/udma_fix/

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:46:01 -0800, Skip Haberlack <Skip

For the past few months my computer has been running very slow and jerky
whenever I start up any program. It's really bad during Windows start up.
Watching the Task Manager, anytime I start up a new program, CPU usage shoots
up to 100% causing everything to slow down. I also have problems streaming
video (movie previews, etc.) without the videos jumping and skipping
excessively. I've tried defragging, cleaned the hard disk, run Spybot and
Adaware

OK.


as well as Registry cleaners (Registry Mechanic and CCleaner) and

But that is not OK. Registry cleaning programs are *all* snake oil.
Cleaning of the registry isn't needed and is dangerous. Leave the
registry alone and don't use any registry cleaner. Despite what many
people think, and what vendors of registry cleaning software try to
convince you of, having unused registry entries doesn't really hurt
you.

The risk of a serious problem caused by a registry cleaner erroneously
removing an entry you need is far greater than any potential benefit
it may have.

Read http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000643.html

However, since you apparently had the problem before running registry
cleaners, they are probably not the cause this time. Still, don't do
it in the future.

searched for viruses with AVG and nothing seems to work. I've also
downloaded and installed all new drivers for everything in my computer. I'm
currently running on XP Media Center Edition. I just want to be able to use
my computer because it's gotten to the point where I am ready to throw it out
the window due to frustration. If anybody can assist with this, I would
greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

My guess is that, despite what you have run, you are infected with
malware. Download and run the MalwareBytes Anti-Malware program.

 

[Richard in AZ]

| On Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:18:24 -0800, 1PW <[email protected]>
| wrote:
|
| >On 02/19/2009 05:46 PM, Skip Haberlack sent:
| >> For the past few months my computer has been running very slow and jerky
| >> whenever I start up any program. It's really bad during Windows start up.
| >> Watching the Task Manager, anytime I start up a new program, CPU usage shoots
| >> up to 100% causing everything to slow down. I also have problems streaming
| >> video (movie previews, etc.) without the videos jumping and skipping
| >> excessively. I've tried defragging, cleaned the hard disk, run Spybot and
| >> Adaware as well as Registry cleaners (Registry Mechanic and CCleaner) and
| >> searched for viruses with AVG and nothing seems to work. I've also
| >> downloaded and installed all new drivers for everything in my computer. I'm
| >> currently running on XP Media Center Edition. I just want to be able to use
| >> my computer because it's gotten to the point where I am ready to throw it out
| >> the window due to frustration. If anybody can assist with this, I would
| >> greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
| >
| >Hello Skip:
| >
| >Thank you for relating more than the average poster. Good work.
| >
| >Please pass us some of your system's hardware details when you're able.
| >
| >Two hints may have come through your posting. One is your use of AVG.
| >This is no doubt when of the best antivirus applications out there.
| >However, many reported that their upgrade to version 8 showed what a
| >resource hog it can be. Many therefor have changed to AntiVir from
| >Avira, and hence a somewhat superior product, according to some.
|
| When I install AVG, I put it in a folder called "aa" , go to start-run
| and paste this in
|
| c:\aa\avg_free_stf_en_8_138a1332.exe /REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSurf
| /REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSearch
|
| Sorry for the wrap and you probably will have to change the file name.
|
| This doesn't install two (in my opinion) resource hogs that aren't all
| that necessary.
|
| AVG runs fine on my P4 3.0 system.
|
|
|
|
| >Secondly, your search for other malware may not have been as thorough as
| >you thought. Try scans with the free versions of MBAM and SAS.
| >
| >Lastly, download, install and run the Process Explorer from Microsoft.
| >
| > <http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx>
| >
| >This will report which applications are using your resources.
| >
| >Please post a follow-up with your progress.
| >
| >Pete

Rather than the fancy Command line installation. Simply choose the "Custom Installation" option.
Then when offered the choice, uncheck email scanning and link scanning, etc.
AVG work just great without these options installed.

 

[Daave]

| On Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:18:24 -0800, 1PW <[email protected]>
| wrote:
|
| >On 02/19/2009 05:46 PM, Skip Haberlack sent:
| >> For the past few months my computer has been running very slow
and jerky
| >> whenever I start up any program. It's really bad during Windows
start up.
| >> Watching the Task Manager, anytime I start up a new program, CPU
usage shoots
| >> up to 100% causing everything to slow down. I also have problems
streaming
| >> video (movie previews, etc.) without the videos jumping and
skipping
| >> excessively. I've tried defragging, cleaned the hard disk, run
Spybot and
| >> Adaware as well as Registry cleaners (Registry Mechanic and
CCleaner) and
| >> searched for viruses with AVG and nothing seems to work. I've
also
| >> downloaded and installed all new drivers for everything in my
computer. I'm
| >> currently running on XP Media Center Edition. I just want to be
able to use
| >> my computer because it's gotten to the point where I am ready to
throw it out
| >> the window due to frustration. If anybody can assist with this,
I would
| >> greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
| >
| >Hello Skip:
| >
| >Thank you for relating more than the average poster. Good work.
| >
| >Please pass us some of your system's hardware details when you're
able.
| >
| >Two hints may have come through your posting. One is your use of
AVG.
| >This is no doubt when of the best antivirus applications out there.
| >However, many reported that their upgrade to version 8 showed what
a
| >resource hog it can be. Many therefor have changed to AntiVir from
| >Avira, and hence a somewhat superior product, according to some.
|
| When I install AVG, I put it in a folder called "aa" , go to
start-run
| and paste this in
|
| c:\aa\avg_free_stf_en_8_138a1332.exe /REMOVE_FEATURE
fea_AVG_SafeSurf
| /REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSearch
|
| Sorry for the wrap and you probably will have to change the file
name.
|
| This doesn't install two (in my opinion) resource hogs that aren't
all
| that necessary.
|
| AVG runs fine on my P4 3.0 system.
|
|
|
|
| >Secondly, your search for other malware may not have been as
thorough as
| >you thought. Try scans with the free versions of MBAM and SAS.
| >
| >Lastly, download, install and run the Process Explorer from
Microsoft.
| >
| > <http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx>
| >
| >This will report which applications are using your resources.
| >
| >Please post a follow-up with your progress.
| >
| >Pete

Rather than the fancy Command line installation. Simply choose the
"Custom Installation" option.
Then when offered the choice, uncheck email scanning and link
scanning, etc.
AVG work just great without these options installed.

Agreed.

 

[Skip Haberlack]

Ok, just spent the past couple of days trying all the tips and here's what I
got. I just downloaded AVG a few days ago and this problem has been going on
for long before that, so I know that AVG isn't the problem. I still turned
off the link and email scanner as was suggested later in this thread. I also
downloaded and ran MBAB and SAS and although they found a few pieces of
spyware and adware that were missed by the other programs, it didn't solve
the problem. I also downloaded Process Explorer and from what I can tell,
when I run any program (especially MBAB and SAS) what is eating up my CPU is
hardware interupts. As far as my hardware, it's a HP Pavilion dv5224nr.
It's got the AMD Turion 64 Mobile Processor. I have 1024MB RAM and an 60GB
hard drive which still has 25GB of free space. Let me know if there's
anything else you need to know or if you have any other advice. Thanks for
the reply.

 

[Skip Haberlack]

Thanks for the advice. I did download MalwareBytes and although it did find
three pieces of malware that the otheres missed, it's still doing the same
thing.

 

[Skip Haberlack]

Dave, Thanks for the reply. Here's some answers to your questions.

1. I have 1024MB RAM

2. Commit Charge -
Total: 674100
Limit: 2517616
Peak: 900388

Physical Memory -
Total: 1046704

3. 60GB Hard Drive, 25GB Free

4. I don't remember exactly what I was doing. I know it was around the
time I got Civilization IV Beyond the Sword. More than likely, though, it
started after I downloaded a Windows or HP update.

5. I did use to have Norton. After my computer started acting this way, a
friend of mine told me about Norton being a resource hog and to get rid of it
so I did. I ran the uninstaller from the Norton website so I would assume
that it would be uninstalled completely.

6. It is a HP Pavilion dv5224nr.

I also checked my hard drive access mode. My Primary IDE Channel Device 0
is set to Transfer Mode: DMA if available and Current Transfer Mode: PIO
Mode. The Current Transfer Mode is stuck in PIO Mode and can't be changed.
I read that link you sent me and although I'm fairly computer literate user
wise, I don't know how to create registry keys. If there is anything else
that you need to know or if you have any other suggestions, I would
appreciate it. Thanks for the reply.

 

[1PW]

Ok, just spent the past couple of days trying all the tips and here's what I
got. I just downloaded AVG a few days ago and this problem has been going on
for long before that, so I know that AVG isn't the problem. I still turned
off the link and email scanner as was suggested later in this thread. I also
downloaded and ran MBAB and SAS and although they found a few pieces of
spyware and adware that were missed by the other programs, it didn't solve
the problem. I also downloaded Process Explorer and from what I can tell,
when I run any program (especially MBAB and SAS) what is eating up my CPU is
hardware interupts. As far as my hardware, it's a HP Pavilion dv5224nr.
It's got the AMD Turion 64 Mobile Processor. I have 1024MB RAM and an 60GB
hard drive which still has 25GB of free space. Let me know if there's
anything else you need to know or if you have any other advice. Thanks for
the reply.

Hello Skip:

The solution to sudden & noticeable slowness should be solvable through
the judicious use of the Process Explorer. I'd like to deffer to
"DAAVE's" questions of 2/19 for the time being. Perhaps too, while
you're waiting on other tasks, you could do /continued/ hard disk drive
cleanup and defragmentation.

Although 1GB of ram might be adequate for many XP users, serious pruning
of those applications that are currently allowed to start with Windows
bootup may also be helpful. Applications with unresolved memory leaks
will certainly be a drain on your resources.

How many and which applications do you have running in a typical period
of slowness? At some point it may be useful to have you run
TrendMicro's HiJackThis and upload the results to the appropriate forum,
but not here.

Warm regards,

Pete

 

[Daave]

Dave, Thanks for the reply. Here's some answers to your questions.

1. I have 1024MB RAM

Generally, that is more than adequate for most XP users. So, that's
good.

2. Commit Charge -
Total: 674100
Limit: 2517616
Peak: 900388

Physical Memory -
Total: 1046704

This is also good. It means you *do* have enough RAM. There is no need
to purchase more!

3. 60GB Hard Drive, 25GB Free

Also good.

4. I don't remember exactly what I was doing. I know it was around
the
time I got Civilization IV Beyond the Sword. More than likely,
though, it
started after I downloaded a Windows or HP update.

I think we have a winner. Not too long ago, I worked on a laptop that
had similar performance problems. A Windows update turned out to be the
culprit. Why don't you uninstall (via Control Panel | Add or Remove
Programs) *all* the Windows updates since that point in time a few
months ago. You will eventually reinstall them of course. You may also
need to uninstall Civilization IV if no joy. I'm not sure what kind of
HP updates you are talking about. Is it a BIOS update? Or something
else?

Regarding Windows Updates, make sure you only install critical updates.
*Never* install hardware device drivers from the Microsoft site!
Personally, I shut off Automatic Updates and visit the Microsoft site
once a month and manually download the critical updates. If you want to
run Automatic Updates, I would recommend choosing "Notify me but don't
automatically download or install them."

5. I did use to have Norton. After my computer started acting this
way, a
friend of mine told me about Norton being a resource hog and to get
rid of it
so I did. I ran the uninstaller from the Norton website so I would
assume
that it would be uninstalled completely.

Sounds like it is. Good, also!

6. It is a HP Pavilion dv5224nr.

I also checked my hard drive access mode. My Primary IDE Channel
Device 0
is set to Transfer Mode: DMA if available and Current Transfer Mode:
PIO
Mode. The Current Transfer Mode is stuck in PIO Mode and can't be
changed.
I read that link you sent me and although I'm fairly computer literate
user
wise, I don't know how to create registry keys. If there is anything
else
that you need to know or if you have any other suggestions, I would
appreciate it. Thanks for the reply.

PIO mode makes your PC run like a dog! You need to change it back. It's
not hard to create a key in the registry. Open regedit. Navigate to the
locations

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0001]

and

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0002]

Then right-click in a white area in the right window and select New,
then DWORD value. The name of the key will be
ResetErrorCountersOnSuccess. Enter the number 1 in the Value Data box.

Of course, you should always back up the registry before you make any
changes to it.

If you would rather not manually edit the registry, this MVP site has a
very helpful .vbs script that will do the trick:

http://winhlp.com/node/10

Under Quick solution, Step 1 is a link that says "Click here." This is
for resetdma.vbs.

Good luck and remember to let us know how you make out!

 

[Skip Haberlack]

I changed the registry and checked and it is now set to DMA mode. This seems
to be just what I needed as everything seems to be working fine now. I just
want to give my thanks to you and everybody else that helped out with my
problem. Anyway, I appreciate everything, thank you!

Skip

Dave, Thanks for the reply. Here's some answers to your questions.

1. I have 1024MB RAM

Generally, that is more than adequate for most XP users. So, that's
good.

2. Commit Charge -
Total: 674100
Limit: 2517616
Peak: 900388

Physical Memory -
Total: 1046704

This is also good. It means you *do* have enough RAM. There is no need
to purchase more!

3. 60GB Hard Drive, 25GB Free

Also good.

4. I don't remember exactly what I was doing. I know it was around
the
time I got Civilization IV Beyond the Sword. More than likely,
though, it
started after I downloaded a Windows or HP update.

I think we have a winner. Not too long ago, I worked on a laptop that
had similar performance problems. A Windows update turned out to be the
culprit. Why don't you uninstall (via Control Panel | Add or Remove
Programs) *all* the Windows updates since that point in time a few
months ago. You will eventually reinstall them of course. You may also
need to uninstall Civilization IV if no joy. I'm not sure what kind of
HP updates you are talking about. Is it a BIOS update? Or something
else?

Regarding Windows Updates, make sure you only install critical updates.
*Never* install hardware device drivers from the Microsoft site!
Personally, I shut off Automatic Updates and visit the Microsoft site
once a month and manually download the critical updates. If you want to
run Automatic Updates, I would recommend choosing "Notify me but don't
automatically download or install them."

5. I did use to have Norton. After my computer started acting this
way, a
friend of mine told me about Norton being a resource hog and to get
rid of it
so I did. I ran the uninstaller from the Norton website so I would
assume
that it would be uninstalled completely.

Sounds like it is. Good, also!

6. It is a HP Pavilion dv5224nr.

I also checked my hard drive access mode. My Primary IDE Channel
Device 0
is set to Transfer Mode: DMA if available and Current Transfer Mode:
PIO
Mode. The Current Transfer Mode is stuck in PIO Mode and can't be
changed.
I read that link you sent me and although I'm fairly computer literate
user
wise, I don't know how to create registry keys. If there is anything
else
that you need to know or if you have any other suggestions, I would
appreciate it. Thanks for the reply.

PIO mode makes your PC run like a dog! You need to change it back. It's
not hard to create a key in the registry. Open regedit. Navigate to the
locations

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0001]

and

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0002]

Then right-click in a white area in the right window and select New,
then DWORD value. The name of the key will be
ResetErrorCountersOnSuccess. Enter the number 1 in the Value Data box.

Of course, you should always back up the registry before you make any
changes to it.

If you would rather not manually edit the registry, this MVP site has a
very helpful .vbs script that will do the trick:

http://winhlp.com/node/10

Under Quick solution, Step 1 is a link that says "Click here." This is
for resetdma.vbs.

Good luck and remember to let us know how you make out!

 

[Daave]

Glad you're back in business!

I changed the registry and checked and it is now set to DMA mode.
This seems to be just what I needed as everything seems to be working
fine now. I just want to give my thanks to you and everybody else
that helped out with my problem. Anyway, I appreciate everything,
thank you!

Skip

Dave, Thanks for the reply. Here's some answers to your questions.

1. I have 1024MB RAM

Generally, that is more than adequate for most XP users. So, that's
good.

2. Commit Charge -
Total: 674100
Limit: 2517616
Peak: 900388

Physical Memory -
Total: 1046704

This is also good. It means you *do* have enough RAM. There is no
need to purchase more!

3. 60GB Hard Drive, 25GB Free

Also good.

4. I don't remember exactly what I was doing. I know it was around
the
time I got Civilization IV Beyond the Sword. More than likely,
though, it
started after I downloaded a Windows or HP update.

I think we have a winner. Not too long ago, I worked on a laptop that
had similar performance problems. A Windows update turned out to be
the culprit. Why don't you uninstall (via Control Panel | Add or
Remove Programs) *all* the Windows updates since that point in time
a few months ago. You will eventually reinstall them of course. You
may also need to uninstall Civilization IV if no joy. I'm not sure
what kind of HP updates you are talking about. Is it a BIOS update?
Or something else?

Regarding Windows Updates, make sure you only install critical
updates. *Never* install hardware device drivers from the Microsoft
site! Personally, I shut off Automatic Updates and visit the
Microsoft site once a month and manually download the critical
updates. If you want to run Automatic Updates, I would recommend
choosing "Notify me but don't automatically download or install
them."

5. I did use to have Norton. After my computer started acting this
way, a
friend of mine told me about Norton being a resource hog and to get
rid of it
so I did. I ran the uninstaller from the Norton website so I would
assume
that it would be uninstalled completely.

Sounds like it is. Good, also!

6. It is a HP Pavilion dv5224nr.

I also checked my hard drive access mode. My Primary IDE Channel
Device 0
is set to Transfer Mode: DMA if available and Current Transfer Mode:
PIO
Mode. The Current Transfer Mode is stuck in PIO Mode and can't be
changed.
I read that link you sent me and although I'm fairly computer
literate user
wise, I don't know how to create registry keys. If there is
anything else
that you need to know or if you have any other suggestions, I would
appreciate it. Thanks for the reply.

PIO mode makes your PC run like a dog! You need to change it back.
It's not hard to create a key in the registry. Open regedit.
Navigate to the locations

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0001]

and

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0002]

Then right-click in a white area in the right window and select New,
then DWORD value. The name of the key will be
ResetErrorCountersOnSuccess. Enter the number 1 in the Value Data
box.

Of course, you should always back up the registry before you make any
changes to it.

If you would rather not manually edit the registry, this MVP site
has a very helpful .vbs script that will do the trick:

http://winhlp.com/node/10

Under Quick solution, Step 1 is a link that says "Click here." This
is for resetdma.vbs.

Good luck and remember to let us know how you make out!

:

in message
For the past few months my computer has been running very slow and
jerky
whenever I start up any program. It's really bad during Windows
start
up.
Watching the Task Manager, anytime I start up a new program, CPU
usage
shoots
up to 100% causing everything to slow down. I also have problems
streaming
video (movie previews, etc.) without the videos jumping and
skipping
excessively. I've tried defragging, cleaned the hard disk, run
Spybot
and
Adaware as well as Registry cleaners (Registry Mechanic and
CCleaner)
and
searched for viruses with AVG and nothing seems to work. I've
also downloaded and installed all new drivers for everything in my
computer. I'm
currently running on XP Media Center Edition. I just want to be
able
to use
my computer because it's gotten to the point where I am ready to
throw
it out
the window due to frustration. If anybody can assist with this, I
would
greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

We will need some more information:

1. How much RAM do you have?

2. What are your Total, Limit, and Peak values under Commit Charge
(see
number 4 below)?

3. How large is your hard drive and how much free space do you
have?

4. What happened a few months ago that may be repsonsible for the
sluggishness? Did you install any programs or updates (especially
Windows updates) at that time?

5. Did you once run either Norton or McAfee products? If not
*completely* uninstalled, the traces left behind can cause
problems.

6. What is the make and model of your PC?



Regarding sluggishness in general, here are its usual causes:

1. Malicious software (malware)

2. Certain programs that are designed to combat malware (e.g.,
Norton and McAfee). Ironically, they can slow things down because
they simply
use way too many resources. Sometime they cause conflicts with
other programs. And their default mode is to scan your entire hard
drive each
time you boot up.

3. Too many of *certain types* of programs always running in the
background -- with or without your knowledge.

Use these sites to determine what these programs are and to learn
how to
configure them not to always run at startup:

http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#THE_PROGRAMS
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

Sometimes it is recommended to use msconfig to configure the
programs to
not run at startup. A better, more thorough program is Autoruns:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

4. Not enough RAM, which causes the PC to overly rely on the
pagefile. A
quick way to determine if this is happening is to open Task Manager
(Ctrl+Alt+Del) and click the Performance tab. Then note the three
values
under Commit Charge (K): in the lower left-hand corner: Total,
Limit, and Peak.

The Total figure represents the amount of memory you are using at
that
very moment. The Peak figure represents the highest amount of
memory you
used since last bootup. If both these figures are below the value
of Physical Memory (K) Total, then you probably have plenty of RAM.
Otherwise, you may want to explore this further by running Page
File Monitor for Windows XP:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_pagefilemon.htm

5. You might also want to check that your hard drive's access mode
didn't change from DMA to PIO:

http://www.technize.com/2007/08/02/is-your-hard-disk-cddvd-drives-too-slow-while-copying/

and

http://users.bigpond.net.au/ninjaduck/itserviceduck/udma_fix/

 

[0303rma]

I have the same problem. I took the measures you advised, but it doesn't
help.
Recently I bought a Toshiba Sattelite laptop with:
dual core T 3200, 2GHz
RAM 3 GB
HD Toshiba MK 1652GSX 150 GB
OS Windows XP SP3 SATA controller mode: compatibility.

I followed your advise and visited this website
http://www.technize.com/2007/08/02/is-your-hard-disk-cddvd-drives-too-slow-while-copying/
and followed the instructions, even the change in the register. Non the
less the primary IDE Channel Properties shows: Transfer Mode: DMA if
available and Current Transfer Mode: PIO modus and this field is greyed
out, so I cann't change it.

Is there any other method to change this and to speed up my new laptop?

Roel

Daave schreef:

Glad you're back in business!

I changed the registry and checked and it is now set to DMA mode.
This seems to be just what I needed as everything seems to be working
fine now. I just want to give my thanks to you and everybody else
that helped out with my problem. Anyway, I appreciate everything,
thank you!

Skip

message Dave, Thanks for the reply. Here's some answers to your questions.

1. I have 1024MB RAM
Generally, that is more than adequate for most XP users. So, that's
good.

2. Commit Charge -
Total: 674100
Limit: 2517616
Peak: 900388

Physical Memory -
Total: 1046704
This is also good. It means you *do* have enough RAM. There is no
need to purchase more!

3. 60GB Hard Drive, 25GB Free
Also good.

4. I don't remember exactly what I was doing. I know it was around
the
time I got Civilization IV Beyond the Sword. More than likely,
though, it
started after I downloaded a Windows or HP update.
I think we have a winner. Not too long ago, I worked on a laptop that
had similar performance problems. A Windows update turned out to be
the culprit. Why don't you uninstall (via Control Panel | Add or
Remove Programs) *all* the Windows updates since that point in time
a few months ago. You will eventually reinstall them of course. You
may also need to uninstall Civilization IV if no joy. I'm not sure
what kind of HP updates you are talking about. Is it a BIOS update?
Or something else?

Regarding Windows Updates, make sure you only install critical
updates. *Never* install hardware device drivers from the Microsoft
site! Personally, I shut off Automatic Updates and visit the
Microsoft site once a month and manually download the critical
updates. If you want to run Automatic Updates, I would recommend
choosing "Notify me but don't automatically download or install
them."

5. I did use to have Norton. After my computer started acting this
way, a
friend of mine told me about Norton being a resource hog and to get
rid of it
so I did. I ran the uninstaller from the Norton website so I would
assume
that it would be uninstalled completely.
Sounds like it is. Good, also!

6. It is a HP Pavilion dv5224nr.

I also checked my hard drive access mode. My Primary IDE Channel
Device 0
is set to Transfer Mode: DMA if available and Current Transfer Mode:
PIO
Mode. The Current Transfer Mode is stuck in PIO Mode and can't be
changed.
I read that link you sent me and although I'm fairly computer
literate user
wise, I don't know how to create registry keys. If there is
anything else
that you need to know or if you have any other suggestions, I would
appreciate it. Thanks for the reply.
PIO mode makes your PC run like a dog! You need to change it back.
It's not hard to create a key in the registry. Open regedit.
Navigate to the locations

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0001]

and

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0002]

Then right-click in a white area in the right window and select New,
then DWORD value. The name of the key will be
ResetErrorCountersOnSuccess. Enter the number 1 in the Value Data
box.

Of course, you should always back up the registry before you make any
changes to it.

If you would rather not manually edit the registry, this MVP site
has a very helpful .vbs script that will do the trick:

http://winhlp.com/node/10

Under Quick solution, Step 1 is a link that says "Click here." This
is for resetdma.vbs.

Good luck and remember to let us know how you make out!


:

in message
For the past few months my computer has been running very slow and
jerky
whenever I start up any program. It's really bad during Windows
start
up.
Watching the Task Manager, anytime I start up a new program, CPU
usage
shoots
up to 100% causing everything to slow down. I also have problems
streaming
video (movie previews, etc.) without the videos jumping and
skipping
excessively. I've tried defragging, cleaned the hard disk, run
Spybot
and
Adaware as well as Registry cleaners (Registry Mechanic and
CCleaner)
and
searched for viruses with AVG and nothing seems to work. I've
also downloaded and installed all new drivers for everything in my
computer. I'm
currently running on XP Media Center Edition. I just want to be
able
to use
my computer because it's gotten to the point where I am ready to
throw
it out
the window due to frustration. If anybody can assist with this, I
would
greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
We will need some more information:

1. How much RAM do you have?

2. What are your Total, Limit, and Peak values under Commit Charge
(see
number 4 below)?

3. How large is your hard drive and how much free space do you
have?

4. What happened a few months ago that may be repsonsible for the
sluggishness? Did you install any programs or updates (especially
Windows updates) at that time?

5. Did you once run either Norton or McAfee products? If not
*completely* uninstalled, the traces left behind can cause
problems.

6. What is the make and model of your PC?



Regarding sluggishness in general, here are its usual causes:

1. Malicious software (malware)

2. Certain programs that are designed to combat malware (e.g.,
Norton and McAfee). Ironically, they can slow things down because
they simply
use way too many resources. Sometime they cause conflicts with
other programs. And their default mode is to scan your entire hard
drive each
time you boot up.

3. Too many of *certain types* of programs always running in the
background -- with or without your knowledge.

Use these sites to determine what these programs are and to learn
how to
configure them not to always run at startup:

http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#THE_PROGRAMS
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

Sometimes it is recommended to use msconfig to configure the
programs to
not run at startup. A better, more thorough program is Autoruns:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

4. Not enough RAM, which causes the PC to overly rely on the
pagefile. A
quick way to determine if this is happening is to open Task Manager
(Ctrl+Alt+Del) and click the Performance tab. Then note the three
values
under Commit Charge (K): in the lower left-hand corner: Total,
Limit, and Peak.

The Total figure represents the amount of memory you are using at
that
very moment. The Peak figure represents the highest amount of
memory you
used since last bootup. If both these figures are below the value
of Physical Memory (K) Total, then you probably have plenty of RAM.
Otherwise, you may want to explore this further by running Page
File Monitor for Windows XP:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_pagefilemon.htm

5. You might also want to check that your hard drive's access mode
didn't change from DMA to PIO:

http://www.technize.com/2007/08/02/is-your-hard-disk-cddvd-drives-too-slow-while-copying/

and

http://users.bigpond.net.au/ninjaduck/itserviceduck/udma_fix/

 

[Daave]

I have the same problem. I took the measures you advised, but it
doesn't help.
Recently I bought a Toshiba Sattelite laptop with:
dual core T 3200, 2GHz
RAM 3 GB
HD Toshiba MK 1652GSX 150 GB
OS Windows XP SP3 SATA controller mode: compatibility.

I followed your advise and visited this website
http://www.technize.com/2007/08/02/is-your-hard-disk-cddvd-drives-too-slow-while-copying/
and followed the instructions, even the change in the register. Non
the less the primary IDE Channel Properties shows: Transfer Mode: DMA
if available and Current Transfer Mode: PIO modus and this field is
greyed out, so I cann't change it.

Is there any other method to change this and to speed up my new
laptop?

Roel

In the future, Roel please start your own thread rather than highjacking
someone else's. You'll have better results.

That was only one of three Web sites I referenced. The registry changes
from my post were incomplete and presented as an example of how to
create a DWORD value. The rest of the instructions are here:

http://users.bigpond.net.au/ninjaduck/itserviceduck/udma_fix/

An alternative is to go here:
http://winhlp.com/node/10

and run the .vbs script contained in the link under Quick Solution
(where it says "1. Click here.").