PC suddenly extremely slow on start-up and shut down

[josephmorris1]

Our PC has suddenly become very slow on start-up and shut down. It's
taking around 10 minutes to do either. This started after I installed
the latest Windows updates (16.12.06 I think). I've tried uninstalling
them all but it didn't fix the problem.

Technical stuff:

- Windows XP Home with SP2
- 512Mb RAM
- 56Gb hard drive, with 9Gb free.
- Using Norton Anti-Virus and Zone Labs' Zone Alarm firewall (both
bundled with our broadband package)
Have done both a virus and a spyware scan (using Norton Anti-Virus) and
they reckon the system's clean.
- Wireless broadband connection.
- Do you need anything else that might help to diagnose the problem?

I'm not particularly au fait with computers so any help anybody can
offer would be hugely appreciated.

Many thanks,

Joe.

 

[Plato]

Our PC has suddenly become very slow on start-up and shut down. It's
taking around 10 minutes to do either. This started after I installed
the latest Windows updates (16.12.06 I think). I've tried uninstalling
them all but it didn't fix the problem.

Technical stuff:

- Windows XP Home with SP2
- 512Mb RAM
- 56Gb hard drive, with 9Gb free.
- Using Norton Anti-Virus and Zone Labs' Zone Alarm firewall (both
bundled with our broadband package)
Have done both a virus and a spyware scan (using Norton Anti-Virus) and
they reckon the system's clean.
- Wireless broadband connection.
- Do you need anything else that might help to diagnose the problem?

Get rid of Nortons.

 

[DG]

Get rid of Nortons.

Anyway with their buggy activation process, they'll get rid of you
eventually, even if you buy their product!

 

[Dominique]

(e-mail address removed) écrivait @n67g2000cwd.googlegroups.com:

Our PC has suddenly become very slow on start-up and shut down. It's
taking around 10 minutes to do either. This started after I installed
the latest Windows updates (16.12.06 I think). I've tried uninstalling
them all but it didn't fix the problem.

Technical stuff:

- Windows XP Home with SP2
- 512Mb RAM
- 56Gb hard drive, with 9Gb free.
- Using Norton Anti-Virus and Zone Labs' Zone Alarm firewall (both
bundled with our broadband package)
Have done both a virus and a spyware scan (using Norton Anti-Virus) and
they reckon the system's clean.
- Wireless broadband connection.
- Do you need anything else that might help to diagnose the problem?

I'm not particularly au fait with computers so any help anybody can
offer would be hugely appreciated.

Many thanks,

Joe.

Remove Norton Stuff!

You say you have 9 gb left on a 56gb hard disk, you could add another
hard disk in (or out) the computer, and move data files on the new HD, by
data files I mean music, photos, movies, backups, CD images, etc... files
that take up lot of space but don't do nothing unless you actually use
them. That would leave "some space to breath" to Windows and it would run
faster.

HTH
Dominique

 

[Rock]

Our PC has suddenly become very slow on start-up and shut down. It's
taking around 10 minutes to do either. This started after I installed
the latest Windows updates (16.12.06 I think). I've tried uninstalling
them all but it didn't fix the problem.

Technical stuff:

- Windows XP Home with SP2
- 512Mb RAM
- 56Gb hard drive, with 9Gb free.
- Using Norton Anti-Virus and Zone Labs' Zone Alarm firewall (both
bundled with our broadband package)
Have done both a virus and a spyware scan (using Norton Anti-Virus) and
they reckon the system's clean.
- Wireless broadband connection.
- Do you need anything else that might help to diagnose the problem?

I'm not particularly au fait with computers so any help anybody can
offer would be hugely appreciated.

After removing the updates did you do a system restore to a date right
before the updates were applied? What happens if you boot into safe mode?
Does the same slowness appear? If not do some clean boot troubleshooting.

Clean Boot Troubleshooting

How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560

How to perform advanced clean-boot troubleshooting in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=316434

How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310353

 

[josephmorris1]

Thanks for the advice everybody. I did a system restore and things seem
to be back to normal.

Cheers,

Joe.

 

[Rock]

Thanks for the advice everybody. I did a system restore and things seem
to be back to normal.

Great, glad it's fixed for you.