Performance slow

[2Sweet]

Users feedback that workstations (Windows XP SP3) are processing very slow.
The hardware specifications of the workstations are Pentium 4, Dual-core &
Quad-core with 2GB RAM.

I am puzzle! What could be the caused? How to diagnoise this type of issue?

Thank.

 

[Daave]

Users feedback that workstations (Windows XP SP3) are processing very
slow. The hardware specifications of the workstations are Pentium 4,
Dual-core & Quad-core with 2GB RAM.

I am puzzle! What could be the caused? How to diagnoise this type of
issue?

How many users? When did this happen? Was it all of a sudden? (If so, it
might be the result of a recent update.)

Here are the typical causes of sluggishness:

1. Malicious software (malware). You need to rule this out first! This
page has excellent information:

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Viruses_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. Fortunately, there are other antimalware programs
available that use far fewer resources (e.g., NOD32, Avast, and Avira).

3. Too many of certain types of programs always running in the
background -- with or without your knowledge. (Then again, many programs
that run in the background have trivial consequences.)

To determine every program and process you are currently running, use
the Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del) and click the Processes tab. You should
be able to sort by CPU usage or Memory usage to get a good ideas which
ones are the resource/memory hogs. You should write down the names of
all the processes for future detective work (or take a snapshot and
print it out).

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

But before you do this, you should use the preference settings of the
program in question. Otherwise, for some programs, they will return to
the startup list anyway!

If you do wish to use msconfig, it may be accessed this way:

Start | Run | type "msconfig" (without the quotation marks) | Enter (or
OK)

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.
In case you want to explore this further, you may run 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/

 

[Malke]

Users feedback that workstations (Windows XP SP3) are processing very
slow. The hardware specifications of the workstations are Pentium 4,
Dual-core & Quad-core with 2GB RAM.

I am puzzle! What could be the caused? How to diagnoise this type of
issue?

Some reasons for computer slowness:

1. Computer hasn't been maintained -
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Maintenance

2. Computer is infected with malware -
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

3. Hard drive is too full. Remove unnecessary stuff, uninstall unused
programs. Don't forget to back up!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Backing_Up

4. Flaky third-party software. Toolbars and add-ons are particular culprits
in this area. Uninstall toolbars (Google, Yahoo, ISP-branded, etc.) and look
carefully at what add-ons are in use in your browser(s).

5. Computer has too many unnecessary programs/processes running in the
background. Manage your Startup:

For XP - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560
The free Autoruns program is very useful for managing your Startup -
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/default.mspx

For Vista - Start Orb>Search box>type: msconfig and when it appears in the
Results box above, right-click and choose "Run as Administrator". Autoruns
is also very useful in Vista.

6. User is running a bloated/invasive antivirus program such as ones from
Norton and McAfee. Replace with a better program. I recommend either NOD32
(commercial) or Avast (free). Avira is also good but the free version has an
unpleasant nag screen (Google for instructions as to how to disable this).
User may also be running more than one real-time antivirus/firewall/security
program.

7. User has installed new programs that are processor and/or memory-
intensive (Photoshop, AutoCAD, Mathmatica or the like) and doesn't have the
necessary hardware power.

8. Hard drive is failing and is in PIO Mode. This is very dramatically slow
(like being back in 1985). See Hans-Georg Michna's information here:
http://winhlp.com/?q=node/10

In addition to the above, also see
http://miekiemoes.blogspot.com/2008/02/help-my-computer-is-slow.html

Malke

 

[2Sweet]

According to users, problem happened since the first day.

Be more precise...
Workstations are installed with MS Office 2003, Autodesk s/w, Adobe CS2,
Symantec Endpoint Protection, Deep Freeze, Power Save, AntiExec etc.

Workstations C drive are protected by Deep Freeze. Users can do anything to
C drive but after restarted the machine, all changes made will revert to
original.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Help! My computer is slow!
http://miekiemoes.blogspot.com/2008/02/help-my-computer-is-slow.html

 

[Daave]

According to users, problem happened since the first day.

Be more precise...
Workstations are installed with MS Office 2003, Autodesk s/w, Adobe
CS2, Symantec Endpoint Protection, Deep Freeze, Power Save, AntiExec
etc.

Perhaps Symantec Endpoint Protection (the way it is currently
configured) is using too many resources, perhaps causing conflicts.

Have a look at Malke's post, too.

 

[2Sweet]

I did uninstalled the SEP and doesn't really increase the performance speed!
I noticed that even i run only one Autodesk (3ds Max, Maya, rendering etc)
application, the "CPU Usage" is pretty high.

I think the problem was caused by the Autodesk s/w and rendering process
which took up the CPU usage.

 

[2Sweet]

How about using Sophos Antivirus s/w?

Some reasons for computer slowness:

1. Computer hasn't been maintained -
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Maintenance

2. Computer is infected with malware -
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

3. Hard drive is too full. Remove unnecessary stuff, uninstall unused
programs. Don't forget to back up!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Backing_Up

4. Flaky third-party software. Toolbars and add-ons are particular
culprits
in this area. Uninstall toolbars (Google, Yahoo, ISP-branded, etc.) and
look
carefully at what add-ons are in use in your browser(s).

5. Computer has too many unnecessary programs/processes running in the
background. Manage your Startup:

For XP - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560
The free Autoruns program is very useful for managing your Startup -
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/default.mspx

For Vista - Start Orb>Search box>type: msconfig and when it appears in the
Results box above, right-click and choose "Run as Administrator". Autoruns
is also very useful in Vista.

6. User is running a bloated/invasive antivirus program such as ones from
Norton and McAfee. Replace with a better program. I recommend either NOD32
(commercial) or Avast (free). Avira is also good but the free version has
an
unpleasant nag screen (Google for instructions as to how to disable this).
User may also be running more than one real-time
antivirus/firewall/security
program.

7. User has installed new programs that are processor and/or memory-
intensive (Photoshop, AutoCAD, Mathmatica or the like) and doesn't have
the
necessary hardware power.

8. Hard drive is failing and is in PIO Mode. This is very dramatically
slow
(like being back in 1985). See Hans-Georg Michna's information here:
http://winhlp.com/?q=node/10

In addition to the above, also see
http://miekiemoes.blogspot.com/2008/02/help-my-computer-is-slow.html

Malke