troubleshooting a slow PC

[jay lunis]

Win XP SR2
Recently I have seeing signs of a slowing PC.
1) When I open Explorer and Select 'My Computer,' I get a search light
for 5-10 seconds until it finds my drives.
2) When I open Internet Explorer, I have to wait 30-45 seconds for it to
open as opposed to ~5 seconds a few weeks ago. Actually, opening any app
takes significantly longer.
3) MS Outlook - moving ahead one week takes 3-5 seconds as opposed to
instantly a few weeks ago.
No errors in Device Manager
No error messages in Event Viewer
FWIW, once I have Explorer open with drives listed in the left pane,
selecting a folder in the right pane results in a command-prompt-like
box appearing for 1-2 seconds and dissappearing. Not all the time but
every once in a while. I can open the same folder in the left pane by
expanding a folder and selecting the subfolder.
How do I troubleshhot this behavior?

 

[smlunatick]

Win XP SR2
Recently I have seeing signs of a slowing PC.
1) When I open Explorer and Select 'My Computer,' I get a search light
for 5-10 seconds until it finds my drives.
2) When I open Internet Explorer, I have to wait 30-45 seconds for it to
open as opposed to ~5 seconds a few weeks ago. Actually, opening any app
takes significantly longer.
3) MS Outlook - moving ahead one week takes 3-5 seconds as opposed to
instantly a few weeks ago.
No errors in Device Manager
No error messages in Event Viewer
FWIW, once I have Explorer open with drives listed in the left pane,
selecting a folder in the right pane results in a command-prompt-like
box appearing for 1-2 seconds and dissappearing. Not all the time but
every once in a while. I can open the same folder in the left pane by
expanding a folder and selecting the subfolder.
How do I troubleshhot this behavior?

Check for viruses with anti-virus utilities.

Check for spyware / malware software with utilities like:

AD Aware 2007
Spybot: Search and Destroy
Spyware Terminator

For Outlook (and OutLook Express) never leave email messages in
Inbox. Always file them in different folder(s) outside of the Inbox
folder.

Check for hard drive errors with CHKDSK.

 

[jay lunis]

Check for viruses with anti-virus utilities.

Check for spyware / malware software with utilities like:

AD Aware 2007
Spybot: Search and Destroy
Spyware Terminator

For Outlook (and OutLook Express) never leave email messages in
Inbox. Always file them in different folder(s) outside of the Inbox
folder.

Check for hard drive errors with CHKDSK.

Thanks.
Already ran AdAware, Spybot, PestPatrol - I'm clean.
Thanks for the tip on Outlook.
CHKDSK - ran that. No parameters, just 'CHKDSK. No errors.

 

[oztrailrider]

Win XP SR2
Recently I have seeing signs of a slowing PC.
1) When I open Explorer and Select 'My Computer,' I get a search light
for 5-10 seconds until it finds my drives.
2) When I open Internet Explorer, I have to wait 30-45 seconds for it to
open as opposed to ~5 seconds a few weeks ago. Actually, opening any app
takes significantly longer.
3) MS Outlook - moving ahead one week takes 3-5 seconds as opposed to
instantly a few weeks ago.
No errors in Device Manager
No error messages in Event Viewer
FWIW, once I have Explorer open with drives listed in the left pane,
selecting a folder in the right pane results in a command-prompt-like
box appearing for 1-2 seconds and dissappearing. Not all the time but
every once in a while. I can open the same folder in the left pane by
expanding a folder and selecting the subfolder.
How do I troubleshhot this behavior?

Take a look at this page:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/optimize.mspx. Try running
through the steps listed there and see how you go. Hopfully it is just
something simple. Make sure you don't have too many programs running
down in the notification area on the right hand side of the taskbar
also.

 

[Gerry]

Jay

Try running HD Tune(freeware).

Download and run it and see what it turns up.
http://www.hdtune.com/

Select the Info tabs and place the cursor on the drive under Drive
letter and then double click the two page icon ( copy to Clipboard )
and copy into a further message.

Select the Health tab and then double click the two page icon ( copy
to Clipboard ) and copy into a further message. Also do a full surface
scan with HD Tune.



--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~