Vista running REALLY slow after upgrading XP Pro

[Mikester71]

Hey guys. I am having a huge problem with my son's computer and trying
to get Windows Vista Premium Upgrade Edition working on it. He has a
Duo Core 3ghz machine with 1gb of RAM and 160gb hard drive that was
running Windows XP Pro Edition on it. It has a ATI X1950 Pro PCI-E
video card in it.

I tried to do the update last night and when Vista finally loads up,
it takes like 5 mins or more after clicking on or doing anything. When
I click the box to enter his password, it takes 3-5 minutes before it
lets me enter it. After I hit Enter, it takes 5 minutes or so to
logon. Then when you are finally in, if you click on Computer or the
clock or whatever, it always takes forever and a day to open it.

He did have a virus on his machine while it was running XP Pro and I
can't remember if he had the 64bit version or not (his Vista copy is
the 32bit one), but after trying it after doing the update and seeing
how slow it was, I reformatted the hard drive and did a clean install.
Same problem.

Is there any reason why Vista is doing this, besides the obvious it
sucks. I don't want Vista on my machine at all, but my son is a gamer
and wanted it for Halo 2 and that. Anything I can try to get it out of
this funk?

Thanks in advance,
Mike

 

[Guest]

Try opening system configuration. Then look for the startup tab, and remove
some items from the Start up.

 

[Mikester71]

Try opening system configuration. Then look for the startup tab, and remove
some items from the Start up.

I would if I could, but it doesn't let me do anything. Every time I
click on or open something, it seriously takes like 5-10 mins. to open
it. Right now, I just clicked on the Start circle and have been
waiting for 8mins for it to open up. The funny thing is his computer
ran beautifully with XP Pro on it, although the last few days he did
have a couple of viruses and trojans invade his system. But I did a
format and clean install with this and it is running like s**t.

 

[Jack]

Do you have the same problem after clean install (reformatting drive) ?
If that is true, then I it can be one of the below:
1.
You have hardware/software conflict.
From Control Panel click on System>Hardware>Device Manager and check for
any conflicts (exlamation or question marks)
2.
You do not have Vista legal version
Jack

 

[Guest]

Well I know that that is what helped me. My system was running extremely
slow, and I just waited until I could get to the startup menu. I just clicked
off a few programs that were running in the back ground and it worked great.
I guess you will just have to wait.

 

[Mikester71]

Do you have the same problem after clean install (reformatting drive) ?
If that is true, then I it can be one of the below:
1.
You have hardware/software conflict.
From Control Panel click on System>Hardware>Device Manager and check for
any conflicts (exlamation or question marks)
2.
You do not have Vista legal version
Jack

Could be conflict problem, but definitely not problem of legit
software. I just purchased it at a department store here still sealed
for $179. I will have to wait another 1-15 mins to be able to get into
Control Panel now.

Also, the clock and that toolbar that goes along the right hand side
of the desktop keeps flashing.

 

[Mikester71]

Well I know that that is what helped me. My system was running extremely
slow, and I just waited until I could get to the startup menu. I just clicked
off a few programs that were running in the back ground and it worked great.
I guess you will just have to wait.

Yeah, I'll give that a try when it lets me.

 

[Mikester71]

Oh yeah, I did the memory test on it last night with Vista and all
that checked out fine too. I also don't think it should be the power
supply unit or anything like that as I just put a newer 550watt one in
there a few months ago.

Another funny thing is that you can still move the mouse around when
it is in this "frozen" state, you just can't do anything. Sometimes
the cursor looks like it is busy and sometimes it looks like it is
just froze there, but you can still drag it around.

Thanks again guys. I really do appreciate all the input you are
throwing out to me here. My son is heart broken as it was his birthday
yesterday and this is what he wanted so that he could play Halo 2 and
all that. He is just sitting there holding his Halo 2 box waiting
patiently to be able to play it.

Mike

 

[Jack]

definitely hardware/software problem.
You may also try to start in Safe mode (F8) and then check Device Manager.
Most likely it could be the video card driver or some peripheral device
connected to the computer (usb external hard drive?)
Jack

 

[Mikester71]

Ok everyone. I finally got into the Device Manager anyway and it is
showing a Video Controller conflict and a Standard VGA Graphics
Adapter conflict. Like I said before, he has an ATI X1950 Pro in there
and I am going to try and update the drivers for it right now.

 

[Mikester71]

definitely hardware/software problem.
You may also try to start in Safe mode (F8) and then check Device Manager.
Most likely it could be the video card driver or some peripheral device
connected to the computer (usb external hard drive?)
Jack

Don't have anything hooked up to it at the moment, so it has to be
internal device conflict. I just have a mouse, keyboard, and the
monitor hooked up to it.

 

[Mikester71]

Well guys, i just did a total reinstall and am getting the same
problems. I thought that because of the viruses and all the crap he
had within his XP partition, I was probably better off starting from
the beginning. So I reinstalled Windows XP first after formatting the
C drive and then went right into an upgrade of Vista as soon as XP was
up and running (didn't do any of the updates or anything though for
XP). Now I just got done the Vista upgrade and everything looked like
it was going perfect until it restarted and got to the user login
screen again. I went to enter his password and it took forever and a
day (or 5-10 minutes) before it goes to the next screen. Now it is
hung up on the "Preparing your desktop" screen for the last 25 mins.

I know you guys gave me all those suggestions earlier, and I am going
to have to try them again here when I can get in, but this is really
frustrating (especially for my son). He has been waiting since last
night to take his new birthday gifts out for a test drive and it feels
like the car isn't even going to make it out to the track.

Thanks again and keep any other suggestions you my have coming,
Mike

 

[Jack]

Why don't you mention how you solved the video driver problem (if you did).

 

[Jack]

One thing more.
Restart computer, hit F8, select 'VGA mode..' or something like that and
proceed.
In Windows check Device Manager again.
Jack

 

[Mikester71]

Why don't you mention how you solved the video driver problem (if you did).

I don't think I really did to tell you the truth. I went into Safe
Mode, like you said, and tried to install the Vista drivers that I had
downloaded on to a 1gb thumb drive for his X1950 Pro PCI-E card and it
said something about not being able to do so in Safe Mode. So when I
went back into Normal Mode, the exclamation point was gone from the
Standard VGA Graphics Adapter. But it was still there for the Video
Controller one. And of course everything was still runny sluggish.
That was when I decided to completely reformat and start right from
scratch with reloading XP and Vista.

 

[Mikester71]

One thing more.
Restart computer, hit F8, select 'VGA mode..' or something like that and
proceed.
In Windows check Device Manager again.
Jack

When I do this, I don't see any VGA mode. And when I enter Safe Mode,
which I just did, it still ends up hanging for 5-10 minutes whatever
you do.

 

[Jack]

Have you tried installing your new video driver in not Safe mode then?
If you have video out built-in motherboard, you can try to connect your
monitor to it and change display option in BIOS (restart computer and click
DELETE or F1 or ESC (depending on computer) ).
If Vista will be normal then you will have a proof that your video card is a
culprit.
Jack

 

[Jack]

"Low resolution video" is what you want.

When I do this, I don't see any VGA mode. And when I enter Safe Mode,
which I just did, it still ends up hanging for 5-10 minutes whatever
you do.

 

[...winston]

Did it ever finish 'preparing your desktop' or did you shut it down prior to setup completion.

..winston

: Well guys, i just did a total reinstall and am getting the same
: problems. I thought that because of the viruses and all the crap he
: had within his XP partition, I was probably better off starting from
: the beginning. So I reinstalled Windows XP first after formatting the
: C drive and then went right into an upgrade of Vista as soon as XP was
: up and running (didn't do any of the updates or anything though for
: XP). Now I just got done the Vista upgrade and everything looked like
: it was going perfect until it restarted and got to the user login
: screen again. I went to enter his password and it took forever and a
: day (or 5-10 minutes) before it goes to the next screen. Now it is
: hung up on the "Preparing your desktop" screen for the last 25 mins.
:
: I know you guys gave me all those suggestions earlier, and I am going
: to have to try them again here when I can get in, but this is really
: frustrating (especially for my son). He has been waiting since last
: night to take his new birthday gifts out for a test drive and it feels
: like the car isn't even going to make it out to the track.
:
: Thanks again and keep any other suggestions you my have coming,
: Mike
:

 

[DP]

He did have a virus on his machine while it was running XP Pro and I
can't remember if he had the 64bit version or not (his Vista copy is
the 32bit one), but after trying it after doing the update and seeing
how slow it was, I reformatted the hard drive and did a clean install.

I don't think you can upgrade from XP x64 to Vista 32-bit; would have to be
clean install. I realize this has nothing to do with your problem, but just
thought I'd point that out.