Windows XP Pro system has slowed to a crawl...

[husky86]

I've presently exhausted all ideas about tackling this ongoing situation, so
I thought I would turn to this forum to see if anyone has any ideas. Here's
the problem:

In my wife's office at work she is using a Dell OptiPlex 8200 system
(Pentium 4, 1 GB RAM, Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 3), 80 GB hard
drive (60% full)). During the past couple of months, her system has
experienced a TREMENDOUS slowdown. The best way to describe it is that it's
like trying to move through "molasses in January".... it just takes forever
to accomplish anything like loading applications, installing or uninstalling
programs, completing tasks within applications, etc.

Here are the steps that I've taken to address this problem:

1. Ran a complete spyware check with full version of Spyware Doctor.
(Nothing found.)
2. Ran a complete virus and rootkit check with PC Tools ThreatFire. (Nothing
found.)
3. Defragmented the hard drive.
4. Ran latest version of CCleaner to clean up underlying System and Registry
processes. (This process found a number of things to clean up, including with
the Registry, but the overall speed was not improved... at all!)
5. Made sure that Windows XP Professional has all the latest updates. (Did
this prior to installing Service Pack 3, not the other way around.)
6. Installed Mike Lin's Startup Control Panel. Turned off all unnecessary
processes associated with startup.

Presently we are running Spyware Doctor (all the time). Turning Spyware
Doctor off (disabling) doesn't make any difference.

We are also running ThreatFire. Like with Spyware Doctor, disabling
ThreatFire doesn't make any difference either.

My wife is connected to a small network with 2 other desktop computers
through a Linksys router (the other 2 computers are also Dell OptiPlex 8200
systems, identical to hers as far as the configuration noted above). The
other 2 computers in the office are not experiencing any problems whatsoever
with speed slowdowns. We have played around with the settings associated with
the network, e.g. sharing certain folders, etc., but changing the settings
doesn't seem to make any difference with regard to overall speed. We don't
think that it is a network problem.

If anyone has any ideas as to how we might approach this problem, please
pass them along. Much appreciated!

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was 9/3/2008 7:55 PM, and on a whim, husky86 pounded
out on the keyboard:

I've presently exhausted all ideas about tackling this ongoing situation, so
I thought I would turn to this forum to see if anyone has any ideas. Here's
the problem:

In my wife's office at work she is using a Dell OptiPlex 8200 system
(Pentium 4, 1 GB RAM, Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 3), 80 GB hard
drive (60% full)). During the past couple of months, her system has
experienced a TREMENDOUS slowdown. The best way to describe it is that it's
like trying to move through "molasses in January".... it just takes forever
to accomplish anything like loading applications, installing or uninstalling
programs, completing tasks within applications, etc.

Here are the steps that I've taken to address this problem:

1. Ran a complete spyware check with full version of Spyware Doctor.
(Nothing found.)
2. Ran a complete virus and rootkit check with PC Tools ThreatFire. (Nothing
found.)
3. Defragmented the hard drive.
4. Ran latest version of CCleaner to clean up underlying System and Registry
processes. (This process found a number of things to clean up, including with
the Registry, but the overall speed was not improved... at all!)
5. Made sure that Windows XP Professional has all the latest updates. (Did
this prior to installing Service Pack 3, not the other way around.)
6. Installed Mike Lin's Startup Control Panel. Turned off all unnecessary
processes associated with startup.

Presently we are running Spyware Doctor (all the time). Turning Spyware
Doctor off (disabling) doesn't make any difference.

We are also running ThreatFire. Like with Spyware Doctor, disabling
ThreatFire doesn't make any difference either.

My wife is connected to a small network with 2 other desktop computers
through a Linksys router (the other 2 computers are also Dell OptiPlex 8200
systems, identical to hers as far as the configuration noted above). The
other 2 computers in the office are not experiencing any problems whatsoever
with speed slowdowns. We have played around with the settings associated with
the network, e.g. sharing certain folders, etc., but changing the settings
doesn't seem to make any difference with regard to overall speed. We don't
think that it is a network problem.

If anyone has any ideas as to how we might approach this problem, please
pass them along. Much appreciated!

What processes are running all the time? SWD takes a huge resource hit.
I can't believe disabling doesn't make "any" difference. I'm not
familiar with TF so I can't comment on it. Were any drivers updated
recently? It's not unusual to have buggy drivers.

On one network I admin, we've been going through and replacing slow
5,400 rpm drives with 7,200 rpm on laptops and workstations and
reinstalling XP slipstreamed with SP3 and all apps. It's been making a
huge difference to the users.

I would try to identify everything running in the background. I would
disconnect from the network and test how it runs standalone. Does it
work considerably faster in Safe Mode?

Report back,

--
Terry R.

***Reply Note***
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

 

[JS]

You could check to see if there is specific system process
or an application running in the background that's taking all
(there are lot of sub-processes tied to the 'System' process)
the CPU resources and slowing down your PC.

To do this try Process Explorer:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/SystemInformation/ProcessExplorer.mspx

Once you have Process Explorer installed and running:
In the taskbar select View and check 'Show Process Tree' and 'Show Lower
Pane' options.
(This will provide some of the detailed info you need)

Next click on the CPU column to sort processes by %CPU usage.
Then click on and expand the 'System' or 'Explorer' process to expand
and identify if there is specific sub-process that's using most or all
the resources. Do all this without starting any other user applications.

Then start an application that is as you said "molasses in January"....

Watch process explorer for anything that rises to the top of
the %CPU usage list, you should also see a spike in the CPU graph
which is located near the top of the Process Explorer window.

Next click on the sub-process or process listed under the
System Process that's using most or all the CPU %.
(Note that at least one of these processes will be associated with the
application you started, look for any other process or processes that
are out of the norm or not associated with the application but is still
taking a significant percentage of the CPU)

Once the process or sub-process is highlighted,
right click and from the options listed select: Search Online.
This should display what out there on the web about that process.

Note: some entries like Explorer, System process (as explained above)
and svchost entries may need to be expanded to show the full detailed list
of all sub processes, in this case click on the + located to the left of the
entry.

JS
www.pagestart.com

 

[Daave]

I've presently exhausted all ideas about tackling this ongoing
situation, so
I thought I would turn to this forum to see if anyone has any ideas.
Here's
the problem:

In my wife's office at work she is using a Dell OptiPlex 8200 system
(Pentium 4, 1 GB RAM, Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 3), 80 GB
hard
drive (60% full)). During the past couple of months, her system has
experienced a TREMENDOUS slowdown. The best way to describe it is that
it's
like trying to move through "molasses in January".... it just takes
forever
to accomplish anything like loading applications, installing or
uninstalling
programs, completing tasks within applications, etc.

Here are the steps that I've taken to address this problem:

1. Ran a complete spyware check with full version of Spyware Doctor.
(Nothing found.)
2. Ran a complete virus and rootkit check with PC Tools ThreatFire.
(Nothing
found.)
3. Defragmented the hard drive.
4. Ran latest version of CCleaner to clean up underlying System and
Registry
processes. (This process found a number of things to clean up,
including with
the Registry, but the overall speed was not improved... at all!)
5. Made sure that Windows XP Professional has all the latest updates.
(Did
this prior to installing Service Pack 3, not the other way around.)
6. Installed Mike Lin's Startup Control Panel. Turned off all
unnecessary
processes associated with startup.

Presently we are running Spyware Doctor (all the time). Turning
Spyware
Doctor off (disabling) doesn't make any difference.

We are also running ThreatFire. Like with Spyware Doctor, disabling
ThreatFire doesn't make any difference either.

My wife is connected to a small network with 2 other desktop computers
through a Linksys router (the other 2 computers are also Dell OptiPlex
8200
systems, identical to hers as far as the configuration noted above).
The
other 2 computers in the office are not experiencing any problems
whatsoever
with speed slowdowns. We have played around with the settings
associated with
the network, e.g. sharing certain folders, etc., but changing the
settings
doesn't seem to make any difference with regard to overall speed. We
don't
think that it is a network problem.

If anyone has any ideas as to how we might approach this problem,
please
pass them along. Much appreciated!

Here are the most common causes for PC slowness:

1. Malicious software (malware)

I didn't see any evidence of an antivirus program in your description.
Viruses, worms, etc. need to be ruled out.

2. Certain programs that are designed to combat malware (e.g., Norton,
McAfee, and perhaps Spyware Doctor). 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

You stated there is 1 GB of RAM. Normally, that's plenty, but we need to
determine actual usage and needs.

5. You might also want to check that your wife's 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/

Finally, you might want to clean boot using these instructions:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353

How is performance under a clean boot? If it is still poor, there might
be a hardware issue. Also, have you checked Event Viewer yet?

If a clean boot results in improved performance, you may use process of
elimination to see what is mucking things up. Process Explorer
(mentioned by JS) can be a very useful tool, too.

 

[husky86]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm not back at the office (her office) for a few
days but will report back when I've tried these suggestions.

Much appreciated!

 

[husky86]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm not back at the office (her office) for a few
days but will report back when I've tried these suggestions.

Much appreciated!

 

[husky86]

Daave,

Many thanks for this info!

For information purposes, we are running a combination of ThreatFire
(spyware and antivirus (PC Tools)) along with Spyware Doctor.

Having these engaged or disengaged doesn't seem to make a difference with
regard to the slowness of the machine.

I will be checking into a lot of what you mentioned the next time I'm over
at her office. I will make sure to get back in touch.

Thanks again!

 

[FClifton]

I was having a similar problem, highlighted by deleting a desktop shortcut
taking like 20 seconds! Searching on the web led me to a discussion about
cleaning the Recycle Bin. The discussion said that a Recycle Bin with a lot
of files could slow things down. So I emptied the Recycle Bin, and when I
did I had a couple of files that wouldn't empty. I ran Chkdsk with options
checked so that it ran at boot time. Chkdsk found some errors and fixed
them, and then I could completely empty the Recycle Bin. Since that time the
slowdown has been eliminated!

 

[husky86]

Thanks for this!

Just wanted to quickly point out one thing I forgot to mention in my initial
post: we also ran Microsoft's Malicious Software removal tool (not sure if
that is the official title or not, but something close to this). This didn't
have an effect upon the computer's speed either.

But I will definitely review the article you have noted an employ its
recommendations.

 

[husky86]

Very interesting!

I'm going to contact my wife tomorrow at work and lead her step-by-step
through this process. It's something I'm excited about trying first and
foremost.

Will report back.

Many thanks!

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

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

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

Run a /thorough/ check for hijackware, including posting your hijackthis log
to an appropriate forum.

Checking for/Help with Hijackware
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=5878
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Introduction
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/data/prevention.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/tshoot.html
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
http://defendingyourmachine2.blogspot.com/
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

When all else fails, HijackThis v2.0.2
(http://aumha.org/downloads/hijackthis.exe) is the preferred tool to use (in
conjuction with some other utilities). HijackThis will NOT fix anything on
its own, but it will help you to both identify and remove any
hijackware/spyware with assistance from an expert. **Post your log to
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30,
http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22,
http://castlecops.com/forum67.html, or other appropriate forums for review
by an expert in such matters, not here.**

If the procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting this
isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and
independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA or Geek Squad) computer repair shop.

 

[husky86]

Was able to run CHKDSK and check the trash today -- trash being almost empty
initially and CHKDSK didn't find any errors.

But definitely a good thought!

 

[husky86]

Went through the "Help! My Computer Is Slow!" document very carefully.
Followed every step (if I hadn't taken no steps already). But still no
improvement.

I'm going to be further investigating the idea that there may be programs on
the hard drive that are unknown (as per
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315). Will get back to you on this.

many thanks!

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

You're welcome. You may as well skip straight to...

 

[jbarnes]

Yes you need to identify anything that is running including services. Some
viruses setup services this will slow your pc way down. If it were a network
problem it would most likely affect all pcs hooked to that network.

 

[husky86]

Sorry that it has taken me so long to report on this situation, but I did
have the opportunity to analyze the entire situation once again at my wife's
office today. Here is a brief report:

Everything still runs INCREDIBLY SLOW -- no change in the launching and/or
running of programs, for instance -- when operating in Safe Mode (without
networking). There is absolutely no change whatsoever in the speed of this
system when operating in Safe Mode. (Molasses in January!)

I'm assuming that this points more towards a hardware problem rather than a
software problem...?

In running Process Explorer, I could not find more than a couple of
processes that were unnecessary/unidentified. After stopping these processes
there was no change in overall performance. None whatsoever. (But then again,
considering the system operates the same in Safe Mode, this is no big
surprise.)

Quitting both Spyware Doctor and ThreatFire did not change the performance
of the system at all.

Bottom line: nothing seems to improve the speed/performance of this system.

There was only one process, by the way, that I couldn't identify (going to
www.processlibrary.com or searching on Google): lap.exe -- does anyone happen
to know what this is all about? Some sites are reporting it as potential
spyware, other sites reported as a virus, still other sites say it's not
harmful and part of the system software. The listed manufacturer -- through
Process Explorer -- is Dell Computer.

When this process was taken out of the equation -- manually stopping the
process in Process Explorer -- nothing changed with the performance of the
system, by the way.

Thanks again!

 

[Daave]

There was only one process, by the way, that I couldn't identify
(going to
www.processlibrary.com or searching on Google): lap.exe -- does anyone
happen
to know what this is all about? Some sites are reporting it as
potential
spyware, other sites reported as a virus, still other sites say it's
not
harmful and part of the system software. The listed manufacturer --
through
Process Explorer -- is Dell Computer.

Look here:
http://www.threatexpert.com/files/lap.exe.html

You need to attack this more aggressively! Please visit:

http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html

 

[Plato]

Everything still runs INCREDIBLY SLOW -- no change in the launching and/or

Delete all windows temp/tmp files. Delete all temporary internet cache
files. Uninstall any programs you no longer use. Empty the recycle bin.
Do a degfrag.