WinXP SP2 very, very slow??

[Robert Macy]

When I boot up WinXP it takes a 'normal' time to get the desk top laid
out, and all in place, but then can't do anything for almost 5 minutes
until the START menu icon activates. Little hour glass until then.

Possibly related, when IE6 logs onto the dial up server, there is a
normal sequence of dial, handshake, identify, connect, and
then...about 5 minutes longer before the welcome screen comes up [no
activity or bytes going back and forth, just hour glass and waiting
for ??]

I think WinXP has some sequence of applications running that dominates
here, but I have no idea how to proceed.

What step by steps should I do to find out what's hogging, or
delaying, this system?

Robert

 

[Daave]

When I boot up WinXP it takes a 'normal' time to get the desk top laid
out, and all in place, but then can't do anything for almost 5 minutes
until the START menu icon activates. Little hour glass until then.

Possibly related, when IE6 logs onto the dial up server, there is a
normal sequence of dial, handshake, identify, connect, and
then...about 5 minutes longer before the welcome screen comes up [no
activity or bytes going back and forth, just hour glass and waiting
for ??]

I think WinXP has some sequence of applications running that dominates
here, but I have no idea how to proceed.

What step by steps should I do to find out what's hogging, or
delaying, this system?

Which antivirus program do you use, and do you have it configured to
scan your hard drive each time you boot up? Also, how is it configured
to download the latest virus definitions?

 

[Gerry]

Robert

"I think WinXP has some sequence of applications running that dominates
here, but I have no idea how to proceed" . Often anti-virus software
will update definitions and carry out a full scan on the system getting
to the desktop. The solution is to let this happen and do something else
not computer related, or see if you can schedule the scan for a
diiferent time when you do not want to use your computer.

What are your anti-virus and anti-spyware arrangements. Norton and
McAfee are well known for causing the type of problem you have
mentioned. However, most anti-virus software will cause this type of
problem to some degree.

You might also check Event Viewer for Warnings and Error Reports.

If you post copies of Error and Warning Reports appearing in
the System and Application logs in Event Viewer for the last boot. No
Information Reports or Duplicates please. Indicate which also appear in
a previous boot.

You can access Event Viewer by selecting Start, Control Panel,
Administrative Tools, and Event Viewer.

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event
Viewer.Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from
Event Viewer.


--



Hope this helps.

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

 

[GlowingBlueMist]

When I boot up WinXP it takes a 'normal' time to get the desk top laid
out, and all in place, but then can't do anything for almost 5 minutes
until the START menu icon activates. Little hour glass until then.

Possibly related, when IE6 logs onto the dial up server, there is a
normal sequence of dial, handshake, identify, connect, and
then...about 5 minutes longer before the welcome screen comes up [no
activity or bytes going back and forth, just hour glass and waiting
for ??]

I think WinXP has some sequence of applications running that dominates
here, but I have no idea how to proceed.

What step by steps should I do to find out what's hogging, or
delaying, this system?

Robert

At this point almost anything could be causing problems, including hardware.

A few simple things one might try is to;

1. Examine the system logs and see if errors are showing up there, if so it
may indicate what program is having problems.

2. Open the Windows Task Manager and see what processes are running and the
amount of processing power they are using.

3. Run a couple of anti-Virus and Spyware programs, not a the same time, as
what one might find another might ignore.

4. Try running the msconfig program from start/run and check what is in the
Startup tab.

5. Try booting up in the Windows SAFE mode and see if the same delay is
occurring.

 

[Kayman]

When I boot up WinXP it takes a 'normal' time to get the desk top laid
out, and all in place, but then can't do anything for almost 5 minutes
until the START menu icon activates. Little hour glass until then.

Possibly related, when IE6 logs onto the dial up server, there is a
normal sequence of dial, handshake, identify, connect, and
then...about 5 minutes longer before the welcome screen comes up [no
activity or bytes going back and forth, just hour glass and waiting
for ??]

I think WinXP has some sequence of applications running that dominates
here, but I have no idea how to proceed.

What step by steps should I do to find out what's hogging, or
delaying, this system?

This may help:
http://miekiemoes.blogspot.com/2008/02/help-my-computer-is-slow.html

 

[JF]

*Bonjour Robert Macy * !

When I boot up WinXP it takes a 'normal' time to get the desk top laid
out, and all in place, but then can't do anything for almost 5 minutes
until the START menu icon activates. Little hour glass until then.

Your pointer changes to an hourglass when you hold
it over the taskbar for a few minutes after starting
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/841571/en

See also :
http://winhlp.com/node/16
More radical: stop UPnP services
http://winhlp.com/node/16#The_most_successful_workarounds

 

[Gerry]

Robert

Download Process Explorer.

For further information about Process Explorer see here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/SystemInformation/ProcessExplorer.mspx

It would be helpful if you could post the Command Line of the svchost
process generating the excessive CPU usage. In Process Explorer place
cursor on Process and select Properties, Image.


--



Hope this helps.

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

 

[Robert Macy]

Robert

Download Process Explorer.

For further information about Process Explorer see here:http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/SystemInformation/Proce...

It would be helpful if you could post the Command Line of the svchost
process generating the excessive CPU usage. In Process Explorer place
cursor on Process and select Properties, Image.

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

...snip...

Gerry,

Thank you. It will take me a bit of time before I can get this
done.

Gary Terhune gave this as one of his suggestions:

" 3. Set up a Clean Boot by running MSCONFIG, choosing Selective
Startup, then
uncheck the Load Startup Items, then go to the Services tab, put a
check in
"Hide all Microsoft Services", then click Disable All. Click OK,
reboot when
prompted, check to make sure that your antivirus didn't automatically
restart itself (Avast will do that), then test at Microsoft.com. If
you're
sure it's working OK, now, then run MSINFO32, look under Software,
then
Startup Programs, click anywhere in the right-hand pane, press Ctrl-A,
then
Ctrl-C, then use Ctrl-V to Paste the info into a reply. Stop any
further
testing of suggestions and reestablish a Normal boot in MSCONFIG. "

Which I tried last night. Well after doing the boot that way, the
machine would not connect so couldn't thoroughly test at
Microsoft.com. But did try running MSINFO32 and software very
interesting list of items there, but don't know what they meant. When
I tried to go back and set up normal boot, WinXP would NOT let me.
Instead, it would hour-glass and then nothing. tried over and over.
even had trouble getting WinXP to shut down, so I had to do a 'forced'
reboot [ctrl-alt-del, select shutdown] to return to normal, took a bit
of finagling but finally got back. Again, as long as I do that three
step protocol, the system works.

So, I'll download that program, find out what is asking svchost.exe to
go out and take so long, and get back.

Do you think this is related to the IPv6 Helper hanging during boot
up?

Robert

 

[Robert Macy]

Gerry,

Thank you for this URL.

I ran Process Explorer after setting the WinXP up to operate
'properly'

I got the following list describing the four:
svchost.exe -k DcomLaunch
svchost.exe -k rpcss
svchost.exe -k netsvcs
svchost.exe -k Local Service

the third one had a very long list of attributes as the cursor went
over the top of it.

Any look out of place?

Or, try again and let the offending one operate, then look at it?

Robert

 

[Gerry]

Robert

"I got the following list describing the four:

svchost.exe -k DcomLaunch
svchost.exe -k rpcss
svchost.exe -k netsvcs
svchost.exe -k Local Service"

Which is hogging the CPU?

--



Hope this helps.

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

 

[Robert Macy]

Robert

"I got the following list describing the four:


Which is hogging the CPU?

--

Hope  this helps.

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

Uh, none when the machine finally is able to look at them.

 

[JF]

*Bonjour Robert Macy * !

When I boot up WinXP it takes a 'normal' time to get the desk top laid
out, and all in place, but then can't do anything for almost 5 minutes
until the START menu icon activates. Little hour glass until then.

Possibly related, when IE6 logs onto the dial up server, there is a
normal sequence of dial, handshake, identify, connect, and
then...about 5 minutes longer before the welcome screen comes up [no
activity or bytes going back and forth, just hour glass and waiting
for ??]

I think WinXP has some sequence of applications running that dominates
here, but I have no idea how to proceed.

What step by steps should I do to find out what's hogging, or
delaying, this system?

Robert

Read the workaround at the end of this KB

IDE ATA and ATAPI disks use PIO mode
after multiple time-out or CRC errors occur
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/817472/en

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

NB Lurkers: Please read the rest of the story...

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...er.general/browse_frm/thread/a9e6c7309e768ac2
&ff (where Robert tells us that the machine is "totally isolated from the
net" and does not have an anti-virus application installed)

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...er.general/browse_frm/thread/8fb29727fa4db1f5
&ff

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...discussion/browse_frm/thread/7925b820b396a453
&ff (Yes, Win98 General!)

 

[Robert Macy]

NB Lurkers: Please read the rest of the story...

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.internetexplorer.gene...
&ff (where Robert tells us that the machine is "totally isolated from the
net" and does not have an anti-virus application installed)

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.internetexplorer.gene...
&ff

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion/...
&ff  (Yes, Win98 General!)
--
~PA Bear

When I boot up WinXP it takes a 'normal' time to get the desk top laid
out, and all in place, but then can't do anything for almost 5 minutes
until the START menu icon activates.  Little hour glass until then.

Possibly related, when IE6 logs onto the dial up server, there is a
normal sequence of dial, handshake, identify, connect, and
then...about 5 minutes longer before the welcome screen comes up [no
activity or bytes going back and forth, just hour glass and waiting
for ??]

I think WinXP has some sequence of applications running that dominates
here, but I have no idea how to proceed.

What step by steps should I do to find out what's hogging, or
delaying, this system?

Robert- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

As explanation of sequence:

The problem was most obvious when I went to use Internet Explorer, so
I went to the Internet Explorer Group, and as you see got no help
passed the point of receiving a tirade on antiviral software even
though I'm supposed to make certain antiviral software iss turned off
while proceeding with fixes.

After receiving no help, I then went to the group where I've
historically received the most help, Win98 General Discussion Group,
apologized for being off topic and posed my questions there, ...and
did get excellent suggestions to try. From trying those suggestions,
I was led to discover the problem with WinXP booting up properly and
then running properly.

It now makes sense to pose my questions here in the WinXP Group,
because there is obviously something wrong during the initial boot up
sequence, that MAYBE once fixed will fix my IE6 problem, maybe not.
Either way it seems apparent that something is wrong with WinXP as it
first starts up, so I'm here in the WinXP group asking for help on how
to get the initial sequence for starting my WinXP fixed. Again, this
initial sequence needs to be fixed because it takes 2 to 4 minutes to
finish booting after the DeskTop appears. And you cannot believe how
sluggish *any* applications, Control Panel, or other actions are.
We're talking molasses here. Keep in mind that the system is
isolated.

If I was not complete enough in my description when I first posted to
this group, WinXP General Group; my sincerest apologies. I was trying
to focus on something not quite right during boot up.

I have received some excellent advice, URL's, and (I'd venture)
silently whispered sympathy.

I think I'm getting close, because *if* I follow my three step
protocol, this machine is a screamer. I'd just like to make these
three steps automatic each time the machine boots up.

PA Bear, with your expertise on WinXP, fixing this problem should be a
'slam dunk' for you. Did I miss your suggestions, relating to this
problem?

Robert

 

[Daave]

PA Bear, with your expertise on WinXP, fixing this problem
should be a 'slam dunk' for you. Did I miss your suggestions,
relating to this problem?

You're either missing them or you are ignoring them. You need to rule
out malware issues before you do anything else. You haven't done so yet.

In another thread (your problem is extremely difficult to grok since you
have three separate threads going!), you mentioned you deleted three
files related to IE. But we need to know what these mystery files are --
their actual names.

At this point, you should cut your losses. Back up your data if you
haven't done so already. Run a repair install. Or even a clean install.

 

[Robert Macy]

You're either missing them or you are ignoring them. You need to rule
out malware issues before you do anything else. You haven't done so yet.

In another thread (your problem is extremely difficult to grok since you
have three separate threads going!), you mentioned you deleted three
files related to IE. But we need to know what these mystery files are --  
their actual names.

At this point, you should cut your losses. Back up your data if you
haven't done so already. Run a repair install. Or even a clean install.

Interesting that problems associated with the system, intrinsic
problems, are so readily being associated with malware, and not with
the system itself. I didn't see any malware, but that stuff is
elusive. Now that I can reliably connect to the 'net, I can go
through the total sequence of URLs.

Regarding the two files, I suspect the files relate to SP2 addition
since they had the form of
{asdfecsfttg} {just a series of letters in brackets}
If anybody knows what two files would be associated with IE6 after a
SP2 addition, let me know.

I've had the problem with the slow boot since day one. So it's hard to
believe the slow boot has been caused by deleting those two files.

Yeah, I'm getting tired of this thing, too. I'll probably have to go
do a clean install of Win98, since that always runs faster, better (at
least Notepad and Paint aren't destroyed) on this 500MHz machine.

Robert

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

PA Bear, with your expertise on WinXP, fixing this problem should be a
'slam dunk' for you. Did I miss your suggestions, relating to this
problem?

One mo' time...

See this 08 Aug-08 reply of mine to your original thread in IE General:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general/msg/4af1afd43a68c75f

 

[Daave]

Interesting that problems associated with the system, intrinsic
problems, are so readily being associated with malware, and not with
the system itself. I didn't see any malware, but that stuff is
elusive. Now that I can reliably connect to the 'net, I can go
through the total sequence of URLs.

It's quite possible that you have no malware at all.

But it is also possible you *do* have malware and you really need to
rule that out.

Regarding the two files, I suspect the files relate to SP2 addition
since they had the form of
{asdfecsfttg} {just a series of letters in brackets}
If anybody knows what two files would be associated with IE6 after a
SP2 addition, let me know.

What is the extension? What was the location? You need to provide that
information!

I've had the problem with the slow boot since day one. So it's hard to
believe the slow boot has been caused by deleting those two files.

Yeah, I'm getting tired of this thing, too. I'll probably have to go
do a clean install of Win98, since that always runs faster, better (at
least Notepad and Paint aren't destroyed) on this 500MHz machine.

If your processor is only 500 MHz, then it's not surprising you have had
performance issues with XP since day one!

Also, how much RAM do you have?

It sounds like you will have a much better experience with 98SE or 2000,
considering your specs.

 

[Robert Macy]

One mo' time...

See this 08 Aug-08 reply of mine to your original thread in IE General:http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.internetexplorer.gene...

Ok, I spent a whole day, going through that list, downloading
programs, running and scanning, etc. Looking for malware [not finding
any]

And I'm still having to...

If I use the three step protocol when I boot up, the WinXP is quite
snappy and connects to the internet quite efficiently.

Again, the three steps
1) Right after the Desktop appears, kill the svchost.exe that hogs the
CPU
2) Stop the SSDP Discovery
3) RUN ipconfig /flushdns

If the machine did that automatically, I'd be done

Robert

 

[JF]

*Bonjour Robert Macy * !

Ok, I spent a whole day, going through that list, downloading
programs, running and scanning, etc. Looking for malware [not finding
any]

And I'm still having to...

If I use the three step protocol when I boot up, the WinXP is quite
snappy and connects to the internet quite efficiently.

Again, the three steps
1) Right after the Desktop appears, kill the svchost.exe that hogs the
CPU
2) Stop the SSDP Discovery
3) RUN ipconfig /flushdns

If the machine did that automatically, I'd be done

May be
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932494
http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/ar...started-with-svchost-exe-troubleshooting.aspx