XP Professional SP@ is slow --- very slow

[kgkphd]

My computer is runnig very slow. I've:

1. Cleaned out all pictures, movies, etc that take up file space.
2. Used Disk Clean-Up
3. Taken out internet temp fils.
4. Taken out desktop temp files
5. Run ctr-alt-delete to see what's running and check performance --- the
thing is chewing up 90%+ when it should be much less.
6. Gone to a clean-boot status
7. Defragmented
8. Done scans with both Symantec 360 and TrendMicro (with only one at a time
on the computer)
9. Deleted programs that I do not need

There's lots of stiff no longer there that was. 70GB free and 23 GB used.

The only thing I can think of that would cause such a CPU usage is a
background program runnibg somewhere, but I can't find it. Nothig is listed
at ctr-alt-delete.

Does anybody have any ideas as to how I can find what's running and how to
get rid of it?

Thanks

Ken

 

[Gerry]

kgkphd

Symantec 360. Dump it!

http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039


--


Hope this helps.

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

 

[Leonard Grey]

Most of what you checked for does not affect the speed of your computer.
Your computer runs just as quickly whether your hard drive is full or
empty. The speed at which your computer runs depends on what's going on
in memory, not the hard disk.

The most probable cause of slow performance by far is a malware
infection. "Done scans with both Symantec 360 and TrendMicro" doesn't
say much, because it doesn't say how these were installed, what settings
were used, how up-to-date, etc.

The second most probable cause of slow performance is simply that the
applications you have open, including background processes, require more
memory than your computer has to offer. "...the thing is chewing up
90%+..." doesn't tell us what processes are involved.

Open Task Manager and park it in a corner of your monitor. Go to the
Processes tab and display the processes in decreasing order of CPU
usage. Do again, and this time order the processes in decreasing order
of memory usage. In each case, when your computer acts slowly, notice
which process or processes take up the majority of the CPU resources and
memory. Look up the names of those processes with a search engine ...
that could explain your problem.

The above won't work for sophisticated malware infections, including
rootkits. Your are well advised to show your computer to a professional.

If your computer is of recent vintage, say, over the last four years,
then unless you're running a busy server you won't see a big speed
improvement from defragmenting, even with third-party tools. There are
still good reasons for defragmenting a hard drive, but these days speed
isn't one of them.

 

[kgkphd]

Thanks Leonard --- I will try it.

And: "Perseverare diabolicum."

Ken

 

[Carl Clements]

360, I agree