Windows XP Home Slow

[sheldonotto]

I have a Compaq 950 MHZ computer with 515 MB ram. It has slowed down to a snails crawl for every application I use running full version of Win XP home. I have defragged, dumped cache. Any thoughts?

[Atomic-Design]

Don't just dump your cache, dump Windows. Windows is notorious for using the "Windows Bloat Factor". Basically, Windows shares profit with Intel processors. So, Microsoft loads Windows with tons of non-necessary things, to make it really slow. The result: you buy a faster processor to handle the new Windows with the Bloat Factor in it. Thus, Microsoft makes money from their slow and bloated software by requiring you to get a faster processor.

[sillyeagle]

shel...

How long have you had it running on the pc? Generally the 1st thing I do with something like XP [and I have on my pro version... believe me! lol]... is to disable everything of little value to me. That which eats up space and resources.

The main evil in XP is the 'sytem restore' directory and option! Wait til you *SEE* how many.. and how big those files are! It'll eat up a 40 gig drive in no time! LOL Go here... http://members.aol.com/axcel216/wxp.htm
...put on some coffee... and read read read... you'll learn ALOT..

Make sure to download/install XP Powertoys.. and use it well... ;)

[Atomic-Design]

System restore is horrible! Don't forget it backs up all your viruses and trojans if you have one, without even asking you to! You'll end up creating a backup of trojans, and it'll be a horror to try to get them off.

[sheldonotto]

The systems has had Win XP running about 1 year.

[sillyeagle]

shel...

well then I would start taking a look at some massive 'housekeeping'. It was my experience that the system restore does NOT delete the 'older backups' like it's supposed to.. which is what makes it a real resource hog.

do the above.. and check your drive space, etc.

Also: hit Start/Run/and type in MSCONFIG and hit enter.

Look in the Startup tab at all the JUNK loading each time you load windows. Disable everything except what's needed to operate. Any program startup files can be loaded as needed from the program menu when you start the program.

[sheldonotto]

What startup options do I need to keep checked?

[Jade Dragon]

a few things you should keep in mind, beyond the previous tips.

If you just recently noticed a sudden large slow down of the system make sure you don't have a "trojan horse" program or another virus.

I suggest getting TweakUI from microsoft. also the first XP service pack came out Sept 9th, 2002.

once you install TweakUI:
Click on the tab "general" and uncheck everything.
You can actually just go through the option in each menu and uncheck those things which you do not think you need. Most are visuall effects which do slow the computer.

Then you want to run "MSCONFIG" in the "run" command.

click on the start.ini
you will probably see tons of programs here.
these are what start up and run on the computer mostly in the background.

the only thing you will need checked (in XP only) is "systray".
However there may be programs you want to keep running like your anitvirus program, messanger, etc. Basicaly if you don't recognize it don't uncheck it. (other windows versions need "systray and explorer")

in the rest of the tabs if you don't know what it is don't do anything in those, you could end up rebooting or reformatting the computer.

there's an article at Techtv about Windows XP and slow downs.


http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/windowstips/story/0,24330,3380066,00.html

[paulselhi]

Don't just rely on a single antivirus product, they never catch everything

I suggets running lavasoft ad-aware, pest patrol, trojan remover and off course a firewall like zone alarm

In fact a firewall is essential these days ( though i think xp comes with a built in one)

The other programs i mentioned all pick up spyware, trojans etc that the others miss, but remember that it's probably not a good i dea to have them running all the time (except anti virus and the firewall) as they will eat up your sysytem resources. Just run them say once a week

Check your temp file, is it growing very large? some files programs just won' t clean up properly and a lack of temp space will cripple most programs

try this in your autoexec.bat file:

@DelTree /Y C:\WINDOWS\Temp
@MD C:\WINDOWS\Temp

check the path to your temp file. This will flush the temp dir on boot.

Do you run office xp, it has a built in search facilty that takes up a lot of space ( my database was 45MB) and runs every now and then making you thinks there is a virus due to all the hard drive activity

here's a microsoft link to stop it
microsoft article (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q282106)

And here's a genrally interesting article on parasites
Parasites (http://cpcug.org/user/clemenzi/technical/Parasites.htm)

[tjplaw]

Go to this website.

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm.

Like I said in previous posting, go to the website above
and follow the instruction carefully, I did exactly what the owner of the website recommends, I noticed a marked improvement in my systems performance..

I didn't disable all the service, because I use some of the Bloat that comes with the new XP system,
Remember they may not be suitable for all users, If you don't know what the services do then avoid the recommendations all together.

Tom.

Good news can wait, bad new will refuse to leave

[ChoMomma]

My advice:

Dump XP, get Windows 2000 Pro.

It looks and feels just like XP with all the "bloat" turned off.

I had a 2.4Ghz P4 with 1GB of RD Ram a 64MB Geforce 3 Ti200
and a 7200RPM 80GB Maxtor hard drive... I had XP Pro on there.. felt like wading through molasses. Put 2K on it and if was like riding a shuttle rocket booster!

XP sucks the life out of a otherwise powerful PC.

Now for real performance I use my Apple Powerbook Titanium 800 : ) hehe

Sold the 2.4 Ghz PC and bought a powerbook ;) best damn move I made.

"All statements made above should be taken as truth and fact"
*said poster was an Intel employee until August of 2002.