Usual problem, Windows XP Running slow

[Confused]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

I am new to this site and not familiar with all the technical jargon.

Someone told me that my computer is running slow because I have too many
programs running in the background. Could this be true and if so, how do I
delete the unneccessary programs and more to the point, how do I recognise
which programs are neccessary and which are not?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Confused wrote:

> Someone told me that my computer is running slow because I have too many
> programs running in the background. Could this be true and if so, how do I
> delete the unneccessary programs and more to the point, how do I recognise
> which programs are neccessary and which are not?

It's beyond your comprehension.

Just live with it and save everyone here a big headache.

 

[Confused]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

"The Cuddly Curmudgeon" wrote:

> Confused wrote:
>
> > Someone told me that my computer is running slow because I have too many
> > programs running in the background. Could this be true and if so, how do I
> > delete the unneccessary programs and more to the point, how do I recognise
> > which programs are neccessary and which are not?
>
> It's beyond your comprehension.
>
> Just live with it and save everyone here a big headache.

Thank you Mr Einstein, I did not realise that "Twerps" still roamed this
earth.
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Hi,

What the Cuddly Curmudgeon meant in his inhuman crual and sarcastic way but
not totally lacking humor was, that your question was so vague and broad,
like you asked that I have problems with my spouse what should I do?
My first thought would be, that if you are really running so many programs,
I hope about 3-4 are spyware detection and prevention programs, besides the
usual antivirus and firewall. If yes, then those you should leave running. If
not, than I would concern myself with that first. It is like buying a diamond
ring for a starter... Who does the laundry can come afterwards. Let me
know... cheers, george

 

[Malke]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

The Cuddly Curmudgeon wrote:

> Confused wrote:
>
>> Someone told me that my computer is running slow because I have too
>> many programs running in the background. Could this be true and if
>> so, how do I delete the unneccessary programs and more to the point,
>> how do I recognise which programs are neccessary and which are not?
>
> It's beyond your comprehension.
>
> Just live with it and save everyone here a big headache.

What a stupid, rude answer. We are here to help people like Confused and
s/he is certainly not giving me a "big headache" by asking a basic
question.

Confused - there are a lot of reasons your computer could be running
slowly. You could have viruses, malware, not enough memory, and yes -
too many processes/programs starting up with Windows. There are lots of
ways to find out and I'll give you some links to check out. Only you
can decide if this is something you want to do or if you'd rather have
a professional look at the machine. There is no shame in doing this,
and no shame in not being computer-savvy. Not knowing stuff about
computers does *not* make you stupid; it just means you don't know
stuff about computers.

First, I'd like to point you to a forum run by MVP Patty MacDuffie:
http://computerhaven.info/

It is a caring place for beginners and no one will trash you for asking
a basic question.

Second, here are some links to help you with the slow computer issue:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/slowcom.htm
http://aumha.org/a/health.htm - Take Out the Trash (section 4)

Here's a link explaining how to use the System Configuration Utility to
see what is starting up with Windows:
How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560

And here are places to look up the things you find using msconfig:
http://castlecops.com/StartupList.html
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm
http://www.blackviper.com/
http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm
http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/
http://www.windowsstartup.com/wso/search.php

And finally, here is a link explaining how to check for and remove
malware:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

Don't hesitate to post back after you've checked out some of those
places if you need more help.

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

To Malke,

that was a really thorough list I am happy for Confused. (Now that
designation will be greatly enhanced...) And now maybe you could seek out my
question up there as well?
george with txs

 

[Malke]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

WhaddidIdo wrote:

> To Malke,
>
> that was a really thorough list I am happy for Confused. (Now that
> designation will be greatly enhanced...) And now maybe you could seek
> out my question up there as well?
> george with txs

I'm sorry, but I don't see a question from you. "Up there" doesn't have
much meaning to me because you are using the very lame web interface
(which I've never used because I consider it unusable) and I'm using a
real newsreader. You can direct me to your question and I'll be happy
to take a look, or just make a new post. In the meantime, here is
information about accessing these groups a better way:

Since you are using the web interface, you may not realize that this is
really a newsgroup. You will get far more out of this resource if you
learn to use a newsreader. There are many good newsreaders for Windows,
but you can use Outlook Express since you already have it. Here are
some links to information about newsgroups:

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page3.html#12-09-02 - a brief
explanation of newsgroups
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm
http://rickrogers.org/setupoe.htm

http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
http://aumha.org/nntp.htm - list of MS newsgroups
microsoft.public.test.here - MS group to test if your newsreader is
working properly
http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm - how to munge email address
http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm - multiposting vs.
crossposting

Cheers,

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

I'm usually the first to spot humour in a post, and realise there are lot of
cultures that don't even know what humour is, but, I didn't spot any humour
in Cuddly Curmudgeon's post. Cuddly Curmudgeon also didn't bother to
include any help at all - so perhaps he or she knows nothing about PC's !
or was just too lazy or inconsiderate to at least try to help.

regards, Richard


"WhaddidIdo" <WhaddidIdo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F4242CC9-A331-4680-8462-431224D80E5F@microsoft.com...
> Hi,
>
> What the Cuddly Curmudgeon meant in his inhuman crual and sarcastic way
> but
> not totally lacking humor was, that your question was so vague and broad,
> like you asked that I have problems with my spouse what should I do?
> My first thought would be, that if you are really running so many
> programs,
> I hope about 3-4 are spyware detection and prevention programs, besides
> the
> usual antivirus and firewall. If yes, then those you should leave running.
> If
> not, than I would concern myself with that first. It is like buying a
> diamond
> ring for a starter... Who does the laundry can come afterwards. Let me
> know... cheers, george
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

In newsD27B3D0-E8D2-4BAE-9C67-84E0B50AF27A@microsoft.com,
Confused <Confused@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:

> I am new to this site and not familiar with all the technical
> jargon.
>
> Someone told me that my computer is running slow because I have
> too
> many programs running in the background. Could this be true


Despite what many people tell you, you should be concerned, not
with how *many* of these programs you run, but *which*. Some of
them can hurt performance severely, but others have no effect on
performance.


> and if
> so, how do I delete the unneccessary programs


On each program you don't want to start automatically, check its
Options to see if it has the choice not to start (make sure you
actually choose the option not to run it, not just a "don't show
icon" option). Many can easily and best be stopped that way. If
that doesn't work, run MSCONFIG from the Start | Run line, and on
the Startup tab, uncheck the programs you don't want to start
automatically.


> and more to the point,
> how do I recognise which programs are neccessary and which are
> not?


Other than obvious ones like a virus checker and firewall, none
of them is necessary. The issue isn't what's necessary, the issue
is what it's value is to *you*.

Don't just stop programs from running willy-nilly. What you
should do is determine what each program is, what its value is to
you, and what the cost in performance is of its running all the
time. You can get more information about these at
http://castlecops.com/StartupList.html. If you can't find it
there, try google searches and ask about specifics here.

Once you have that information, you can make an intelligent
informed decision about what you want to keep and what you want
to get rid of.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Confused]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Ok, I downloaded Kaspersky.Com and after scanning my computer for over 1 1/2
hours it came up with the message that it found 1 virus and 4 infected
objects.

The name of the virus is:
Trojan-Downloader.win32.Dluca.BS

I am now doing another scan with Norton Antivirus to see if it picks it up
and whether it can delete it - or do I have to do this manually?

"Confused" wrote:

> Dear Malke & all the other guys that has put my faith back in humanity.
>
> Well what can I say? Maybe "Cuddly" had a bad day at the office or maybe his
> wife threw him out.
>
> Anyhow, now that I have all these great tips from you I can set about trying
> out each one individually. I'm sorry I was so vague about my questions, but
> next time I'll try and be a bit more specific and more technical.
>
> Wish me luck, knowing me I'll probably end up with the computer doing a
> double somersault!!
>
> What I do know is (here comes the technical jargon) I have a MS Series 2
> installed, MS Antispyware Beta1, Norton Antivirus, Norton System Works,
> Norton Internet Security and Ad-aware 6.0,
>
> Thank you guys, you're all swell!!
>
> "Malke" wrote:
>
> > The Cuddly Curmudgeon wrote:
> >
> > > Confused wrote:
> > >
> > >> Someone told me that my computer is running slow because I have too
> > >> many programs running in the background. Could this be true and if
> > >> so, how do I delete the unneccessary programs and more to the point,
> > >> how do I recognise which programs are neccessary and which are not?
> > >
> > > It's beyond your comprehension.
> > >
> > > Just live with it and save everyone here a big headache.
> >
> > What a stupid, rude answer. We are here to help people like Confused and
> > s/he is certainly not giving me a "big headache" by asking a basic
> > question.
> >
> > Confused - there are a lot of reasons your computer could be running
> > slowly. You could have viruses, malware, not enough memory, and yes -
> > too many processes/programs starting up with Windows. There are lots of
> > ways to find out and I'll give you some links to check out. Only you
> > can decide if this is something you want to do or if you'd rather have
> > a professional look at the machine. There is no shame in doing this,
> > and no shame in not being computer-savvy. Not knowing stuff about
> > computers does *not* make you stupid; it just means you don't know
> > stuff about computers.
> >
> > First, I'd like to point you to a forum run by MVP Patty MacDuffie:
> > http://computerhaven.info/
> >
> > It is a caring place for beginners and no one will trash you for asking
> > a basic question.
> >
> > Second, here are some links to help you with the slow computer issue:
> > http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/slowcom.htm
> > http://aumha.org/a/health.htm - Take Out the Trash (section 4)
> >
> > Here's a link explaining how to use the System Configuration Utility to
> > see what is starting up with Windows:
> > How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP -
> > http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560
> >
> > And here are places to look up the things you find using msconfig:
> > http://castlecops.com/StartupList.html
> > http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm
> > http://www.blackviper.com/
> > http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm
> > http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/
> > http://www.windowsstartup.com/wso/search.php
> >
> > And finally, here is a link explaining how to check for and remove
> > malware:
> > http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware
> >
> > Don't hesitate to post back after you've checked out some of those
> > places if you need more help.
> >
> > Malke
> > --
> > Elephant Boy Computers
> > www.elephantboycomputers.com
> > "Don't Panic!"
> > MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
> >

 

[Confused]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Dear Malke & all the other guys that has put my faith back in humanity.

Well what can I say? Maybe "Cuddly" had a bad day at the office or maybe his
wife threw him out.

Anyhow, now that I have all these great tips from you I can set about trying
out each one individually. I'm sorry I was so vague about my questions, but
next time I'll try and be a bit more specific and more technical.

Wish me luck, knowing me I'll probably end up with the computer doing a
double somersault!!

What I do know is (here comes the technical jargon) I have a MS Series 2
installed, MS Antispyware Beta1, Norton Antivirus, Norton System Works,
Norton Internet Security and Ad-aware 6.0,

Thank you guys, you're all swell!!

"Malke" wrote:

> The Cuddly Curmudgeon wrote:
>
> > Confused wrote:
> >
> >> Someone told me that my computer is running slow because I have too
> >> many programs running in the background. Could this be true and if
> >> so, how do I delete the unneccessary programs and more to the point,
> >> how do I recognise which programs are neccessary and which are not?
> >
> > It's beyond your comprehension.
> >
> > Just live with it and save everyone here a big headache.
>
> What a stupid, rude answer. We are here to help people like Confused and
> s/he is certainly not giving me a "big headache" by asking a basic
> question.
>
> Confused - there are a lot of reasons your computer could be running
> slowly. You could have viruses, malware, not enough memory, and yes -
> too many processes/programs starting up with Windows. There are lots of
> ways to find out and I'll give you some links to check out. Only you
> can decide if this is something you want to do or if you'd rather have
> a professional look at the machine. There is no shame in doing this,
> and no shame in not being computer-savvy. Not knowing stuff about
> computers does *not* make you stupid; it just means you don't know
> stuff about computers.
>
> First, I'd like to point you to a forum run by MVP Patty MacDuffie:
> http://computerhaven.info/
>
> It is a caring place for beginners and no one will trash you for asking
> a basic question.
>
> Second, here are some links to help you with the slow computer issue:
> http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/slowcom.htm
> http://aumha.org/a/health.htm - Take Out the Trash (section 4)
>
> Here's a link explaining how to use the System Configuration Utility to
> see what is starting up with Windows:
> How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP -
> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560
>
> And here are places to look up the things you find using msconfig:
> http://castlecops.com/StartupList.html
> http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm
> http://www.blackviper.com/
> http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm
> http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/
> http://www.windowsstartup.com/wso/search.php
>
> And finally, here is a link explaining how to check for and remove
> malware:
> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware
>
> Don't hesitate to post back after you've checked out some of those
> places if you need more help.
>
> Malke
> --
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
>

 

[Malke]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Confused wrote:

> Ok, I downloaded Kaspersky.Com and after scanning my computer for over
> 1 1/2
> hours it came up with the message that it found 1 virus and 4
> infected objects.
>
> The name of the virus is:
> Trojan-Downloader.win32.Dluca.BS
>
> I am now doing another scan with Norton Antivirus to see if it picks
> it up and whether it can delete it - or do I have to do this manually?
>
Do your antivirus scan in Safe Mode. You may need to manually delete the
trojan, but give Kaspersky a chance first. Then go through the malware
removal steps:

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"