Computer reacting slow !!

[Guest]

Sometimes when I start Internet Explorer, ICQ, Outlook Expess, Word or another Office application it lasts a while before the program begins to start up. There is no hard disk activity during that period !!! The computer just seems to react very very slow.
Does somebody have a solution or knows what's causing this delay?

PIII 800Mhz
ATI Fury Maxx
ECS P6BAP-A+
128 MB 100Mhz RAM
20 GB HD
WIN 98SE
OFFICE2000 Professional

Thanks

 

[Arrow]

Do you have a lot of programs taking up your system resources?

Rob
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[Guest]

Well, It happens also after I just started my computer. And I have Ram Idle and that program shows that I still have RAM available...

The programs in my System Tray after startup:
Norton Antivirus 2001
Norton Firewall 2001
Ram Idle
Norton Cleansweep 2001
Winfax 10
and several small program loaded in my memory that I need.

 

[Guest]

Just joining you in your confusion. Same thing, with some apps worse than others. More of an annoyance than anything else.

The worst culprit is my PPOE client, made by Network Telesystems. It'll pop up a little grey box (with no buttons or text boxes) and sit there for a couple minutes,
then finish loading and it works fine. It does the same thing with its shutdown dialogue box, but it sometimes fires up perfectly and shuts down the same way, irrespective of whether the machine's been just turned on or been running for hours.
Other apps do it too, just not as often.

Loading at startup:
Zone Alarm
the audio control

I've tried half a dozen variations on swapfile settings, including letting Windows manage it, 2X RAM amount min/max, 3X, different values for min/max, etc., etc.

Machine:

Abit KT7-RAID
Duron 700 (OCed to 945, yes it does it not OCed as well)
128 megs Mushkin Rev. 3
Geforce 2 MX (Asus V7100)
20 gig HD, defragged properly, half full
SBLive! Value

G'day,

Beerbob

 

[Guest]

I deleted everything in my Temp-directory and Temporary Internet Files-directory and it seems to go better now...

 

[Guest]

One more thing. It's just an idea, but I wonder what we all have in common with this. Do you have ACPI enabled? One of the things it does, apparently, is flood the CPU with HLT commands, similar to the old CPU Waterfall program, which is supposed to make it run cooler. Maybe it's having an undesired effect, like making the OS bork a RAM call or something. What I don't know about this low-level stuff could fill a library.

Anybody?

Thanks,

Beerbob

 

[Guest]

strange, very strange...

"akuna mutata" braza...

 

[Guest]

I think ACPI is enabled, but i'm not sure. If you could give me a method to check whether it is enabled or not, I could be sure.
The funny thing is that I also have a PPPoE client made by Network Telesystems, so the problem could also be lying there.

 

[Guest]

To tell if your machine is using ACPI, go to control panel/system/system devices, and you'll see a reference to ACPI System Button and Advanced Configuration and Power Interface BIOS (at least that's what shows up in my system devices).

Removing ACPI looks like a way to test this, but it isn't easy. From what I've read (for my board) in the KT7 FAQ, you have to acquire a new BIOS file, get a special editing utility, EDIT the file (!) which sounds a little worrisome, then reflash, then possibly have to reformat your hard drive, or do a reinstall. If you trash your BIOS your machine's a paperweight until you replace the chip, $20 and a week or two. The reason for this inability to disable ACPI is that it's a prerequisite for any mainboard submitted for Microsoft WHQL approval. The LACK of this option is a requirement. It's for our own good. Feh! Typical Microsoft arrogance.

It just boggles my mind that a machine that is running so fast can actually take- well, with my machine the PPPOE client appears almost before you double-click the icon when it works- when it doesn't it takes minutes? I've seen Gamespy do it too. It would make more sense if it didn't work at all! Not wait around a few minutes then finish loading. What on earth is it doing? Waiting for some loathsome little buffer to count up to an unbelievably huge number? Is it a setting somewhere in Windows like "Randomly pause loading of apps for:

* thirty seconds
* two minutes
* twenty minutes

while End User grinds his teeth.

Just raving,

Beerbob

 

[Guest]

Well, APCI is enabled. I have been reading about it now and I have been experimenting with settings... nothing helps. My computer keeps reacting with a delay at some times.

Sometimes when I'm surfing the internet, a box appears saying it can't find an internet connection and a question if I want to work off line or want to retry connecting... When I retry the page loads whithout problems.
Maybe this has to do something with the delay, because he can't find a setting immediately of my ISP is slow or something like that...but I doubt that

Now another annoying problem occurs also...
When I try to shut down my computer it reboots. The bloody computer won't cut power after Windows shuts down. I experimented with settings in windows and the BIOS for the APCI but I always returned them to the original settings... If anybody has experienced the same problem or has a solution, he's welcome. I thought I once had seen a post about this problem but I can't find it back...

thanks

 

[Guest]

Are you guys nuts or something? Did your computers always do this or is it a new thing? I had similar problems when I upgraded Internet explorer - From Office2000 beta to current. I unistalled the latest upgrade and I was fine. Also I hear that upgrading your ide drivers from the standard windows one to your mainboard manufactures one could help. And also....cant you just turn off ACPI in the BIOS you can on my mainboard. You could also try re-installing windows back ontop of itself, you get to keep all your programs and settings but it will replace all the system files with originals, might make a difference.

Whats all this about square pegs and round holes?

 

[dhlucke]

Pretty sure it's just a windows thing.

To run somewhat decent you should:
1. Defrag and check disk for errors(use norton preferably
2. Clear your temp folder(s)
3. Clear your internet cache, cookies, history, etc...
4. uninstall junk programs
5. try to keep your system tray to a minimum
6. disable the floppy check at startup

DO IT ALL OFTEN. I nonetheless end up formating my hard drive and starting over every 6 months since my computer just drives me crazy. Outlook can just load and sit in the background only to pop up 8 minutes later.

<font color=red>This is a forum, not a chat room. You aren't going to find a date here.</font color=red>

 

[Guest]

I perform all of these task quite regularly, floppy check is disabled, system tray is at minimum,... that why it is so strange it reacts so slow.

BTW: The Shutdown problem is solved by reinstalling the "shutdown supplement" from the Microsoft Support Page.

 

[Spdy_Gonzales]

See what happens if you don't run those Norton programs in the background. It's my impression that they just waste resources. Also, if the "Microsoft Find Fast" program is running in the background, that is a complete waste of resource.

I use the InnoculateIT antivirus program. Zonealarm is better than the Norton firewall thing. And both are FREE.

As a last resort, you could try reinstalling Windows98 (after reformating the hard drive).

 

[Guest]

Reinstall windows ontop of itself you dimwits....That always sorts me out when i have a prob like this.

Whats all this about square pegs and round holes?

 

[Guest]

Tried it, done it all mentioned so far. It is probable that the programs do this, and it's not the OS/hardware. Maybe that the people that write the code for the stuff that cause our machines to "stall" are missing a few tiny but important details.

Still looking out for answers. If I get any good info, I'll post it.

Beerbob

 

[wwildbh]

I am not sure if this will help. Try using RASPPPOE.