XP Slowing up

[slicksterproductions]

This has happended to me twice in the past couple of weeks. For no reason windows XP takes much longer to start up, computer runs slower, and a strange vertical line flashes on the screen during startup. I then perform system restore and it fixes the problem.

What is causing my pc to do this.

Also my computer has been making a clicking noise, it sounds like its coming from the front, and i think its one of the harddrives.

[cplevel42]

This was causing me huge problems until I uninstalled this update. After I uninstalled it, my system was screaming again. WOW what a difference. Microsoft wins the dummy award again.

See detail here: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;819634

[Doggiedaddy]

LINUX
(;-{> Dd

[slicksterproductions]

Should i undo all my restorations before i install this or should i just install it now.

[Solarjetman]

Also my computer has been making a clicking noise, it sounds like its coming from the front, and i think its one of the harddrives.

A few clicks is OK, but if they occur frequently, you may look into replacing the hard drive. I had a hard drive which "semi-failed" that clicked every few minutes. It would take three times longer to copy and read things off this drive then its identical twin I bought (that did not click). I have since replaced it. That could be what is causeing the slow down as it is taking longer to read the needed files to boot windows.

[slicksterproductions]

Well i have two hard drives one is split into two C and D and then another one which i added.

How would i know which is doing the clicking and it is mostly noticable during startup.

[Craig Tucker]

Unplug the one which your OS is not on and see if the noise persists.

[slicksterproductions]

This may relate to another problem im having, https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=168594

It doesn't seem like theres a problem with my standalone drive but with my system hard drive.

I'm sure none of these problems would have to do with low disc space on my c drive partition, right?

[slicksterproductions]

Ok, i did what the Western Digital site said to do and unpluged the IDE cable and left the power cable pluged in. I start up the machine and there is no noise, according to the website i have a bad ide cable.

So what do i do?

[Solarjetman]

Ok, i did what the Western Digital site said to do and unpluged the IDE cable and left the power cable pluged in. I start up the machine and there is no noise, according to the website i have a bad ide cable.

So what do i do?

Huh, I wonder how they came to that conclusion. The odds of it being a bad cable, but still work are EXTREMELY slim (not to mention bad cables are very rare). I would still bet my money on a bad drive. The noise stopped because nothing was trying to access it. But, try replacing the cable and pray it work. It would be alot cheaper than replacing the drive.

Do you have your DVD jooked on the same IDE cable?

[gmatov]

Two other options you can try to find a possibly bad drive is;

1. Enable S.M.A.R.T. in your BIOS, and re-boot. It will often catch a failing drive. Some say it causes a hit to the drive, though, so you might disable it afterward.

2. Use the disk health utilities that are on the install disk that came with your drive. If you don't have it, it's only a middle sized DL, as it fits on a floppy . It will give you a thorough test, and give you some codes to use if you go to the manufacturer to request a replacement.

BTW, if you remove the IDE cable, the drive gets no signal to do ANYTHING, so how can it make any noise?

But, go ahead, try replacing the cable.

[slicksterproductions]

Well i replaced the cable with the cable that they told me to use in the first place (came with the drive). I didn't think it mattered to use theres because i had one in the system that was identical. So i tryed the cable and i didn't get any noise.

Although when i started up the system i tryed playing both music and video from both of my drives, when i played a song from a totally diff drive my computer un expectedly restarted. IM confused!

Now i haven't noticed any other noises and my computer hasn't restarted unexpectedly since, we will see. I m keeping my fingers crossed.

[slicksterproductions]

OK now a day later computer has been working fine. Now my computer once again is acting slow. Every program i try it lags and freezes almost. I shut down and restart and back to the same old slow startup time. And the wierd thing is my cpu usage meter isn't even filling up when its slow?!?

I dont understand, ever since i got this computer i have had problems. After something goes wrong and i fix it, it works for a while then something else goes wrong.

Am i the only one that is sick of fixing there computer and wishes everything could always work!

IF anyone has any idea what i can do please help.

[tompika]

OK now a day later computer has been working fine, i decide i want to dl some music videos and live metallica performances off of Kazaa.

You`ve been here for six months now and still don`t know the FORUM RULES?

[flaninacupboard]

slickster, do you run a virus checker and firewall?

[slicksterproductions]

Sry about that, i fixed it, can any one answer my question?

[Solarjetman]

You`ve been here for six months now and still don`t know the FORUM RULES?

Guess the computer slow-down is Karma! The RIAA is getting cosmic revenge.

[Solarjetman]

Sry about that, i fixed it, can any one answer my question?

I don't see any new problems appearing. You have slow startups, slow programs, slow everything. I still stick by a failing hard drive. You need to test it.

[slicksterproductions]

i have no virus software, because my subsribtion recently ran up and i htink my router has a built in firewall, not sure.

How do i test my harddrive?

[Solarjetman]

i have no virus software, because my subsribtion recently ran up

i htink my router has a built in firewall, not sure.

Most routers only use NAT. Its a start but you need a more complete firewall. You are still open to port scanning and trojans (which is why you also need a virus checker.

How do i test my harddrive?

Unless you buy some special tools, you really can't test it directly.

1) The best way would be to replace it with another drive and see if it fixes the problem.
2) The next best would be to "ghost" the drive to a backup, format it, re-install a clean copy of windows, then see if your speed returns.
3) Barring those, you could try some timed write and read trials using large files to see if they match the advertised specs.

However, now that I see you do not have a virus checker, and little firewall protection, It leaves the possiblity wide open you have a ton of viruses and spyware plastered all over the place taking system resources. Computers are just like car engines. If you don't keep them clean and in order, strange things happen.

But the clicking of your hard drive would not be caused by viruses or spyware.

[slicksterproductions]

I recently did an online virus checker and it found no viruses, will this kind of thing even pick them up. Another thing how do you find spyware.

[Solarjetman]

Online virus checkers will usually find a virus if you already have it. I prefer a checker running on the computer because that will find it before you become infected and it will scan every incoming and outgoing email as well. Also, I am not sure that the online ones check the MBR of disk drives.

Lavasoft makes a great program called Ad-aware for spyware and its free. Or you can pay for it and get some extra features.
http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10214379.html?tag=lst-0-1

And BTW, my little car engine analogy, don't take that literally that you need to clean out the inside of your computer case (though that is a good thing to do every few months with a can of compressed air). I ment that in a software sense

[flaninacupboard]

virus killer

www.grisoft.com

firewall

www.sygate.com

both have 100% free options!
i understand you're using some form of p2p software, these are infested with virii and before installing a firewall i had a -lot- of unauthorised accesses.

[pyrate83]

Ad-Aware 6.0 is a great spyware remover. If you use Kazaa, just a word of advice...make sure you disconnect and close Kazaa completely when you are not using it! Also, AVG antivirus free edition is some pretty good software to use once your free subscription has run out.

Use Ad-Aware frequently since every time you are on the internet and/or using Kazaa spyware is getting put on your computer!

[slicksterproductions]

Ok i dled that antivirus software, and i actually found a virus, some Trojan virus. Who wouda thought. Im goin to dl the firewall and spyware stuff next. Im goin to reboot my computer now to see if everything is back to normal.


Instead of posting again i added it to here, dled the firewall and spyware stuff, i detected 245 items using the spyware stuff. Don't know what that means, i think its good though.

Also should i install this firewall on all my computers in my home network.

[gmatov]

Slickster and Solarjetman,

ALL boxed hard drives come with an install disk. All the install disks contain a disk utility that will run a series of tests on your drive, from checking to see if the drive is bad, all the way to writing 1's and 0's to the drive.

IF you should call the manufacturer, they SHOULD ask you to run, or DL and run the Utility, and call back with the codes the utility reports. It WILL tell you if the disk is bad. They WILL accept the code you give them as evidence of a bad disk. They ALL WILL cross-ship, that is, you give them a credit card number, they will ship a new drive, right now, and not charge you if they get theirs back within 15 or 30 days, I forget which.

If the tech guy didn't tell you to run the MUD (Maxtor Uility Disk, I think) or the equivalent from WD, Data Life Guard, but I forget which module it is, then apparently he is a part time college student who is thinking more about what he's gonna get after his shift than about your problem.

I would dig up the disk and run it before my warranty expired.

I would also at least temporarily enable S.M.A.R.T., but that's up to you.
If it gives you a 1 percent hit on performance, it's worth it. I HAVE had it tell me the drive was no good, within thirty days, took it back to my local dealer, and they were amazed! They had never seen that report on a machine before. Thhey DID give me a new drive, on the spot.

However, you can do as you wish. Take advice or not. No skin off my nose.

[flaninacupboard]

slickster,
can't say i'm at all suprised you found a virus.....

you should install the virus killer and firewall on every machine on the network, and the spyware killer on any machine that accesses the net or p2p programs.

[slicksterproductions]

Yeah running that drive disc would be a good idea but i think im just gonna take my tower to Best Buy. I payed alot of money for there service plan so im gonna let them deal with it.

Also i dont understand how i would have a bad drive, besides slow performance lately, i have seen no signs of failure.

This is my scenario i have both an 80 gig Maxtor and an 80 gig WD. The maxtor was in the system when i got it and the WD i bought seperately. I have captured hours of video on my WD and never seen a prob with the Maxtor either. What exactly are sign's of disc failure?

[slicksterproductions]

Sry to double post but i have another question. After i deleted the virus last night, today im getting this same message that i got last night.


http://www.slicksterproductions.com/Virusmessage.jpg

I ran the virus scan again and nothing was found.[/img]

[gmatov]

Slickster,

You may have to update your definitions, and you may have to DL a specific "killer" for that virus, along with instructions for use.

I don't know what AVG is, as I use Norton, and a search for Dialer says, at least one of them dials Area Code 900 numbers. You know, phone sex at X bucks per minute.

This would be a good time for a software firewall, as you can disallow an app to contact the internet.

Also, those 245 items you found are not all spyware. Some are genuine apps on your machine that are going home to check if an update is available, other stuff like that.

I found similar things on my machine. It's not easy to determine if it is a legitimate app or not. My program lets you click on each, and gives you the originator's explanation of what it is. Well, if I was a bad guy, I sure as hell wouldn't say, "Yup, I'm sending all your personal data to my own site."

Would you?