Please help.......about 2 months ago my laptop began acting slow.
The web pages started taking longer than normal to load. I use Mozilla Firefox.

Once you click on the icon, it now takes almost a full minute to get the page up and fully functional.

Now we are noticing when you start up the computer, it is taking a little longer than normal to start up completely.


Thanks for your time,

First things first.

What's the operating system? How much RAM (internal memory)? How much unfragmented disk space left?
How big is the page file? Are you managing the size of the page file, or is the OS?

If you are running Windows on this system, I suggest that you take a GOOD look at Ubuntu (Linux). It takes a LOT
less computer resources, and runs circles around Windows. Another alternative would be Fedora. I personally prefer
Ubuntu.

So, give more specific details about the system. Oh, and what programs you have loading up when the system starts is
very important. If you are launching a lot of programs at startup, maybe you should stop them using msconfig.exe because
they are still available to be run when you need them. If you use msconfig.exe to remove stuff like the Uninteruptable Power Supply
program, MS Messenger, Yahoo IM, etc your system will boot much faster.

boogie

One more thing. All those TOOLBARS tat fll up the top of your web browser (Firefox) need to go. Only one "Search" window is needed. Yahoo puts one, Google puts one, Anti-Virus programs add one, etc. Just VIEW ==> Toolbars ==> deselect the extra carp**. Your pages will load faster, and you'll have more room to browse on the screen.

Hi Worklifenobalance... Thanks for enquiring about your problem.

There are two things you need to do so that we can easily determine what the problem here is:

1) Because this is a laptop, there is a good chance you are experiencing hard drive trouble and that it may have reverted back to "PIO" mode. Please right click My Computer, and click Properties. Click the "Hardware" tab, and then the "Device Manager" button. Expand the "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers" section in Device Manager. Double click your primary IDE channel, then click the "Advanced Settings," tab. See if Device 0 is running in PIO mode, or DMA mode for "Current transfer mode."

2) Please read http://forums.whatthetech.com/Welcome_new_users_t104737.html and perform the PCPitStop tests, and the hard drive surface scan test that is listed under the "What to do if my problem might be hardware related," section. Post back here with the link to the PCPitStop tests, and the results of your hard drive file system and surface scan test (using chkdsk).

With this information we should be able to quickly identify what the slow down is and have you back on your way.

Appleoddity,

Thanks for the information. I will get started on what you have asked me to do and will post it soon.


Thanks!

Appleoddity / Tech Team

Thank you for the information. Here is the information I have for my laptop.

Make and model of your computer: HP Pavillion dv4000

Operating system: Windows XP Home Edition 2002 Service pack 3

How old is the computer – Purchased Nov '05

Has any maintenance been performed on the computer such as cleaning of the computer's case and fans? No, I have never taken my laptop apart.

Have there been any upgrades to your computer since you purchased it? No

How much memory and hard drive space do you have? Intel Pentium Processor 1.86 Ghz 782 Mhz , 504 MB of Ram


Advanced Settings are set as below:

Device 0
Device Type : Auto Detection
Transfer Mode: DMA if available
Current Transfer Mode: Ultra DMA Mode 5

Device 1
Device Type : Auto Detection
Transfer Mode: DMA if available
Current Transfer Mode: Mutil-Word DMA Mode 2


Here is the results from my PC Pitstop Test.
http://www.pcpitstop.com/betapit/sec.asp?conid=22425385


I ran the CHKDSK, it took about 40 minutes. I do not know how to get the results of the test. Please let me know how to do that.


Thanks again for your help!

Ok... I've had a chance to review some of the stuff in your PCPitStop log.

You only have 512MB of RAM so you have to bear in mind that much of your performance issue can be attributed to that. You have a lot of stuff running and some of it needs to go, much of it is un-necessary. However, with a little guidance we can probably tune this system up and get things operating smoother for you.

Lets start by doing this:

Go into control panel -> Add/Remove programs.
Uninstall all of the following:

J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Update 4
Easy Internet Sign-up
Auslogics BoostSpeed
Auslogics Disk Defrag
Google Updater
Java™ 6 Update 13
Java™ 6 Update 7
Java™ 6 Update 5
HP Update
Java™ 6 Update 3
Java™ 6 Update 2
Java™ SE Runtime Environment 6 Update 1
J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Update 11
J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Update 10
J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Update 6

If you are prompted to restart, you can say NO until you uninstall the last program, then restart.

Next, go to www.java.com and download the newest Java runtime, uncheck the option to install the BING toolbar.

Now, use CodeStuff Starter to give me a startup and services list:
How to use CodeStuff Starter to view services and startup items:

• Please download and install CodeStuff Starter
• Run Starter by finding it on your start menu after it is installed.
• When the program opens, you will see three tabs on the main screen (Startup, Processes, Services)
• Please click the Startup tab and make sure that All Sections is selected on the left hand side under the sections view pane.
• Once the Startup tab and all sections is selected, please click the File menu and choose Save as HTML.
• Please save the file to your desktop and call it startup.html.
• Now, please click the Services tab.
• Once the Services tab is open, please click the File menu and choose Save as HTML.
• Please save the file to your desktop and call it services.html.
• Now that both files have been saved to your desktop, close CodeStuff Starter.
• Locate the startup.html and services.html files on your desktop. Both files can be attached to the forum, as is. Please do so in your next reply.

Appleoddity,



I will look at increasing my 512MB of RAM, I am sure that would help.


I have Uninstalled all of the following:


J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Update 4
Easy Internet Sign-up
Auslogics BoostSpeed
Auslogics Disk Defrag
Google Updater
Java™ 6 Update 13
Java™ 6 Update 7
Java™ 6 Update 5
HP Update
Java™ 6 Update 3
Java™ 6 Update 2
Java™ SE Runtime Environment 6 Update 1
J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Update 11
J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Update 10
J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Update 6


I restarted and downloaded the latest Java without the toolbar

I have attached the CodeStuff Starter and Servies HTML Files:


Thanks again for your help.

Please let me know what I need to do with the documents I attached.


Thanks !

Please open CodeStuff starter back up.

Click the Startups tab and disable all of the follow:
AGRSMMSG
HotKeysCmds
HP Software Update
IgfxTray
QuickTime Task
Service Manager.lnk
SoundMAX
SoundMAXPnP
WMPNSCFG

Click the services tab, and right-click and "disable" the following services:
Java Quick Starter
LightScribeService Direct Disc Labeling Service
SoundMAX Agent Service


After finishing that, reboot your computer.

You should notice faster startup times and things should be a little smoother.

Can you please tell me how Firefox is running at this point, which may be a different problem.

Appleoddity,

I did as you last posted me to do., and rebooted my computer.

Start up time does not seem any faster. Still takes awhile.

Firefox is running okay, slow to open as always, same as IE.


Please advise what else I could try.


Thanks for your help

This post has been edited by worklifenobalance: Aug 10 2009, 07:43 PM

Hi... Been away and very busy for a while.

Please attach event viewer logs for both System and Application. Here's how:

How to capture an event log and upload it to the forum:

• First, open Event Viewer by clicking Start -> Run -> type eventvwr.msc and press ENTER.
• In the Event Viewer please right click the requested event log (i.e. Application, system, etc...) and click Save Log File As.
• Please save the logfile to your desktop and give it a recognizable name.
• Do this for each log that has been requested.
• When you are finished saving the necessary logs, close Event Viewer.
• On your desktop find the saved log files. Hold the CTRL key and click to select each event log.
• When all event logs are selected, right-click one of them, click Send to -> Compressed Zip Folder.
• A new .ZIP file will have been created on your desktop. Please attach that file to this forum in your next reply.

I have attached event viewer logs for both System and Application. Let me know my next step please.


Thanks!

Dear Appleoddity,

I am still waiting on a reply and have sent you several messages. I upgraded my Laptop to 2GB of Ram a few weeks ago and it still is slow.
Can you or someone on the Tech Team please reply.


Thanks !

This post has been edited by worklifenobalance: Nov 25 2009, 12:10 PM

Hello.. Sorry about losing track of this thread. I got your private messages but it was not a good time for me at the time and I passed over the thread for a while.

In your previous posting of your event logs, you saved them in the wrong format. You saved them in a .csv format and I can't really work with that.

Please make sure that you save as type ".EVT" when you save those logs. Then I can open them and look at them just like they were on your computer in event viewer.

As soon as you get that posted, I'll take a look at those and try to help you further. Thanks for your patience.

I'm glad to hear you upgraded the memory. That should've made a large improvement overall in performance. I'm surprised to hear you say it is still slow. Certainly, it is not AS slow as it was?