Slow and lagging computer

i was just in the Malware section getting help from CatByte and she says my system was clear and to go to you guys.
http://forums.whatthetech.com/index.php?sh…113357&st=0 <— was the topic we chatted on.
Basically when im just chatting on my messanger or playing a game, or watching movie, or just sitting here playing solitare…. my computer will randomly have a spike lag (everything freezes for a good 15 second then jumps to the previous moment) or lag in general when doing about anything.
Im not sure what it is, help me? :S

Hello SakiKitty, Sorry to hear you're having problems. Could you provide specific details about the make and model of your machine and other specifications including CPU, RAM and Hard drives? Have you noticed any odd behaviour leading up to these problems and have you experienced any other seemingly unrelated issues? Cheers, Nahumi

I have a Dell C521 with an AMD Sempron processor 3400+, 1.80GHz, 2.34 GB of RAM No i havent noticed any odd behavior leading up to this, it was kind of spontaneous really and as for unrelated issues, im having trouble with my internet provider but thats about it. I hope this helped.

Okay,

What I'm going to get you to do is run a PCPitstop test so that I can see exactly what applications are running :

Please use IE for the next steps. Chrome or Firefox aren't supported unfortunately.

Head over to http://www.pcpitstop.com/betapit/

At the top left of the page it should say "Sign up FREE". Click the button and create an account. Don't worry, it really is free.

Use your e-mail address and password to login.

Go back to http://www.pcpitstop.com/betapit and click the green button that says "Scan this system Now!"

The tests will take a few minutes and you will see some flashing shapes on your screen. If you suffer from epilepsy or are susceptible to nausea or motion sickness, try not to look at the screen whilst it does these graphical tests.

Once you are presented with your results please copy the URL at the top of the IE browser screen and paste it in your next post.


From that I should have a pretty good indication of the health of your system. Hopefully it is an easy fix, but we'll see.

Holy carp** you werent kidding about the "If you suffer from epilepsy or are susceptible to nausea or motion sickness, try not to look at the screen whilst it does these graphical tests." That was trippy Dx
Anyway,

http://www.pcpitstop.com/betapit/sec.asp?conid=23766643

Edit: there was like 6 problems but i fixed them and now i have 2 left that i cannot find updates to =/

Okay, after having a look there are a few areas which need to be dealt with.

First is the two out of date drivers. I'm assuming that you aren't using your modem, so we can leave that. But it is fairly important to update your Network Card drivers.

Just go to the website below and click on "Windows XP(32-bit)"
http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/4401.php

Install the driver and restart your PC.


The second thing I noticed is that you have 6 anti-spyware, anti-malware and anti-virus applications installed. This is a bit overkill and might be causing some compatibility problems. Stick with just one package, either Kaspersky or Windows OneCare, and uninstall the rest for now.

At this point, I would advise you to make a backup of all your important files and documents. If updating the drivers and reducing the amount of anti-viral applications installed doesn't work, the next steps include some regular hardware tests and then system restores. There is a possibility that you may lose some files in either of these events, so make sure you back everything up.

The WindowsOneCare isnt an actual antivirus, its a scanner for msn messanger (for when people send you files it does a quick scan of it). Everything else i have is Malwarebytes for my malware problems, i have CCleaner for my temp files and i have SpyBot scanner for my registry problems…. i like to be through out. My Kaspersky is out of its licence now and i dont have 40$ to renew it so im just using it for its internet security Since its cant update anymore.

Okay, I've just had a look at the Windows Live OneCare website. Although it's released with the rest of the Live software, it doesn't just apply to downloads via Windows Live Messenger. It is also a redundant piece of software and has been replaced by Windows Security Essentials since mid 2009. Just out of security reasons it might be an idea to replace Windows Live OneCare with the new package.

http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/

Anyway, going back to the more immediate problems. I've had another look at the PC Pitstop report. I'm guessing you ran it again since you update the network drivers and I notice that there is an "unknown" process running. It's using a lot of your system resources and would certainly explain the sluggishness of your machine. Upon a closer look it turns out to be Perfect World. Do you often run this game in the background whilst doing other things?

No not often at all. My computer is generally sluggish without perfectworld being played.

So is there anything else you need me to do? just wondernig since you havent replied in a while.

Sorry, I was literally just about to write a reply. A spike can sometimes be a sign that the components aren't able to run correctly. Before we try a software based solution, it might be worth checking that your hardware is working correctly. Although PC Pitstop tends to give some good indications of whether a machine is running correctly, more detailed tests may be in order. First off, I'd advise that you check that all the fans on your machine are working properly. Having a look at the Dell website, it seems that you have a fairly compact computer case. This is good for saving space, but it does mean it can get prone to dust build up. If you're comfortable with having a look at your machine, please follow these instructions: 1. Shut down your machine and unplug it from the mains. 2. Allow the machine at least 30 minutes to cooldown sufficiently 3. Put the case on a suitable work surface, a desk or table will suffice. 4. Use a screwdriver to unsrew the screws at the back of the case and slide off the panel. 5. Make sure you touch the inside of the case, and don't wear and insulating shoes or polyester clothing. You need to make sure that you don't damage the components with electro-static shocks. 6. Look for a large Power unit at the top back of the case. This should have a large fan and is the main component in your machine that keeps the air flowing. Look at the bottom of the Power unit from inside the case, as well as the back of the outside. Look for any dust build up. Don't just blow the dust off, this may damage the fan or power unit itself. If it needs cleaning, grab yourself a tooth pick to hold the fan still whilst you clean it with a cotton swab. 7. Look around the rest of the case for any other fans or dust build up. Pay close attention to the large black block in the middle of the machine. This should house the heatsink for the CPU. If it's completely blocked with dust, use a cotton swab again or gently blow to dislodge any dust. There might also be a fan at the front of the case near the CPU Heatsink. 8. Replace the screws and plug your machine back in. 9. Make sure that air is flowing out of the back-top of the machine. If that all checks out, then I'll talk you through doing some more intensive hardware tests.

Ok i did that, there was a ton of dust xP i also couldnt find a screwdriver to do what you said so i just made due with my QTips.

Okay. I'm guessing your machine is still having problems?

The spike lags are a tad bit less, but still occuring =/

Sorry for the late reply again.

Just a few more tests to make sure that all the hardware is working fine.

Firstly, lets check the temperatures of your machine :

1. Please turn off your machine.
2. Turn it back on and start pressing F1 or F2 to enter the BIOS. If neither of these work, the first screen that comes up as the machine turns on should tell you what button to press.
3. Once in the BIOS, look for a PC Health section, or something similar.
4. Please note down the temperatures for the machine and post them here.
5. Press F10 to save and exit the BIOS


Secondly, we should try testing your RAM :

1. Please download Memtest86 :

http://www.memtest86.com/memtest86-3.5.iso.zip

2. If you don't have a Disc Burning program, download Imgburn:

http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download

3. Install Imgburn and burn Memtest86 to a spare blank CD.
4. After the CD is burnt, place it in your machine and restart it.
5. Enter the BIOS again by pressing F1 or F2 and enter Boot Priority.
6. Make sure that your CD/DVD Drive has the first boot priority. Press F10 to Save and Exit again.
7. Your machine should now boot from the CD. Follow the onscreen instructions to test your RAM.

Try doing the tests a few times to make sure it's all okay.

Let me know if there are any errors. If the RAM tests are okay and the temperatures are fine, we'll move onto trying a defrag or optimising your page filing.