PC very slow to respond to actions and browsing

I'm helping a neighbour with her Dell Inspiron Mini 1012, Windows 7 Starter SP1, 32-bit, Intel Atom CPU N450 1.66GHz, 1.Gb RAM The initial problem was that she could not access her webmail; I determined that in fact no javascript links would work. This was dealt with in the Malware forum < javascript links blocked > Tomk who helped me in Malware asked me to check response when he had done all he could on the malware side and then asked me to post the sluggish response in this forum. Near the end of that topic, I quoted some performance issues. I ran the Dell and my own Gateway notebook both connected to the Internet via my Pocket WiFI wireless modem. I found that opening the Qantas.com site (used for flight bookings) took 90 seconds on the Dell and 5 seconds on my PC; opening google.com.au (the home page on the Dell) took 20 seconds on the Dell and 2 seconds on my PC. I also ran PCMark7 on the Dell and got the score: 486 PCMarks with Intel GMA 3150(1x) and Intel® Atom™ CPU N450 @ 1.66GHz. I can provide the full results info if that would be useful. When I used my USB drive to transfer files between the Dell and my PC, I found that it took 15 seconds for the list of drives to pop-up when I clicked on the icon to safely remove the drive. This is typical and trying to start any program can take anyhting up to a minute. Your help to make this Dell more responsive would be appreciated. Note: the Dell doesn't have a CD/DVD drive so I transfer files via USB drive.

http://www.malwareremoval.com/tutorials/runningslowly.php

1.Gb RAM

this is a problem, as well.

Download Autoruns from the link in my signature below:
1: Extract the Autoruns Zip file contents to a folder.
2: Double-click the "Autoruns.exe".
3: Click on the "Everything" tab
4: Remove any entries that mention "File Not Found" by right-clicking the entry and select Delete.
5: Go to File then to Export As or Save in some versions.
6: Save AutoRuns.txt file to known location like your Desktop.
7: Attach to your next reply.

Hi uchkur, I've run all the applicable housekeeping in that reference. So far I haven't noticed a great difference. But I'll keep checking. The Dell 1012 is a netbook which has 1 memory slot and can have a 1 or 2Gb stick. Do you think using a USB drive and ReadyBoost would help? Kangaroo

I would have to agree that the 1 gig of memory may be the biggest part of your issue. That is the bare minimum Win7 runs on so increasing it to 2 gigs would really help. We can help with stopping some of the background autoruns also.

Hi rshaffer61, I've downloaded Autoruns and run it. I deleted the "file not found entries" except mfeavfk01 (Error deleting start setting. The specified service does not exist as an installed service.) The Autoruns.txt file is attached as requested. Kangaroo

Open Autoruns, click on "Logon" tab, and UN-check:

+ "Adobe Reader Speed Launcher"
+ "iTunesHelper"
+ "QuickTime Task"
+ "SunJavaUpdateSched"



When done restart computer and then:



Download TFC by OldTimer to your desktop

• Please double-click TFC.exe to run it. (Note: If you are running on Vista, right-click on the file and choose Run As Administrator).
• It will close all programs when run, so make sure you have saved all your work before you begin.
• Click the Start button to begin the process. Depending on how often you clean temp files, execution time should be anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or two. Let it run uninterrupted to completion.
• Once it's finished it should reboot your machine. If it does not, please manually reboot the machine yourself to ensure a complete clean.

Download Auslogics Defrag from the link in my signature below. Auslogics Defrag in my opinion is better because:
It does a more comprehensive job at Defragging
It will actually show you what it is doing
At the end of working it will show you how much speed you picked up
You can view a online log of the files that Auslogics defragged
Please do not run any other Auslogics programs other then this one as they may cause unwanted results.

Hi rshaffer61, Re the RAM; I'm not sure what price Dell put on a 2Gb stick or how easy it is to replace RAM in a netbook. (I have worked on desktops and notebooks before but not netbooks.) Do you think using ReadyBoost with a dedicated USB drive would be an alternative to replacing the 1Gb stick of RAM? Kangaroo

Go to HERE and run the Crucial online scanner.
This will give you the exact memory configuration for your system.
You do not have to buy the memory from there, but write down the information and if you need assistance in finding the upgrade memory WTT can assist with suggestions also.

Hi rshaffer61, I've done the TFC cleanup (total files cleaned 490.00 mb) and downloaded the Auslogics Defrag program. However, I need to dash to the hospital to see my wife now so will run the defrag when I get back this evening and repost then. Thaks for this help. Kangaroo

OK no problem and update us on the speed when done with the defrag also please.

Readyboost will not make any noticeable difference.

Hi Ztruker, Thanks for that; I've often wondered if ReadyBoost was just another MS hype or would actually do some good. Kangaroo

Hi rshaffer61, I've done the Auslogics defrag. I've saved the report; let me know if you want a copy (html or txt, I've got both), please? Auslogics Defrag reported 187 junk files found with 347.74Mb wasted space. I didn't use the "Clean up disks" link to remove these. Should I do that? Also, the System Health tab showed 757 problems: 570 registry errors and 187 junk files. Do I need to and, if so, how do I fix the registry errors? Speed seems to be much more responsive, thanks. Google.com.au opened in less than 5 seconds; qantas.com.au loaded, including flash, in about 15 seconds and ancestry.com.au loaded in about 5 seconds (some of these were up to 90 seconds previously). The Crucial scan online seemd to be for the wrong model (my selection from drop-downs); it offered 256 or 512Mb sticks in 1 slot. I downloaded the CrucialScan.exe and ran it to get the right results: offered a 2Gb stick (both an 800, which is the spec for this netbook, and a 667 for $32.99 each (I assume US dollars plus shipping). The scan took 20 seconds. I await your advice about the Auslogics System Health results. Kangaroo

A stick of laptop ram fpr that computer: (200pin) 2GB 800MHz DDR2 is available here in Oz at iIsdirect for $32. Laptop ram is very simple to install: How to Install Laptop Memory.

Replacing the 1GB of ram with a 2GB stick will make the world of difference!

Cheers,
Lee