LostInCyberSpace
Topic Starter
Gateway Notebook Model: ML6732
Windows Vista Home Premium 32-Bit
Intel Pentium Dual CPU 1.73 GHz; 3.00 GB RAM; 300 GB HDD (partitioned)
Purchased one month ago. Immediately after unpacking and setting it up and before adding my software, I tried out the preinstalled stuff and thought it was running slow. Ran the Norton's Internet Security trial that was installed and it found a trojan - which I had it delete. I thought that was strange, since the only time I had been online was to setup and update. Thought maybe the Norton's was slowing the system down, so I took it off and put my Zone Alarm on. That didn't speed it up, either.
Turned off the UAC and tried setting the visual display to "Best Performance" - neither of which helped. Installed Ad-aware Pro, Spybot, and Spywareblaster as well and they're not finding anything much - Ad-aware finds a few tracking cookies. Used CCleaner to clean the Internet cache, deleted temp files, etc. all to no avail. Also ran Panda's online scanner and TrendMicro's online scanner. TrendMicro found 1 low priority infection and deleted it. Ran CheckDisk and it said the disk was clean.
Ran PC Pitstop's Overdrive test and it said there were several things wrong, including some outdated drivers; however, when attempting to update them, the system says it has the proper drivers. All Windows updates are current - - can't find the other drivers PCPitstop recommended, but a few days ago, there was an optional update for the Eternet driver - - which I downloaded and installed. Pitstop also showed the CPU usage at 97 percent.
Checked the startup list and reset a few things, but otherwise there doesn't seem to be anything suspicious that I can tell. Have disabled needless processes and set all others to manual except the necessary ones that have to stay at Automatic - - that didn't help things, either. There's something on the computer called "Bigfix" that Gateway installed - - not familar with it and don't know if it's worth keeping. I wonder about it, though. It doesn't seem to be doing anything except using a little resource, but it's always on the taskbar. Thought seriously about uninstalling it - - do you know if it's necessary to keep it?
Also, the computer is very fragmented for some reason, and none of the defrag software I've tried will defrag it (the one with Vista; Defraggler; Disk MD). It leaves massive amounts of fragmentation when it says it's done - - almost 30 GB. A warning popped up on the Desktop a while ago saying CPU usage was 100%. Also, for some reason, the computer tried to delete the Desktop - - I told it to cancel that action and the Recycler was stuck for about half an hour before I turned the machine off with the power button. Programs keep locking up and I have to shut down with the power button - - very discouraging with a new computer. AND the icons on the desktop won't stay where I put them - - about once a day, they are all suddenly in different places.
This is my first experience with Vista and though it's quite beautiful, will it always be this much of a headache? Sometimes it takes up to 15-20 seconds for programs to open???? Before the first attempt to defrag, it was taking 40 seconds or more.
Anyway, when I installed my software on this machine, there was some that Vista didn't take to - - some it wouldn't install at all. Since Print Shop was installed, the CD/DVD player will no longer work unless the computer boots up with a CD in the drive.
I uninstalled all the trial software shortly after I set up the computer. There are still some things I may not need, but since I'm new to Vista, I'm not sure: Windows Contacts; Windows Meeting Space; Acceller (which seems to be a Gateway connection service to help find DSL providers); Google Desktop; Bonjour; Microsoft Silverlight (don't know what that is!). Other than those, there's AOL on the Start Menu - but no option to unistall it and it doesn't show up in the Uninstall function of Control Panel, so I don't know how to get rid of it and it's got gazillions of files all over the place - - also there's that BigFix thing that (I think) is monitoring the computer for problems and updates - - but I'm not really sure - - so far, it hasn't done anything. Any advice on the above will be appreciated. PC PitStop says there are 5 "Crapware" installed, but I don't know what they are. Don't need Windows mail because it's just another thing that wouldn't work on this machine either, so I installed Windows Live Mail; however, can't find a way to uninstall Mail, either.
A couple of nights ago, the computer wouldn't get online. Checking it out - - the computer had turned off the wireless service. I didn't tell it to do this. Now, it does this every time I try to get online - - I have to go through the connection - - then, diagnose connection problem process - - a window comes up saying the system isn't connected and do I want to connect it - - but it also says there's a problem with the EtherNet Driver installed the other day, tNow, there's New Weirdness: The system has only one restore point, created at 1:30 a couple days ago, whilst the max storage space the system says it has is over 43 GB. What's up with that? Tried to reset the maxsize of the shadowcopy allocation space to 10 GB and it says that's an invalid option. Why, then, is 43 GB only enough for ONE restore point.
Should have returned it to the store within the two weeks I had to do so, but I was so busy with a granddaughter's surgery that I didn't have time to check it out thoroughly before the time had expired. Really thought that I could speed it up and work the kinks out, but alas, I have failed. If I can't work all this out, it'll have to go back to Gateway for repair. Aargh! Have tried everything I know or could fine online.
Someone in the Software forum advised me to post this here to see if anyone here thought they could help. I can't afford a Vista CD and the computer didn't come with one. During setup, it had me make recovery CD's and there's a recovery drive - - Drive D. Any suggestions will be appreciated. I wasn't sure whether to download HiJackThis and run a scan until I get directions from someone.
Thanks for the . . . HELP!
Sharon
Lets see what the above does and I can link you to free ones that won't take up as many resources as Norton