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#1
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clicking on the Start menu is slow
When I click on the Start button, it usually takes a few minutes for
the menu to appear. Other than that, my computer runs at an acceptable speed - it's just the Start menu that's inordinately slow. My question is... why might this be happening and is there anything I might be able to do to "fix" it? |
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#2
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clicking on the Start menu is slow
I would suspect malware on your system. Do a google search for
Spybot Search and Destroy and Adaware. They both have free versions. If you have changed or added anything ( software or programs ) recently, you can try a System Restore. Go to StartAll ProgramsAccessoriesSystem ToolsSystem Restore. Follow the simple instructions and go back to a point prior to having this problem. "yawnmoth" wrote in message ... When I click on the Start button, it usually takes a few minutes for the menu to appear. Other than that, my computer runs at an acceptable speed - it's just the Start menu that's inordinately slow. My question is... why might this be happening and is there anything I might be able to do to "fix" it? |
#3
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clicking on the Start menu is slow
On Aug 21, 10:08*pm, "Rich Barry" wrote:
* * * *I would suspect malware on your system. *Do a google search for Spybot Search and Destroy *and Adaware. *They both have free * * versions. As much as I loathe it, I have Spybot on my system and it hasn't found anything. I've done Google searches on every single process that appears in Windows Task Manager. I've even sniffed packets on this computer for two straight days and found no suspicious activity. My theory is this: I don't have enough RAM for all the applications I have open* and opening the Start menu requires a *.dll be loaded from virtual memory that would normally be loaded from RAM. Thrashing occurs, slowing down my system performance, until the Start menu finally opens. The problem doesn't always occur, mind you. If I click on the Start menu after having done so once before, it's a lot faster. It's just that after taking out of Hibernate, it's slow. At least the first time. What, specifically, I'm wondering, is this: maybe there's some setting that can make the Start menu GDI components more likely to stay in RAM as opposed to being moved to virtual memory? Obviously, per this theory, installing more RAM would be an option, but that would require I reboot the computer. Which is kinda something I'm trying to avoid by using hibernate. |
#4
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clicking on the Start menu is slow
yawnmoth wrote: On Aug 21, 10:08 pm, "Rich Barry" wrote: I would suspect malware on your system. Do a google search for Spybot Search and Destroy and Adaware. They both have free versions. As much as I loathe it, I have Spybot on my system and it hasn't found anything. I've done Google searches on every single process that appears in Windows Task Manager. I've even sniffed packets on this computer for two straight days and found no suspicious activity. My theory is this: I don't have enough RAM for all the applications I have open* and opening the Start menu requires a *.dll be loaded from virtual memory that would normally be loaded from RAM. Thrashing occurs, slowing down my system performance, until the Start menu finally opens. The problem doesn't always occur, mind you. If I click on the Start menu after having done so once before, it's a lot faster. It's just that after taking out of Hibernate, it's slow. At least the first time. What, specifically, I'm wondering, is this: maybe there's some setting that can make the Start menu GDI components more likely to stay in RAM as opposed to being moved to virtual memory? Obviously, per this theory, installing more RAM would be an option, but that would require I reboot the computer. Which is kinda something I'm trying to avoid by using hibernate. The more items you force to remain in memory the worse the rest of the system response is going to be. Perhaps it's time to upgrade/replace? |
#5
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clicking on the Start menu is slow
"yawnmoth" wrote in message
... When I click on the Start button, it usually takes a few minutes for the menu to appear. Other than that, my computer runs at an acceptable speed - it's just the Start menu that's inordinately slow. My question is... why might this be happening and is there anything I might be able to do to "fix" it? "yawnmoth" wrote in message ... My theory is this: I don't have enough RAM for all the applications I have open* and opening the Start menu requires a *.dll be loaded from virtual memory that would normally be loaded from RAM. Thrashing occurs, slowing down my system performance, until the Start menu finally opens. The problem doesn't always occur, mind you. If I click on the Start menu after having done so once before, it's a lot faster. It's just that after taking out of Hibernate, it's slow. At least the first time. Hi "yawnmoth", How many menu items? Right-click Start button, click Open. Right-click the upper left folder icon on the title bar and click Properties. Look at "Contains" and write down the number of "files". Close that folder. Right-click Start button again, and click "Open All Users". Check its properties and number of files, and add those two numbers together, and include that number in your reply message here. Close that folder. When you click the Start button, is your name displayed at the top? Laptop or desktop computer? Does your keyboard have a Windows logo key? What, specifically, I'm wondering, is this: maybe there's some setting that can make the Start menu GDI components more likely to stay in RAM as opposed to being moved to virtual memory? None that I am aware of. Obviously, per this theory, installing more RAM would be an option, but that would require I reboot the computer. Which is kinda something I'm trying to avoid by using hibernate. Care to share the reason why you don't want to turn off the computer? The problem with hibernating your computer every day is that you pick up where you left off, which is good, -IF- all applications were flawless and bug free, but obviously they are not. At least once a week, it is generally a good idea to either completely shut down the computer for awhile, (or reboot it,) and start fresh. Keep in mind that when your computer hibernates, everything in memory is stored on your system drive in the hidden hiberfil.sys file, which is about the same size as the amount of RAM. Increasing the RAM would also increase the hiberfil.sys file, and possibly increase the time it takes to come out of hibernation. It is possible that hiberfil.sys needs to be refreshed. While logged on with an account with Administrator privileges, go to Control Panel, double-click Power Options, click Hibernate tab, UN-check "Enable Hibernation", click OK. Restart your computer. Next, Start Windows XP Disk Defragmenter. (Start [All]Programs Accessories System Tools Disk Defragmenter) Analyze your system drive and save a copy of the report to your desktop as "Defrag1.txt". Defragment your system drive. Save a copy of that report as "Defrag2.txt". Go back to Control Panel Power Options Hibernate, and Checkmark "Enable hibernation". Restart computer. Start Disk Defragmenter and Analyse again, and save a copy of that report to your desktop as "Defrag3.txt". Observe how your computer works for several days. Note the last several things you do each time before hibernating. One thing to do before hibernating is, right-click your taskbar clock and choose Task Manager, and click the Performance tab. Use the "Hibernate" option on the Task Manager Shutdown menu. Check Task Manager when your computer wakes up. In the mean time, you can paste copies of the three Defrag reports in a message here. There may be some additional clues we can use. (For privacy, you may want to edit the reports and substitute UserName every place in the file paths that your user account name appears.) Another thing to do, click Start, click Run, and type: msinfo32 and press Enter. After the System Information appears, press Ctrl+A to Select All. Then, (for privacy,) find the "System Name" item in the right panel, and while holding Ctrl key, click to un-select that. Likewise, find "User Name" further down and Ctrl click that. Then Ctrl+C copy the rest to clipboard. And paste that into a reply here also. Also in that System Information window on the left, click the plus(+) in front of Components, click the plus(+) in front of Storage, click Disks, press Ctrl+A to SelectAll, Ctrl+C to Copy, and paste that into the same message as the previous stuff. And further down on the left, click "Problem Devices", and if any shown, select, copy and paste in the message. And finally, (now that I have you jumping through hoops without saying "Simon says" right-click "My Computer" on your desktop, click Properties, click Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings, click Advanced tab, (we're getting really "advanced" here,) click "Change" button. What are the numbers in "Initial" and "Maximum", and what is "Recommended"? (Press ESC key several times to cancel out of all those dialog panels.) Looking forward to your progress report. (Be Happy, be Very Happy! --Richard |
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