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#1
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XP Startup glitch and slow downloads
Hello, I was hoping someone here could help me with this problem I'm
having. Firstly my system specs: OS: WINDOWS XP SERVICE PACK 1 PROCESSOR: AMD64 3200+ MOTHERBOARD: MSI NEO PLATINUM K8N RAM: 1GB KINGSTON 3700 HARDRIVES: 74 GB WESTERN DIGITAL RAPTOR and 80GB WD CAVIAR VIDEO CARD: MSI RADEON 9800XT SOUNDCARD: TURTLE BEACH SANTA CRUZ ROUTER: DLINK DI-784 NETWORK INTERFACE CARD: DLINK DWL-AG530 CABLE MODEM: RCA DCM305R OTHER: NORTON SECURITY AND ANTIVIRUS 2004 WITH LATEST UPDATES Here's the problem: On startup, when I get to the logon screen if I don't hit ok right away and sometimes when I do I will have problems with starting Windows correctly. It will go to the desktop, load my icons, and the only item in the system tray will be the remove hardware icon. The one with the green arrow pointing left. I can tell this is an abnormal startup right away because it should load Norton Security and Antivirus along with the speak icon for volume control. For some strange reason that safely remove hardware icon is always in system tray. If I open it up the only item listed is my WD Raptor hardrive. Besides not loading programs correctly it seems to just lock up and won't respond to any input aside form alt ctrl del. I try to open task manager and it just stalls and never does. The only thing I'm able to do is restart or shutdown. I'm forced to restart. I put this system together a few months ago and I have been having this problem daily since. I have heard that AMD processors are picky about their calibration with your system RAM. Could this be the culprit? If so, how do I calibrate it? Another problem, possibly related: My arrangement with the hardrives is to install all programs on my faster Raptor drive and store data files on my older 80GB caviar drive. When I right click the desktop or within folders to create new folders or adjust things I get a delay. This delay averages about 4 seconds. It can get very annoying to say the least. It seems even with all this firepower of a system I am having the worst performance I have ever gotten from one. It seems the longer I keep it running, the more tasks I do, the slower and laggier the system starts to become until finally something causes it to freeze up and force me to reboot. I was wondering if perhaps there are too many services running in the background that are eating up my memory and causing conflicts. I used to run Windows 2000 and never had any problems like this. That system seemed rock solid compared to this. In addition to this, I'm also having a problem with slow downloads when using peer to peer programs like kazaalite or shareaza. It shows in the program logs that most of my connections are lost or closed. Most that do initiate decay to a rate of 0kb/sec and close. Another older computer downstairs running Win2000 has the same problem even when connected directly to the cable modem. A Mac Laptop we have seems to work alright when connected directly to the modem but shows the same problem when connected wirelessly. Browsing the internet and downloading large files from an internet server works fine, but not peer to peer connections. Does anybody know why this is? I see that the Mac uses a network protocol called IPv6. I tried to replicate the success on my windows machines by installing this protocol but no such luck. I opened up the necessary ports in the router and I know it should work because it was working at a previous time with these same router settings. I found a similar thread in another google group:http://groups.google.com/groups?q=sl...rld.com&rnum=1 The person seemed to fix the problem with a cable switch. But isn't the router supposed to do the job of a cable switch? It seems like yet another thing that can go wrong to me. If worse comes to worse I may try this route though. I was getting this same exact problem with a different router and card made by LINKSYS. The strangest thing about this problem is that it was working on my new system just a few weeks ago. All of a sudden it's not working. Previously I was getting total rates with all transfers of up to 1MB per sec on shareaza. Shareaza and WinMX would work but kazaalite wouldn't. Now none are working. I called my ISP and they did a ping test which averaged 5ms. They said everything is fine on their side and that I can theoretically have 3MB of bandwidth. I asked them if they block P2P transfers and they said no. So I'm truly baffled now, I don't know what is the problem. I've tried a registry cleanup program, defragmenting my hardrives, and removing some background services with an XP tweak program. All to no avail though I've noticed some significant performance increases. It seems strange to me that a new system with all this power can be more sluggish and laggy than systems many years older and a mac laptop with far less power. All the power is worth nothing without efficiency. Lastly, is there a tweak or windows xp guide that you could recommend that may help me alleviate my issues? After spending the money and time building this system I would like to get the performance I know it's capable of. Any help would be greatly appreciated. |
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#3
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XP Startup glitch and slow downloads
Chuck wrote in message . ..
On 29 Nov 2004 08:50:55 -0800, (Lex) wrote: Hello, I was hoping someone here could help me with this problem I'm having. Firstly my system specs: OS: WINDOWS XP SERVICE PACK 1 PROCESSOR: AMD64 3200+ MOTHERBOARD: MSI NEO PLATINUM K8N RAM: 1GB KINGSTON 3700 HARDRIVES: 74 GB WESTERN DIGITAL RAPTOR and 80GB WD CAVIAR VIDEO CARD: MSI RADEON 9800XT SOUNDCARD: TURTLE BEACH SANTA CRUZ ROUTER: DLINK DI-784 NETWORK INTERFACE CARD: DLINK DWL-AG530 CABLE MODEM: RCA DCM305R OTHER: NORTON SECURITY AND ANTIVIRUS 2004 WITH LATEST UPDATES SNIP It seems the longer I keep it running, the more tasks I do, the slower and laggier the system starts to become until finally something causes it to freeze up and force me to reboot. I was wondering if perhaps there are too many services running in the background that are eating up my memory and causing conflicts. I used to run Windows 2000 and never had any problems like this. That system seemed rock solid compared to this. In addition to this, I'm also having a problem with slow downloads when using peer to peer programs like kazaalite or shareaza. It shows in the program logs that most of my connections are lost or closed. Most that do initiate decay to a rate of 0kb/sec and close. Another older computer downstairs running Win2000 has the same problem even when connected directly to the cable modem. A Mac Laptop we have seems to work alright when connected directly to the modem but shows the same problem when connected wirelessly. Browsing the internet and downloading large files from an internet server works fine, but not peer to peer connections. Does anybody know why this is? I see that the Mac uses a network protocol called IPv6. I tried to replicate the success on my windows machines by installing this protocol but no such luck. I opened up the necessary ports in the router and I know it should work because it was working at a previous time with these same router settings. SNIP Lastly, is there a tweak or windows xp guide that you could recommend that may help me alleviate my issues? After spending the money and time building this system I would like to get the performance I know it's capable of. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Lex, For an overall diagnosis, try http://www.pcpitstop.com/default.asp. You would also do well for yourself by running a comprehensive virus and spyware scan. Try one or more of these free online virus scans, which should complement your current protection: http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/license.php http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/ http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp Now check for, and learn to defend against, additional problems - adware, crapware, spyware. Start by downloading each of the following additional free tools: AdAware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ CWShredder http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html HijackThis http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=3155 LSP-Fix http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm WinsockXPFix http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html Spybot S&D http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download Stinger http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=stinger TrendMicro Engine http://www.trendmicro.com/download/dcs.asp TrendMicro Signatures http://www.trendmicro.com/download/pattern.asp TrendMicro Instructions http://www.trendmicro.com/ftp/products/tsc/readme.txt Create a separate folder for HijackThis, such as C:\HijackThis - copy the downloaded file there. Create a separate folder for the two TrendMicro files, such as C:\TrendMicro - copy the downloaded files there (unzipped if necessary). AdAware, CWShredder, and Spybot S&D have install routines - run them. The other downloaded programs can be copied into, and run from, any convenient folder. First, run Stinger. Have it remove any problems found. Next, close all Internet Explorer and Outlook windows, and run CWShredder. Have it fix all problems found. Next, disable System Restore. http://vil.nai.com/vil/SystemHelpDocs/DisableSysRestore.htm Boot your computer into Safe Mode. http://support.microsoft.com/?id=315222 Run C:\TrendMicro\Sysclean.com. Delete any infectors found. Reboot your computer, and re enable System Restore. Next, run AdAware. First update it ("Check for updates now"), configure for full scan (http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=11150), then scan. When scanning finishes, remove all Critical Objects found. Next, run Spybot S&D. First update it ("Search for updates"), then run a scan ("Check for problems"). Trust Spybot, and delete everything ("Fix Problems") that is displayed in Red. Then, run HijackThis ("Scan"). Do NOT make any changes immediately. Save the HJT Log. http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=227 http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=11150 Finally, have your HJT log interpreted by experts at one or more of the following security forums (and please post a link to your forum posts, here): Aumha: http://forum.aumha.org/index.php Net-Integration: http://forums.net-integration.net/ Spyware Info: http://forums.spywareinfo.com/ Spyware Warrior: http://spywarewarrior.com/index.php Tom Coyote: http://forums.tomcoyote.org/ If removal of any spyware affects your ability to access the internet (some spyware builds itself into the network software, and its removal may damage your network), run LSP-Fix and / or WinsockXPFIx. Finally, improve your chances for the future. Harden your browser. There are various websites which will check for vulnerabilities, here are three which I use. http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/ http://bcheck.scanit.be/bcheck/ https://testzone.secunia.com/browser_checker/ Block Internet Explorer ActiveX scripting from hostile websites (Restricted Zone). https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/main.htm (IE-SpyAd) Block known dangerous scripts from installing. http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html Block known spyware from installing. http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html Make sure that the spyware detection / protection products that you use are reliable: http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm Harden your operating system. Check at least monthly for security updates. http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ Block possibly dangerous websites with a Hosts file. Three Hosts file sources I use: http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/get_hosts.html http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm (The third is included, and updated, with Spybot (see above)). Maintain your Hosts file (merge / eliminate duplicate entries) with: eDexter http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/get_hosts.html Hostess http://accs-net.com/hostess/ Secure your operating system, and applications. Don't use, or leave activated, any accounts with names or passwords with trivial (guessable) values. Don't use an account with administrative authority, except when you're intentionally doing administrative tasks. Use common sense. Yours. Don't install software based upon advice from unknown sources. Don't install free software, without researching it carefully. Don't open email unless you know who it's from, and how and why it was sent. Educate yourself. Know what the risks are. Stay informed. Read Usenet, and various web pages that discuss security problems. Check the logs from the security products that you use regularly, look for things that don't belong, and take action when necessary. How did I get infected in the first place? http://forums.net-integration.net/in...showtopic=3051 Essential tips for infection prevention http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=24339 Thanks Chuck. I am going to try all these to see if it fixes it. |
#4
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XP Startup glitch and slow downloads
On 4 Dec 2004 13:58:27 -0800, *email_address_deleted* (Lex) wrote:
SNIP Thanks Chuck. I am going to try all these to see if it fixes it. YW, Lex. The key to finding your problem, IMHO, is HijackThis and expert advice. Please post a link to your forum (expert advice) posts here, so we can see how it goes. And please don't contribute to the spread and success of email address mining viruses. Posting your email address openly will get you more unwanted email, than wanted email. Learn to munge your email address properly, to keep yourself a bit safer when posting to open forums. Protect yourself and the rest of the internet - read this article. http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm -- Cheers, Chuck Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing. |
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