A sudden system slow down (Windows XP Home)

I started up my machine this morning to check my email,
but as soon as I got past the loading page and onto the
welcome screen, I noticed that every page that opens does
not open immediately like it did the night before. They
open like a blind. Everything from opening new windows,
pages and dialog boxes seem to scroll open instead of
appearing immediately, and everything keeps refreshing
itself as if it can't keep up.
As I was getting to this section to type this message on
the net, when using the bar on the right hand side to
scroll down on different pages, the whole image keeps
refreshing as if it cant keep up with me scrolling!

Is there something wrong with my systems memory to make
it run so slow?
I do not think I have changed any settings recently that
would make this happen!
No performance enhancing features have been touched, but
my machine is more than capable of dealing with them even
if they were all switched on!
All I have done is change desktop pictures, and made
adjustments to my display size. I have downloaded a few
plug-ins (Quick-Time, Shockwave) and installed Norton
anti-virus 2003, and last night I listened to some radio
stations through Windows Media Player and that's about it.

I have re-booted and done a check-disk on start-up, and a
complete virus scan. I have also defragmented the drive,
but still, it's behaving as if it does not have enough
memory. Nightmare! Aaahhhhhh!
(I have not done system restore yet)

Is there a memory fault?
I would be very grateful for any help.

Ben;
Does this apply:
Some computers have issues with 811493 causing a slowdown, others do
not.
The issue seems to be a conflict with Windows Update 811493 and
antivirus applications.
Similar issues reported with McAfee, Norton, EZ Trust and possibly
others.
Uninstall 811493 from Control Panel Add/Remove Programs.
If a warning comes up about other applications, ignore it.
Uninstalling through Add/Remove Programs is far better than System
Restore to remove an application or fix.
Microsoft has stated they are working on the cause, so hopefully we
will get some definitive solution real soon.
Watch this link for status changes on this patch:

*****Microsoft UPDATED this page 28 May 2003*****
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=819634

This may apply if you recently installed Windows XP Service Pack 1:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;Q815411

Otherwise:
Run an updated virus scan.
Run Disk Cleanup checking all boxes except "Compress old files"
Run Defrag.
If you have file sharing software such as Kazaa, disable it.
Check this link:
http://www.aumha.org/a/noads.php
Run Ad-Aware (free version) or Spybot to check for spywa
http://www.lavasoft.de/ (Update if you already have it)
Or
http://spybot.eon.net.au/ (Update if you already have it)

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/p...oups/setup.asp
Please respond to newsgroup only for everyone's benefit.


"Ben" wrote in message
...
I started up my machine this morning to check my email,
but as soon as I got past the loading page and onto the
welcome screen, I noticed that every page that opens does
not open immediately like it did the night before. They
open like a blind. Everything from opening new windows,
pages and dialog boxes seem to scroll open instead of
appearing immediately, and everything keeps refreshing
itself as if it can't keep up.
As I was getting to this section to type this message on
the net, when using the bar on the right hand side to
scroll down on different pages, the whole image keeps
refreshing as if it cant keep up with me scrolling!

Is there something wrong with my systems memory to make
it run so slow?
I do not think I have changed any settings recently that
would make this happen!
No performance enhancing features have been touched, but
my machine is more than capable of dealing with them even
if they were all switched on!
All I have done is change desktop pictures, and made
adjustments to my display size. I have downloaded a few
plug-ins (Quick-Time, Shockwave) and installed Norton
anti-virus 2003, and last night I listened to some radio
stations through Windows Media Player and that's about it.

I have re-booted and done a check-disk on start-up, and a
complete virus scan. I have also defragmented the drive,
but still, it's behaving as if it does not have enough
memory. Nightmare! Aaahhhhhh!
(I have not done system restore yet)

Is there a memory fault?
I would be very grateful for any help.

On Wed, 28 May 2003 10:22:03 -0700, "Ben"
wrote :

I started up my machine this morning to check my email,=20
but as soon as I got past the loading page and onto the=20
welcome screen, I noticed that every page that opens does=20
not open immediately like it did the night before. They=20
open like a blind. Everything from opening new windows,=20
pages and dialog boxes seem to scroll open instead of=20
appearing immediately, and everything keeps refreshing=20
itself as if it can't keep up.
As I was getting to this section to type this message on=20
the net, when using the bar on the right hand side to=20
scroll down on different pages, the whole image keeps=20
refreshing as if it cant keep up with me scrolling!

You will be told that update 811493 may cause this on some
machines if you have AV software installed, and this is true, but
quite a few people also get these symptoms when 811493 has been
uninstalled or never installed. There is another problem with XP
that hasn't yet been addressed that causes slowdown problems
intermittently on some machines. Wish I knew what it was - I've
gone through the whole rigmarole of cleaning the machine, running
spy/adware cleaners etc, but I still get the problem. I don't
have Q811493 installed, I'm fully defragged, empty temp folders,
empty temp internet files, empty caches, disabled all unused or
unneeded processes/procedures, disabled windows messenger
including disabling it in Outlook, I even emptied prefetch and
let it rebuild, but nothing makes any difference.

Eg, it takes 5 or 6 secs for windows explorer to open, then it
opens in two stages - firstly it displays the drive and folder I
open it in from the shortcut: (%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e,
d:\Download), then about 3 to 5 seconds later, it displays the
other drives (C, E, F and the DVD and CD). If I then right
click on a file in windows explorer, it takes a few seconds for
the drop down menu to appear, then as I move the mouse pointer
down through the menu to highlight options, as it passes through
"send-to" the highlight pauses there for 3 or 4 seconds, even
though the mouse pointer has moved on down.

Strangely enough, once programs have opened, they seem to run at
normal speed. I actually think it is a cache problem, because if
I immediately repeat a procedure which has had a delay, the delay
isn't there anymore. Later, after doing some work or opening
other windows, it comes back again.

I can live with it, but it is a real pain, and makes XP a real
slug compared to 98SE. Anyone have any ideas?
--=20
Regards,
Peter Wilkins

Peter Wilkins wrote:
On Wed, 28 May 2003 10:22:03 -0700, "Ben"
wrote :


I started up my machine this morning to check my email,
but as soon as I got past the loading page and onto the
welcome screen, I noticed that every page that opens does
not open immediately like it did the night before. They
open like a blind. Everything from opening new windows,
pages and dialog boxes seem to scroll open instead of
appearing immediately, and everything keeps refreshing
itself as if it can't keep up.
As I was getting to this section to type this message on
the net, when using the bar on the right hand side to
scroll down on different pages, the whole image keeps
refreshing as if it cant keep up with me scrolling!


You will be told that update 811493 may cause this on some
machines if you have AV software installed, and this is true, but
quite a few people also get these symptoms when 811493 has been
uninstalled or never installed. There is another problem with XP
that hasn't yet been addressed that causes slowdown problems
intermittently on some machines. Wish I knew what it was - I've
gone through the whole rigmarole of cleaning the machine, running
spy/adware cleaners etc, but I still get the problem. I don't
have Q811493 installed, I'm fully defragged, empty temp folders,
empty temp internet files, empty caches, disabled all unused or
unneeded processes/procedures, disabled windows messenger
including disabling it in Outlook, I even emptied prefetch and
let it rebuild, but nothing makes any difference.

Eg, it takes 5 or 6 secs for windows explorer to open, then it
opens in two stages - firstly it displays the drive and folder I
open it in from the shortcut: (%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e,
d:\Download), then about 3 to 5 seconds later, it displays the
other drives (C, E, F and the DVD and CD). If I then right
click on a file in windows explorer, it takes a few seconds for
the drop down menu to appear, then as I move the mouse pointer
down through the menu to highlight options, as it passes through
"send-to" the highlight pauses there for 3 or 4 seconds, even
though the mouse pointer has moved on down.

Strangely enough, once programs have opened, they seem to run at
normal speed. I actually think it is a cache problem, because if
I immediately repeat a procedure which has had a delay, the delay
isn't there anymore. Later, after doing some work or opening
other windows, it comes back again.

I can live with it, but it is a real pain, and makes XP a real
slug compared to 98SE. Anyone have any ideas?

I don't know if this is the best solution, but I popped in the
installation CD and reinstalled SP Pro. Made all the difference in the
world. Problem is, I don't know why it slowed down in the first place,
your experience and that of Ben pretty much mirror my troubles.

It sure would be nice to know what it is...

Tom - Vista, CA

On Wed, 28 May 2003 18:19:10 -0700, TOM wrote :


I don't know if this is the best solution, but I popped in the=20
installation CD and reinstalled SP Pro. Made all the difference in the=20
world. Problem is, I don't know why it slowed down in the first place,=20
your experience and that of Ben pretty much mirror my troubles.

It sure would be nice to know what it is...

Hi Tom,

Yeah, I did a complete clean reinstall of XP Pro, also had to
reinstall all my other software too, of course, and it was OK for
a while, but once I did all the XP updates less 811493, the
slowdown is back.....

I might think about following my son's advice...
Trash windows.
Install Linux.
But I'm too bloody old to learn a new OS. Grrr.
--=20
Regards,
Peter Wilkins