Weird problem... mouse lags, system slows down for a few seconds...

[eyor]

I have been having a weird problem lately... I am unable to figure out what it is, and am unsure of whether anyone here would know unless they have had the same problem, but here goes...

Every once in a while my system will kinda hang for a minute... that is, everything slows down, and I hear the hard drive become active for a few seconds... and when I try to move the mouse it is finnicky and drags around like there is a weight on it... This happens randomly, and is extremely annoying!

My thoughts: Problem with the hard drive? Buggy program running in background(ICQ?)? Weird virus? ...can't think of anything else... has anyone else every experienced a similar problem?

My computer:
Abit KT7
Duron 600 currently @ 935 (4.25x220)
V3 3000
Quantum Fireball LM 15GIG
Linksys etherfast NIC w/ cable net connection

Program running when I hit ctrl+alt+del:
Explorer
ICQ
Realplay
Systray
Point32

Nothing suspicious there... but what is "point32"?

LMK if you need more info... thanks for any help!

 

[eyor]

update: hmm, now that I pay more attention to it, it does seem to happen when the computer is doing something, such as when I hit the reply button to post a message here... maybe the problem is with my mouse, or mouse driver...

 

[Nemi]

My guess is you have a USB mouse? Make sure that you have DMA checked in the system properties of your HDD. Without DMA checked, HDD's take up quite a bit of CPU cycles and often cause a lagging mouse cursor. Hope this helps.

EDIT: Point32 is a mouse driver program from M$.

 

[eyor]

It is USB but I use the PS2 converter... DMA is checked.

...MS mouse program, eh? ...that may be my problem, seeing as I have a Logitech mouse... hehe... better find that logitech driver...

 

[SammyBoy]

this happens to me ALL the time. I have a usb mouse but I can tell you that isnt the problem. My computer is a lot worse than yours and sometimes my floppy even becomes active, EXTREMELY annoying, especially during games. If you figure out why this happens PLEASE PM me,

Thanks,
Sam

 

[Unsickle]

Make sure all unnecessary network protocols are disabled/uninstalled. I know that in Win9x machines some people have periodic pulses of lag when they have both TCP/IP and IPX simultaneously.

On a related note, I run Win2K and every time I close a browser window there is a lag. Any help here?

 

[Possum]

I've got a similar problem, except my hard drive doesn't become active. If an mp3 or CD (played with Digital enabled in CD-ROM properties) is playing, that will also give a pause/stutter sound. This doesn't seem to happen right away either, about an hour after my computer's been on (and doing nothing but RC5 too). I also have a Logitech mouse using the ps2 adapter through the PS2 port. Problems stay with either the generic PS/2 drivers or the Logitech drivers.

 

[eyor]

Okay, here is what I think(hope) happened:
I downloaded MS drivers for the mouse because someone here reccommended that when I asked about using the wheel in games... when my cpu was being used heavily (hence the hard drive being active) the mouse would screw up, due to having a slightly incompatible driver somehow... I now have the logitech driver, and a patch for the wheel in games issue... things seem to be working fine, but I can not tell for sure yet... I hope that was my problem.

Ben: I do have IPX enabled, and I don't think I need it... exactly what is IPX used for, anyways?

 

[Unsickle]

IPX was for way old LAN games like duke, I believe.

I never install it nowadays.

 

[eyor]

Oh, thanks... btw, check your site's stats... you're gettin 5 extra hits from me each day...



Unfortunately, I *still* am having this problem.. the driver change did not help it...

 

[Kaan]

This happened once to me too!

I finally managed to pin it down to the Logitech mouseware that came with my mouse.

I just uninstalled it and everything was back to normal. (I have to live without a few features, but that's OK).