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Why does my computer seem so slow?

Y

Yzzim

Lifer
Ok, here's the deal. My computer is slow.

From the time I startup I notice that it's terribly slow. It seems to talk like 5 minutes for Windows to start. Once windows is started and I try to open a program, any program, it seems that once I double-click on the program to open it there's like a 5-7 second pause, then the program will open.

Also, my hard drive transfers seem to be VERY slow. I'm trying to transfer something from my storage drive to my external usb 2.0 hard drive and it takes about 5 seconds PER MP3! Each MP3 is about 3-5mb big. It's just insane, I can't even handle the slowness.

Once my programs are running they seem to be responding just fine. It's just the initial process of getting the application running that seems to be slow. Along with the hard drive transfers.

Here are the system specs:

Athlon XP1600+
Abit KR7A-133
2x256mb Crucial PC2100
Maxtor 20gb 7200rpm hdd (Primary)
Maxtor 40gb 5400rpm hdd (Storage)
Radeon 64MB DDR
SB Live! Value
Promise Ultra 66 ATA IDE card
Linksys 10/100 NIC
Maxtor 4-port USB 2.0 card


I've updated the Via 4-in-1s to the latest as of tonight. I believe it's 4.41 or something around there.

Any help would greatly be appreciated!
 
What OS?? I think the transfer from local HDD to a USB2.0 HDD is pretty alright considering that it's a USB2.0 port.

DEfrag??
 
Originally posted by: pillage2001
What OS?? I think the transfer from local HDD to a USB2.0 HDD is pretty alright considering that it's a USB2.0 port.

DEfrag??
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, WindowsXP pro.

I thought regular USB was 1mb/sec or something? That's what my transfer would have been rated at right now. 5mb mp3 took about 5 seconds to transfer. USB 2.0 was suppose to be faster I thought?

This is a fresh install of Windows XP. Don't have many programs installed at all. Even when I had my "old" P4 system I never defragged and it wasn't this slow.
 
Did you have all the drivers installed?? Your pc became slow after the reinstall? Weird. Is this the first time you're on XP using thsi machine??
 
Did you have all the drivers installed??
Click to expand...

Yeah.

Your pc became slow after the reinstall? Is this the first time you're on XP using thsi machine??
Click to expand...

This is the first time I've had XP on this system. I just got it on the FS/FT board. Never had an OS installed on this system before.

Do you think it could be the SB Live card? I've heard that some people have had problems with them and some haven't.
 
It seems to talk like 5 minutes for Windows to start.
Click to expand...
This could be a device taking forever to respond, you might try booting without the USB drive connected, and perhaps even without a card or two (soundblaster, linksys, promise) or even leave the promise in but detach the drive cable.

I'm trying to transfer something from my storage drive to my external usb 2.0 hard drive and it takes about 5 seconds PER MP3! Each MP3 is about 3-5mb big.
Click to expand...
5 sec = 1 MB / sec = 8-10 mbit / sec = USB 1.1 speed. Either your drive or maxtor card must not be working as 2.0 (might try a different cable?)
 
This could be a device taking forever to respond, you might try booting without the USB drive connected, and perhaps even without a card or two (soundblaster, linksys, promise) or even leave the promise in but detach the drive cable.
Click to expand...
Just got the USB 2.0 card today but the problem has been present ever since I installed XP IIRC. Otherwise the usb drive is usually unplugged.

I'll try taking out the promise card to see if that makes a difference.
 
disble all 3rd party and non important services that are running, make windows boot with only the essential services, go into msconfig and uncheck EVERYTHING in the startup tab, then go into services tab and check the box that says "hide microsoft services" uncheck everything in there, then uncheck that box and uncheck stuff in there that you beleive is not needed (be careful). When your windows first boots there should only be 10 - 15 services running. Make sure boot defrag is enable, defrag hd. I have a 1900xp and mine doesnt boot extremly fast (takes about 20-30secs or so..), I think what makes boot so slow is the hd.
 
This may be an isolated case, but..

my computer use to take 3minutes to boot up (after bios), then i removed my Promise Ultra 100 controller card, and walla, boot times under 1min.. i removed it initially because the controller card's hardrive detection routine was slow as.. and it looks like i got a double bonus by getting rid of it!
 
wait a minute. When you said 5 minute, does that include the time fro mthe POST screen to the startup?? I think the Promise card looks for the drive before windows get to Startup.
 
Originally posted by: pillage2001
wait a minute. When you said 5 minute, does that include the time fro mthe POST screen to the startup?? I think the Promise card looks for the drive before windows get to Startup.
Click to expand...

5 minutes (estimated time) is from the time I push the power button to the time Windows is fully loaded and ready to go.
 
The Promise adapter spends quite a long time looking for devices hooked up to it. Unless you're using the extra IDE ports, I would suggest you removing it or disabling it. It'll cut like 2-3 minutes. 🙂
 
Originally posted by: pillage2001
The Promise adapter spends quite a long time looking for devices hooked up to it. Unless you're using the extra IDE ports, I would suggest you removing it or disabling it. It'll cut like 2-3 minutes. 🙂
Click to expand...

The thing that takes the longest is when the Windows XP screen is loading and that little blue thing goes around and around forever.

When the Promise card is "booting" and looking for devices right after POST, it takes like 3 seconds or something. No time at all.

Is that what you mean?
 
Originally posted by: Yzzim
Originally posted by: pillage2001
The Promise adapter spends quite a long time looking for devices hooked up to it. Unless you're using the extra IDE ports, I would suggest you removing it or disabling it. It'll cut like 2-3 minutes. 🙂
Click to expand...

The thing that takes the longest is when the Windows XP screen is loading and that little blue thing goes around and around forever.

When the Promise card is "booting" and looking for devices right after POST, it takes like 3 seconds or something. No time at all.

Is that what you mean?
Click to expand...

Woah, 3 seconds??? Dayum. That's fast. On most the PCs I've seen, it takesabout 2-3 minutes. Maybe less but 3 seconds in insanely fast. You might want to remove some devices from the mobo and see if it boots faster. It might be a case of network configuration. Try removing the NIC and see if it works. Go to the BIOS and remove any unwanted onboard stuffs if you're using any.
 
Check your System Tray & see whats running - looks like a LOT of stuff is launching in the start-up.
XP Likes to run a bunch of things - Task manager can tell you how many, it's usually around 20 programs.

Look also on your 'Startup Menu' under ALL PROGRAMS, to see whats launched.

Dred - you may have to go MSCONFIG and edit the registry, a lot of 3rd parties turn themselves on,
but give you little access to take them back down.

One other thing - are your WinXP Updates current?
 
I GOT YO FIX!!!! its the bios!!! i got the KR7A too non-raid though. my boot time was about 50 sec. with the update its now 20 sec.

use N6!!!!! i think its the best. with it im able to oc to 175Mhz with cas 2 2,5,2 t1🙂(samsung ddr3200 cas3 256mb), but to get over 144Mhz u must set ur DQ @ fast not ultra


edit - also if your running 133fsb set your mem timings to bankinterleavin to 4 cas 2 2,5,2 command t1 your crucial should do it fine. i got my crucial 2100 to do 144Mhz at those settings.... thats what im running right now, samsung bank1 crucial bank2 @ 144Mhz no issues and i get 384MB 🙂 and if it has prob just up the volts on the mem to 2.65 and you should be fine.
 
Originally posted by: Goose77
I GOT YO FIX!!!! its the bios!!! i got the KR7A too non-raid though. my boot time was about 50 sec. with the update its now 20 sec.

use N6!!!!! i think its the best. with it im able to oc to 175Mhz with cas 2 2,5,2 t1🙂(samsung ddr3200 cas3 256mb), but to get over 144Mhz u must set ur DQ @ fast not ultra


edit - also if your running 133fsb set your mem timings to bankinterleavin to 4 cas 2 2,5,2 command t1 your crucial should do it fine. i got my crucial 2100 to do 144Mhz at those settings.... thats what im running right now, samsung bank1 crucial bank2 @ 144Mhz no issues and i get 384MB 🙂 and if it has prob just up the volts on the mem to 2.65 and you should be fine.
Click to expand...

Ok, that will help startup time, but what about the access time for all my programs and everything?

I have 19 processes running according to Task Manager, the biggest is currently IEXPLORER, with EXPLORER and SVHOST coming in 2nd and 3rd.

In msconfig I have 4 programs that startup under the StartUp tab. Nero, MSN Messanger, the registry thingy, and MS Office.

Also, I was using Word this morning and it was terrible slow! I try to edit a word and change some stuff around and the computer would pause for a couple seconds. It didn't sound like the hdd was moving or anything. It would just pause. This was a fresh document too, like 50 words in it or something


😕
 
I agree with Syran and coolVariable. make sure that when you installed your 4in1 drivers that u have a chech in DMA.

you can double check and see if DMA is being applied by - "right click on my computer" then go down to "properties" then click on "device manager tab" then go down and "double click on Disk Drives" then "click on generic IDE disk" then "click on settings tab", there you will see DMA make sure it has a check in it!

i also believe that your disk performance will improve with the bios update as well. if u need the link let me know and ill hook you up.

also you might want to go to here and look for solutions. this site is great, gives you all the info you will ever need!

Edit - also 5 sec for IDE to USB tranzfr is about right. remember USB 1.0 is but slow compaired to your IDE channel.

second - if you dont like all those programs from starting up with window, there is an easy way to stop them. just let me know and ill tell you.. just to let you know, those programs also slow down windows start up
 
I have been following this thread closely because of the great application to my boot up times. One question I have is my cdrw & cd-rom under device manager are labeled as scsi when in fact they are ide. I notice during windows boot up both cd-roms spin up. Is this a normal boot up operation? By the way I am using WinXP Pro.

Thanks!
 
Leave the Explorers and the Host alone, and registry.

But you DON'T need Nero unless you are burning, Messanger and Office can be launched from the Icons, as can Nero.
That cuts your start by 3 - now your launch is 16 programs.

Like they said - maaybe a BIOS update is in order, could be the 4-in-1 drivers wasn't good -
did you save it to the hard drive, un-zip and install from there like the instructions say ?
or did you try to run direct from the download? It don't work like that.

My system does initiate slowly, about 4 minutes from button to all on, but the programs
run like lightning once it finishes launch. Even the Promise Card with 3 Opticals and a Zip.

IDE 0/1 is for a pair of WD 120GB HDD's. IDE 2/3 is reserved for another pair of HDD's
RAID is a matched master pair of Maxtor 120GB HDD's.

Abit KX7-333R & XP2100+, with WinXP Pro - Full XP Office apps too.

Bet ya got a BIOS setting wrong.

Heres the ABIT BIOS UPDATE
READ EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU JUMP INTO IT, AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU READ.
Use the MOST CURRENT, which is the CX. It contains ALL the previous changes.
 
I'll give you what worked for me although I'm running a different MB>

I first tried installing XP-> SP1-> MB drivers-> all other drivers.

I had the EXACT same problem as you are describing.

Finally it was recommended to me to do the following->

XP-> MB drivers-> all other drivers-> SP1.

Now it works great.


Hope this helps. Unfortunately you would have to do a clean install to test it.


 
babutiger - if you have cds in them then yes, which im sure you do. the os spins them up to read what is in the rom so when you click on my computer it wont have to read them again.
 
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