HELLUP! Slow computer!

[hillybilly]

OK found Norton but it doesn't seem to want to be uninstalled very easily, asked me something about a windows firewall...then I got a message about my system's security having probs.
What is SpyBot and do I need it?

[frank]

[quote="Enrique"]Hi,
Frank could at least give the Girl the link.....................

http://download.cnet.com/Glary-Utilitie ... 08531.html

I've not used it, reviews sound ok............[/quote]
She's an intelligent girl, as capable as I am of looking up the download!
"Add/remove programs" is found in Control Panel.
I'll leave you in Enrique's capable hands, too many cooks.....

[Enrique]

Hi hillybilly,
Don't need SpyBot.
If you use the Norton removal tool it should take out the product. You didn't say what version it is.
Once removed reboot the system.
You will need to make sure Windows FireWall is turned on

Start -> Control Panel -> Windows Firewall

Also check in the Action centre to see what your system thinks its running

Start -> Control Panel-> System -> see also -> Action Centre

I've not got a Vista system so these are Win 7 (Similar ?) commands

While we are working through this I'm concerned that your Real memory is very low for Vista, One way to get a system to "Fly" is have enough real memory so that virtual memory is not used.

Using the following you can check to see if there is a memory upgrade path for your system....

http://www.crucial.com/uk/systemscanner/?click=true

If there is then a quick trip to your friendly PC shop will work wonders for you and your system.

[hillybilly]

OK, I think I've uninstalled Norton and Spybot...not restarted yet tho. It didn't say what version of Norton it was! Not that I could see, anyway!

[hillybilly]

From what I've read, one of Vista's problems is the amount of memory it uses.
I've now also done a disk clean, which tells me it has released more memory.
I shall see how things are tomorrow after a reboot.
With regards to programmes, all I can see is an install date, not a last used date...
Is there anything else I can do or get rid of to release more memory? Does lack of RAM really slow thing up that much?
Thanks to all thus far!

[Enrique]

Good morning hillybilly,
Real memory is the key , if the system has to use virtual memory then it writes out to Disk (virtual memory) and this is reactively slow. When the system then wants to use that process again that it has paged out it then has to read in back into real memory.

2Gb main memory would be a minimum for Vista at this stage of its life with Service Packs.

No last used date on Vista installed programs, same as win7.

What else to get rid of, we would need to know what you have starting up .
msconfig typed in the "search programs and files" box then look in Startup tab

[Mowser]

I did a "crucial" scan on my laptop and increased memory. I then deleted Vista and got Windows 7 installed.
It's like a brand new machine.

[hillybilly]

OK, found the Start Up tab. I have
Windows defender
HD Audio Control panel
Synatptics pointing Device driver
eDataSecurity
Cyberling Power Cinema
Acer launch Manager
WR Popup
Acer Tour reminder
real Player
Java TM Platform
hp digital imaging
adobe acrobat
adobe reader and manager
avast
logitech camera software
sistema operativa MS
Start ccc
something in chinese ;o)
windows live messenger
sistema operativa MS
logitech vid HD
Acer eAP launch tool
MS Office 2000
MozyHome

[Enrique]

Hi hillybilly,
Thanks for posting that list, as a starting point most can be unticked as follows......
The programs will remain on your system just not startup at startup.

Windows defender......untick .......turn off ... http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/wind ... -on-or-off

HD Audio Control panel
Synatptics pointing Device driver
eDataSecurity...............................................untick
Cyberling Power Cinema...................................untick
Acer launch Manager.......................................untick
WR Popup...................................................untick
Acer Tour reminder.........................................untick
real Player...................................................untick
Java TM Platform
hp digital imaging...........................................untick
adobe acrobat...............................................untick
adobe reader and manager.................................untick
avast
logitech camera software
sistema operativa MS.......................................untick
Start ccc....................................................untick
something in chinese ;o)........untick...........follow this thru and find out where/what the program is.
windows live messenger
sistema operativa MS..............................untick
logitech vid HD
Acer eAP launch tool......................................untick
MS Office 2000....................untick, if you use a lot add back later
MozyHome................untick unless you do auto backups using this product

reboot.............click on box that pops up after this startup

Some of the above unticked may put themselves back in startup if you get an product update.

Lets know how you get on.

[hillybilly]

Thank you so much, I shall try that next. It's definitely already running better today after yesterday's bits n bobs.

[malagaman2005]

I don't know if Enrique, who appears to be our resident computer buff and font of all knowledge agrees, but I've always found this site very useful to find out what is needed at startup. You just put the file name as it appears on your startup menu in the search box and it will tell you whether it's necessary, unecessary, defenitely shouldn't be there or you choose whether you want it.
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/. Could be useful if any others appear in addition to the ones Enrique has advised you on.

[knowal]

From reading between the lines, I'd guess the problem is fixed, you had too many anti-virus and anti-malware programs running at the same time and this causes conflicts between the programs. The different programs can see each other as suspicious programs.
Three scans, Avast, Norton and Spybot could have all been running at the same time.


P.S. The Chinese characters are a huge alarm bell.
Google them to find out what the hell is it?

[hillybilly]

I can't google them cos there doesn't seem to be any way of copying them to be able to google them! Can't find them anywhere else either, other than on this list...

[Devils Advocate]

Hilly, quickly ran this past the lad who helps me with my PC's. He said that computers made by "Acer" in particular and a couple of others run some Chinese programming software that shows up in startup.

Hmmmm , just googled Acer/Chinese etc. and it seems he's correct on that one

If so nowt to worry about

[hillybilly]

Ah so

[Enrique]

Hi hillybilly,
Do I take it from your happy countenance that your slow Laptop is no more, and we can close this call.

[hillybilly]

Thanks to everyone's help I am no longer chugging along like a tortoise and I haven't thrown my laptop out of the windoze either!

One more q tho...these memory booster stick things...look just like memory sticks to me...are they different in some way? I have a 1GB memory stick that I just use for transferring stuff...I see there are 8GB memory booster sticks available qute cheaply...how does your computer "know" to access that memory instead of its own?!

[Enrique]

Hi hillybilly,
They are USB memory/disks, just used for transferring data from one machine to another, like the one you have already but larger capacity.

[El Cid]

Have you never heard of ReadyBoost Enrique?

The USB memory augments the main PC memory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReadyBoost

Sid

[Enrique]

Hi,
Yep..................

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/maga ... 56869.aspx

I would always recommend upgrading the system main memory.

Might be worth a try if you can get one for a decent price...........but don't get too excited.