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the observer
12-06-2003, 01:41 PM
im running a desktop pc its 240mb ram , a 600mhz processor and its as slow as a snail, the operating system is windows me,, any suggestions on system settings ot anything that could make it so slow, i run regular updates on my antivirus and have run spybot , it just seems to have slowly lost performance over time, i look forward to any suggestions and appreciate the HELP that this site gives,

CALM
12-06-2003, 02:49 PM
Run your system defragmenter at least 1x a month and have your computer set to dump your temporary internet files when you close your browser. (not sure if there is a setting for that on IE, there is on Netscape and that is all I use.)

locustfurnace
12-06-2003, 10:49 PM
Originally posted by the observer@Dec 6 2003, 03:41 PM
im running a desktop pc its 240mb ram , a 600mhz processor and its as slow as a snail, the operating system is windows me,, any suggestions on system settings ot anything that could make it so slow, i run regular updates on my antivirus and have run spybot , it just seems to have slowly lost performance over time, i look forward to any suggestions and appreciate the HELP that this site gives,
A 600mhz system should run very well. Since you have plenty of RAM, again, system should run well.
You should tune the system as much as possible, as Windows is not designed out of the box to be as effective as can it be.
as the other posters have pointed out, you should check for any spyware, and defrag the HardDrive often.
You should not leave any apps in the system tray that that your not currently using; plan to use. So eliminate alot of the unecessary start-up apps. this you can do by shuttin them down after the system boots up, or disable them from loading - which can also speed up booting process. You can disable those apps by looking in the C:\Programs\Startup, and if you see something not needed, just right click and delete the shortcut. you can also disable these programs via the msconfig utility. Click the START, RUN, type msconfig, move to the startup tab, and uncheck options you wish to disable from loading.

You should also use a fixed swap file. Windows usually is set to automatically resize the swap file as needed, this can create fragmentation on the hard drive, as it is increasing/decreasing the size of the swap file. So you will want to set a fixed Min/Max size. The size of the sawp should be 2 1/2 times the amount of installed RAM, but no more than 512megs RAM. In your case you will want to use 512megs for Min/Max file sizes.
To make the changes you need to go to the system properties, you can access this via using the shortcut key combo, which is the keyboard's WINDOW key, located between the ALT & CTRL keys. You will want to press this key with the Pause/Break key, press them at the same time.
Then select the Performance tab, then Virtual Memory. Enter in the sizes for Min/Max Virtual Memory (swap space.) Windows will give an error about managing the memory, you can ignore this.

Next you will want to set a specific amount of vcache, which is the amount of RAM you will permit each app to use. This will keep apps from hoggin up all available RAM for themselves. Again, you will want to set a Min/Max size. You can set this via the earlier mentioned msconfig utility. Once loaded, look for the system.ini tab, then scroll down til you see the [vache]. you will want to add 2 options.
MinFileCache=60000
MaxFileCache=60000
As the amount is in kilobytes, and would give 60megs to the cache.

Another thing which can help is to reduce the number of fonts installed on your system. If you have more than 250, you might wish to reduce this number. 64 fonts requires 1% GDI resources, so the more you have installed the less resources you will leave available.

If you had a second hard drive, you could move the swap file, temp, tmp and internet temporary files to this drive. Which will permit simultaneous read & write access.

Be sure to check if your Disks; Hard Drive and CD/DVD-Rom, are using DMA (Direct Memory Access). This can be enabled under the System Property's. - the Win+Pause key combo. Then select Device Manager, Disk Drives, IDE. select the IDE, and then Propetys, and see if the CHeck box is checked for DMA. Then go to the CDRM drive, and also enable it there as well.

the observer
12-07-2003, 04:32 AM
:D the first two posts helped a lot, but once again locustfurnace hit the nail on the head, i didnt realise what was running on start up, no wonder when i clicked on performance i only had 47 percent system resources free, anyway m8 done that and now running like a race car, and system resources are 91 percent free most of the time when i check it,nearly everything in my system tray was wot i dont use but didnt know how to stop them from starting up automatically , i have learned heaps from this post, and sorry but i gotta go now, im gonna register , with the no1, oldversion.com, and as the terminator would say, ILE BE BACK :P

Goslow unplugged
12-19-2003, 06:40 PM
Originally posted by the observer@Dec 7 2003, 05:32 AM
:D the first two posts helped a lot:huh: One of them has dissappeared

!! BTW I dont like the subtitle of this thread
(Cntrl+Alt+Del Keys=Task Manager)
You can indentify what those mysterious programs running in the background are here > TASK LIST PROGRAMS (http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm) & Start-Up Applications (http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_pages/startup_full.php) + Pacs home page (http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php)
see what you prolly should keep and see what you can switch off.
----------------------------
BIG
BLUE If you don't like those kinds of thrills wait until the software is "out of" beta.

locustfurnace
12-19-2003, 07:02 PM
Originally posted by Goslow unplugged@Dec 19 2003, 08:40 PM
:huh: One of them has dissappeared
(Cntrl+Alt+Del Keys=Task Manager)

I think he means 2 tips? not necessary posts? if there was another, I did not delete it.
(Cntrl+Alt+Del Keys=Task Manager) ~ Windows 9x
(Cntrl+Alt+Del Keys=Task Manager) ~ NT Logon
(Cntrl+Alt+Del Keys=Restart X) ~ X11
(Cntrl+Alt+Del Keys=Reboot) ~ DOS

CALM
12-19-2003, 09:30 PM
Someone posted a link to this site the other day.
http://www.xptweaks.org/services_2.html
I had fun turning off all sorts of stuff til the next time I tried to go online ---
anyway I picked 4 and turned them back on and am back online. who says computers arent fun ;)

locustfurnace
12-20-2003, 04:28 AM
Yes, i am not sure why Microsoft even has some of them turned on, since there should have been some sort of distinction between Home and Pro versions of XP. But MS seems to go with the 1 size-fits-all.
Most people using XP home are using it, well, in the Home, not in the Office, so dont see why they need to leave on some of those services that would really only be necessary in a larger networked environment, which then would most likley be runnin XP Pro versions.
This used to be why there was a NT road and a 9x road, to limit some of the capabilites that would generally not be necessary in a home computer.

the observer
12-20-2003, 04:37 AM
Originally posted by locustfurnace+Dec 19 2003, 08:02 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (locustfurnace @ Dec 19 2003, 08:02 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--Goslow unplugged@Dec 19 2003, 08:40 PM
:huh: One of them has dissappeared
(Cntrl+Alt+Del Keys=Task Manager)

I think he means 2 tips? not necessary posts? if there was another, I did not delete it.
(Cntrl+Alt+Del Keys=Task Manager) ~ Windows 9x
(Cntrl+Alt+Del Keys=Task Manager) ~ NT Logon
(Cntrl+Alt+Del Keys=Restart X) ~ X11
(Cntrl+Alt+Del Keys=Reboot) ~ DOS [/b][/quote]
your correct again locustfurnace, i did mean tips and not posts, a shame not everybody carries your superior level of intelligence. ;)

Goslow unplugged
12-23-2003, 07:44 AM
&#33;-(
Originally posted by the <s>absurder</s> observer@Dec 20 2003, 05:37 AM
your correct again locustfurnace, i did mean tips and not posts, a shame not everybody carries your superior level of intelligence. ;)That sounds like a load

Well the <s>voyeur</s> observer
just feel free and go ahead and say what you mean next time
but actually I was not relying on your garbled composition but my own double vision .
Hmmh I wonder if the waybackmachines spyders caught it.
and now I&#39;m not going to tell you about EndItAll some nice freeware from PC Magazine :P

locustfurnace
12-23-2003, 12:52 PM
Originally posted by Goslow unplugged@Dec 23 2003, 09:44 AM
Hmmh I wonder if the waybackmachines spyders caught it.
and now I&#39;m not going to tell you about EndItAll some nice freeware from PC Magazine :P
If there was a 2nd posting, as i said, i did not delete it, so i dont know what would have happened to it.

PrcView FREE, is a process viewer utility that displays detailed information about processes running under Windows. For each process it displays memory, threads and module usage. For each DLL it shows full path and version information. PrcView comes with a command line version that allows you to write scripts to check if a process is running, kill it, etc.
http://www.xmlsp.com/pview/prcview.htm

the observer
12-24-2003, 04:29 AM
simmer down goslow, i hope i didnt offend you, in my neck of the woods, comments like the ones i use are just nothing more than a joke,i just fail to realise sometimes that folk come from all over when your on a website and dont share the same humourous manner as used by locals in your own area.anyway if i offended you at all , please accept my apologies it wasnt meant as an insult just a witty comment, SORRY

patty72018
12-26-2003, 12:24 AM
You might wanna try Cacheman from Outer Technoligies ,this program lets you fool around with alot of different settings&#33;&#33;&#33;

Goslow unplugged
12-26-2003, 03:54 AM
Originally posted by the observer@Dec 24 2003, 05:29 AM
simmer down goslowNope not "simmer" but I am lovely & warm I&#39;d go for a swim though I fear the christmas pud would make me sink
and no need to apoligise prolly neighbours (2nd thoughts thats unlikely as they all move away???)
100% of the posts I make "are just nothing more than a joke" pinned warning need or my disclaimers will be longer than posts and as I have enough problems being <s>misbegotten</s> misunderstood is the least of them.
However exception is the rule so:
carry = load
garbled composition = my own double vision
"and now I&#39;m not going to tell you about EndItAll some nice freeware from PC Magazine" :rolleyes:

but I&#39;m still not going to tell you about enditall, l.f&#39;s (posted app) is prolly more powerful anyway but who would use an application named prcviewer.

Just remember terminating programs by any method other than ALT+F4 may result in lost data, leaked resources and/or unreleased memory.Allways reboot after a defrag

Posts disfunctional and have not been tested for exact meaning /intention (leftclick on X oar :) use ALT+F4)
----------------------------
BIG
BLUE If you don&#39;t like those kinds of thrills wait until the software is "out of" beta.

the observer
01-07-2004, 03:22 PM
ok gozzy no problem i get the picture.

Drumbo
01-09-2004, 02:43 AM
i think the main problem is that you are using ME. i have never seen a computer run well on ME. :P
i would say that you should get rid of explorer. change your shell. in my own biased point of view, i would say use aston shell. (http://www.astonshell.com) but being that i find it the most ingenious poece of software ever, i would say that. :D i wouldnt sugest litestep on your machine, unless you got an old version of it, and that would work great, though you wouldnt be able to download skins probably, and it often hard to get the darn thing installed.

locustfurnace
01-09-2004, 04:17 AM
Originally posted by Drumbo@Jan 9 2004, 03:43 AM
i think the main problem is that you are using ME. i have never seen a computer run well on ME. :P

Windows ME is definitely not the best, but... I do have it installed on one system, which happens to be a 233mhz 80megs RAM 1.2gig HD, and for the past 5 months it has been doing ok.
Since the poster states they have a 600Mhz with 240Megs RAM, they have a good machine for running ME.
I do know of 1 person running ME on a 700Mhz system that does have alot of problems. as well as 1 user on a 1.2Ghz system who when they use the system have nothing but trouble, although i had the box for a week, and i never had a single problem running it.
Me is not the sole problem, as it also depends on the additional combination of installed apps.

Replacing the shell is fine if your know what your doing and want to learn something on your computer. I find replacing the shell can lead to alot of problems in itself. As you said, it can be a pain to install, alot of the shells require manual installation, which requires one to reboot into DOS to rename the explorer.exe to something else, and rename the shell to explorer.exe, Not to many users are capable of using DOS these days. Even with well written instructions on setting up, many users often find themselves unable to reboot into windows once making these changes. And they don&#39;t understand how to get back to a previous working system. With no system restore system, they end up finding their only remedy is to reinstall windows.
I do not recommened anyone without the ability to use DOS efficiently to replace their shell.

Drumbo
01-09-2004, 11:29 PM
if the user has problems installing a shell, Aston is the one then. its main pitch to glory is that it is simple to set up, and use. all it requires is a log off, and your in it. then, just use a simple shell swapper app to switch between Aston and explorer. this is seriously easy to use. i know 60 year olds that know jack about computers that have sucessfully installed it.

locustfurnace
01-12-2004, 09:28 PM
Eat Icons (http://www.regxplor.com/other.html) FREE, Speed up Windows Explorer by removing icons. Can be set to run at startup. (24k)
Windows Startup Inspector (http://www.windowsstartup.com/) FREE, helps users to manage Windows startup applications. Windows Startup Inspector provides information on the programs that are running at your Windows startup process. Whether a program is necessary to the system, or is the program a spyware. Can also remove unnecessary apps which load at start time, slowing your system down, such as the Quicktime & RealPlayer tray launchers.
EasyCleaner (http://www.toniarts.com/ecleane.htm) FREE, is a small program which searches Windows&#39; registry for entries that are pointing nowhere, deleting these entries will speed up your system.

ebmocwen
04-26-2004, 05:46 PM
I use windows 95. When I hit CTRL+ALT+DLT and the close program dialog box comes up, there are way more programs listed than show up in my task bar or under START/PROGRAMS/START UP. I&#39;ve tried disabling them in the programs themselves by finding the option to "load at startup" or whatever, but not every program has that. What can I do about that?

locustfurnace
04-26-2004, 06:20 PM
Click the Start, RUN, type in "msconfig and look for the startup tab, you can disable apps from loading there.

ormsem
05-08-2008, 10:58 AM
Hi everybody…..I have been using my system for a while now (I generally don’t use that unless its imp)….but over the days it has become slow and that irritates me. The work that I usually do on my system is for our company projects that needs some soft wares. The software keeps changing by project point of view and this is one of the reasons my friend pointed out for the slow running. Can anyone help or suggest me any good solution for this problem.

Thanks in advance!!!

the gaffer
05-09-2008, 02:35 AM
hopefully this thread i moved your post to will help answer your question,there are other threads on this subject if you wish to read and search through past postings.

deszex
05-09-2008, 12:28 PM
Such kinds of problems are common in a pc and there may be several reasons for that. You cannot target any one thing for this. But since you mentioned that you change the software a number of times….this may be a system registry problem. This is where the software leaves a registry that makes them slow. So, in my view a system registry cleaner ( http://regcure.software-com.com/) may be an efficient solution for this.

Cheers.

the gaffer
05-09-2008, 02:11 PM
another related thread http://www.oldversion.com/talk/showthread.php?t=904&highlight=registry+cleaner

jackson_us5
05-21-2008, 07:39 AM
try on changingt he processor. and increasing the ram.
if you dnt want to then try on eliminating process from temporary folder.

mokopuna
02-17-2010, 03:19 AM
CCleaner - Home (http://www.ccleaner.com/)

Malwarebytes.org (http://www.malwarebytes.org/)

SUPERAntiSpyware.com | Remove Malware | Remove Spyware - AntiMalware, AntiSpyware, AntiAdware! (http://www.superantispyware.com/)

Download these and they will clean out most of your computer faults.