{OT} -- Computer Problem

I (my brother in law, really) have a computer that has a SERIOUS case of The
Slows. It takes FOREVER to open apps, and complete any number of different
tasks.

It is an off-brand box that came from Fry's (I think). I don't recall what
the architecture is, but I'm pretty sure my 286-based laptop was faster.

The computer is on its way to my house for a checkout. I'm not sure what my
strategy will be.

The machine has a valid version of XP Home edition, but I do not know if it
has the Restore CD or not. Can I use a different copy of XP to do restore
operations? I assume that I have to use the Key Code that is on the
computer, not the one that belongs to the copy of XP that I will restore
from.

Do not hesitate to offer suggestions on what to do ...

You should first get a registry defragmenting program. The program should
also look for errors in the registry. (I use a program called WinASO to
both defragment and check for registry errors.) Another source of pain and
anguish is the anti-virus program. The more recent versions of Norton suck
up immense computing resources. You can turn off a bunch of scans that
Norton does, and that helps. You should also defrag the hard drive.

Part of the problem is that as XP has been upgraded by MS it eats up more
and more resources.

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
news:KBPrh.21233$wq.14150@trndny07...
>I (my brother in law, really) have a computer that has a SERIOUS case of
>The Slows. It takes FOREVER to open apps, and complete any number of
>different tasks.
>
> It is an off-brand box that came from Fry's (I think). I don't recall what
> the architecture is, but I'm pretty sure my 286-based laptop was faster.
>
> The computer is on its way to my house for a checkout. I'm not sure what
> my strategy will be.
>
> The machine has a valid version of XP Home edition, but I do not know if
> it has the Restore CD or not. Can I use a different copy of XP to do
> restore operations? I assume that I have to use the Key Code that is on
> the computer, not the one that belongs to the copy of XP that I will
> restore from.
>
> Do not hesitate to offer suggestions on what to do ...
>
>
>

Well, I have been 'swearing up and down' that the new faster
motherboards and AGP graphics accelerator cards that my kid keeps giving
me are 'no' faster than my old P200 with it's 4 M pci video card and
it's tiny RAM. I now have an Asus CUV4X MB with an intel P3 733, 1.5 G
RAM, AGP with 32 M onboard ram and a TV output. Last AGP card was a
128 with 32M on it.

So I went for a new operating system with a new hard drive with the
intent on trying to get some speed. The SOB was giving me a real hard
time trying to set up nvidia driver for the AGP card. My son said I
needed to update windoze first or the card won't take so I said screw it
and put my old 4M pci card in so I could at least get online to update
and hole crap! My computer suddenly became lightning fast. Seriously
lightening fast.

I mean the bios and post tests on boot up were slow enough you could
write everything down while it was booting. Now the bios screen flies
by so fast I can't even see if it loaded the hard drives or CD.

So apparently there is a serious low level issue with the ASUS board and
the AGP slot. Asus has a driver set for it that I just got and am going
to try installing them then seeing if I can actually use one of these
'supposedly' insanely fast video cards I have. It doesn't help that I
have an NCR low radiation monitor. There aren't any drivers available
for that either...

And just fyi, the key code doesn't seem to make a difference between
CD's with Win 98. I damaged my CD and used another with the same key.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)


Jeff Strickland wrote:
> I (my brother in law, really) have a computer that has a SERIOUS case of
> The Slows. It takes FOREVER to open apps, and complete any number of
> different tasks.
>
> It is an off-brand box that came from Fry's (I think). I don't recall
> what the architecture is, but I'm pretty sure my 286-based laptop was
> faster.
>
> The computer is on its way to my house for a checkout. I'm not sure what
> my strategy will be.
>
> The machine has a valid version of XP Home edition, but I do not know if
> it has the Restore CD or not. Can I use a different copy of XP to do
> restore operations? I assume that I have to use the Key Code that is on
> the computer, not the one that belongs to the copy of XP that I will
> restore from.
>
> Do not hesitate to offer suggestions on what to do ...
>
>
>

Thanks.

I have defragged and error checked since Christmas. Still slow.

I have 13G of Used Space and 24G of Free Space. 375K RAM. The 'puter came
with 128K, and I added 256K, the total is 384K, but displays as 375K.

The machine is running McAfee Security Suite, 2006 (or 2007, I forget which)
that was recently (Thanksgiving, 2006) installed. the machine was slow
before McAfee was installed, and I was thinking it was "virually enhanced"
then, and that's why I put the McAfee in. My b-in-law has signed up for FiOS
(fiber optic internet), and that comes with a security suite that I am going
to be setting up. Therer are two versions, one is free and the other is a
fee-service. I have the same fiber optic service, and my wife bought the
fee-service security suite for three of our machines, but my machine still
is using the McAfee Suite and seems to run fine. (I replaced Norton Security
with the McAfee back in November -- at the same time I installed the McAfee
in my b-in-law's machine. My machine runs okay, his machine is slow -- the
machines at my house that have the fee-service security offered by the IP
run fine.)

I suspect (still) that my b-in-law's machine might have a virus. I use the
built-in Defrag that comes with Windows, but I haven't a utility that cleans
the Registry. I have a strong suspicion that my troubles are in the
Registry, but I am not smart enough to know what is a Registry Requirement
and what is a Bogus Registry Entry.

Do you, or anybody else, know if I can reinstall XP using a different copy
of the OS than the one that came installed on the machine?






"YouGoFirst" > wrote in message
...
> You should first get a registry defragmenting program. The program should
> also look for errors in the registry. (I use a program called WinASO to
> both defragment and check for registry errors.) Another source of pain
> and anguish is the anti-virus program. The more recent versions of Norton
> suck up immense computing resources. You can turn off a bunch of scans
> that Norton does, and that helps. You should also defrag the hard drive.
>
> Part of the problem is that as XP has been upgraded by MS it eats up more
> and more resources.
>
> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
> news:KBPrh.21233$wq.14150@trndny07...
>>I (my brother in law, really) have a computer that has a SERIOUS case of
>>The Slows. It takes FOREVER to open apps, and complete any number of
>>different tasks.
>>
>> It is an off-brand box that came from Fry's (I think). I don't recall
>> what the architecture is, but I'm pretty sure my 286-based laptop was
>> faster.
>>
>> The computer is on its way to my house for a checkout. I'm not sure what
>> my strategy will be.
>>
>> The machine has a valid version of XP Home edition, but I do not know if
>> it has the Restore CD or not. Can I use a different copy of XP to do
>> restore operations? I assume that I have to use the Key Code that is on
>> the computer, not the one that belongs to the copy of XP that I will
>> restore from.
>>
>> Do not hesitate to offer suggestions on what to do ...
>>
>>
>>
>
>

Can you say that again in Plain English? I thought I was a computer geek,
until I read that. ;-)

Win 98? I have WinXP, isn't 98 a giant leap backward?








"Mike Romain" > wrote in message
g.com...
> Well, I have been 'swearing up and down' that the new faster motherboards
> and AGP graphics accelerator cards that my kid keeps giving me are 'no'
> faster than my old P200 with it's 4 M pci video card and it's tiny RAM. I
> now have an Asus CUV4X MB with an intel P3 733, 1.5 G RAM, AGP with 32 M
> onboard ram and a TV output. Last AGP card was a 128 with 32M on it.
>
> So I went for a new operating system with a new hard drive with the intent
> on trying to get some speed. The SOB was giving me a real hard time
> trying to set up nvidia driver for the AGP card. My son said I needed to
> update windoze first or the card won't take so I said screw it and put my
> old 4M pci card in so I could at least get online to update and hole crap!
> My computer suddenly became lightning fast. Seriously lightening fast.
>
> I mean the bios and post tests on boot up were slow enough you could write
> everything down while it was booting. Now the bios screen flies by so
> fast I can't even see if it loaded the hard drives or CD.
>
> So apparently there is a serious low level issue with the ASUS board and
> the AGP slot. Asus has a driver set for it that I just got and am going
> to try installing them then seeing if I can actually use one of these
> 'supposedly' insanely fast video cards I have. It doesn't help that I
> have an NCR low radiation monitor. There aren't any drivers available for
> that either...
>
> And just fyi, the key code doesn't seem to make a difference between CD's
> with Win 98. I damaged my CD and used another with the same key.
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
> Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
>
>
> Jeff Strickland wrote:
>> I (my brother in law, really) have a computer that has a SERIOUS case of
>> The Slows. It takes FOREVER to open apps, and complete any number of
>> different tasks.
>>
>> It is an off-brand box that came from Fry's (I think). I don't recall
>> what the architecture is, but I'm pretty sure my 286-based laptop was
>> faster.
>>
>> The computer is on its way to my house for a checkout. I'm not sure what
>> my strategy will be.
>>
>> The machine has a valid version of XP Home edition, but I do not know if
>> it has the Restore CD or not. Can I use a different copy of XP to do
>> restore operations? I assume that I have to use the Key Code that is on
>> the computer, not the one that belongs to the copy of XP that I will
>> restore from.
>>
>> Do not hesitate to offer suggestions on what to do ...
>>
>>

"Earle Horton" > wrote in message
m...
> Don't let relatives know that you have computer expertise. If you get
> assigned a computer maintenance or repair job, screw it up. If you are
> not
> going to listen to reason, the following may be helpful.
>
I bought the machine for him.


> Run http://securitycheck.symantec.com no matter what kind of anti-virus is
> on the machine now.
>
I'll tray that.



> Defrag the hard drive and make sure that it is not almost full.
>
Done that already. All looks good in that department.


> Put XP Professional on it.
>
All I have here is a bootleg copy of XP Pro that will not support -- Bill G.
won't support, actually -- SP2.



> Make him justify any non-Microsoft software that he has installed.
>
> Earle
>
> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message

Don't let relatives know that you have computer expertise. If you get
assigned a computer maintenance or repair job, screw it up. If you are not
going to listen to reason, the following may be helpful.

Run http://securitycheck.symantec.com no matter what kind of anti-virus is
on the machine now.

Defrag the hard drive and make sure that it is not almost full.

Put XP Professional on it.

Make him justify any non-Microsoft software that he has installed.

Earle

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
news:KBPrh.21233$wq.14150@trndny07...
> I (my brother in law, really) have a computer that has a SERIOUS case of
The
> Slows. It takes FOREVER to open apps, and complete any number of different
> tasks.
>
> It is an off-brand box that came from Fry's (I think). I don't recall what
> the architecture is, but I'm pretty sure my 286-based laptop was faster.
>
> The computer is on its way to my house for a checkout. I'm not sure what
my
> strategy will be.
>
> The machine has a valid version of XP Home edition, but I do not know if
it
> has the Restore CD or not. Can I use a different copy of XP to do restore
> operations? I assume that I have to use the Key Code that is on the
> computer, not the one that belongs to the copy of XP that I will restore
> from.
>
> Do not hesitate to offer suggestions on what to do ...
>
>
>

I'm assuming you mean Mb when you said K. Either way, you are better off
with 512Mb for XP.
What processor are you running ?


Dave Milne, Scotland
'91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ
"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
news:yqQrh.9544$Wz.3408@trndny06...
> Thanks.
>
> I have defragged and error checked since Christmas. Still slow.
>
> I have 13G of Used Space and 24G of Free Space. 375K RAM. The 'puter came
> with 128K, and I added 256K, the total is 384K, but displays as 375K.
>
> The machine is running McAfee Security Suite, 2006 (or 2007, I forget
which)
> that was recently (Thanksgiving, 2006) installed. the machine was slow
> before McAfee was installed, and I was thinking it was "virually enhanced"
> then, and that's why I put the McAfee in. My b-in-law has signed up for
FiOS
> (fiber optic internet), and that comes with a security suite that I am
going
> to be setting up. Therer are two versions, one is free and the other is a
> fee-service. I have the same fiber optic service, and my wife bought the
> fee-service security suite for three of our machines, but my machine still
> is using the McAfee Suite and seems to run fine. (I replaced Norton
Security
> with the McAfee back in November -- at the same time I installed the
McAfee
> in my b-in-law's machine. My machine runs okay, his machine is slow -- the
> machines at my house that have the fee-service security offered by the IP
> run fine.)
>
> I suspect (still) that my b-in-law's machine might have a virus. I use the
> built-in Defrag that comes with Windows, but I haven't a utility that
cleans
> the Registry. I have a strong suspicion that my troubles are in the
> Registry, but I am not smart enough to know what is a Registry Requirement
> and what is a Bogus Registry Entry.
>
> Do you, or anybody else, know if I can reinstall XP using a different copy
> of the OS than the one that came installed on the machine?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "YouGoFirst" > wrote in message
> ...
> > You should first get a registry defragmenting program. The program
should
> > also look for errors in the registry. (I use a program called WinASO to
> > both defragment and check for registry errors.) Another source of pain
> > and anguish is the anti-virus program. The more recent versions of
Norton
> > suck up immense computing resources. You can turn off a bunch of scans
> > that Norton does, and that helps. You should also defrag the hard
drive.
> >
> > Part of the problem is that as XP has been upgraded by MS it eats up
more
> > and more resources.
> >
> > "Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
> > news:KBPrh.21233$wq.14150@trndny07...
> >>I (my brother in law, really) have a computer that has a SERIOUS case of
> >>The Slows. It takes FOREVER to open apps, and complete any number of
> >>different tasks.
> >>
> >> It is an off-brand box that came from Fry's (I think). I don't recall
> >> what the architecture is, but I'm pretty sure my 286-based laptop was
> >> faster.
> >>
> >> The computer is on its way to my house for a checkout. I'm not sure
what
> >> my strategy will be.
> >>
> >> The machine has a valid version of XP Home edition, but I do not know
if
> >> it has the Restore CD or not. Can I use a different copy of XP to do
> >> restore operations? I assume that I have to use the Key Code that is on
> >> the computer, not the one that belongs to the copy of XP that I will
> >> restore from.
> >>
> >> Do not hesitate to offer suggestions on what to do ...
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in
news:VwQrh.7079$q32.1798@trndny01:

>
> "Earle Horton" > wrote in message
> m...
>> Don't let relatives know that you have computer expertise. If you
>> get assigned a computer maintenance or repair job, screw it up. If
>> you are not
>> going to listen to reason, the following may be helpful.
>>
> I bought the machine for him.
>
>
>> Run http://securitycheck.symantec.com no matter what kind of
>> anti-virus is on the machine now.
>>
> I'll tray that.
>
>
>
>> Defrag the hard drive and make sure that it is not almost full.
>>
> Done that already. All looks good in that department.
>
>
>> Put XP Professional on it.
>>
> All I have here is a bootleg copy of XP Pro that will not support --
> Bill G. won't support, actually -- SP2.
>
>
>
>> Make him justify any non-Microsoft software that he has installed.
>>
>> Earle
>>
>> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message

If all else fails, format the hard drive and do a clean install of
Windoze.

LOL!

The fancy AGP video cards have a serious low level issue with some
motherboards. ASUS motherboards in particular. Special drivers are
needed or the computer will be a seriously slow pig.

I put an old PCI video card in with hardly any memory on it and my speed
went up more than tenfold. Way more than tenfold, it is just flying.

My son also just warned about the new code keys. You cannot use yours
in the other machine because the windoze update checks it now
apparently. If it finds the same key code on two machines it will
disable both machines and you will need to purchase a new copy.

Mike

Jeff Strickland wrote:
> Can you say that again in Plain English? I thought I was a computer
> geek, until I read that. ;-)
>
> Win 98? I have WinXP, isn't 98 a giant leap backward?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "Mike Romain" > wrote in message
> g.com...
>> Well, I have been 'swearing up and down' that the new faster
>> motherboards and AGP graphics accelerator cards that my kid keeps
>> giving me are 'no' faster than my old P200 with it's 4 M pci video
>> card and it's tiny RAM. I now have an Asus CUV4X MB with an intel P3
>> 733, 1.5 G RAM, AGP with 32 M onboard ram and a TV output. Last AGP
>> card was a 128 with 32M on it.
>>
>> So I went for a new operating system with a new hard drive with the
>> intent on trying to get some speed. The SOB was giving me a real hard
>> time trying to set up nvidia driver for the AGP card. My son said I
>> needed to update windoze first or the card won't take so I said screw
>> it and put my old 4M pci card in so I could at least get online to
>> update and hole crap! My computer suddenly became lightning fast.
>> Seriously lightening fast.
>>
>> I mean the bios and post tests on boot up were slow enough you could
>> write everything down while it was booting. Now the bios screen flies
>> by so fast I can't even see if it loaded the hard drives or CD.
>>
>> So apparently there is a serious low level issue with the ASUS board
>> and the AGP slot. Asus has a driver set for it that I just got and am
>> going to try installing them then seeing if I can actually use one of
>> these 'supposedly' insanely fast video cards I have. It doesn't help
>> that I have an NCR low radiation monitor. There aren't any drivers
>> available for that either...
>>
>> And just fyi, the key code doesn't seem to make a difference between
>> CD's with Win 98. I damaged my CD and used another with the same key.
>>
>> Mike
>> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
>> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
>> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
>> Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
>> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
>>
>>
>> Jeff Strickland wrote:
>>> I (my brother in law, really) have a computer that has a SERIOUS case
>>> of The Slows. It takes FOREVER to open apps, and complete any number
>>> of different tasks.
>>>
>>> It is an off-brand box that came from Fry's (I think). I don't recall
>>> what the architecture is, but I'm pretty sure my 286-based laptop was
>>> faster.
>>>
>>> The computer is on its way to my house for a checkout. I'm not sure
>>> what my strategy will be.
>>>
>>> The machine has a valid version of XP Home edition, but I do not know
>>> if it has the Restore CD or not. Can I use a different copy of XP to
>>> do restore operations? I assume that I have to use the Key Code that
>>> is on the computer, not the one that belongs to the copy of XP that I
>>> will restore from.
>>>
>>> Do not hesitate to offer suggestions on what to do ...
>>>
>>>