For the last week my pc has gone really slow. It takes ages to do anything. I had an error message the other day... something about low in memory. The cursor keeps moving all over the place as well if I have music on or am playing a game. Is this because I don't have enough RAM? I only have 256.

On an older PC, this same thing happened to me.

Please reply with the exact text of the error message.

-Jeff

Originally Posted by Jaynee

For the last week my pc has gone really slow. It takes ages to do anything. I had an error message the other day... something about low in memory. The cursor keeps moving all over the place as well if I have music on or am playing a game. Is this because I don't have enough RAM? I only have 256.

256 is a minimum for XP but it should be fine for basics.

Right click My Computer then click Properties then Advanced then Performance | Settings then Advanced
then Virtual Memory | Change >Set to System Manage Size

Also set
Right click My Computer then click Properties then Advanced then Performance | Settings | Visual Effects & set to Adjust for best performance.

Also check via the Task Manager | Performance | Page file size as well as Physical Memory.

RAM is an easy & inexpensive upgrade. Probably worth getting another 256.

http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/index.asp

sounds like you may have too many processes running at once (mabye some unwanted, try doing a hijackthis log in the appropriate area

russ

This pc is less than a year old. I have done all that jephree and it's made no difference. I have posted a hijackthis log. For some reason it says there are loads of firefox windows open when I only have one.

Code:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 17:43:59, on 11/06/2005
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Belkin\Bluetooth Software\bin\btwdins.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\EPSON\EBAPI\SAgent2.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\Mixer.exe
C:\Program Files\ScanSoft\OmniPageSE2.0\OpwareSE2.exe
C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\ypager.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\MessengerPlus! 3\MsgPlus.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgcc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgemc.exe
C:\Program Files\ZipCentral\ZCentral.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\QuickTime\QuickTimeUpdateHelpe r.exe
C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe
C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe
C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\msnmsgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\PopCap Games\Noah's Ark Deluxe\WinNoah.exe
C:\Downloads\hijackthis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/cus...rch/search.html
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.webuser.co.uk/cgi-bin/forums/index.cgi?Cat=
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/cus...rch/search.html
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL,(Default) = http://red.clientapps.yahoo.com/cus...//www.yahoo.com
N3 - Netscape 7: user_pref("browser.search.defaultengine", "engine://C%3A%5CProgram%20Files%5CNetscape%5CNetscape%5Csea rchplugins%5CSBWeb_01.src"); (C:\Documents and Settings\Jane\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\default\utth2wir.slt\prefs.j s)
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 5.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.ocx
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\System32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\System32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Cmaudio] RunDll32 cmicnfg.cpl,CMICtrlWnd
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [C-Media Mixer] Mixer.exe /startup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [EPSON Stylus C62 Series (Copy 1)] C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\3\E_S10IC 2.EXE /P32 "EPSON Stylus C62 Series (Copy 1)" /O6 "USB001" /M "Stylus C62"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG7_CC] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgcc.exe /STARTUP
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG7_EMC] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgemc.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [OpwareSE2] "C:\Program Files\ScanSoft\OmniPageSE2.0\OpwareSE2.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [KernelFaultCheck] %systemroot%\system32\dumprep 0 -k
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MSConfig] C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\MSConfig.exe /auto
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MessengerPlus3] "C:\Program Files\MessengerPlus! 3\MsgPlus.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [SpybotSD TeaTimer] C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Yahoo! Pager] C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\ypager.exe -quiet
O9 - Extra button: @btrez.dll,-4015 - {CCA281CA-C863-46ef-9331-5C8D4460577F} - C:\Program Files\Belkin\Bluetooth Software\btsendto_ie.htm
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @btrez.dll,-4017 - {CCA281CA-C863-46ef-9331-5C8D4460577F} - C:\Program Files\Belkin\Bluetooth Software\btsendto_ie.htm
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O16 - DPF: {3AF4DACE-36ED-42EF-9DFC-ADC34DA30CFF} (PatchInstaller.Installer) - file://F:\content\include\XPPatchInstaller.CAB
O16 - DPF: {4F1E5B1A-2A80-42CA-8532-2D05CB959537} (MSN Photo Upload Tool) - http://spaces.msn.com//PhotoUpload/MsnPUpld.cab
O16 - DPF: {B9191F79-5613-4C76-AA2A-398534BB8999} (YAddBook Class) - http://us.dl1.yimg.com/download.yah...utocomplete.cab
O16 - DPF: {F58E1CEF-A068-4C15-BA5E-587CAF3EE8C6} (MSN Chat Control 4.5) - http://chat.msn.com/bin/msnchat45.cab
O23 - Service: AVG7 Alert Manager Server (Avg7Alrt) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Update Service (Avg7UpdSvc) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Bluetooth Service (btwdins) - WIDCOMM, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Belkin\Bluetooth Software\bin\btwdins.exe
O23 - Service: EPSON Printer Status Agent2 (EPSONStatusAgent2) - SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION - C:\Program Files\Common Files\EPSON\EBAPI\SAgent2.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service (iPodService) - Apple Computer, Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe

That mouse behaviour seems to suggest probably 100% CPU usage.

Leave the Task Manager open & observe it for a while. Do you see such peaks?

If so can you ID the process?

Also watch the Page File size & what is the usage of Physical Memory?

I see nothing wrong with your log although the Firefox instances are strange.
I highlighted in Blue unneccessary startup entries.

When you first start Firefox does it create multiple instances or did this happen after use? Have you tried turning them all off but one?

You are running quite a bit of media. Again I would suggest more RAM.
Were things working better before?
Have you run viral scans?

http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

http://www.microsoft.com/security/ma...e/default.mspx


____________________________

I couldn't find anything specific that was making it peak at 100%. It's averaging at about 80% unless I try to play a game then it goes to 100%. I rebooted and since then there is only one instance of firefox running.
Can you please tell me how to disable things running at startup.

run hijack this and select appropriate boxes and then clicjk fix selected

or an alternative (which i think is even easier) is to use easy cleaner, click start up and get rid of what you dont want!

just google for a download of easy cleaner, its free and is really easy to find and use

hope this helps

russ

Originally Posted by Jaynee

I couldn't find anything specific that was making it peak at 100%. It's averaging at about 80% unless I try to play a game then it goes to 100%. I rebooted and since then there is only one instance of firefox running.
Can you please tell me how to disable things running at startup.

What is your CPU% with no programs running?

Look at System Idle Process. This should be @ 90-99 with nothing happening. i.e. idle.

Then start things manually & see if you notice what's what.

It is very unusual to have an average that high without a constant audio & video stream.

As to startups: the internal way is via Start/Run/ msconfig | Startup

Un-check the boxes that you don't want to start. You can always go back & re-check them.

Some 3rd party programs make it a bit easier such as Reg Seeker:

http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm

On the left hand menu is Start-up Entries.

Again you can un-check & re-check rather than delete.