[Ham-Computers] XP PRO SLOW PROBLEM(s)

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

Gene,

While you have Task Manager open, also look at CPU Utilization and Memory 
Utilization.  On all three of our XP machines, once everthing settles down 
after Boot, and with nothing optional running (meaning you didn't start any 
programs after Boot), utilization normally sits at 0 to 2% with occasional 
jumps as one of the running widgets does something.  If you sort the Processes 
tab on CPU descending System Idle Process will sit at 99% most of the time.  
Other processes will pop to 2nd place momentarily and then drop back down 
the list.  Task Manager will be in 2nd place with 00 most of the time.  If 
something else is in 2nd place all the time and showing more than 00, I would 
look into that.

The second thing you can check on this same tab is Mem Usage.  Currently at 
the top of my list on two of our three machines is MsMpEng.exe using under 
100 MB in both cases.  If something is hogging memory and forcing the rest 
of the machine to use the hard drive for memory, that could also account for 
the problem.

In a message dated 6/9/2010 10:48:30 AM Central Daylight Time, 
dcorio at zitomedia.net writes: 
> Which anti-virus program(s) are you using? Some of these can really slow 
> a
> machine down, especially if they are set to check a file every time it is
> opened or closed. I had that same problem with Symantec.
> 
> Also, you said "minimal programs in startup". Are you referring to the
> Startup folder, or have you checked msconfig or services.msc to see what
> Windows is actually starting behind the scenes?
> 
> If you bring up Task Manager (CTRL-ALT-DEL) and look at the "Processes"
> tab, do you recognize all the items running, or is there anything that
> looks wrong?
> 
> Sometimes simple things can cause this. Adobe Reader used to cause similar
> problems on my computer when it was allowed to use the default setting
> that checks for updates.
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> >
> >XP PRO service pack 3 w/all latest updates.
> >2.39 GHz AMD Athlon.
> >2 GB RAM.
> >144 GB HDD w/125 GB free space.
> >
> >Gene, WØQFC
> >Spring Hill FL
> >Lafayette Lodge #91 A.F. &A.M.
> 

Robert & Susan Downs - Houston
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