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#1
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Is it time to buy a new computer?
I have a Dell Dimension XPS T450MHz computer with a Pentium III (512K
Cache, whatever that means) I added RAM for a total of 224MB. The hard drive is 13GB with only 2.97 GB used. OS is Windows 98SE My computer is very slow: takes forever to boot up, takes forever to launch apps, sometimes mouse is slow and jerky, sometimes hard drive runs alot. I defrag and run scandisk regularly/empty recycle bin/delete temp file. I've used regclean; deleted stuff from startup; played with virtual memory; scanned for viruses/adware/spyware (have McAfee); changed to network server setting, etc. Tried all the tweaks that I dare relating to Win 98. I've physically cleaned out all the dust in the CPU and tried to blow out all the dust around the exhaust fan. All to no avail. Is it time to buy a new computer? Is the thing just wearing out? It has been hot & humid here - any connection? Thanks for any advice. |
#2
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"Mary" wrote in message oups.com... I have a Dell Dimension XPS T450MHz computer with a Pentium III (512K Cache, whatever that means) I added RAM for a total of 224MB. The hard drive is 13GB with only 2.97 GB used. OS is Windows 98SE My computer is very slow: takes forever to boot up, takes forever to launch apps, sometimes mouse is slow and jerky, sometimes hard drive runs alot. I defrag and run scandisk regularly/empty recycle bin/delete temp file. I've used regclean; deleted stuff from startup; played with virtual memory; scanned for viruses/adware/spyware (have McAfee); changed to network server setting, etc. Tried all the tweaks that I dare relating to Win 98. I've physically cleaned out all the dust in the CPU and tried to blow out all the dust around the exhaust fan. All to no avail. Is it time to buy a new computer? Is the thing just wearing out? It has been hot & humid here - any connection? Thanks for any advice. Do a ctrl-alt-del and look at all the programs running at startup. You may be surprised! It shouldn't be slow booting up or run slow unless, perhaps your cpu fan is not running fast enough and the cpu is overheating. |
#3
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Is it time to buy a new computer?
"Mary" wrote in message oups.com... I have a Dell Dimension XPS T450MHz computer with a Pentium III (512K Cache, whatever that means) I added RAM for a total of 224MB. The hard drive is 13GB with only 2.97 GB used. OS is Windows 98SE My computer is very slow: takes forever to boot up, takes forever to launch apps, sometimes mouse is slow and jerky, sometimes hard drive runs alot. I defrag and run scandisk regularly/empty recycle bin/delete temp file. I've used regclean; deleted stuff from startup; played with virtual memory; scanned for viruses/adware/spyware (have McAfee); changed to network server setting, etc. Tried all the tweaks that I dare relating to Win 98. I've physically cleaned out all the dust in the CPU and tried to blow out all the dust around the exhaust fan. All to no avail. Is it time to buy a new computer? Is the thing just wearing out? It has been hot & humid here - any connection? Thanks for any advice. Do a ctrl-alt-del and look at all the programs running at startup. You may be surprised! It shouldn't be slow booting up or run slow unless, perhaps your cpu fan is not running fast enough and the cpu is overheating. |
#4
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"Mary" wrote in message
oups.com... I have a Dell Dimension XPS T450MHz computer with a Pentium III (512K Cache, whatever that means) I added RAM for a total of 224MB. The hard drive is 13GB with only 2.97 GB used. OS is Windows 98SE My computer is very slow: takes forever to boot up, takes forever to launch apps, sometimes mouse is slow and jerky, sometimes hard drive runs alot. I defrag and run scandisk regularly/empty recycle bin/delete temp file. I've used regclean; deleted stuff from startup; played with virtual memory; scanned for viruses/adware/spyware (have McAfee); changed to network server setting, etc. Tried all the tweaks that I dare relating to Win 98. I've physically cleaned out all the dust in the CPU and tried to blow out all the dust around the exhaust fan. All to no avail. Is it time to buy a new computer? Is the thing just wearing out? It has been hot & humid here - any connection? Thanks for any advice. See my articles on maintenance and security: http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm I like McAfee only slightly more than Norton (and I *hate* Norton.) The older versions of those apps were supposedly built to run on Win9x systems, and even then they were bloatware, always bogging systems down. The newer versions of these apps aren't even really designed for Win9x anymore. I recommend ETrust AV or you can try AVG or AVAST, both free, both with their own problems, but none of them are such huge, bloated monsters like McAfee and Norton. Dirt in the machine will primarily cause overheating, resulting in spontaneous reboots. If you're having any of those, then you need to clean even more. But mostly, it sounds to me like you may have apps in the background (starting with McAfee) causing the problems, and the symptoms also point to possible malware (virus, spyware, adware, etc.) Follow ALL of the advice in my articles, clean up the system as advised, do a cleanboot scandisk and defrag, consider switching AV apps, and then post the list of background apps back here for comment. Here's how you do that: Run MSINFO32 from the Start\Run box. Expand the Software Environment section, click on Startup Programs. Now click anywhere in the right-hand pane. Press Ctrl-A to Select All, then Ctrl-C to copy. Now open a reply to this message and use Ctrl-V to paste in the list and send it off. -- Gary S. Terhune MS-MVP Shell/User |
#5
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Is it time to buy a new computer?
"Mary" wrote in message
oups.com... I have a Dell Dimension XPS T450MHz computer with a Pentium III (512K Cache, whatever that means) I added RAM for a total of 224MB. The hard drive is 13GB with only 2.97 GB used. OS is Windows 98SE My computer is very slow: takes forever to boot up, takes forever to launch apps, sometimes mouse is slow and jerky, sometimes hard drive runs alot. I defrag and run scandisk regularly/empty recycle bin/delete temp file. I've used regclean; deleted stuff from startup; played with virtual memory; scanned for viruses/adware/spyware (have McAfee); changed to network server setting, etc. Tried all the tweaks that I dare relating to Win 98. I've physically cleaned out all the dust in the CPU and tried to blow out all the dust around the exhaust fan. All to no avail. Is it time to buy a new computer? Is the thing just wearing out? It has been hot & humid here - any connection? Thanks for any advice. See my articles on maintenance and security: http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm I like McAfee only slightly more than Norton (and I *hate* Norton.) The older versions of those apps were supposedly built to run on Win9x systems, and even then they were bloatware, always bogging systems down. The newer versions of these apps aren't even really designed for Win9x anymore. I recommend ETrust AV or you can try AVG or AVAST, both free, both with their own problems, but none of them are such huge, bloated monsters like McAfee and Norton. Dirt in the machine will primarily cause overheating, resulting in spontaneous reboots. If you're having any of those, then you need to clean even more. But mostly, it sounds to me like you may have apps in the background (starting with McAfee) causing the problems, and the symptoms also point to possible malware (virus, spyware, adware, etc.) Follow ALL of the advice in my articles, clean up the system as advised, do a cleanboot scandisk and defrag, consider switching AV apps, and then post the list of background apps back here for comment. Here's how you do that: Run MSINFO32 from the Start\Run box. Expand the Software Environment section, click on Startup Programs. Now click anywhere in the right-hand pane. Press Ctrl-A to Select All, then Ctrl-C to copy. Now open a reply to this message and use Ctrl-V to paste in the list and send it off. -- Gary S. Terhune MS-MVP Shell/User |
#6
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"Mary" wrote:
I have a Dell Dimension XPS T450MHz computer with a Pentium III (512K Cache, whatever that means) I added RAM for a total of 224MB. The hard drive is 13GB with only 2.97 GB used. OS is Windows 98SE My computer is very slow: takes forever to boot up, takes forever to launch apps, sometimes mouse is slow and jerky, sometimes hard drive runs alot. I defrag and run scandisk regularly/empty recycle bin/delete temp file. I've used regclean; deleted stuff from startup; played with virtual memory; scanned for viruses/adware/spyware (have McAfee); changed to network server setting, etc. Tried all the tweaks that I dare relating to Win 98. I've physically cleaned out all the dust in the CPU and tried to blow out all the dust around the exhaust fan. All to no avail. Is it time to buy a new computer? Is the thing just wearing out? It has been hot & humid here - any connection? Thanks for any advice. A 450 mhz Pentium III with 224 mb of RAM should be pretty snappy when running Windows 98 SE. Common causes of your slow startup and lack of response a 1. Viruses. Make sure your antivirus software is completely up to date with the virus definitions not less that a week old and do a complete virus scan of the computer. Then get a "second opinion" by using one of the free online virus scanners such as: http://housecall.trendmicro.com http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/ http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/ 2. Spyware. See MVP Jim Eshelman's Spyware Quick Fix page at http://www.aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm and follow the procedures he recommends there. 3. Too many background "tools and toys" (a.k.a. crap and corruption) being loaded when your computer starts up. Use Start - Run - MSCONFIG and go to the Startup tab. Compare the list of items that are loading at startup with the following checklist web sites to see what can be safely dispensed with: http://www2.whidbey.com/djdenham/Uncheck.htm http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php http://www.3feetunder.com/krick/startup/list.html - has trojan related items listed Note: Please ensure that you fully understand the purpose of a startup item, how and why it was put into the startup, and the consequences (if any) of removing it before you make any changes. Some items are very important for the proper and safe functioning of your computer, including at least one item that is listed twice. Disabling an item by unchecking it in MSCONFIG should only be done for testing purposes or as a "last resort" when no other way of getting rid of the unwanted item can be found. 4. Running "Computer Killer" applications. Many of the commercial antivirus, antispyware, and/or Internet security applications out there are designed to run on today's new computers, with much faster CPUs and scads of RAM. Running these apps on an older machine can often have what I call the "who dropped the anchor?" effect on computer performance. Norton/Symantec products have a well-deserved reputation for having this type of impact, and I have often likened McAfee products to driving a car with both feet on the brake pedal. I am reluctant to recommend specific alternatives but I have found that products from eTrust and/or Trend Micro tend to have a lesser impact on the performance of an older computer. Hope this is of some assistance. Good luck Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada -- Microsoft MVP On-Line Help Computer Service http://onlinehelp.bc.ca In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP http://aumha.org/alex.htm |
#7
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Is it time to buy a new computer?
"Mary" wrote:
I have a Dell Dimension XPS T450MHz computer with a Pentium III (512K Cache, whatever that means) I added RAM for a total of 224MB. The hard drive is 13GB with only 2.97 GB used. OS is Windows 98SE My computer is very slow: takes forever to boot up, takes forever to launch apps, sometimes mouse is slow and jerky, sometimes hard drive runs alot. I defrag and run scandisk regularly/empty recycle bin/delete temp file. I've used regclean; deleted stuff from startup; played with virtual memory; scanned for viruses/adware/spyware (have McAfee); changed to network server setting, etc. Tried all the tweaks that I dare relating to Win 98. I've physically cleaned out all the dust in the CPU and tried to blow out all the dust around the exhaust fan. All to no avail. Is it time to buy a new computer? Is the thing just wearing out? It has been hot & humid here - any connection? Thanks for any advice. A 450 mhz Pentium III with 224 mb of RAM should be pretty snappy when running Windows 98 SE. Common causes of your slow startup and lack of response a 1. Viruses. Make sure your antivirus software is completely up to date with the virus definitions not less that a week old and do a complete virus scan of the computer. Then get a "second opinion" by using one of the free online virus scanners such as: http://housecall.trendmicro.com http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/ http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/ 2. Spyware. See MVP Jim Eshelman's Spyware Quick Fix page at http://www.aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm and follow the procedures he recommends there. 3. Too many background "tools and toys" (a.k.a. crap and corruption) being loaded when your computer starts up. Use Start - Run - MSCONFIG and go to the Startup tab. Compare the list of items that are loading at startup with the following checklist web sites to see what can be safely dispensed with: http://www2.whidbey.com/djdenham/Uncheck.htm http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php http://www.3feetunder.com/krick/startup/list.html - has trojan related items listed Note: Please ensure that you fully understand the purpose of a startup item, how and why it was put into the startup, and the consequences (if any) of removing it before you make any changes. Some items are very important for the proper and safe functioning of your computer, including at least one item that is listed twice. Disabling an item by unchecking it in MSCONFIG should only be done for testing purposes or as a "last resort" when no other way of getting rid of the unwanted item can be found. 4. Running "Computer Killer" applications. Many of the commercial antivirus, antispyware, and/or Internet security applications out there are designed to run on today's new computers, with much faster CPUs and scads of RAM. Running these apps on an older machine can often have what I call the "who dropped the anchor?" effect on computer performance. Norton/Symantec products have a well-deserved reputation for having this type of impact, and I have often likened McAfee products to driving a car with both feet on the brake pedal. I am reluctant to recommend specific alternatives but I have found that products from eTrust and/or Trend Micro tend to have a lesser impact on the performance of an older computer. Hope this is of some assistance. Good luck Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada -- Microsoft MVP On-Line Help Computer Service http://onlinehelp.bc.ca In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP http://aumha.org/alex.htm |
#8
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Yes, heat plays a factor. But, the PC has to be exposed to that heat for it
to be so. Pentium's have a built in safeguard to slow down when a critical internal temp is attained. Then, stop period after that. Then, meltdown. Every year or so, I backup all my critical personal files off disk. Then, do a clean install of 98SE. Lately, I've been doing a image restoration instead w/no drivers on that install. There's nothing to clean or find, just tweak after that. It can be prudent to buy a new PC. Just depends how much your PC habits and use have changed. "Mary" wrote in message oups.com... I have a Dell Dimension XPS T450MHz computer with a Pentium III (512K Cache, whatever that means) I added RAM for a total of 224MB. The hard drive is 13GB with only 2.97 GB used. OS is Windows 98SE My computer is very slow: takes forever to boot up, takes forever to launch apps, sometimes mouse is slow and jerky, sometimes hard drive runs alot. I defrag and run scandisk regularly/empty recycle bin/delete temp file. I've used regclean; deleted stuff from startup; played with virtual memory; scanned for viruses/adware/spyware (have McAfee); changed to network server setting, etc. Tried all the tweaks that I dare relating to Win 98. I've physically cleaned out all the dust in the CPU and tried to blow out all the dust around the exhaust fan. All to no avail. Is it time to buy a new computer? Is the thing just wearing out? It has been hot & humid here - any connection? Thanks for any advice. |
#9
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Is it time to buy a new computer?
Yes, heat plays a factor. But, the PC has to be exposed to that heat for it
to be so. Pentium's have a built in safeguard to slow down when a critical internal temp is attained. Then, stop period after that. Then, meltdown. Every year or so, I backup all my critical personal files off disk. Then, do a clean install of 98SE. Lately, I've been doing a image restoration instead w/no drivers on that install. There's nothing to clean or find, just tweak after that. It can be prudent to buy a new PC. Just depends how much your PC habits and use have changed. "Mary" wrote in message oups.com... I have a Dell Dimension XPS T450MHz computer with a Pentium III (512K Cache, whatever that means) I added RAM for a total of 224MB. The hard drive is 13GB with only 2.97 GB used. OS is Windows 98SE My computer is very slow: takes forever to boot up, takes forever to launch apps, sometimes mouse is slow and jerky, sometimes hard drive runs alot. I defrag and run scandisk regularly/empty recycle bin/delete temp file. I've used regclean; deleted stuff from startup; played with virtual memory; scanned for viruses/adware/spyware (have McAfee); changed to network server setting, etc. Tried all the tweaks that I dare relating to Win 98. I've physically cleaned out all the dust in the CPU and tried to blow out all the dust around the exhaust fan. All to no avail. Is it time to buy a new computer? Is the thing just wearing out? It has been hot & humid here - any connection? Thanks for any advice. |
#10
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Is it time to buy a new computer?
Hello Mary:
Without knowing what type of applications you're running on your system, it would be kind of hard to say if you require a new system or not. One thing I do recommend before buying a new system, is to buy a new 40 or 80 GB HDD. Mirror or reinstall Windows to the new drive...if you're still not happy with the performance, you're best to buy a new system .... Chris. -- "All problems have a simple solution! The more complex the solution, the more ludicrous the analogy!" "Mary" wrote in message oups.com... I have a Dell Dimension XPS T450MHz computer with a Pentium III (512K Cache, whatever that means) I added RAM for a total of 224MB. The hard drive is 13GB with only 2.97 GB used. OS is Windows 98SE My computer is very slow: takes forever to boot up, takes forever to launch apps, sometimes mouse is slow and jerky, sometimes hard drive runs alot. I defrag and run scandisk regularly/empty recycle bin/delete temp file. I've used regclean; deleted stuff from startup; played with virtual memory; scanned for viruses/adware/spyware (have McAfee); changed to network server setting, etc. Tried all the tweaks that I dare relating to Win 98. I've physically cleaned out all the dust in the CPU and tried to blow out all the dust around the exhaust fan. All to no avail. Is it time to buy a new computer? Is the thing just wearing out? It has been hot & humid here - any connection? Thanks for any advice. |
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