Computer help...Again

[Constantine]

Hey guys.
As usual need some help.

I seem to be having some problems with my computer. I'll try to explain what is happening.

I seem to be having problems opening programs. Not everyone. I will try to open a program and my computer will freeze up. Then about a minute or 2 later, the program is up and runing. It is the same programs or files.

I have no problems getting on the net. I downloaded 7th son final version to give it a listen, and my Media player freezes.

I can download anything. I have updated my virus checker. Scanned the hard drive for errors. Defragmented the hard drive.
To say the I'm a bit pissed would be an under statement.

I'm lost to what I need to do. My hard drive is only 25% full.
Any thought???
Thanks
Constantine

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Constantine: I don't know which O.S. you are using but when my computer acts like that what I'll do is go through the following basic procedure.

1. Did you install any new programs? Maybe it changed some settings and now your computer is screwed. Or maybe you changed a setting or two?

2. Maybe you have too many programs running at start up on the task bar or in the background? Try clearing some things out of memory and see if that helps.

3. Do the stuff you already did.

4. Yell and scream some obscenities at Bill Gates.

Oh, yeah I just thought of one thing else, if you know your computer doesn't have a virus of some kind try disabeling your av software and see if the programs will run. Sometimes av software doesn't want to play fair with some programs.

This is all I can think of for now.

 

[Eddies cellmate]

It's hard to be sure Constantine, but it sounds like something is eating up your RAM memory. I'd check to be sure that you don't have too many programs running in the background at start up.

Is this a recent peoblem, or has your cpu always been like this?

 

[Constantine]

EC, the problem has only been happening the past couple of weeks. It's weird. Like I said, it does not happen on all programs.
How do I check to see if I have to many programs running in the back ground?
I'm looking at the bottom on my task bar and 9 icons on the right hand side which include (Norton AV auto protector enabled, task schudule is a ready, configSafe auto check, volume, multimedia keyboard, winzip quick pick, exit launcher, Norton program scheduler, internet bar and time. On the left hand side 7 icons (KaZaA Media desktop, Launch internet explorer browser, Launch Outlook express, quick time player, show desktop, view channels, windows media player. In the center of my task bar has the internet explorer icon with Ultimate metal.com in the middle.
Sorry this is long worded, but I'm trying to discribe what I'm seeing.

Mr, I'm going to try to disable my AV and see what happens.
Something weird is going on.
Thanks guys.

 

[Eddies cellmate]

I'm not sure of your system's specs, but it's the 9 icons on the right that are a concern. 9 is probably too many, and I'm sure you've got some others running that aren't showing up there as icons.

A quick way to see what's running at any given time is to hit CTRL+ALT+Delete all at the same time. Hitting these once will bring up a dialog box with a list of what's currently running. (Hitting thise twice will re-start your computer).

Anyway, if you can eliminate any of these do so. It can be tricky to tell what's what sometimes though. Only close the ones that you're sure you don't need. I'd be willing to bet that that's the problem. One (or more) of those is eating up your cpu's resources.

Some of those can be eliminated by simply deselecting the option in the host program. For example, RealPlayer can be set to run at start up (uses resources) or set to NOT run at start up (better).

If there's something there that you want to eliminate, but it has no host program like above, then open your RUN box fromthe start button, and run MSCONFIG.EXE. This is Windows' utility for managing system configuration settings, like what to run at start up.

Maybe this isn't the real problem, but it's always a good idea to keep your system running clean by running as few programs as are required.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Originally posted by Constantine
EC, the problem has only been happening the past couple of weeks. It's weird. Like I said, it does not happen on all programs.
How do I check to see if I have to many programs running in the back ground?
I'm looking at the bottom on my task bar and 9 icons on the right hand side which include (Norton AV auto protector enabled, task schudule is a ready, configSafe auto check, volume, multimedia keyboard, winzip quick pick, exit launcher, Norton program scheduler, internet bar and time. On the left hand side 7 icons (KaZaA Media desktop, Launch internet explorer browser, Launch Outlook express, quick time player, show desktop, view channels, windows media player. In the center of my task bar has the internet explorer icon with Ultimate metal.com in the middle.
Sorry this is long worded, but I'm trying to discribe what I'm seeing.

Mr, I'm going to try to disable my AV and see what happens.
Something weird is going on.
Thanks guys.

Constantine: My computer always locks up at random times when I use the multi-media features on my keyboard. I disabled those using msconfig. Now my system doesn't usually lock up. I know someone else who used KaZaA and his computer began locking up frequently when using other programs too. Might be something happening with that.
Like Ec said ,Msconfig will allow you to disable things that load automatically when you start Windows. It doesn't actually remove them from the system so if you disable something you shouldn't, you can always go back in and enable it later.
WinMe gives me a popup box after I change the settings and reboot telling me I'm using selective startup for troubleshooting but I just click the box that says don't nag me about it anymore and every thing usually works fine.

 

[Constantine]

Guys, I was on a site last night called PC Doctor. They ran a test on my computer and they found 65 errors with Windows.
They wanted me to sign up for the program and they could correct the error for $30.00.
The major problems were with something called "short cuts"

I'm thinking of put in my recovery cd again and reload my computer.
A pain in the butt. It looks like I may have no other way around this. I can't run with only half a computer.....
Constantine

 

[Eddies cellmate]

Well, it all depends on how much of a "pain in the butt" it'll be...