Don, thank you for the extensive reply. Things worked fine from Safe Mode,
so I went to Msconfig to disable startup items. I took a shot and at first I
only disabled three HP software items that were installed with my printer.
That was it! Internet links now open quickly as well as any files that I
click on. Its like I have a new computer. Not surprisingly, the printer
still prints. I further narrowed it down to 'HP Digital Imaging Monitor' as
the specific offender. Shutdown speed has dramatically increased too. Thank
you. -Nick
>Nick wrote:
>I'm having a slowness problem with my laptop.>>
There are several basics you could try for starters which might help
pinpoint the culprit.
Presumably you've already tried System Restore if it goes back far enough
(which it rarely does).
If you keep regular registry backups, a registry restore back to a date
preceding the problem will usually fix this sort of problem.
Otherwise:
1. Reboot into Safe Mode. If everything is normal there, that points to
some background app loading at startup causing the problem--possibly a
driver not functioning properly and gumming up the works.
2. Run Msconfig, go to the Startup tab and untick EVERYTHING. (It won't
allow you to disable anything vital to the system). This will prevent most
(though not all) your startups from running. Reboot. Try to disable any
security progs if you can (If on broadband, disconnect from internet
first). Use Task Manager to close any other startups. Then see if there's
any difference while running in minimum configuration. If the problem has
gone away, this points to something or some combination of things running
in the background causing the slowdown.
3. Download and run Process Explorer. Free from Microsoft Powertoys
site.It's a small standalone prog in which you can see what's happening
behind the scenes and what's using resources. It might show up something to
lead you to the cause.
4. Run chkdsk /f from a command prompt. This will ask you to reboot and
will check and repair basic system files for corruption before XP opens. It
will ask you to insert the XP disk.
5. Possibly you'll need to re-register some of the OLE (link) .dll files.
That's a little more complicated. This is possible if it's only links that
are the problem---which appears to be the case here. It's more common when
email and browser links don't work--but won't do any harm if all else fails:
2. Click Start, and then click Run, then type cmd.
3. Type regsvr32, type Ole32.dll and then click OK.
4. When you receive the "DllRegisterServer in ole32.dll succeeded" message,
click OK.
Repeat steps 2 through 4 for each of the following files :
. Shdocvw.dll
. Oleaut32.dll
. Shell32.dll
Finally, what is the boot time of the computer from power on to Desktop
first appearing? Ideally it should be about 30-35 seconds, but
realistically this can easily get out to 60 seconds if you have a lot of
stuff installed. Anything much beyond 80 seconds points to a loading fault
which ought to be investigated. This can sometimes be caused by a bad
driver which can then wreak havoc on general system performance, sometimes
in unpredictable ways.
I find that keeping an eye on boot time is a very good indicator of a
computer's general health.
If all else fails, try a repair installation of XP.
Don Penlington
From the Beach at Surfers Paradise in sunny Queensland.
Computer tutorials, local scenery, and other things at my website:
http://users.tpg.com.au/deepend/index1.html
Visit our website regularly for FAQs,
articles, how-to's, tech tips and much more
http://freepctech.com
Visit our website regularly for FAQs,
articles, how-to's, tech tips and much more
http://freepctech.com
|
