Help Help Help

[PrezLeefun]

OK So my computer is forever having problems. It is super slow and even though my virus protection installs updates the red "x" for danger never changes to a green checkmark for safe.

Also my Windows Media Player does not work. No matter how many times I try to update, uninstall, reinstall, it never works. Yes I have even tried the manual stuff that microsoft offers on the website.

Help me please.

[DoctorDoom]

If you're using XP SP2 with the Security Center, it monitors automatic updates and the firewall as well as the AV program. If any of them are inactive, the icon will remain red.

Re WMP, are you uninstalling via the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel?

As for the slowness, there are a couple of possibilities. If you have never run the defrag routine, the drive could be horribly fragmented, which will do a major-league bogdown. To run that, double-click My Computer, reight-click the C: drive, click Properties, and select the Tools tab.

In there are Error-checking and Defragmentation. Do the error check first and then defrag it. If it has never been done, go out to dinner and a movie, cuz it will take a LONG time.

A defragged drive can load and save files considerably more quickly.

The second slowdown possibility is adware/malware. Two good scanners are Adaware 2007 (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad_aware_free.php) and Spybot S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html). It doesn't hurt to use both.

If push comes to shove, it might require a system recovery. Most store-bought puters have that capability. If it's necessary, back up anything you can't afford to lose, especially what's stored on the desktop, which WILL disappear.

The recovery will bring the machine back to its out-of-the-box state. It won't delete user data (other than desktop files), but many programs that write to the registry will need to be reinstalled.

It's a last-ditch option.

[PrezLeefun]

Thank You Doc.... but I have done that stuff.

[DoctorDoom]

If all that was tried ...

Q1: What version of Windows is on the box?

Q2: When you right-click "My Computer" and select Properties, what does it show for RAM?

Q3: After booting up, before starting any program, use Ctrl-Alt-Delete to bring up the task manager, and click on Processes. How long is the list?

Q4: After booting up, how many icons are in the tray at the lower right corner?

[Taylor1]

Did we lose her?

[PrezLeefun]

oh boy.... this is a can of turds for tomorrow. I will answer all that tomorrow.


I hadnt downloaded the Adware, so I did that and ran a scan. (It found 195 privacy thingies) so my comp may be a bit better. But I think there are still lingering problems.

Thanks for the help Doc.

[DoctorDoom]

Adaware lists browser cookies as reportable objects, even though they're harmless. They're the bulk of the "found" items in most cases. It doesn't hurt to get rid of them. The worst that deleting them can mean is having to log in manually to FC, bank sites, et al.