PC very slow

[entyp66]

Hi

this is a strange one. We have a networked PC running Windows XP Pro SP3. The PC runs extremely slowly. It is very well specified, fast processor, 3GB RAM, 200GB free space on the hard drive. No viruses or spyware.

If I shutdown the PC properly i.e. start, shutdown, when the PC is turned on again, it is still incredibly slow and the hard disk drive activity light is constantly on. However if I turn the PC off coldly, i.e. press the off button, when the PC is turned on again it performs normally i.e. at the speed you would expect and the hard disk drive activity light is not constatnly on.

Any ideas?

[elsiegee40]

What do you see in Task manager when this happens? What's eating the CPU/Memory?

[Dos_Box]

Have you checked for disk errors? Disk thrashing can be caused by bad sectors and/or a corrupt filesystem.

[elsiegee40]

Have you checked for disk errors? Disk thrashing can be caused by bad sectors and/or a corrupt filesystem.

... or the desperate need of a defrag

[entyp66]

CPU usage is around 2% and memory usage is mimimal.

[mac_shinobi]

got much starting up with the pc as far as either apps, services etc

* msconfig --> startup tab
* msconfig --> Services tab

start --> Run --> services.msc OR start --> control panel --> administrative tools --> services

Clear temp files --> ccleaner ( http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner) download from file hippo

Then defrag either normally through windows although I use ultra defrag

UltraDefrag - An Open Source Defragmenter

[sonofsanta]

Get Process Monitor - Process Monitor - will tell you much more, including if it's hardware interrupts dragging it down, which has happened to me before, on a file server no less. Reformat/reinstall fixed that though, so may be worth just reimaging it and see if it goes away.

[entyp66]

Have disabled all startup services run ccleaner and defrag but still no better

[taff]

Have you tried swapping a different HD into the machine to see if it runs any better?

[Dos_Box]

Run a disk check. Really, it may make all the difference.

[entyp66]

Not yet, that was going to be my next step if I was unable to solve it my other means...

[mac_shinobi]

Run a disk check. Really, it may make all the difference.

As in

chkdsk /r

which you can do from the recovery console at least with windows xp - not sure if its the same on windows 7 / vista