Specialists Needed For Computer Build And Fixing

[Phillip]

Guys I need a team to work with me in this project please. My desktop is stuffing up and I want to get it working all right. I am willing to work and learn and spend just a little if thats what it takes.

Here are the list of symptoms that my desktop has:

---When I use shrink it shows that it will takes 102 hours to finish...then I go to task manager and delete some processes and restart. After this shrink take about 2 hours working on one movie.

---When I download files from internet it just automatically switches off

---- I used dvd magic ripper and it showed 12 hours for finishing the job. Sometimes it takes 5 hours.

--- it works faster and well when i connect to the internet with PC Suite except when i download.

My goal is to have it work faster so i cab back up quickly

Background

I got the computer from my past employer. When I got it it had about 9GB of space. I dont know how much RAM space it had but it was using Microsoft Windows NT, Workstation 4.0...1.2 CPU. A total waste

I decided to try an upgrade the computer so I bought a ram, a processor and a hardrive. I now have 2 drives, drive C and drive F...F has about 40GB of space and C kept my old computer system files with about 9 GB of space.This is what the system information looks like:

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/1307/systeminfooo4.jpg

When i run msinfo 32 the pc says it cant show the info...here is the picture i get:

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6232/msinfo32al0.jpg


Please give me advice and suggestions on how I can improve my PC and atleast be able to back up faster.

Thanks.

[Phillip]

Points of addittion:

----DMA is enabled
----I run disc cleanup about everyweek and check for errors.

Please help

Another thing is I bought a 80 GB hardrive which i now makes Drive F...shouldnt the space there be 80GB instead of 40Gb...anybody knows where the rest went. I got somebody to add the drive and processor for me I am worried I might have been ripped here. Whats your take?

[UncasMS]

since your second screenshot doesnt provide any useful info you will have to tell us a little more about your system

my first guess is you're running unnecessary backgrounds processes/tools/services

could you make screenshots of what the taskmanager lists in the "processes" tab?

[Phillip]

Thanks I attached the screenshot...please let me know if it is still not useful I will try something else

[Phillip]

I am using dvdfab platinum to backup right now and the damn thing shows seven hours of work...how lazy of it :(

it gets worse if i run something else at a background such as playing music or going on the net

[UncasMS]

are you familiar with "start" => "run" => "services.msc" ?

if i were you i'd deactivate quite a few of the items listed under processes in your screenshot:

- quicktime
- itunes
- acronis
- ulead burning helper (ulcdrsvr.exe may [according to sophos] even be spyware => W32/Codbot-H !!!) run an online scan from ewido for example:
http://www.ewido.net/en/
- usisrv.exe belongs to ulead as well - disable it from autostart
- mcshield.exe + naprdmgr.exe + vstskmgr.exe + updaterui.exe
- nokia stuff => napdrmgr.exe + launchapplication.exe

[katzdvd]

Phillip,

You could follow Chewy's Power User Setup.

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=60313&highlight=power+user+setup

It will help you to eliminate & cut down on alot of unnecessary junk that windows has running by default. After going thru the guide, I noticed a significant increase in my pc's performance!

Regards, katz :)

[Phillip]

Gusy please do not wonder, i am still busy doing what you suggested. It is true that my computer had a lot of spyware in it. I am using AVG spyware to try and solve the problems.


I also did the start-run-services but i am not quaite sure which other processes to disable other than the obvious one. I will ask in due course.

I will also run Chewy's fix once I deal with removing spyware.

Thanks

[Gary D]

And when you finish, can you run Everest 2.20 from my signature and attach the report. It will tell us about your setup then.

[Phillip]

Wonderful Gary, I ran avggspyware and found two infections with many traces. i didnt know what to do about the traces but I set out to clean the infections....i got so many infections the first time a total of 13 and boxes poping up showing malware every now and then.

A quick question, is it good to set spyware to delete the infections or will it cause my system to miss files and things?

Today I backed up a dvd on my desktop using dvdfabplatinum and for the first time it gave 40minutes of runtime for a 4.3 GB ouput.... thats like a record I mean it was taking atleast 3 hours and 30 minutes to just copy one dvd....its too early to decide but i think indications are that it is promising :)

I still havent ran Chewy's power set up :)

[Phillip]

Ok slow work progress.

I am busy running Chewy's power set up. Already I have a dumb question. When I open on F thru my computer (since my computer has two drivers and F is the main one) and click on tools. I do not see folder options as Chewy sets out on page 2 of his advice.....instead i get "map network drive"..."disconnect network drive" and syncronise.

Does anybody know how I can get to folder options another way. I already browsed through help and support and read thru my windows xp book for dummies no joy and its taking too much time...please advice team

[Phillip]

I tried to change my sharing options and networking options still no joy.

its probably a little thing i have to change here so that I can see folder options when i click view....if anyone knows please talk to me :(


what is this synchronise on view anyway...who uses it?

[Dan]

Can you try this...
Start> Run> control folders

I have heard of a virus causing a problem like this, hope your system is clean.

[Phillip]

thanks Dan. I tried it tells me the operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect of the computer. then it says i must contact the system administrator.....

it sucks i dont know what restrictions to change

[Dan]

Are you on a limited account? You need to be an administrator to access these things, likely why you can't see them in the normal Tools Menu.
You need to make your account administrator, or log off and log on as Administrator at the log on screen, not your log on.

[Phillip]

My computer only has only two users, how do i logon as an administrator?

also i will see what i can do under user accounts but i only see two users so i dont know how to log on as administrator

[Dan]

Have a look at these links.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/tips/advanced/adminaccount.mspx

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321305

[Phillip]

Thanks Dan your advice worked. Now I am back to it :)

[Dan]

That's good to hear. :)

[Phillip]

Guys I am done running Chewy's setup I have not done anything on my pc yet so i dont know if it has started perfoming.

I attached the screenshot from my perfomance tab i dont know if it will be useful but if you have any advice please let me know...

now i am to run everest setup from Gary D's signature

[Dan]

What were you running when that pic was taken? Your CPU usage is steady at 100%.

[Phillip]

I dont know Dan....

I ran nothing except the processes...there was nothing else. Anything you see wrong?

[Dan]

Yes, your CPU usage is @ 100% and beside it in the CPU usage history it is 100% straight across the top showing that something(s) really hogging your resources.

Usually that will only happen with DVD Shrink in full force or maybe running a virus scan.

[Phillip]

Does that mean i got something serious running in the background....how can i solve the problem?

[Phillip]

I went to processes and deleted some of the running processes. CPU usage got down to 1%. I consider this a temporary fix.

How can I permanently make those processes stop eating up my resources?

[Dan]

It must have been one of those processes, so it should be easy to track down.

If you ended several and your not sure which process it was, you might want to reboot and if your CPU is steady @ 100%, close 1 at a time and pin point the process.

[Phillip]

i wish i could end this processes permanently just now i was backing up with acronis before doing jmet resources freerer....it didnt back up until i went to processes to end up...then it took just 15 minutes to back up


is it possible to not make them run at the first place?

[mill]

Might be able to turn it off in msconfig?

[Phillip]

I generated the Everest report as suggested but i dont know how to post it.....its too large. Any suggestions?

[Phillip]

Thanks Mill. I did turn some off at misconfig...will read up more and get rid of this nasties.

Now I am gonna back up and see if my pc can run faster

[Phillip]

unbelivable the nasties are gone, when i go ctlr + alt + delete i now have only 14 processes running instead of the 39 i had...

i will check perfomance later. i just tried converting dvd to ipod now it promisses 02:44 minutes of work not too fast but i certainly wont be seeing no 53hours any more


any further suggestions for perfomance?.....what would happen if i buy more memory, how much faster can my pc perform then?

[MikeyBK]

Here's an informative site for Msconfig startups. http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php?filter=&letter=A

More ram will give you better speed thru ability to multi-task...so if there are many prosesses running, more ram would help tremendously IMHO. Faster CPU would do the job even more tremendously I figure. But ultimately if you can disable 25 start-ups I'd say you're probably OK already. lol

[Phillip]

Thanks Mikey my CPU percentage now sits at 1% instead of 100%.

I just backed up a movie using dvdfabplatinum. I got 55 minutes run time.

Now how is that for calling a team of specialist to solve problems?

I am talking an improvement from 8 hours to 55 minutes. From 39 processes to only 25 at run time.

Good job guys we achieved our goal if u were here I was gonna give you a raise :)

Thanks to all of you who posted and helped solve a problem which could have taken me months to figure.

Now I am going to power set up my laptop as well.


Magic :)

[JakeBlues]

I was reading this because I had the same problems for a while.. when I saw yout cpu at 100% i was thinking WHAT IN THE WORLD?!!!
Looks like you are doing well.... When is the last time you defraged?
It will help a bit also.
On my computer I have a registery cleaner and it helps ALOT!
Next time you run the msconfig take screen shots again of your process(es) and cpu usage
and anything that might be helpful.
Make SURE your antivirus is up to date and run it while the computer is in safe mode!!! (I have a feeling you may find other hidden nasties in there)
If your multitasking or are not on the net...or if your doing "safe" task where you won't get any virus just turn the antivirus off when your making movie back-ups.
I am glad your doing well now.. congrats