Er.... Help?
OttoDestruct
Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7790Members
Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7790Members
in Off-Topic
For once I'm completely stumped as to what to do... I'm trying to fix a friend's computer, and looking at system resources, theres about 100 mb of physical ram available (of 128), but the pagefile is completely maxed out, and its staying maxed.... the system is freakin SLOW. Any ideas? I've done virus scans, and spyware scans, I'm not quite sure.
Comments
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:red'>F-DISK THAT SUCKER</span></span>
one other thing. as a man who started with a 700 mhz computer and has pretty much worked his way up from there (and used pretty much any tweak he has ever found) there is nothing that will ever be more effective at speeding up your computer than sinking more cash into it. and i dont mean putting a few rolls of quarters into a sock and hitting it. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
If you have trouble explaining what's wrong with your uneducated friend's computer, "format C" is the safest bet.
What processes are running? (check in task manager)
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:red'>F-DISK THAT SUCKER</span></span> <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
And what if the problem is due to a faulty motherboard leaking RAM availability? FDISK would just be a waste of an hour or so.
todd2k, minimum requirements for Windows XP are a 450MHz CPU, and 128MB RAM, recommended is a 733MHz CPU, and 192MB RAM. The only reason why 256 is a necessity is becuase of the 30+ background services in Windows XP, and they can draw up to 40-50MB RAM on a burst. That's 50MB RAM that the games can't get at, and is normally reserved, so not even Windows can access it, other than by cranking the services up to Real-Time priority under Task Manager.
Page file should normally be using 270-odd MB during idle, with a high spec PC. It should be set, optimally, to 2.5x tha amount of RAM you have. Windows automatically sets this for you, with the exception of systems with 256MB RAM, which it sets to 3x.
Otto, disconnect the PC from the Internet (if appliclable), then go to Start->Run, then type "msconfig". Click on "Diagnostic Startup", then OK, then "Restart Now". This will set the PC into Diagnostics mode, where nothing starts up with the PC. See if the page file is maxed out then. If it is, then consider a wipe and reinstall, as something within Windows is maxing it out, which it shouldn't do. If it doesn't max out in diagnostics mode, then it's something that's starting up with the system that's causing it. Go back into MSCONFIG, and choose "Selective Startup", put a check next to "Process SYSTEM.INI File", then click "Apply", then "OK", then "Restart Now".
Continue this process until you get to "Load Startup Items". Instead of putting a check next to it, click on the "Startup" tab, and put the checks back in one-by-one, like with the categories, restarting the PC after each one. This process is going to take a while, so make your self a cup of coffee, and be patient with it.
You'll know when you've found the perpetrator, because in the restart, the Page File will max out.
Try to not just wipe a system and reinstall it. Try thinking logically, there are tools within Windows that will aid you in diagnosing the problem...
*Edited for minor changes, and spelling*
if yes:
remove all startup services and programs.
add them back one by one (or by twos if you feel lazy) rebooting every time you add one
if no:
reinstall windows
if fail:
it's a hardware problem
You all jsut got pyyned
Better have a zero point module ready. Otherwise you'll blow out their little overworked nuclei.