W2Kpro startup 99% utilization... why?

Zues · 6th February 2002

I have pIII 750 with 64mb ram (I know its low) but still. I am running a stand alone laptop with W2Kpro (It came with it installed).. I dont have anything running in my tray except Norton anti-v and network status (I have broadband)... and right after start-up (which takes about 4-5mins!) I cant even open the start button menu with out a delay... 99% cpu activity... and then it just gets worse... I open netscape and it takes 2 mins to completely open...

Anyone got a clue why? Ive scanend for spyware, viruses, worms, you name it... I dont understand the services in this dang thing, but I think maybe W2K is monitoring something uneccesarily... (?)

Please help the Win2K wimp. Thx.

Lee · 7th February 2002

I'd say it's your RAM. Win2k's minimum requirments for RAM is atleast 128 megs. I'd go to crucial.com and buy some if I were you.

Zues · 7th February 2002

Thanks Lee, I hope it is that simple. Could it be anything else more 'crucial'? (no pun intended)

Lee · 7th February 2002

Well, the only other thing it could be is your processor, but it can't be that cuz it wouldn't take that long for Win2k to load on a P 75. If the RAM doesn't work, then it's beyond me

I suggest either 128 megs, or 256. 128 will get you by, but 256 will get your applications loading faster.

Zues · 7th February 2002

Thanks Lee, I have already ordered a 256 module. We'll see what happens.

SmokeOne · 12th February 2002

I found this trick to work well on machines with similar performance problems. This is strait out of a TechRepublic E-mail.

DELETE A TEMPORARY PAGE FILE TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

Failure during a Windows 2000 Setup or a Windows 2000 service pack
installation can sometimes result in the creation of a small temporary page
file, which isn't deleted on completion. This temporary page file prevents
Windows 2000 from creating its regular, larger page file when it boots.
This causes poor performance because of the small size of the page file.

If Windows 2000 is the only operating system on the machine, you can't
simply delete the temporary page file and allow Windows 2000 to create
another. Reconfiguring the page file settings through the GUI doesn't
correct the problem, because Windows 2000 is still unable to create the new
page file with the old one in use.

To locate the temporary page file, look in the %systemroot% folder for a
file named Pagefile.sys. Next, boot the system to the Recovery Console
(RC). (You can boot the RC from the Windows 2000 CD if it isn't already
installed.) The page file is a hidden system file, so the RC won't let you
see or delete the file. However, you can replace the file with another
file, and then delete that replacement file to clear it out for good.

1. In the RC, use the CD command to change to the folder where the page
file is located.

2. Use the COPY command to copy any other file over Pagefile.sys. (For
example, you can use the command COPY WIN.INI PAGEFILE.SYS to replace
Pagefile.sys with a copy of Win.ini.)

3. Next, enter the command DEL PAGEFILE.SYS to delete the page file.

4. Exit the RC, and boot Windows 2000.

5. Right-click My Computer and choose Properties, and then click the
Advanced tab.

6. Click Performance Options, and set the desired page file size.

Hope this helps.