XP Pro slowdown with fresh install...

Okay, here we go. HP zx5190us Laptop, 3.2GHz P4, 1GB PC2700 ram, 80GB 4200 RPM drive...

I had a bout of spyware a few weeks ago. Deciding that I wanted to reinstall Windows XP Pro fresh, I decided to patch the system together, get my critical stuff off, and then reload... My system had slowed down MAJORLY... one reason for deciding to reinstall...

Using my newly made XP Pro SP2 Slipstreamed disc, I reinstalled XP, chosing to use NTFS (as I had before), and choosing a full format. I get XP and my drivers installed, and all the XP updates, and here is the problem again..... My system is MAJORLY SLOW....

For example, it would boot very quickly (even with NAV loading).. Now, it takes almost 4 minutes. IE used to be real quick, now it lags real bad. I have a lot of harddrive activity, where before I did not. (Yes, I have run a defrag of the drive)

I did a check of the hard drive, and it seems to pass (Used the built in checker in BIOS, and used Norton Disk Doctor/Windows CHKDSK). Drive passes with no problems. I get no memory errors.

I am wondering if my recent attack ruined my drive somehow (******* the MBR or the like), or if my BIOS got corrupted. I reflashed my BIOS today with the same version that was on there (a fresh copy downloaded from HP), and there is no difference.

The only thing I can think of is the slipstreamed SP2 disc, that something didnt get installed right, or some other unexplained problem. I really hate to reinstall XP again, but if I have to, so be it.

Any ideas/help appreicated....

 

did u install anything other than the os? i'd do a full/clean and add nothing. do not connect it to the internet at all. run it and test. i'd avoid any driver stuff until u verify it's ok clean mode. eg - no external anything, forget the modem if u don't use it, etc. just get it running plain jane.

then start running stuff and test vs each install/update.

and u can always go back to the HP installer and add updates instead of slipstreaming. while i can't say it makes much sense, i can't see anything obvious short of a HW/specific patch issue - which HP should know about - that would cause such.

i'd check for any HP updates to that machine in firmware etc. too. can't hurt for the most part here.

 

In firmware updates, I am assuming you mean BIOS... I am running the latest version.

I noticed when I did load my laptop up, it seemed slower than normal on just the install...

My last install was with a SP1a Slipstreamed disc.

Is it possible I have a problem with the harddrive or other hardware that could of been cause by the spyware attack? My common sense tells me no....

 

by firmware i mean ALL hp issued HW updates. not just bios

i don't understand sp1a slip when u mention slip to sp2 earler - might just be something i don't get but ... can u clarify what this is?

i certainly could be an HD issue but ... they usually start showing some signs in eventlog and/or just plain die ... hp MAY have some diags prog that u can employ. try it.

 

There is only two HP issued firmware updates... one for the BIOS and one for the CD-RW drive. Both have been applied...


When I originally installed XP Pro on this system about 8 months ago, I used a Windows XP Pro SP1a slipstreamed disc. When I did the reinstall a few days ago, I used a Win XP Pro SP2 slipstreamed disc.

In the BIOS, there is a HD test.. one takes 2 min, the other takes 75 min... both give the drive a clean bill of health. So does Spinrite and Norton Disk Doctor/Windows Chkdsk....

With everything installed, this system still was quite fast.... that included having Office, Norton, Adobe Creative Suite, Dreamweaver, Apache, PHP, a ton of iDEN software (motorola phone software), Acrobat 7, Alcohol 120, etc etc..... it was QUICK!!!

Now with just my basic stuff on here, it comes to a crawl... For example... when you go to load IE, it would instantly pop up. Now when I do it, the drive accesses for a few seconds , then the window slowly comes up.

I am going to drag out a old 20GB drive that has the same specs as my 80 and put the SP2 install on it... if it is slow, then it's the Install... if it's fast, then there is a problem with the hardware somewhere.

I could use a generic zero-fill utility to clean the drive before install. Toshiba has nothing (the drive is a Toshiba).

 

it doesn't sound like HD after the testing u've done. i'd bet on one of the updates up to sp2 that's the cause. which one is the question to me. u COULD install to sp1 as before then run the updates to exclusion of sp2 and see if u'r performance shapes up.

then u could maybe image the drive if u've the ability and do sp2?

 

Well, before, I had SP2 installed... but I did it after I installed XP... I ran the updates as-fed from Microsoft.... I think I am going to try that....

Was hoping my drive was bad.. I talked my wife into letting me buy a new 100GB drive if the 80 was bad....