512 ram, 1.4 ghz and still stalling for up to 20 seconds at a time!

my problem generally only occurs when the comptuer is trying to list the contents of the my documents folder, whether that be through paint shop, photoshop, or an explorer browser window. it doesnt happen all the time.

i think i MAY have solved it actually. or since i tried this i was not able to reproduce the problem, yet. i went through all the contents in my documents. i found 4 high resolution bitmaps worth about 5.7 MB's total. it took a while to list the contents of this subfolder of my documents, too. that led me to believe the preview function is what is taking the CPU time. i renamed the 4 bitmaps to *.bmpa files. they no longer self-previewed when i viewed the folder, and it seemed to correct the lag.

well heres another update as i was writing the above: it still happens. this time just scrolling down and viewing all files in my documents root folder. froze for about 15 seconds with a jagged display (things repeated on lines within the window, icons broken. i dont know how else to explain that..)

charlesvar: checked the event log, nothing out of the ordinary except for a system error. (a few minutes before the last freeze, not sure about others):

so i'm still clueless as to what to do next. i will shut of the indexing service and reply if it helps at all.

thanks everyone for your replies

 

Something that might help: It sounds to me that the OS might have a corrupt .dll file or two, or maybe OS corruption other than .dll file.

I found the following proceedure useful to correct XP Home OS file corruption.

Put installation CD in drive. When install program opens, exit.

Open the run window.

Type in: sfc /scannow

Click OK

You will get a system file protecton window. Windows will start to scan for corrupt files. It will on occasion need to access the CD in the CD drive. It may tell you it can't find the CD, and ask to try again. Click the try again button. As many times as it opens until sfc is finished.

First time I did it, I had to "try again" about 35 times, but all the Windows files were checked and restored where needed. Subsequent runs took considerably less.

According to MSFT, this will not wipe out any service packs or updates, & this fix cost me $35.00 support fee, but in my case, it fixed the problem.

Shut down and re-start. See if it helped.

This is the first thing I do when I have an OS problem.

Good Luck

Martin

 

The way I understand it, new updates are favored over original cd files. But if the new files are corrupted, how would the cd install fix it? The updates are not supposed to be reinstalled over themselves, but I've done it, trying to repair a mess. I keep all of them on a cd for that very purpose. If that doesn't work, I back up any data and do a clean install. I'd rather try an SR or a "last known good config ", first, before sfc/ Scannow w/ the install cd.

Johanna

 

Hi Johanna,

*But if the new files are corrupted, how would the cd install fix it?*

It would fix it in the sense that now you can operate the system - if the problem is a system error due to corrupt system files.

Whether its out of date because the working file(s) came from the install disc is another matter.

*I back up any data and do a clean install.*

If sfc gets a file from the install disc if the cached one is also corrupt, why would a clean install be any better where all the files are theoretically out date? Or am I not understanding your point?

Regards - Charles

 

If it's that askew, I'll do a clean install and then use the cd to put the updates on. Yes, I agree, doing sfc can get the OS operational again. What I'll try first depends on which, and how, corrupt the system files are in the first place. If I'm trying to clean up someone's infected computer, for example, a clean install is actually faster than trying to figure out what is not salvageable in the system files.

Johanna

 

Hi Johanna,

*What I'll try first depends on which, and how, corrupt the system files are in the first place*

Ok, that's the decision I would make as well after looking at the event log to see what sfc replaced and generally how bad the situation was. This is especially true in case of malware infestation. Its really a matter of judgement.

Regards - Charles

 

just a question regarding the conversation in the last few posts:

when i do run the sfc /scannow, will the windows update website recongize that some of the updated files were over written, and suggest the patch for download agian? or do i have to find the patches manually and reinstall them one by one? just curious. i am running the system file checker now, and i will report back what files were replaced by checking the event log, correct?

 

Hi SKEL,

That's the question in this thread: http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24828

Regards - Charles

 

I have seen lately, that McAfee and Norton have been causing some very strange problems along those lines.
Try turning off your anti-virus and see what happens, stay off the net while doing so.. McAfee has been the biggest problem of them all have had to remove completely and install AVG to fix all the hang up's. Hope that work's.

Good luck,

Houston

 

I have had the same problem with 1 of my 3 machines running XP Pro. The open dialog box will cause a 30 sec - 3 min. hang. (Indexing is turned off!) The other 2 do not have this problem. As a workaround I have found that if I run Regseeker and clean the registry I can go for as much 2 weeks without the problem reoccuring. However, if I install any software the problem will return. I have not found any MS fixes for this yet. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

According to MSFT's Tech Support (by phone) SFC will not overwrite an updated system file. When I did the SFC/CD thing, all my updates still appeared in "Add Remove Programs" Including service pack 1. I have no reason to believe that the updated hotfixes and service pack files have been overwritten by older files.

The tech told me that SFC will check the CD and the Cache of system files and will not replace updated files with older files from install CD. I sure hope he know what he was talking about because I am relying on this information being correct.

Anybody have contrary info?

Martin

 

What occurs when an "updated system file" is determined by SFC to be corrupted... does it ....
Download a good file from MS and install it?
Advises user to download & install file?
SFC ignores the required file, does not report to user?

 

Think I answered my own questions....
SCF can not determine integrity of an "updated system file "...
unless it downloads the file and runs a compare.

 

Dennis:

According to my understanding of what MSFT tech told me is that XP saves a copy of updated files in a cache, SFC restores corrupted updated files from there, corrupted un-updated files restored from CD. He told me that the program can tell which is which based on file date.

Like I said, I hope he's right and my updates are still intact. Next question, is there a way to check this?? Other than looking in "Add Remove Programs "?

I know for a fact, personal experience, if you wipe out updates any way but a complete re-install, your updates are gone and the Windows update site can't tell. It comes back with no updates for your system available. The update site tells you this when you go to "Installation History" It says that these are the updates you installed but they may or may not be on your machine.

If you do a reinstall, Update site will be able to show updates needed.

I just wish they would fix that site so that it could inventory a machine remotely and tell if updates still there.

Martin