What On Earth is My Computer's Issue?

[youssarian]

Such a weird device I have. The specs: OS: Windows XP SP 2 RAM: 448 MB (Should be 512, I don't know where some of it went) Hard Disk: 70 GB Space Used: ~10 GB Processer: VIA Esther C7-D 1.4 GHz Video Card: VIA/S3G UniChrome Pro IGP Resolution: 800x600, 32 bit color depth Primary Browser Used: Opera 10.1 Internet Connection Type: Wireless-G (I don't know offhand which 801.11 protocol) How Connected: Netgear USB Wireless Adapter DirectX version: 9.0c I've used this computer since 2007... could it simply be that it's that dang old? I have a myriad of issues with this computer pertaining to speed and lack thereof. To start off with (no pun intended), oftentimes when I click on the Start button the menu will appear, but when it does so it draws one row of pixels at a time at a slow pace. I can literally see the rows get drawn. Also, if I put my mouse over "All Programs", "Control Panel" or anything of that sort, my computer will make a lot of rumbling but it'll be several seconds before the menu appears. In addition, when I'm browsing the web, the window frequently locks up, where the minimize button in the upper right hand corner of the window is grayed out. This is temporary but seriously annoying. If a site uses Flash, Java or even extensive JavaScript/Ajax (a la Facebook) the computer is often slow to load and activate them. More issues, present, just can't think of them at the moment. :/ Any help is highly appreciated.

[ninja9578]

Malware and lots of it, reinstall Windows.

[youssarian]

Can't. This machine came with Windows XP, I don't have a Windows CD.

[Ynot]

RAM: 448 MB (Should be 512, I don't know where some of it went) often a result of integrated graphics 64Mb of your main memory is siphoned off for use with integrated graphics chips if you have a dedicated graphics card, disable the integrated card in the BIOS - then the 64Mb will not be reserved The rest..... one word - fucked

[youssarian]

I don't understand how it could be malware. This computer has been connected to the Internet for about a month, and a lot of problems existed long before then. I think.

[Ynot]

then it's probably hopelessly out of date, security patch wise You know the average infection time for an unpatched Windows OS is under 5 minutes?

[youssarian]

O.o Fixable? Or does this thing need to go to PC Heaven?

[Ynot]

there's multiple things you can do depends entirely on you, though - Live with it - Throw it away - Reinstall Windows - Install a more secure OS

[youssarian]

Hmm... where can I go to get a Windows XP installation CD?

[Ynot]

Assuming it's a pre-built machine, you could ask the OEM (Dell, HP or whoever)

[youssarian]

It's Everex. And they're closed in the US. X.X

[Ynot]

well, don't know then Getting XP officially will be hard and your machine will not be powerful enough for any other MS operating system Have you thought about another OS http://www.ubuntu.com It's free software, so there's nothing to lose you may even prefer it.....

[oniman7]

Use a working computer, go to Ubuntu.com, and Order an Ubuntu installation CD. Linux is safer, faster, more intuitive, open source, free, etc. If you're really insistent on having Windows or not installing a new OS, I'd try going to the Windows homepage and explaining the problem to customer support. If that still doesn't work, you could always buy Windows (I think XP - 7 should still be available) at your local Best Buy, Staples, etc. although I believe they're a few hundred dollars. Also, check the box the computer came in. More often than not, a re installation CD is included. Hope that helped.

[Taosaur]

Out of curiosity, can you open Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Delete)? Has Windows installed any updates since you got online? The only computer I've had to resuscitate so far is my Mom's, formerly mine, which was thoroughly raped by trojans and other malware within a couple months of me giving it to her. I managed to get it pretty well back into shape without a reinstall (couldn't find the disks) by running Malwarebytes, then a registry clean-up tool (be careful with these!), then manually editing the registry to re-enable Windows updates, then installing all the updates she'd missed. Going by specs, I'm guessing your machine wasn't new in 2007. In any case, it's quite underpowered, and that may be the beginning and end of your issues. I remember trying to run an XP machine on 512MB RAM in 2004, and it wasn't pretty.

[youssarian]

Yes it has added updates but I've disabled it because it takes up time and space and has no relevant use that I can see.

[Taosaur]

Yes it has added updates but I've disabled it because it takes up time and space and has no relevant use that I can see. mmm, yeah...those updates are generally closing security loopholes that have been exploited by viruses and malware. I recommend running malwarebytes and then installing all available Windows updates.

[youssarian]

Ok I think I might just buy a new computer. This one's about had it I think. But, desktop (which are mostly better than laptops) or laptop (which I could use for my college studies come this fall)? Considering the option, anyway.

[khh]

You might want to get a stationary for home use (games etc) and a netbook for collage. I did that, only I got a regular laptop. It got heavy after a while, and the netbooks' superior battery life really comes in handy.

[ninja9578]

How long do netbooks batteries last? I've heard it's only about 5 hours? I would wait until you get to college to decide what computer you want. See what format your professors expect things in. When I started college, all professors wanted Office documents, but the time I graduated, they all wanted PDFs.

[khh]

How long do netbooks batteries last? I've heard it's only about 5 hours? It varies. Some last 5 hours, some lasts 8. I would wait until you get to college to decide what computer you want. See what format your professors expect things in. When I started college, all professors wanted Office documents, but the time I graduated, they all wanted PDFs. You can create both on a netbook... I mean, the format really isn't an isshue any more.

[Ynot]

How long do netbooks batteries last? I've heard it's only about 5 hours? Highly dependant on how you use them Wi-Fi is a huge power drain especially if it's on, and constantly searching for a signal

[youssarian]

Hmm, odd. I ran Malwarbyte's scan and only got one entry: Hijack.startmenu. No one on the internet seems to have a consensus of whether it's good or bad.

[Maria92]

Hmm, odd. I ran Malwarbyte's scan and only got one entry: Hijack.startmenu. No one on the internet seems to have a consensus of whether it's good or bad. o.O Bad. Look at the name! Hijack Start Menu. Not good. Get some serious anti-malware on that system. Ad-aware, spybot, CCleaner, all that.

[Marvo]

If you're not playing any games, the best solution is going Linux really. Installing Ubuntu is easier than say Windows XP and it's free. Fixing your system is a possibility, but you'll have to go through a lot of thing in order to recover it, and in the end you might find out that the system was FUBAR from the beginning.

[Buddy]

Have you ran any anti-virus software on it? There are tons of free virus scanners out there. While it does come down to personal preference, you can use free scanners such as Avast (Which I personally use) or AVG.