For a few months now, I've had a problem with my computer running really slow when I try to play multimedia, particularly video or streaming audio. The video becomes really choppy and doesn't keep up with the audio, which plays fine. Even after I stop playing the video, my computer runs REALLY slow and choppy until I restart the entire computer. Other times, my computer will suddenly begin running veeeery slowwwwwly and then will pop out of it a few minutes later. I have a relatively new computer, a Sony Vaio laptop with a Pentium 4 3.06 GHz processor and 512 MB of ram. Another problem I've had for a few months is the fan on my laptop is running really hard and fast non-stop when the computer is on. I know the fan runs quite often on a laptop, but it is running harder and faster than I've ever seen/heard a laptop fan run...and it NEVER stops. The fan did not run like this for the first 6-8 months that I had the computer. I can't put my finger on what the problem is...Although, interestingly enough, even though my computer came with 512 MB of ram, when I go into the "Sony Notebook Setup" program, it only displays my computer as having 448 MB of ram. Did one of my memory chips fry? Do you guys have any idea as to why my computer would encounter these problem?
I don't know what to tell you, but the memory chips frying might be a possibility. If the fan is running really hard could mean its trying to coolf your computer down and it isnt doing it successfully which could cause memory to be fried. I dont know though, might take it somewhere get it checked out.
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/6208/task0ia.jpg there is a screen cap of my processes running in task manager.
Kill that System Idle Process and that should solve all of your problems Seriously when you took that screen capture were you experiencing slowness?
no, not particularly, it comes and goes randomly...but i can always count on having problems when I try to play any type of video on my computer. the fan is going full blast no matter what.
http://img434.imageshack.us/img434/1002/screen22cy.jpg this is what it looks like when i try to play a video in windows media player and it slows my computer down to an absolute crawl, even when windows media is the only program running on my computer. also, for a few minutes afterwards, my computer runs really slow...then eventually speeds up a little bit.
have you scanned for spyware, etc.? the memory reading discrepancy is probably your onboard video taking that RAM. nothing to worry about there . . . see my sig for anti-spyware
I don't claim to be savy but it sounds like you need to run a registry repair program. I need to myself but I haven't spent the $29, I'm still looking for a free one.
Hey, Eastwood: When you run the task manager, click on the "Mem Usage" column heading to sort by memory amount. When you see the ones that are the highest, investigate if they SHOULD BE running. Don't go for the quit-from-the-processes technique. First try to see if it is one of the tasks running on the "Applications" tab, and quit it. Go back to see if one of the ones listed with the most memory stops running. Try to watch some video now.
Go to START, choose RUN and in the box type MSCONFIG and hit OKAY. When the box pops up take some screenshots of the SERVICES and STARTUP tabs, there are a lot of things we can do to clean this puppy up.
SV--i cant maximise the system config screen for a practical screenshot, so I'll just list the junk under those two tabs: Services: Application Layer Gateway Service Application Management ASP.NET State Service Ati HotKey Poller Windows Audio Background Intelligent Transfer Service Computer Browser Symantec Event Manager Symantec Password Validation Symantec Settings Manager Indexing Service COM+ System Application Cryptographic Services DCOM Server Process Launcher DHCP Client Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service Logical Disk Manager DNS Client Error Reporting Service Event Log COM+ Event System Fast user Switching Compatibility Help and Support HTTP SSL InstallDriver Table Manager IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service Server Workstation TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing, Distributed Transaction Coordinator, Windows Installer, Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect Service, Net Logon, Network Connections, Network Location Awareness (NLA), Norton AntiVirus Firewall Monitor Service, NT LM Security Support Provider, Removable Storage, Office Source Engine, Plug and PLay IPSEC Services, Protected Storage, Remote Access Auto Connection Manager, Remote Access Connection Manager, REmote Desktop Help Session Manager, Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator, Remote Procedure Call (RPC), QoS RSVP, Security Accounts Manager, SAVScan, ScriptBlocking Service, Smart Card, Task Scheduler, Secondary Logon, System Event Notivication, Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), Shell Hardware Detection, Symantec Network Drivers Service, Symantec SPBBCSvc, Print Spooler, System Restore Service, SSDP Discovery Service, Windows Image Acquisition (WIA), MS Software Shadow Copy Provider, SymWMI Service, Performance Logs and Alerts, Telephony, Terminal Services, Themes, Distributed Link Tracking Client, Windows User Mode Driver Framework, Universal Plug and Play Device Host, Uninterruptible Power Supply, VAIO Entertainment Aggregation and Control Service, VAIO Entertainment File Import Service, VAIO Entertainment TV Device Arbitration Service, VAIO Entertainment UPnP Client Adapter, VAIO Media Integrated Servicer, VAIO Media Integrated Server (HTTP), VAIO Media Integrated Server (IPnP), VAIO Media Gateway Server, VAIO Media Video Server, VAIO Media Video Server (HTTP), VAIO Media video Server (UPnP), Volume Shadow Copy, Windows Time, WebClient, Windows Management Instrumentation, Portable Media Serial Number Service, WMI Performance Adapter, Security Center, Automatic Updates, Wireless Zero Configuration, Network Provisioning service (JESUS CHRIST THATS A LOT OF STUFF) Startup: Apoint, atiptaxx, ICO, reminder, PartSeal, jusched, SPMgr, HKserv, VAIO Updt, VM Console, ccApp, SNDMon, iTunesHelper, qttask, aim, palstart... If you need more information like the Command and Location information on these...i can provide them later...i have to go to class...but that is everything, and they are all enabled...
I'm going to get you started on your startup processes and will respond to your services in a few minutes... Uncheck atiptaxx, ICO, partseal, jusched, VAIO Updt, iTunesHelper, qttask and palstart. Optional to uncheck Reminder process, it is the process for Microsoft Money to remind you. WARNING: PALSTART is ad-ware and could be the main reason for your slow down problems. To remove the problem please follow these steps: 1. Go to your control panel, administrative tools, services. 2. Kill the palstart service. 3. Delete the file C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\palstart.exe You may need to run further tests to see if it comes back. This will probably fix your slow down issues as palstart is a known huge memory leak.
Please take a screenshot of your services window via the control panel, should look something like this...
Thanks for your help, SV...here are 3 screen shots that you requested http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/5836/sh19yc.jpg http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/226/sh23nf.jpg http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/2971/sh38vy.jpg I just went ahead an uninstalled PalTalk...
Go to Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore Create a system restore point before you check or uncheck ANY of the stuff mentioned. Basically, this is a cat-and-mouse (except you're using the mouse sometimes) to figure out what you can and can't change. This will take you about an hour of checking, unchecking, turning off, then turning on the computer. Waiting... waiting... etc. Above all, WRITE DOWN what you're checking and unchecking, and do combinations. More than likely there is a program gobbling up memory it can't release. BTW, you can "capture" the current working window with only ALT+PrintScreen instead of just PrintScreen as we don't need the rest of the stuff. BTWA, if your online games use JAVA APPLEtS to update data or to display screen stuff, those are the ones eating up the most memory, I BET.
The rest of the services you have running look fine although you could do without some they should be perfectly fine with the machine you are running. If you are still having slow-down issues after removing the adware then it is definately what you are doing rather then the machine itself... we see from the screenshots that you are running multiple screens and Java applications which are just as hard on the CPU/Memory as full-fledged games... so if you can you should upgrade to 1GB of RAM, it shouldn't cost too much and you'll notice a world of difference. While Windows XP CAN run on a machine just fine with 256MB of ram, XP generally usues over 200MB of RAM for everyday application use... so the more RAM the better. I tell people that 512MB is the least RAM I would put in an XP machine and always recommend 1024MB (1GB or 512x2), especially since your laptop uses some of your RAM is stolen for onboard memory. That really isn't needed for undoing startup processes, especially those that I listed. However, doing a system restore check before doing anything is always a good idea... but far from needed for the changes I mentioned above.
Thanks for the help guys, but even when the ONLY program I'm running other than AIM and virus protection, I still have problems playing video. I can even shut down everything but windows media player and it still wont properly play video. It's just incredibly choppy...and these are videos on my hard drive. Not even Sony tech support seems to have an idea about why my fan runs so hard non stop...so I think there is some larger issue with my computer and I need to have it looked at by someone in that can actually mess around with it and see these problems...I've had this computer for over a year now and for a long time i had none of these issues, so I know it's not just my computer not being powerful enough to run this stuff... I appreciate the help.
i'm still curious to see if it is hardware or software based. from your description of hardware issues (fan and memory) that looks like a likely candidate. i trust you have tried a reformat etc in the past?
