Computer sounds to be saving (chugging) all the time

[Autumn]

My computer has slowed up considerably over the past 2 days. I have to wait 5 or 6 seconds after clicking a button before it starts to move either on line or just using Photoshop. It then takes ages to perform an action.

I have used

eTrust - my av software - signatures updated daily
emptied my recycle bin
cwshredder
easy cleaner
disk cleanup
ad aware
spybot
checked the volume of the drives for errors
defragged
run A shampoo

but it is still running slowly and chugging all the time as though it is saving.

I think I should check my hard drive for bad sectors, but I have forgotten how to do it.

Is there some free software or do I have to do the pressing of F8 when I start it up.

I haven't done Hijack this, because I don't know how to analyse it.

Can anyone help me please?

[Archangel]

Re: Computer sounds to be saving (chugging) all the time

My computer has slowed up considerably over the past 2 days. I have to wait 5 or 6 seconds after clicking a button before it starts to move either on line or just using Photoshop. It then takes ages to perform an action.

I have used

eTrust - my av software - signatures updated daily
emptied my recycle bin
cwshredder
easy cleaner
disk cleanup
ad aware
spybot
checked the volume of the drives for errors
defragged
run A shampoo

but it is still running slowly and chugging all the time as though it is saving.

I think I should check my hard drive for bad sectors, but I have forgotten how to do it.

Is there some free software or do I have to do the pressing of F8 when I start it up.

I haven't done Hijack this, because I don't know how to analyse it.

Can anyone help me please?

Audrey,

First thing to do is to defragment your disk and then to clean your registry from software installations and unistallations over the years.

Defragment Software: Ultimate Defrag by Disktrix (by far the best from all those tried over the years).

Registry Cleaner (that will not make some mess in your registry): Registry Healer or Wise Registry Cleaner (the second one is freeware).

Try these first to see if your PC will revive up somehow.


George

[Autumn]

Re: Computer sounds to be saving (chugging) all the time

Audrey,

First thing to do is to defragment your disk and then to clean your registry from software installations and unistallations over the years.

Defragment Software: Ultimate Defrag by Disktrix (by far the best from all those tried over the years).

Registry Cleaner (that will not make some mess in your registry): Registry Healer or Wise Registry Cleaner (the second one is freeware).

Try these first to see if your PC will revive up somehow.


George

George, thanks, but as I said, I have defragmented it. Also used Easy Cleaner and Ashampoo which also clean the registry.

Everytime I run any cleaner on it now, it just congratulates me on having such a sweet and clean computer! But ... ... it is still frantically chugging away as though it is in a race and because it is working so hard (at what, I don't know) everything else has to take a back seat and I am sure it is this chugging, saving, or whatever it is that is making everything so slow.

So why would it sound as though it is saving something all the time? It never used to. Could my hard drive be going home?

[Archangel]

Re: Computer sounds to be saving (chugging) all the time

George, thanks, but as I said, I have defragmented it. Also used Easy Cleaner and Ashampoo which also clean the registry.

Everytime I run any cleaner on it now, it just congratulates me on having such a sweet and clean computer! But ... ... it is still frantically chugging away as though it is in a race and because it is working so hard (at what, I don't know) everything else has to take a back seat and I am sure it is this chugging, saving, or whatever it is that is making everything so slow.

So why would it sound as though it is saving something all the time? It never used to. Could my hard drive be going home?

Audrey,

First of all, why you press F8 all the time when the computer starts?
This is another thing to do: Pres CTRL+ALT+DEL at the Windows environment. The Task Manager windows will pop up.
Under the tab "Processes" check to see if there is any software that eats up your CPU. On the left is the Image name (name of software currently running) and on the right it shows the percentage of CPU usage the specific software occupies.

You should see "System Idle Process" around 97-98%.
If not, check to see which other software has high CPU Usage.
Right click on it and select "End Process" and try to work with your regular software to see if there is any improvement.
If there is significant improvement then see if you can uninstall the software that caused High CPU usage.

George

[Autumn]

Re: Computer sounds to be saving (chugging) all the time

Hi George

I have sent you a PM.

[Goatsmilkuk]

Re: Computer sounds to be saving (chugging) all the time

Audrey

If you do disable programs in the the task manger, do it one at a time then start up again to make sure your not preventing vital programs starting.
Also with programs you see in task manager, put the details into Google that way you can see what they do and if you really need them before disabling them.


Stu

[joefoto]

Re: Computer sounds to be saving (chugging) all the time

Audrey,

over time I have added a number of items to my auto-start tasks. Each one of these eats memory, and can sometimes cause fragmentation that limits the largest contiguous area of free memory. As a result, the machine will end up having to do more and more paging over time, with the result of slowing the machine more and more as time goes by. I'd suggest you check that aspect, too. For example, right now, I have Huey, ATT Yahoo, McAfee, Gateway Big fix, auto start for my flash memory reader, roboform, real audio, Google task bar, quick time, and Google Gmail notifier. And these are only the active tasks. Also, as tasks are added, the time to switch between tasks increases as the task list grows. Also, as versions of applications change, just like Moore's law, they always use more resources. So you might look into those areas also. BTW, as you can tell, you are not the first nor only one to have experienced these situations. Good Luck,

Joe

[Autumn]

Re: Computer sounds to be saving (chugging) all the time

Thank you so much for your help.

I did find my way to the fault with a little help from my forum friends.

I have learned something and that is important. I didn't really understand the running of the Task Manager and the System Idle and Computer usage information. But now I do.

The faulty file? was INOTask.exe, my A/V software. There was a dialogue box whereby I could "Manage the Services." I disable the three in turn, but when I disable Manage Jobs, the noise stopped and my CPU usage is a this moment is running between 0 and 4%. It is heaven.

I do appreciate your responses. Thank you again.