So, your computer is acting strangely. Is it running slowly? Does it clip along normally one moment, only to grind to a halt minutes later? You better be ready to roll up your sleeves to tackle this one yourself, because this is the sort of problem that a computer repair person or phone support techie rarely solves. These folks will usually fix what’s obviously broken and move on, but much of the time, a slow or erratic system is suffering from something that isn’t obviously or completely broken. Your computer’s only in good enough shape to “mostly” work most of the time. Ultimately, although it seems like just about anything could slow a PC or prompt weird behavior, there are several things that tend to be the root of these problems. Even if you can’t completely solve the problem, you can frequently narrow the problem down so that someone else can attempt to solve it.
Sudden Problem Or Long-standing Issue?
If you suddenly notice your PC acting up, consider if you’ve made any recent changes. Have you installed any new hardware or software lately? Does your PC’s bizarre behavior happen to coincide with the new addition? If so, then the new stuff becomes your prime suspect, and following these tips could help you crack the case. New software is likely to slow a system down if it has some sort of “always-on” component, such as a background virus checker or a scheduler, but even software which lacks such a feature can occasionally cause problems. Try uninstalling the new software with its uninstaller first. You can also uninstall by using Add Or Remove Programs in the Control Panel. (Click Start, Control Panel, and double-click Add Or Remove Programs.) Once you’ve removed the software, reboot and see if your computer is still running slowly.
New hardware can also slow down a system, especially if you’re using an older driver. Ironically, if you’ve followed the hardware’s installation documentation to the letter, then you probably used the drivers/software that the manufacturer included on the installation disc, and those drivers could be old. First, try downloading and installing the most recent versions of drivers and any bundled software from the manufacturer’s Web site. These updates often fix bugs or glitches that can affect system performance. If the slowness remains, remove the new hardware; if it was an upgrade to existing hardware, reinstall the old hardware. If your system returns to normal, then the new hardware is either faulty or not completely compatible with your PC. Consider using an alternative product from another vendor.
Double-Check The Hardware: The Basics
Although system slowdowns tend to be software-related, there’s no point in chasing down an elusive software problem unless you know your hardware is working properly. The main components to check are the CPU, RAM, and hard drive. There are many diagnostic programs out there, but perhaps the simplest way to go is to the Ultimate Boot CD, which is available as a free download from www.ultimatebootcd.com. If you choose to download the application and burn it to a disc, your burning software must be able to burn ISO (International Organization for Standardization) image files. If you don’t have the necessary software, the Web site maintains a list of people who can create and mail you a physical copy, usually for a nominal fee. When you have the CD, start your computer with the disc in your CDROM drive. After the program loads, start with a CPU test and let it run for at least 30 minutes. Then, start a RAM test and let it run overnight. (Memtest86+ is a good one.) If your computer passes these tests, run a hard drive check. The Ultimate Boot CD also contains the latest utilities from different hard drive manufacturers. Run the utility that matches your drive and let it run through both the quick test and the thorough test, which take approximately 20 minutes and several hours, respectively, to complete. Some computers also come with a “diagnostic partition,” which you can access by pressing a certain key at boot-up. Your manual should provide more explicit information, but if you look quickly as your computer is in the first few seconds of its boot sequence, you should see a message on the bottom of your screen that may read something like “Press F8 For Boot Menu” or “Press F10 For Diagnostics.” If you see this, press the key as directed and select the choice that seems to be diagnostic software. Odds are that these diagnostic tools are geared specifically for your hardware (rather than the generic utilities found on The Ultimate Boot CD) and can ferret out any hardware troubles.
Double-Check The Hardware: System Cooling
It goes without saying that your PC’s internal components generate heat, but have you considered what would happen to your PC if your CPU overheated? Those clever engineers at Intel and AMD have, and most (though not all) modern CPUs will automatically throttle back when their built-in thermistors (which are transistor-sized thermometers) detect when a system is overheating. After a few minutes (or even seconds) of operating at a lower speed to reduce the CPU temperature, the CPU throttles up to full speed again. This scenario should never happen in a computer that’s functioning properly. But if the CPU cooling fan or one of the case fans stop spinning (or spin at a reduced rate) or a CPU heatsink clogs with dust, this is exactly what can happen. Although the CPU is only protecting itself from burning out, from a user’s point of view, the computer starts a cycle of acting normally and then slowing down.
Opening your PC and cleaning out all the dust is a task you should probably do at least once a year. So if your PC is acting oddly, cleaning it should be high on your list. While you’re in there, clean the CPU heatsink with a can of compressed air or a small brush. (You may need to remove a plastic or metal shroud that directs airflow to the CPU.) If the fans are covered with gunk, hold the blades in place to keep the fan from spinning if you use the compressed air to blow them clean. After you’ve cleaned it out, turn the computer on while it’s still open and check that all the fans start spinning. If there’s any fan that refuses to spin or sounds rough or gravelly, it may need replacing. If you aren’t sure if a fan is running as fast as it’s supposed to, then you should also check the processor’s temperature while Windows is running to ensure it isn’t overheating. This task is easily accomplished with free software, such as SpeedFan. To download SpeedFan, open a Web browser with an active Internet connection and go to www.almico.com/speedfan.php. Click Download and SpeedFan 4.31. Choose where you’d like to download the installer file and double-click the installer file’s icon once it has fully downloaded. The installation wizard will guide you through the process; open SpeedFan when you have installed it. SpeedFan’s Reading tab should display your CPU’s current temperature. Be sure to check your CPU’s temperature during idle and after you’ve placed it under load. (Playing a demanding 3D video game is a good way to do this.) Although CPU manufacturers list the maximum recommended temperatures for their CPUs, as a general rule of thumb, any CPU temp higher than 64 degrees Celsius is cause for concern. You should look into replacing a malfunctioning fan, installing a better heatsink/fan combination if your stock fan is working fine, or look for some other cooling problem. If your CPU temperatures are lower than its maximum rating, then overheating isn’t causing your system’s slowdowns.
Clear Out The Software Nasties
After you’ve verified there aren’t any hardware problems or corrected any problems you did find, focus on software. And whenever you deal with software problems and weird slowdowns, computer viruses and spyware should immediately come to mind. Fortunately, there are a lot of automated tools to help clear out this pesky malware. Viruses are constantly evolving, so there’s a good chance your antivirus program isn’t catching everything if you haven’t updated your antivirus definitions in a little while. Therefore, start by updating your antivirus software and doing a full scan. If you’ve let your antivirus subscription lapse and don’t want to pay for a renewal, consider using a free tool such as AVG Free (free.grisoft.com) or AOL’s Active Virus Shield (www.activevirusshield.com), which features the excellent Kaspersky antivirus engine. If your updated antivirus program detects and cleans anything, be sure to reboot a few times and repeat the scan; stubborn viruses may find a way to evade just one cleaning. If repeated cleanings won’t take care of a virus, it may have weaved itself into Windows and become impossible to clean with Windows running. In these cases, your best bet is to either transfer the hard drive to a second computer for scanning or use a self-booting CD with antivirus tools, the Ultimate Boot CD. Just remember, like any antivirus application, the Ultimate Boot CD’s included antivirus software will eventually become outdated, requiring you to manually download an updated version. Spyware can also slow things down when it kicks into gear and starts doing its job. You should obviously remove spyware along with any viruses you might find. Two free scanners, Ad-Aware SE (www.lavasoftusa.com) and Spybot Search & Destroy (www.safernetworking.org) do a pretty good job of clearing out most basic spyware, while Webroot’s Spy Sweeper (www.webroot.com/consumer/products/spysweeper) does an excellent job of clearing stubborn spyware infestations.
Identify & Solve Core Windows Problems
All versions of Windows have many programs running in the background, including drivers, services, and other applications. Occasionally, one or more of these programs begins having trouble and makes your whole system start acting oddly. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to see if any of these core applications are having problems and to take corrective action. Start by running the Event Viewer, which you can access by right-clicking the My Computer icon and clicking Manage from the pop-up menu. Then expand the Event Viewer icon in the tree on the left-side pane, revealing the Application, Security, and System logs. If you’re interested, Microsoft explains the purpose of these logs at support.microsoft.com/kb/308427, but, put simply, each log lists application, security, and system messages and warnings. You should look for warnings and errors that tend to frequently recur. Double-click an entry in the right-side pane to view the full message.
For example, if you saw the same hard disk page file error again and again, it may be time to update your motherboard’s drivers or run a diagnostic scan on the motherboard, hard drive controller, or hard drive. If you saw a driver that was unable to start repeatedly, consider looking for an updated driver or determine if the hardware that the driver controls is malfunctioning. If an antivirus updater constantly causes error messages, you should fix or replace your antivirus software. And if the exact nature of the error isn’t clear from the message, entering the message into an Internet search engine may yield solutions that have worked for other folks.
Eliminating Rogue Programs
If your PC is still acting slow or erratically, focus on software running in the background that’s commandeering too many resources. Even though most of this software is working exactly as intended, uninstalling or reconfiguring it may speed up your slow moving system. First, display the Windows Task Manager, which will launch when you press CTRL SHIFT ESC, and click the Processes tab. Then click the CPU column header twice to sort the list of background processes with the highest CPU utilization at the top. Take a few minutes to look over the column as it updates, noting what programs occasionally jump to the top of the list. You can leave this window open while you use other programs, allowing you see which programs are consuming the most of your system resources as you normally use your PC. In fact, if you only occasionally see a dramatic slowdown, you should keep this window open until the slowdown occurs and note the processes that jump to the top of the list.
After initially booting your computer, System Idle Process should consistently be 95 or higher, which basically means 95% of your system’s resources should be available. If it isn’t, then one or more other programs are consuming excess resources and are probably contributing to the slowdown. These programs should appear just underneath System Idle Process. Ideally, the programs will be obvious, such as WINWORD.EXE (Microsoft Word) or ipodservice.exe (Apple iTunes). For dealing with mysteriously named programs, Microsoft’s Process Explorer (www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/ProcessExplorer.mspx) does a good job of tracing a background program to its base application. If shutting down any of these programs restores your system to full speed, then you’ve found your problem. You may need to manually do this for multiple programs. If you’ve traced a slowdown to a busy background program and its parent application, you need to either replace it or make it play nice. First, open the program and try to find any settings to reduce CPU priority. We also suggest disabling any functions you don’t need or use. Alternatively, there may be a more efficient application that does essentially the same thing as your troublesome program. Try replacing one program with another (for example, using Zone Alarm Firewall instead of Norton Internet Security) to see if it’s less of a burden.
Lighten The Background Process Load
Once you’ve cleared away the gross offenders of CPU power consumption, the last thing to do is review all of the programs that automatically launch when Windows starts up and determine if any are unnecessary. The Task Manager lists how many processes are running at the bottom left corner of its window; if you have more than 50, you probably have more running than you really need. We cover this topic in detail in “Your PC Starts Slowly” (see page 56), but in a nutshell, run msconfig. Click Start and Run and type msconfig in the empty field. Click OK. When msconfig starts, click the Startup tab. The resulting list shows all your startup programs, and removing the checkmark next to an entry prevents it from starting alongside Windows.
Before using this method to force programs not to start during Windows’ startup, try disabling any auto-start functionality directly from within the program itself. The Payoff: Speed & Stability Hopefully, you’ll find that after you run through all these steps, your system feels far more sprightly and isn’t prone to weird pauses. And without the hiccups and delays, your overall computing experience should be that much better.
Sudden Problem Or Long-standing Issue?
If you suddenly notice your PC acting up, consider if you’ve made any recent changes. Have you installed any new hardware or software lately? Does your PC’s bizarre behavior happen to coincide with the new addition? If so, then the new stuff becomes your prime suspect, and following these tips could help you crack the case. New software is likely to slow a system down if it has some sort of “always-on” component, such as a background virus checker or a scheduler, but even software which lacks such a feature can occasionally cause problems. Try uninstalling the new software with its uninstaller first. You can also uninstall by using Add Or Remove Programs in the Control Panel. (Click Start, Control Panel, and double-click Add Or Remove Programs.) Once you’ve removed the software, reboot and see if your computer is still running slowly.
New hardware can also slow down a system, especially if you’re using an older driver. Ironically, if you’ve followed the hardware’s installation documentation to the letter, then you probably used the drivers/software that the manufacturer included on the installation disc, and those drivers could be old. First, try downloading and installing the most recent versions of drivers and any bundled software from the manufacturer’s Web site. These updates often fix bugs or glitches that can affect system performance. If the slowness remains, remove the new hardware; if it was an upgrade to existing hardware, reinstall the old hardware. If your system returns to normal, then the new hardware is either faulty or not completely compatible with your PC. Consider using an alternative product from another vendor.
Double-Check The Hardware: The Basics
Although system slowdowns tend to be software-related, there’s no point in chasing down an elusive software problem unless you know your hardware is working properly. The main components to check are the CPU, RAM, and hard drive. There are many diagnostic programs out there, but perhaps the simplest way to go is to the Ultimate Boot CD, which is available as a free download from www.ultimatebootcd.com. If you choose to download the application and burn it to a disc, your burning software must be able to burn ISO (International Organization for Standardization) image files. If you don’t have the necessary software, the Web site maintains a list of people who can create and mail you a physical copy, usually for a nominal fee. When you have the CD, start your computer with the disc in your CDROM drive. After the program loads, start with a CPU test and let it run for at least 30 minutes. Then, start a RAM test and let it run overnight. (Memtest86+ is a good one.) If your computer passes these tests, run a hard drive check. The Ultimate Boot CD also contains the latest utilities from different hard drive manufacturers. Run the utility that matches your drive and let it run through both the quick test and the thorough test, which take approximately 20 minutes and several hours, respectively, to complete. Some computers also come with a “diagnostic partition,” which you can access by pressing a certain key at boot-up. Your manual should provide more explicit information, but if you look quickly as your computer is in the first few seconds of its boot sequence, you should see a message on the bottom of your screen that may read something like “Press F8 For Boot Menu” or “Press F10 For Diagnostics.” If you see this, press the key as directed and select the choice that seems to be diagnostic software. Odds are that these diagnostic tools are geared specifically for your hardware (rather than the generic utilities found on The Ultimate Boot CD) and can ferret out any hardware troubles.
Double-Check The Hardware: System Cooling
It goes without saying that your PC’s internal components generate heat, but have you considered what would happen to your PC if your CPU overheated? Those clever engineers at Intel and AMD have, and most (though not all) modern CPUs will automatically throttle back when their built-in thermistors (which are transistor-sized thermometers) detect when a system is overheating. After a few minutes (or even seconds) of operating at a lower speed to reduce the CPU temperature, the CPU throttles up to full speed again. This scenario should never happen in a computer that’s functioning properly. But if the CPU cooling fan or one of the case fans stop spinning (or spin at a reduced rate) or a CPU heatsink clogs with dust, this is exactly what can happen. Although the CPU is only protecting itself from burning out, from a user’s point of view, the computer starts a cycle of acting normally and then slowing down.
Opening your PC and cleaning out all the dust is a task you should probably do at least once a year. So if your PC is acting oddly, cleaning it should be high on your list. While you’re in there, clean the CPU heatsink with a can of compressed air or a small brush. (You may need to remove a plastic or metal shroud that directs airflow to the CPU.) If the fans are covered with gunk, hold the blades in place to keep the fan from spinning if you use the compressed air to blow them clean. After you’ve cleaned it out, turn the computer on while it’s still open and check that all the fans start spinning. If there’s any fan that refuses to spin or sounds rough or gravelly, it may need replacing. If you aren’t sure if a fan is running as fast as it’s supposed to, then you should also check the processor’s temperature while Windows is running to ensure it isn’t overheating. This task is easily accomplished with free software, such as SpeedFan. To download SpeedFan, open a Web browser with an active Internet connection and go to www.almico.com/speedfan.php. Click Download and SpeedFan 4.31. Choose where you’d like to download the installer file and double-click the installer file’s icon once it has fully downloaded. The installation wizard will guide you through the process; open SpeedFan when you have installed it. SpeedFan’s Reading tab should display your CPU’s current temperature. Be sure to check your CPU’s temperature during idle and after you’ve placed it under load. (Playing a demanding 3D video game is a good way to do this.) Although CPU manufacturers list the maximum recommended temperatures for their CPUs, as a general rule of thumb, any CPU temp higher than 64 degrees Celsius is cause for concern. You should look into replacing a malfunctioning fan, installing a better heatsink/fan combination if your stock fan is working fine, or look for some other cooling problem. If your CPU temperatures are lower than its maximum rating, then overheating isn’t causing your system’s slowdowns.
Clear Out The Software Nasties
After you’ve verified there aren’t any hardware problems or corrected any problems you did find, focus on software. And whenever you deal with software problems and weird slowdowns, computer viruses and spyware should immediately come to mind. Fortunately, there are a lot of automated tools to help clear out this pesky malware. Viruses are constantly evolving, so there’s a good chance your antivirus program isn’t catching everything if you haven’t updated your antivirus definitions in a little while. Therefore, start by updating your antivirus software and doing a full scan. If you’ve let your antivirus subscription lapse and don’t want to pay for a renewal, consider using a free tool such as AVG Free (free.grisoft.com) or AOL’s Active Virus Shield (www.activevirusshield.com), which features the excellent Kaspersky antivirus engine. If your updated antivirus program detects and cleans anything, be sure to reboot a few times and repeat the scan; stubborn viruses may find a way to evade just one cleaning. If repeated cleanings won’t take care of a virus, it may have weaved itself into Windows and become impossible to clean with Windows running. In these cases, your best bet is to either transfer the hard drive to a second computer for scanning or use a self-booting CD with antivirus tools, the Ultimate Boot CD. Just remember, like any antivirus application, the Ultimate Boot CD’s included antivirus software will eventually become outdated, requiring you to manually download an updated version. Spyware can also slow things down when it kicks into gear and starts doing its job. You should obviously remove spyware along with any viruses you might find. Two free scanners, Ad-Aware SE (www.lavasoftusa.com) and Spybot Search & Destroy (www.safernetworking.org) do a pretty good job of clearing out most basic spyware, while Webroot’s Spy Sweeper (www.webroot.com/consumer/products/spysweeper) does an excellent job of clearing stubborn spyware infestations.
Identify & Solve Core Windows Problems
All versions of Windows have many programs running in the background, including drivers, services, and other applications. Occasionally, one or more of these programs begins having trouble and makes your whole system start acting oddly. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to see if any of these core applications are having problems and to take corrective action. Start by running the Event Viewer, which you can access by right-clicking the My Computer icon and clicking Manage from the pop-up menu. Then expand the Event Viewer icon in the tree on the left-side pane, revealing the Application, Security, and System logs. If you’re interested, Microsoft explains the purpose of these logs at support.microsoft.com/kb/308427, but, put simply, each log lists application, security, and system messages and warnings. You should look for warnings and errors that tend to frequently recur. Double-click an entry in the right-side pane to view the full message.
For example, if you saw the same hard disk page file error again and again, it may be time to update your motherboard’s drivers or run a diagnostic scan on the motherboard, hard drive controller, or hard drive. If you saw a driver that was unable to start repeatedly, consider looking for an updated driver or determine if the hardware that the driver controls is malfunctioning. If an antivirus updater constantly causes error messages, you should fix or replace your antivirus software. And if the exact nature of the error isn’t clear from the message, entering the message into an Internet search engine may yield solutions that have worked for other folks.
Eliminating Rogue Programs
If your PC is still acting slow or erratically, focus on software running in the background that’s commandeering too many resources. Even though most of this software is working exactly as intended, uninstalling or reconfiguring it may speed up your slow moving system. First, display the Windows Task Manager, which will launch when you press CTRL SHIFT ESC, and click the Processes tab. Then click the CPU column header twice to sort the list of background processes with the highest CPU utilization at the top. Take a few minutes to look over the column as it updates, noting what programs occasionally jump to the top of the list. You can leave this window open while you use other programs, allowing you see which programs are consuming the most of your system resources as you normally use your PC. In fact, if you only occasionally see a dramatic slowdown, you should keep this window open until the slowdown occurs and note the processes that jump to the top of the list.
After initially booting your computer, System Idle Process should consistently be 95 or higher, which basically means 95% of your system’s resources should be available. If it isn’t, then one or more other programs are consuming excess resources and are probably contributing to the slowdown. These programs should appear just underneath System Idle Process. Ideally, the programs will be obvious, such as WINWORD.EXE (Microsoft Word) or ipodservice.exe (Apple iTunes). For dealing with mysteriously named programs, Microsoft’s Process Explorer (www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/ProcessExplorer.mspx) does a good job of tracing a background program to its base application. If shutting down any of these programs restores your system to full speed, then you’ve found your problem. You may need to manually do this for multiple programs. If you’ve traced a slowdown to a busy background program and its parent application, you need to either replace it or make it play nice. First, open the program and try to find any settings to reduce CPU priority. We also suggest disabling any functions you don’t need or use. Alternatively, there may be a more efficient application that does essentially the same thing as your troublesome program. Try replacing one program with another (for example, using Zone Alarm Firewall instead of Norton Internet Security) to see if it’s less of a burden.
Lighten The Background Process Load
Once you’ve cleared away the gross offenders of CPU power consumption, the last thing to do is review all of the programs that automatically launch when Windows starts up and determine if any are unnecessary. The Task Manager lists how many processes are running at the bottom left corner of its window; if you have more than 50, you probably have more running than you really need. We cover this topic in detail in “Your PC Starts Slowly” (see page 56), but in a nutshell, run msconfig. Click Start and Run and type msconfig in the empty field. Click OK. When msconfig starts, click the Startup tab. The resulting list shows all your startup programs, and removing the checkmark next to an entry prevents it from starting alongside Windows.
Before using this method to force programs not to start during Windows’ startup, try disabling any auto-start functionality directly from within the program itself. The Payoff: Speed & Stability Hopefully, you’ll find that after you run through all these steps, your system feels far more sprightly and isn’t prone to weird pauses. And without the hiccups and delays, your overall computing experience should be that much better.
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