Tracking Down Resource Hogs?
(PeteCresswell)
about 180 megs of memory are in use.
The other, however, takes forever to boot up. During the lengthy boot process,
the desktop responds erratically to mouse clicks (icons can be selected and
dragged, but not dropped), and when the boot is complete almost 500 megs of
memory are being used.
I've got a couple of images squirreled away, but I've tried reverting once and
it doesn't seem to have helped any.
TaskManager doesn't show much at all during this period - in terms of what
processes are taking what percent of memory/CPU cycles... it all seems tb in
"System Idle..".
My initial reaction is to take a deep breath, don't plan on getting anything
done for the next day or so, and rebuild my system from scratch.
But almost anything would take less man hours than that.
Can anybody suggest a strategy for finding the resource hogs?
I guess the no-brainer is to uninstall everything that automatically starts at
boot time and then re-install one-by-one looking for the performance hit.
Is there anything else? Some utility maybe?
--
PeteCresswell
Shenan Stanley
What is so wrong with memory being used?
It sitting there - idle - does you no good what-so-ever.
Either memory is used or you had no need for it in the first place and were
a fool to spend the extra money.
Clean up and optimize your machine. If you learn to do it properly - you
will have less issues and be more likely to have the ability to clean up any
messes that do occur.
Microsoft has these suggestions for Protecting your computer from the
various things that could happen to you/it:
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/
Outfitting a new computer for the Net
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/update/newcomputer.mspx
Getting started with a new PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/yournewpc.mspx
Although those tips are fantastic, there are many things you should
know above and beyond that. Below I have detailed out many tips
that can not only help you clean-up a problem PC but keep it clean,
secure and running at its best.
I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot
to take in for a novice - however I can assure you that one trip
through this list and you will understand your computer and the
options available to you for protecting your data much better -
and that the next time you go through these steps, the time it
takes will be greatly reduced.
Let's take the cleanup of your computer step-by-step.
Yes, it will take up some of your time - but consider what you use
your computer for and how much you would dislike it if all of your
stuff on your computer went away because you did not "feel like"
performing some simple maintenance tasks - think of it like taking
out your garbage, collecting and sorting your postal mail, paying
your bills on time, etc.
I'll mainly work around Windows XP, as that is what the bulk of this
document is about; however, here is some places for you poor souls
still stuck in Windows 98/ME where you can get information on
maintaining your system:
Windows 98 and 'Maintaining Your Computer':
http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/usingwindows/maintaining/
Windows ME Computer Health:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsME/using/computerhealth/articles/
Pay close attention to the sections:
(in order)
- Clean up your hard disk
- Check for errors by running ScanDisk
- Defragment your hard disk
- Roll back the clock with System Restore
Also - now is a good time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:
Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )
Now, let's go through some maintenance first that should only have to be
done once (mostly):
Tip (1):
Locate all of the software you have installed on your computer.
(the installation media - CDs, downloaded files, etc)
Collect these CDs and files together in a central and safe
place along with their CD keys and such. Make backups of these
installation media sets using your favorite copying method (CD/DVD Burner
and application, Disk copier, etc.) You'll be glad to know that if you
have a CD/DVD burner, you may be able to use a free application to make a
duplicate copy of your CDs. One such application is ISORecorder:
ISORecorder page (with general instructions on use):
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm
More full function applications (free) for CD/DVD burning would be:
CDBurnerXP Pro
http://www.cdburnerxp.se/
DeepBurner Free
http://www.deepburner.com/
ImgBurn (burn ISO images)
http://www.imgburn.com/
Final Burner
http://www.protectedsoft.com/products.php
Another Option would be to search the web with Pricewatch.com or
Dealsites.net and find deals on Products like Ahead Nero and/or Roxio.
Ahead Nero
http://www.nero.com/
Roxio Easy Media Creator
http://www.roxio.com/
Tip (2):
Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a
size between 128MB and 512MB..
- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 128MB and 512MB. (Betting it is MUCH larger right
now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10
minutes or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.
Tip (3):
If things are running a bit sluggish and/or you have an older system
(1.5GHz or less and 256MB RAM or less) then you may want to look into
tweaking the performance by turning off some of the 'resource hogging'
Windows XP "prettifications". The fastest method is:
Control Panel --> System --> Advanced tab --> Performance section,
Settings button. Then choose "adjust for best performance" and you
now have a Windows 2000/98 look which turned off most of the annoying
"prettifications" in one swift action. You can play with the last
three checkboxes to get more of an XP look without many of the
other annoyances. You could also grab and install/use one
(or more) of the Microsoft Powertoys - TweakUI in particular:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
Another viable (decently inexpensive) option is to increase the amount
of memory (RAM) your computer has. You can get an idea of what you
need by visiting:
Crucial Memory AdvisorT Tool
http://www.crucial.com/
Then either buy direct from there or write down the specs you get and
visit: http://www.pricewatch.com/ and locate the best price on what you
need. 512MB up to 1GB total memory should be more than enough for
the normal home user.
Tip (4):
Understanding what a good password might be is vital to your
personal and system security. You may think you do not need to password
your home computer, as you may have it in a locked area (your home) where
no one else has access to it. Remember, however, you aren't always
"in that locked area" when using your computer online - meaning you likely
have usernames and passwords associated with web sites and the likes that
you would prefer other people do not discover/use. This is why you should
understand and utilize good passwords.
Good passwords are those that meet these general rules
(mileage may vary):
Passwords should contain at least six characters, and the character
string should contain at least three of these four character types:
- uppercase letters
- lowercase letters
- numerals
- nonalphanumeric characters (e.g., *, %, &, !, :)
Passwords should not contain your name/username.
Passwords should be unique to you and easy to remember.
One method many people are using today is to make up a phrase that
describes a point in their life and then turning that phrase into their
password by using only certain letters out of each word in that phrase.
It's much better than using your birthday month/year or your anniversary
in a pure sense. For example, let's say my phrase is:
'Great new job in November 2006'
I could come up with this password from that:
'Gr8n3wj0bNOV2006'
The password tip is in the one time section, but I highly
recommend you periodically change your passwords. The suggested time
varies, but I will throw out a 'once in every 3 to 6 months for
every account you have.'
Also - many people complain that they just cannot remember the passwords
for all the sites they have - so they choose one password and use it for
everything. Not a good idea. A much better method would be to use a
Password Management tool - so you only have to remember one password,
but it opens an application that stores your username/passwords for
everything else - plus other valuable information. One that I can
recommend:
KeePass Password Safe
http://keepass.sourceforge.net/
It can even generate passwords for you.
Tip (5):
This tip is also 'questionable' in the one time section; however -
if properly setup - this one can be pretty well ignored for most people
after the initial 'fiddle-with' time.
Why you should use a computer firewall..
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/viruses/fwbenefits.mspx
You should, in some way, use a firewall. Hardware (like a nice
Cable Modem/DSL router) or software is up to you. Many use both of
these. The simplest one to use is the hardware one, as most people
don't do anything that they will need to configure their NAT device
for and those who do certainly will not mind fiddling with the equipment
to make things work for them. Next in the line of simplicity would
have to be the built-in Windows Firewall of Windows XP. In SP2 it
is turned on by default. It is not difficult to turn on in any
case, however:
More information on the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320855
Post-SP2 Windows Firewall Information/guidance:
http://snipurl.com/atal
The trouble with the Windows Firewall is that it only keeps things
out. For most people who maintain their system in other ways, this is
MORE than sufficient. You may feel otherwise. If you want to
know when one of your applications is trying to obtain access to the
outside world so you can stop it, then you will have to install a
third-party application and configure/maintain it. I have compiled a
list with links of some of the better known/free firewalls you can choose
from:
BlackICE PC Protection (~$39.95 and up)
http://blackice.iss.net/
Comodo Free Fireall (Free)
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/
Jetico Personal Firewall (Free)
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm
Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/
Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html
Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/npf/
ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
http://www.zonelabs.com/
You should find the right firewall for your situation in that
list and set it up if you feel the Windows XP firewall is
insufficient.
Every firewall WILL require some maintenance. Essentially checking for
patches or upgrades (this goes for hardware and software solutions) is
the extent of this maintenance - you may also have to configure your
firewall to allow some traffic depending on your needs.
** Don't stack the software firewalls! Running more than one software
firewall will not make you safer - it would possibly negate some
protection you gleamed from one or the other firewall you run. It is
fine (and in many ways better) to have the software firewall as well
as a NAT router.
Now that you have some of the more basic things down..
Let's go through some of the steps you should take periodically to
maintain a healthy and stable windows computer. If you have not
done some of these things in the past, they may seem tedious - however,
they will become routine and some can even be scheduled.
Tip (6):
The system restore feature is only a useful feature if you keep it
maintained and use it to your advantage. Remember that the system
restore pretty much tells you in the name what it protects which is
'system' files. Your documents, your pictures, your stuff is NOT
system files - so you should also look into some backup solution.
Whenever you think about it (after doing a once-over on your machine
once a month or so would be optimal) - clear out your System Restore
and create a manual restoration point.
'Why?'
Too many times have I seen the system restore files go corrupt or get
a virus in them, meaning you could not or did not want to restore from
them. By clearing it out periodically you help prevent any corruption
from happening and you make sure you have at least one good "snapshot".
(*This, of course, will erase any previous restore point you have.*)
- Turn off System Restore.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310405
- Reboot the Computer.
- Review the first bullet to turn on System Restore
- Make a Manual Restoration Point.
http://snipurl.com/68nx
That covers your system files, but doesn't do anything for the files
that you are REALLY worried about - yours! For that you need to look
into backups. You can either manually copy your important files, folders,
documents, spreadsheets, emails, contacts, pictures, drawings and so on
to an external location (CD/DVD - any disk of some sort, etc) or you can
use the backup tool that comes with Windows XP:
How To Use Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308422
Yes - you still need some sort of external media to store the results
on, but you could schedule the backup to occur when you are not around,
then burn the resultant data onto CD or DVD or something when you are
(while you do other things!)
Another option that seems to still be going strong:
Cobian Backup
http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm
A lot of people have wondered about how to completely backup their system
so that they would not have to go through the trouble of a reinstall..
I'm going to voice my opinion here and say that it would be worthless to
do for MOST people. Unless you plan on periodically updating the image
backup of your system (remaking it) - then by the time you use it
(something goes wrong) - it will be so outdated as to be more trouble than
performing a full install of the operating system and all applications.
Having said my part against it, you can clone/backup your hard drive
completely using many methods - by far the simplest are using disk cloning
applications:
Symantec/Norton Ghost
http://snipurl.com/13e00
Acronis True Image
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/
BootItT NG
http://terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html
Tip (7):
You should sometimes look through the list of applications that are
installed on your computer. The list may surprise you. There are more
than likely things in there you know you never use - so why have them
there? There may even be things you know you did *not* install and
certainly do not use (maybe don't WANT to use.)
This web site should help you get started at looking through this list:
How to Uninstall Programs
http://snipurl.com/8v6b
How to change or remove a program in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307895
A word of warning - Do NOT uninstall anything you think you MIGHT need
in the future unless you have completed Tip (1) and have the installation
media and proper keys for use backed up somewhere safe!
Tip (8):
Patches and Updates!
This one cannot be stressed enough. It is SO simple, yet so neglected
by many people. It is really simple for the critical Microsoft patches!
Microsoft put in an AUTOMATED feature for you to utilize so that you do
NOT have to worry yourself about the patching of the Operating System:
How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525
However, not everyone wants to be a slave to automation, and that is
fine. Admittedly, I prefer this method on some of my more critical
systems.
Windows Update
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get the critical ones
as you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you see when
selecting the updates and if you have trouble over the next few days,
go into your control panel (Add/Remove Programs), insure that the
'Show Updates' checkbox is checked and match up the latest numbers you
downloaded recently (since you started noticing an issue) and uninstall
them. If there was more than one (usually is), uninstall them one by one
with a few hours of use in between, to see if the problem returns.
Yes - the process is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I
mentioned - but as you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is
MUCH better than the alternatives.
Windows is not the only product you likely have on your PC. The
manufacturers of the other products usually have updates. New versions
of almost everything come out all the time - some are free, some are pay
and some you can only download if you are registered - but it is best
to check. Just go to their web pages and look under their support and
download sections. For example, for Microsoft Office you should visit:
Microsoft Office Updates
http://office.microsoft.com/
(and select 'Check for Updates' and/or 'Downloads' for more)
You also have hardware on your machine that requires drivers to interface
with the operating system. You have a video card that allows you to see on
your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your PCs sound output and
so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the latest downloadable
drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always get the manufacturers'
hardware driver over any Microsoft offers. On the Windows Update site I
mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting their hardware drivers - no matter
how tempting.
How do you know what hardware you have in your computer? Break out the
invoice or if it is up and working now - take inventory:
Belarc Advisor
http://belarc.com/free_download.html
Once you know what you have, what next? Go get the latest driver for your
hardware/OS from the manufacturer's web page. For example, let's say you
have an NVidia chipset video card or ATI video card, perhaps a Creative
Labs sound card or C-Media chipset sound card...
NVidia Video Card Drivers
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp
ATI Video Card Drivers
http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html
Creative Labs Sound Device
http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/
C-Media Sound Device
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/?q=en/driver
Then install these drivers. Updated drivers are usually more stable and
may provide extra benefits/features that you really wished you had before.
As for Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP, Microsoft has made this
particular patch available in a number of ways. First, there is the
Windows Update web page above. Then there is a direct download site.
Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy
Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://snipurl.com/d41v
If all else fails - grab the full download above and try to use that.
In this case - consider yourself a 'IT professional or developer'.
Tip (9):
What about the dreaded word in the computer world, VIRUS?
Well, there are many products to choose from that will help you prevent
infections from these horrid little applications. Many are FREE to the
home user and which you choose is a matter of taste, really. Many people
have emotional attachments or performance issues with one or another
AntiVirus software. Try some out, read reviews and decide for yourself
which you like more:
( Good Comparison Page for AV software: http://www.av-comparatives.org/ )
AntiVir (Free and up)
http://www.free-av.com/
avast! (Free and up)
http://www.avast.com/
AVG Anti-Virus System (Free and up)
http://free.grisoft.com/
ca Anti-Virus (~$49.99 and up)
http://snipurl.com/13e0u
eset NOD32 (~$39.00 and up)
http://www.eset.com/products/
Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.kaspersky.com/kav6
McAfee VirusScan (~$39.99 and up)
http://www.mcafee.com/
Panda Antivirus Titanium (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/antivirus2007.htm
(Free Online Scanner: http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/)
Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$39.99 and up)
http://snipurl.com/13e12
Trend Micro (~$44.95 and up)
http://www.trendmicro.com/en/products/desktop/tav/
(Free Online Scanner:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp)
Most of them have automatic update capabilities. You will have to
look into the features of the one you choose. Whatever one you finally
settle with - be SURE to keep it updated (I recommend at least daily) and
perform a full scan periodically (yes, most protect you actively, but a
full scan once a month at 4AM probably won't bother you.)
Tip (10):
The most rampant infestation at the current time concerns SPYWARE/ADWARE.
You need to eliminate it from your machine.
There is no one software that cleans and immunizes you against
everything. Antivirus software - you only needed one. Firewall, you
only needed one. AntiSpyware - you will need several. I have a list and
I recommend you use at least the first five.
First - make sure you have NOT installed "Rogue AntiSpyware". There are
people out there who created AntiSpyware products that actually install
spyware of their own! You need to avoid these:
Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm
Also, you can always visit this site..
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
For more updated information.
Install the first five of these: (Install, Run, Update, Scan with..)
(If you already have one or more - uninstall them and download the
LATEST version from the page given!)
Lavasoft AdAware (Free and up)
http://www.lavasoft.de/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdn )
Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!)
http://www.safer-networking.net/en/download/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdk )
SpywareBlaster (Free!)
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate6 )
IE-SPYAD2 (Free!)
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/resource.htm#IESPYAD
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate7 )
SuperAntiSpyware (Free and up)
http://www.superantispyware.com/
CWShredder Stand-Alone (Free!)
http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/
Hijack This! (Free!)
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
(Log Analyzer: http://hjt.networktechs.com/ )
Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!)
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate3 )
ToolbarCop (Free!)
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/toolbarcop.htm
Ccleaner (Free!)
http://www.ccleaner.com/
Browser Security Tests (Free Tester)
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/
Popup Tester (Free Tester)
http://www.popuptest.com/
The Cleaner (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.moosoft.com/
Sometimes you need to install the application and reboot into SAFE MODE in
order to thoroughly clean your computer. Many applications also have
(or are) immunization applications. Spybot Search and Destroy and
SpywareBlaster are two that currently do the best job at passively
protecting your system from malware. None of these programs (in these
editions) run in the background unless you TELL them to. The space they
take up and how easy they are to use greatly makes up for any inconvenience
you may be feeling.
Please notice that Windows XP SP2 does help stop popups as well.
Another option is to use an alternative Web browser. I suggest
'Mozilla Firefox', as it has some great features and is very easy to use:
Mozilla Firefox
http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/
So your machine is pretty clean and up to date now. If you use the sections
above as a guide, it should stay that way as well! There are still a few
more things you can do to keep your machine running in top shape.
Tip (11):
You should periodically check your hard drive(s) for errors and defragment
them. Only defragment after you have cleaned up your machine of
outside parasites and never defragment as a solution to a quirkiness in
your system. It may help speed up your system, but it should be clean
before you do this. Do these things IN ORDER...
How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312
How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265
How to Defragment your hard drives
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848
I would personally perform the above steps at least once every three months.
For most people this should be sufficient, but if the difference you notice
afterwards is greater than you think it should be, lessen the time in
between its schedule.. If the difference you notice is negligible, you can
increase the time.
Tip (12):
SPAM! JUNK MAIL!
This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You get 50 emails in one
sitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What can you do? Well,
although there are services out there to help you, some email
servers/services that actually do lower your spam with features built into
their servers - I still like the methods that let you be the end-decision
maker on what is spam and what is not. I have a few products to suggest
to you, look at them and see if any of them suite your needs. Again, if
they don't, Google is free and available for your perusal.
SpamBayes (Free!)
http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/
Spamihilator (Free!)
http://www.spamihilator.com/
MailWasher
http://www.mailwasher.net/
As I said, those are not your only options, but are reliable ones I have
seen function for hundreds+ people.
Tip (13):
ADVANCED TIP! Only do this once you are comfortable under the hood of your
computer!
There are lots of services on your PC that are probably turned on by default
you don't use. Why have them on? Check out these web pages to see what all
of the services you might find on your computer are and set them according
to your personal needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and take heed
and write down as you change things! Also, don't expect a large performance
increase or anything - especially on today's 2+ GHz machines, however - I
look at each service you set to manual as one less service you have to worry
about someone exploiting.
Service Configuration Tips
http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/xptweaks/supertweaks6.htm
Configuring Services
http://smallvoid.com/tweak/winnt/services.html
Task List Programs
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm
Processes in Windows NT/2000/XP
http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/
There are also applications that AREN'T services that startup when you start
up the computer/logon. One of the better description on how to handle these
I have found here:
Startups
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php
If you follow the advice laid out above (and do some of your own research as
well, so you understand what you are doing) - your computer will stay fairly
stable and secure and you will have a more trouble-free system.
--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
(PeteCresswell)
>What is so wrong with memory being used?
Since the other PC is also XP Pro and is using only 181 megs, I (rightly or
wrongly....) suspected that nearly 500 megs on the problem PC was indicative of
some application or service that I am unaware of using a lot of memory for no
apparent reason.
I only have a gig total and when one fires up something like PhotoShop in
conjunction with ThumbsPlus, a few hundred megs can make the diff between the
applications running normally and thrashing.
--
PeteCresswell
Rock
Clean Boot Troubleshooting
How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560
How to perform advanced clean-boot troubleshooting in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=316434
How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310353
--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]
Shenan Stanley
> One of my PCs starts up in a reasonable time and once everything
> settles down, about 180 megs of memory are in use.
>
> The other, however, takes forever to boot up. During the lengthy
> boot process, the desktop responds erratically to mouse clicks
> (icons can be selected and dragged, but not dropped), and when the
> boot is complete almost 500 megs of memory are being used.
>
> I've got a couple of images squirreled away, but I've tried
> reverting once and it doesn't seem to have helped any.
>
> TaskManager doesn't show much at all during this period - in terms
> of what processes are taking what percent of memory/CPU cycles...
> it all seems tb in "System Idle..".
>
> My initial reaction is to take a deep breath, don't plan on getting
> anything done for the next day or so, and rebuild my system from
> scratch.
>
> But almost anything would take less man hours than that.
>
> Can anybody suggest a strategy for finding the resource hogs?
>
> I guess the no-brainer is to uninstall everything that
> automatically starts at boot time and then re-install one-by-one
> looking for the performance hit.
>
> Is there anything else? Some utility maybe?
Shenan Stanley wrote:
> What is so wrong with memory being used?
> It sitting there - idle - does you no good what-so-ever.
> Either memory is used or you had no need for it in the first place
> and were a fool to spend the extra money.
>
> Clean up and optimize your machine. If you learn to do it properly
> - you will have less issues and be more likely to have the ability
> to clean up any messes that do occur.
>
(PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Since the other PC is also XP Pro and is using only 181 megs, I
> (rightly or wrongly....) suspected that nearly 500 megs on the
> problem PC was indicative of some application or service that I am
> unaware of using a lot of memory for no apparent reason.
>
> I only have a gig total and when one fires up something like
> PhotoShop in conjunction with ThumbsPlus, a few hundred megs can
> make the diff between the applications running normally and
> thrashing.
You can easily see (in Task Manager) what is using memory.
If it doesn't show you what is using your memory - but shows it being used
(and you have show processes from all users checked) - then you *may* have
an issue you need to look further into with third-party 'task manager' like
utilities. However - if you can add up the used memory in Processes of the
Task Manager and uyou can identify everything - then there is unlikely to be
a problem you cannot deal with easily/quickly.
I did not say having a lot of memory was a bad thing - I said having a lot
of 'never used' memory would be foolish.
(PeteCresswell)
>You can easily see (in Task Manager) what is using memory.
>
>If it doesn't show you what is using your memory - but shows it being used
>(and you have show processes from all users checked) - then you *may* have
>an issue you need to look further into with third-party 'task manager' like
>utilities.
That's how it is - per the OP - and some utility like that is one of the things
I was fishing for.
--
PeteCresswell
(PeteCresswell)
>Clean Boot Troubleshooting
>
>How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP
>http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560
>
>How to perform advanced clean-boot troubleshooting in Windows XP
>http://support.microsoft.com/?id=316434
>
>How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP
>http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310353
Thanks. I'll go there before I do anything foolish - like re-building the sys,
which I was on the verge of doing....
--
PeteCresswell
Shenan Stanley
If you went through my list (that I replied to your OP with) and it did not
go away - I would be surprised.
Shenan Stanley
Shenan Stanley wrote:
> You can easily see (in Task Manager) what is using memory.
>
> If it doesn't show you what is using your memory - but shows it
> being used (and you have show processes from all users checked) -
> then you *may* have an issue you need to look further into with
> third-party 'task manager' like utilities. However - if you can
> add up the used memory in Processes of the Task Manager and uyou
> can identify everything - then there is unlikely to be a problem
> you cannot deal with easily/quickly.
> I did not say having a lot of memory was a bad thing - I said
> having a lot of 'never used' memory would be foolish.
(PeteCresswell) wrote:
> That's how it is - per the OP - and some utility like that is one
> of the things I was fishing for.
Shenan Stanley wrote:
> If you went through my list (that I replied to your OP with) and it
> did not go away - I would be surprised.
In addition - you don't really say that the numbers in the memory usage
*don't* add up to the correct number. The true 'System Idle' process has
probably VERY LITTLE in terms of the 'mem usage' column. I'd bet
double-digit K... And that is all. Although - for the majority of the
time - it will have the bulk of the CPU column. My total memory usage -
normal stuff open like a newsreader and a browser or two - and I am using
431020K (about 420MB) of memory.
Also going through the list I original posted/responded to - you would have
found a Google search tip....
Which, if utilized, would have lead you to the types of utilities you are
looking for.
Perhaps following the instructions here:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/107278/track_memory_usage_in_windows_xp.html
or a similar - better laid out article:
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-6346-5263541.html
You might have even come across this page:
http://www.programurl.com/software/memory-usage.htm
You have not included a system spec for the two machines you are comparing.
Processor, RAM amount, Hard Drive size, operating system (and patch level),
etc... of BOTH machines in question. That would go a long way in helping
you with your loading issues.
Also the actual boot times that you are comparing (in seconds/minutes) would
be useful. The last tip in the list of tips I gave you should quickly help
you get rid of unnecessary startup tasks and services and free up/help with
startup.
Some of your problem could be bad drivers - perhaps using one of the tips
and getting the latest hardware drivers for your OS would help your load
time - it could be a driver is having trouble loading and getting a
newer/improved version of said driver might fix things.
(PeteCresswell)
>Shenan Stanley wrote:
>> You can easily see (in Task Manager) what is using memory.
>>
>> If it doesn't show you what is using your memory - but shows it
>> being used (and you have show processes from all users checked) -
>> then you *may* have an issue you need to look further into with
>> third-party 'task manager' like utilities. However - if you can
>> add up the used memory in Processes of the Task Manager and uyou
>> can identify everything - then there is unlikely to be a problem
>> you cannot deal with easily/quickly.
>Shenan Stanley wrote:
>> If you went through my list (that I replied to your OP with) and it
>> did not go away - I would be surprised.
It's on my list of things to do before rebuilding from scratch.
>In addition - you don't really say that the numbers in the memory usage
>*don't* add up to the correct number. The true 'System Idle' process has
>probably VERY LITTLE in terms of the 'mem usage' column. I'd bet
>double-digit K... And that is all. Although - for the majority of the
>time - it will have the bulk of the CPU column. My total memory usage -
>normal stuff open like a newsreader and a browser or two - and I am using
>431020K (about 420MB) of memory.
When I add up the memory used by the 63 processes running right now,
I get 439 megs. (449,464 / 1024)
Screen snap at http://tinyurl.com/3bsxtt
But the total "PF Usage" is 512k. (I don't have a clue that PF Usage is... just
assuming it's the physical memory that's in use)
Screen snap at http://tinyurl.com/2pkd8w
I *think* the numbers are good. I added them up on an Excel spreadsheet, then
double-checked them one time against the "Processes" screen snap.
If I'm reading your last post correctly, the 73-meg diff (512-439) is
significant.
>You have not included a system spec for the two machines you are comparing.
>Processor, RAM amount, Hard Drive size, operating system (and patch level),
>etc... of BOTH machines in question. That would go a long way in helping
>you with your loading issues.
They're both XP Pro SP2 with auto updates turned on.... so I'm guessing they're
at pretty much the same patch level.
The "good" one is running on a 1.1 ghz AMD Athlon with 640 megs of RAM.
The problem device is running on an Intel P4 3.00 ghz with a gig of RAM.
But the "good" one is a bare bones install - no even MS Office.... has a few
other apps like Photoshop, GoogleEarth, Nero 6, ThumbsPlus and a few others...
but it's mainly an email/IE utility.
They both use Avast for virus protection.
>Also the actual boot times that you are comparing (in seconds/minutes) would
>be useful. The last tip in the list of tips I gave you should quickly help
>you get rid of unnecessary startup tasks and services and free up/help with
>startup.
Problem machine (counting from Bios screen)
--------------------------------------------
:47 PW entered, hit Ok
2:01 Able to drag/drop desktop icons
3:00 Able to launch NotePad from taskbar, coincidentally
got "Address book failed to load. Outlook Express is
incorrectly configured. Please reinstall."
4:00 (approx) really heavy disk activity has subsided
5:11 Disk activity seems to have ceased.
The "Good" machine:
-----------------------------
1:01 Able to launch IE from taskbar
>Some of your problem could be bad drivers - perhaps using one of the tips
>and getting the latest hardware drivers for your OS would help your load
>time - it could be a driver is having trouble loading and getting a
>newer/improved version of said driver might fix things.
I think my first move will be the "Clean Boot" thing: get all the startup tasks
out of the picture, take some kind of benchmark, and then spoon feed them back
in one-at-a-time.
My money is on startup tasks.
The "Address book failed to load" thing continues to bug me.
I never, *ever* use Outlook or Outlook Express.
It started coincident with installing Nero 7.0, but the dialogs pop periodically
and usually when I'm not running Nero nor have I run Nero since booting.
Gotta wonder if somebody is trying to use my PC to send spam.
--
PeteCresswell
(PeteCresswell)
>The "Good" machine:
>-----------------------------
>1:01 Able to launch IE from taskbar
I installed a utility called "BootLog" on each machine and captured some data
about what processes were run during boot and how long they took.
--------------------------
"Problem" PC:
http://tinyurl.com/29npnz
http://tinyurl.com/ynlkkf
"Good" PC:
http://tinyurl.com/2dsz7x
--------------------------
I don't know enough to comment intelligently except that:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1) There's clearly a lot more going on in the "Problem" PC's boot
2) Some processes that happen on both PCs take a *lot* longer on
the "Problem" PC. To wit: Explorer, ashServ (the anti-virus app),
and the third and fifth instances of SvcHost.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
PeteCresswell
Rock
It's a a bit tedious, but has the chance of being helpful. Good luck.
--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]
(PeteCresswell)
>
>It's a a bit tedious, but has the chance of being helpful. Good luck.
I used BootLog XP a number of times. After reading the logs, I went with my
intuition and reformatted the drive an installed XP from scratch.
Probably a good thing anyhow bc I had never done that in the first place, having
upgraded from Win2000.
Spent pretty much all day incrementally adding things on and taking images.
Right now I think I have pretty much everything on it that I had before and
resource usage is significantly less..
C: drive down to 8.3 gigs (from 27) - and I had always taken pains to aim Temp
and TMP at a dedicated work drive...
Memory used at startup once the sys quiesces: 226 megs (down from well over 300
and sometimes almost 500)
Boot time: down to about a minute until all the dust settles. That's down from
4-5 minutes.
45 processes running after startup (probably a couple less because I've got my
eMail program open right now as I'm checking. But that's down from 63 before.
I've got one little file-copy-type backup utility that I have not installed yet
and which is somewhat suspect in the memory area. Gonna run for a few days
with this image before putting it in.... then we'll see.
I feel sort of invulnerable now.... because I've got such a nice clean image
that I can just keep going back to if things get out of hand.
--
PeteCresswell