michaeljohn

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This computer is from 2003, model HP Pavillion a305w, running XP. It came with 256 MB RAM, can go as high as 1 gig of RAM. I added one 512 MB RAM Stick, and it seemed just fine when I put it in the other day. However, it immediately went back to its old tricks:

If I right click a file, the hourglass comes on and it often takes 1 minute to display my options. (My previous comp running ME had this porblem in the last months of its life). Sometimes when I burn a DVD it goes full speed and finishes in under 15 minutes, or takes up to 2 hours. After browsing for awhile, every site or program I run opens slowly and I end up rebooting.

Forget cookies, virus, Temp Int files, running programs, etc. Problem must be elsewhere. I'm thinking CPU, what else? How can I test this shit on my own?

Ideas? Thanks.

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bzg

Open your task manager and see if something is sucking up all of your resources. If there is, post the name of the prog here...

mike4287

I am not sure if this is completely correct but when I was researching upgrading my RAM I read that your mobo automatically clocks your RAM down to the slower of the two. So if you have a 512 and a 256, it will clock both down to 256 so it works together or something like that. Also mixing brands of RAM seems like it can cause performance issues because of differing clock speeds, so you have to make sure the two sticks are compatible with one another.

Like I said I don't know if all this is correct, but after researching it some this is my current understanding.

michaeljohn

thanks, but this isn't the problem, I said that above. I'll try the offered solution posted below yours.

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michaeljohn

ok, I took the 256 stick out and it wouldn't reboot. I put the 512 in the 256 slot and it did. Computer remains slow, when I went to open control panel through my computer, it displays that stupid flashlight icon for about 10 seconds while it's searching for the contents. It does show the 512 MB of RAM now, as it showed the 758 MB before. Icons on desktop take about 7 seconds to open, stupid hourglass shows up again...


Anyway, surfed just a bit and it seems fast, as it usually does when I reboot (not always). I'll know more later. I figure I have two options, add another 512 MB stick, or trade it for a 1 gig stick. I have conflicting info on whether it will hold more than 512 MB RAM in a slot or not. Model number again is HP Pavillion a305w. thanks.

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mike4287

Do you know what the frequencies of the sticks are? A good program I used is http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php which tells you the speed of your RAM and size, along with the other basic information about your hardware. You would want to check the FSB (which I see online says it runs at 400 MHz) which is displayed on the CPU tab of the program. You can then check the details about each slot of your RAM under the SPD tab and under max bandwidth it will tell you the frequency of each stick of RAM you currently have installed.

CWB

when installing more ram the "size" (or disparity thereof) of the ram is not what determines the address speed ... rather , it is the speed that the ram is rated at (eg : pcxxxx / xxx) . normally , it is not necessary for the sticks installed to be of the same "size" .
of course it is a good idea to NOT mix speed types .


MJ ,

as far as the slow down and testing goes ...

it is possible that the cpu is overheating and folding back to reduced speed .

looking at the task manager is not always a conclusive diagnosis , there are viri that can hide themselves in such a manner that the processes list/task manager will not display them ... they can also escape conventional means of anti-spy/scum/viri/mal and crapware detections .
the "anti" people are working on "root kit detectors" ... it is a work in progress but they do have some good results thus far .
as with any "anti" program /viri removal , there is the possibility that one will have to go in and dig shit out by the roots (no pun intended) .
here is a link to a program and some info :

http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=24185

dl the zip , unzip it into a folder and run it ... make sure that you don't do stuff with the comp while the program is running . i shut down msn messenger and other programs that do consume some cpu time and cause data changes .
you can post the results here if you would like to .

another nifty little program is "hijack this" .
this program is great for finding a lot of crap :
http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/e...ools/hijackthis

more info from the original site is here :
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/programs.php

there is some interpretation of the data involved ... don't "fix" anything until you know exactly what is going on .

again , post the results here if you care to .


there are some tools available to find out about the cpu speed and other diagnostics ... but i would try finding out if there are any nasties in your comp first .
i can/will try to help you out as time permits ... my sked for the rest of the week is light ... yet !

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michaeljohn

The computer has now been running for 4 hours. In the last few minutes, it started to run just a bit slow, but nowhere near what it was doing. I recently surfed some MSN sport sites that I often do, and they were running fine as well. They should have been slow from the start. Desktop icons now open immediatlym no hour glass....


So, I am assuming I am now running 512 MB just fine, but i would like a gig. Should I return my 512 MB RAM and get a 1 Gig, or add another 512 MB. See, I am concerned:
A) Slot two may not work, see above.
b) Slot one won't take 1 gig, 512 MB max as mentioned. You have my model number, any link to show the capacity will be appreciated. thanks

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CWB

Memory Installed 256 MB (1 x 256)
Maximum allowed 1 GB (2 x 512) requires the removal of the installed 256 MB DIMM
Speed supported PC2700 MB/sec (messages at PC2100)
Type 184 pin, DDR SDRAM
DIMM slots Two


add another 512 of pc2700 ... that will also tell you if both slots are ok .
you could also return the 512 you now have and get two fresh 512's ... tell the sales person that you think there may be something wrong with the original .

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elfoozo

Find Perfmon on your system and run it. There are lots of counters you can add and watch while doing your tests and see the results in real time.

michaeljohn

Ok, I found this program fine, but when I open it, it doesn't start on its own, and I can't find anyway to get it going. I googled it and found a web page that explains it, but it doesn't say how to start it either. It does show a graphic of it running, but I see no activity.

After I reported it was running reasonable well, it started slowing down again, both last night and today. My plan now is to burn off as many files as I can including programs I don't use. Once I get down to the bare minimum of what I really need, I will disconnect my slave drive and see if that helps... thanks again more later.

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siopawman

it has something to do with your memory.

if 512mb doesnt work stand alone, then the memory bank is at fault or its the memory. try running memtest.

lastly, try to look if your 256mb is single or double sided. some mobos are choosy when it comes to being single sided or double sided, and sometimes mixing them gets your computer run really slow. it already happened to my clients pc, single sided sdram (256mb) was mixed with a double sided sdram (512mb). its supposed to run better but he was so disappointed. it took me while to figure it out.

good luck.

elfoozo

In it's default config on XP Pro I believe there are three counters running out of the gate. If yours doesn't look like it's doing anything that's easy enough to alter.

You should have a left and a right pane. In the right pane there will be some tool buttons at the top. Hover over them and click the one that says View Current Activity. Right click anywhere in the right pane and choose Add Counters. In this window select Use local computer counters. Under performance objects these are what do the metering. You're kind of on your own to pick ones that measure what you're trying to gauge so experiment and research a little to find ones that target what you're after.

Once you get a perfmon configured, you can click file / save as and save it somewhere for easy future running.