Bad Memory? 2

[Supra]

Hey folks,

A friend's machine recently became very, very slow, and she says all she did was delete a few unneeded programs. I immediately assumed she may have deleted the folder(s) rather than use Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel, so I swapped out her drive and put in a working spare to see how it performed. Even with the clean spare, the machine was very slow. So now I figure it has to be hardware. I ruled out overheating because all the fans spin freely and quickly, and I used a powerful fan to blow out any dust that might be insulating the hardware.

What concerns me is the memory. Windows reports 256MB, but POST reports 254. Now, before you go, "DUH! She's running WindowsXP with 256MB!", I realize that, but even with 256MB the machine would never be this slow. It seems as if it has 128MB or less - it's THAT slow. I have recommended that she upgrade to at least 512MB, but she is on a bit of a budget.

Getting back to the bit about the memory, I downloaded Microsoft's memory diagnostic tool and literally let it run all night. I woke up to no errors despite several repeated memory stress tests. I also downloaded another memory diagnostic (the name fails me) and it resulted in no errors. I also ran Sandra and 256MB was found with no problems.

So the question here is, could one of the memory sticks be causing the performance problem, as the BIOS is reporting 254MB? Or should I consider the processor/motherboard? I wish I had old SD-RAM available, but unfortunately I do not, so I cannot test it. Any ideas you guys have would be great!! Thanks a lot!!!

 

[wahnula]

Supra,

Please supply more details about the system. It sounds like it could be a PSU issue or bad caps on the MB:

http://www.badcaps.net

but we need more info to narrow it down.

One recommendation would be to see what's running at Startup Start->Run->msconfig->Startup maybe some program is trying to load, another would be to alternate single sticks of RAM. I would not worry about the 2MB difference between POST and Windows.

I wish I had old SD-RAM available, but unfortunately I do not

LOL I have boxes full!!!

 

[Grenage]

Try running Memtest (it's free to download). If that comes up with no problem then it's 'unlikely' to be the problem. I suppose a processor could be defective in that way, but I haven't personally come across one before.

Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[Supra]

Hey guys, thanks for posting!!

Wahnula,
I'll post more info about the system when I get home and I'll take a look at those capacitors thanks! I already ruled out the programs loading at startup though, by swapping in my clean spare drive - which has the bare mininum of XP loaded and has never seen the internet. Also, MSConfig is the first utility I run when I see these kinds of problems, because there's usually something naughty in there I forgot to note that I did run AVG virus scanner, uninstalled after I got no results, and then ran ZoneAlarm AV which found 1 Trojan and removed it. As for the PSU, good idea! I always forget about it I'll try swapping in a different unit and see what happens, thanks!

Grenage,
Memtest is actually the 2nd memory test I tried I had forgotten the name, but I looked it up and it was Memtest86+ that I tried, after using Microsoft's tool.

Thanks for your posts guys!!

 

[Dillinger99]

Could it be that the 2 MB is being used for video?

 

[Supra]

Dillinger99,

I'm giving you a star for that, because I do recall seeing a setting for the video memory in the BIOS, and it was set to 2MB. Rock on

 

[paparazi]

What are the system specs?
Is the front side bus of the CPU and memory set correctly.

It would really help to post all the system specs: CPU type and speed, motherboard etc

We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[JimInKS]

Is it possible that their have been changes in the BIOS that have the system running below optimum?
Many BIOSes have a "safe" setting that is supposed to assure that the system will boot and an "Optimum" setting. I would check that CPU frequency and memory timings look correct in BIOS.

You said you ran sandra on the computer. What did it show for performance numbers? Did they look reasonable?

 

[Supra]

Hey folks,

Sorry I haven't posted the system specs when I said I would. I've been extremely busy but here's what I know:

HP Pavilion (Has same specs as 8755c but unsure of model)
800MHz Pentium III
Windows XP Pro
256MB RAM (Obviously needs upgrade)
Onboard video (Actually 1MB shared memory not 2)
Not sure of mobo but this PC is completely stock

It might be worth noting that the factory DVD drive is faulty and needs to be replaced. I haven't had a chance to swap PSU's because I don't have any spare lying around. I forgot that I gave pretty much all of my computer parts to a local charity that builds PC's for low income families.

JimInKS,
I tried resetting the BIOS using the default settings when adjusting settings in XP didn't work, and still nothing. There isn't an "optimal performance default" or similar option there. I rarely see that in older computers like this. There is no way to change the speed settings from this BIOS, and she has no idea how to play with jumper settings/etc to try and change the speed so that's definitely not the issue.

My mom has an extra PC just collecting dust, so I'm going to take the PSU out of that and see if it makes a difference. Thanks again for your posts guys!

 

[Supra]

Oh, in regards to Sandra, I just ran the full scan where it gives you suggestions on how to improve performance in each area. I'll benchmark it as soon as possible and let you know what the results are.

 

[Supra]

Well I have finally resolved the issue. I tested the PSU and it was fine. I tested different sticks of RAM and it was still slow. So the only thing left to check was the mobo. Well I thought, no way is this thing running slow because of the mobo. So I said screw it and reinstalled XP, despite already trying a "clean" drive I had laying around. Well, apparently that drive wasn't so clean, because the reinstall worked with flying colors. The machine is now as quick as ever.

I want to thank everyone for your efforts in here!!!

Without you I may never have thought to try the things I did, and I actually learned something (a star to wahnula for the bad caps idea). It just goes to show that you have to check and double-check everything before giving up

THANKS AGAIN!