I can't figure it out...

Zacariaz · Post by **Zacariaz** » Mon May 05, 2008 12:44 pm

Ok, I have a problem which I have trouble figuring out.
It has to do with video and/or sound playback. I have tryed severel different players so it is clear this is not where the problem lyes, but what is the problem exactly? I'm really strugling to explain this; it's like hickups, like when there is an enourmous amount of harddisk activity and the data thus can't be read fast enough, however, this is not the course. Harddisk activity is at a minimum.
Another situation which has the same effect is when my laptop has heat problems. It usually goes like this: The computer gets too hot and just before the automatick shutdown (core 2) the computer starts lagging, which, among other thing, results in problems with video and/or sound playback, but as I reacently cleaned oout the dust, I'm not experiencing many heat problems at the moment.

I don't blame you if you don't understand my problem, but I know not how to explain it otherwise.

I'm out of ideas, hope you're not.

I'm running windows xp pro on a toshiba satellite pro a100 psaace with core 2 duo mobile, 1 gb ddr ram, etc...
Apart for a minor problem with the ram, a read error on rae occations, I have no reason to believe it is a hardware problem.

Thanks.

Edit:
On another note, the boot time and generel respons times has increased by a high factor. As this has not happened over time, but allmost instantanius, I fear that I'm looking forward to a harddisk failure.
Is there anyway way I might be albe to test this?

B.E · Post by **B.E** » Mon May 05, 2008 4:51 pm

A few things that could cause this:

1 Hardrive Fragmentation - fixed by disk defrag
2 To many processes running in the background - fixed by removing startup programs
3 Windows being Windows (installing and removing programs in windows does not atualy remove the program completely (often there are still reg keys left behind)) - fixed by reinstalling windows

The most probable causes would be 1 and 3.

Zacariaz · Post by **Zacariaz** » Mon May 05, 2008 5:29 pm

Fragmentation does not seem to be an issue.

I have investigated proceses and removed a few. This didn't help and as i have installed no new software or simular in the periode the problem started to occur, I doubt that this is the problem, however, other people had access to my computer this friday, thus some malicious software or simular could have been installed. One thing that did occur was that everything in my startmenu programs folder disapeared, however it did return by it self after a reboot. What the course was, I do not no, but I think it might be a pointer to what could have gone wrong.

I'm also aware of your laft point, although i haven't investigated it. I haven't installed any new software, nor removed any so it doesnt seem to be a problem.

As for the possible harddrive failure i mentioned earlier, it is also out of the question as i have just tryed video playback via an extern harddrive, which doesn't make a difference.

I'm kinda out of ideas here.

Thanks for the attempt though.

B.E · Post by **B.E** » Mon May 05, 2008 5:54 pm

Well, the only thing left to do is installed Linux, over windows

. Should fix three problems first the operating speed, secondly prevent it from likely happening in 6 months time. and third, your helping the world irradicate Windows and it's legasy problems (people are still using IE 5).

pcmattman · Post by **pcmattman** » Mon May 05, 2008 6:07 pm

(people are still using IE 5)

People are still using Firefox 1.

B.E · Post by **B.E** » Mon May 05, 2008 6:23 pm

pcmattman wrote:
(people are still using IE 5)
People are still using Firefox 1.

Difference is time when released:

IE 5 = March 18, 1999

Firefox = November 29, 2005

pcmattman · Post by **pcmattman** » Mon May 05, 2008 6:27 pm

That's a good point, though I personally think IE6 and IE7 are bloated and resource-intensive programs (as do those who still use IE5).

Perhaps those still on IE5 are the ones who use computers casually and on the older OS versions (ME, 98, even 95 :O) because their hardware won't support the newer versions, and they don't feel the need (I have older people in mind here, such as the people at the local retirement village).

Zacariaz · Post by **Zacariaz** » Mon May 05, 2008 10:29 pm

Well, i "repaired" or rather reinstalled windows and it seemed to do the trick, but now theres a lot of settings and stuff I have to correct... bummer.

As for Linux, I do plan on converting, however, my laptop has some rather complicated issues with Linux, thus i plan to wait untill I get a new laptop, which will NOT be a toshiba. Then I'll probably start running Xubuntu, if nothing more interesting shows up...