[gin_jammer]

I'm running XP Home SP3 on a Toshiba Satellite 1135.

Just upgraded from IE7 to IE8 a couple of days back.

Connection to Internet got slower and slower. Now, IE stalls, and I have to use Task Manager to end task so I can start over. The second try is usually successful, but not always.

Suggestions?

 

[Geekgirl]

IE8 is still buggy on some systems, not sure why. You can remove IE8 an revert back to IE7 and check to see if you get the same results, if not use IE7 till they work the bugs out of IE8

 

[gin_jammer]

I removed IE8 assuming that afterward I'd be able to use Firefox to reach the Internet. However, after IE8 was removed, I was unable to get to the Internet. Outlook would not work either.

I rebooted in SAFE mode and tried unsuccessfully to reach the Internet, so I ran a System Restore to the day before IE8 upgrade.

After System Restore, I'd lost my Desktop image. IE7 launched, minimized, and froze before finishing. Using Task Manager, I ended it and tried again.

On second try, IE7 launched, still minimized, but successfully, however, veeeery slowly. Once open, it appears to work almost normally.

From Control Panel, Display, Desktop tab, I was able to restore Desktop image.

System feels precarious...

 

[lorjack]

What security software are you using? Are internet browsers the only program running slowly?

 

[gin_jammer]

I am using AVG Free Ed 8.5.287, Spybot S&D 1.6.0.31, and Windows Firewall.

IE7's slowness is the most noticeable, but AVG & S&D control panels and Office aps are also sluggish when the browser is open.

 

[lorjack]

Disable all security software. Monitor your CPU and RAM usage.

 

[gin_jammer]

I don't know how to disable security s/w without uninstalling, and I don't think that's what you mean. Please clarify.

I don't know how to monitor RAM usage either.

 

[lorjack]

Click the performance tab in task manager and it shows you there how hard your CPU is working and your RAM statistics. What you want to see is alot of available RAM and low CPU usage.

Here are the steps to disable AVG 7, i would imagine that they are the same for AVG 8 or very similar.
http://www.abluestar.com/blog/how-to-disable-avg-7-temporarily/

Windows firewall you go into the security center and just turn the firewall off. And spybot if you are not using its real time protection then you don't need to worry about it. If you are then there should be a little icon in the system tray which you can alternate click on and tell it to turn off.

 

[gin_jammer]

With securiy s/w disabled, saw 0% CPU usage. Could not find any RAM usage indicator.

Started IE7 and CPU momentarily jumped to 80-90% usage, and then quickly fell back to 0%.

With security s/w enabled (I think, not certain I got Spybot back on), IE7 behaved the same.

System slowness seems to be veeeery gradually going away, but browser still starts minimized occasionally.

 

[lorjack]

What are your system specs?
RAM-
Proc-
Hard Drives-

 

[gin_jammer]

CPU is Celeron (R) 2.0GHz
RAM is 752 MB
Internal hard disk is 40GB (~half full)
External hard disk is 400 GB

 

[gin_jammer]

System performance became so shaky, IE freezing, Outlook freezing, etc., that I did another System Restore to a point created right after IE7 was restored. IE7 and Outlook are working again, but both still freeze on occasion and have to be ended.

 

[lorjack]

Boot into Safe mode with networking and see if the problem still exists.

 

[gin_jammer]

Booted into SAFE Mode With Networking, but was unable to repair wireless connection, so I couldn't evaluate IE performance. I launched Outlook, which started sluggishly, but successfully.

After restart of computer to return to normal mode, I observed high CPU activity (up to 100%) for several minutes.

 

[lorjack]

Look in the processes tab and see what program/s are using up the CPU

 

[gin_jammer]

The System isn't behaving that way now. At the time, the processes I can remember included one of the avg***.exe processes, explorer.exe and vsmon.exe.

Task Manager currently shows 66 Processes. Intermittently active processes include: explorer.exe (2%), ieexplore.exe (2%), taskmgr.exe (2%), System (2%) usually one at a time and only for a second or two. System Idle Process steady at 98%.

 

[lorjack]

Well there is something fishy going on here, 66 processes is a lot to be running, twice what i have right now.

Start > run > msconfig > startup tab > uncheck programs that don't need to be running at start up. If you don't know what the process is a simple Google search is your friend.

 

[gin_jammer]

After msconfig, I'm down to 49 processes running. My laptop works no worse, but no better either.

Today, I got several Windows updates, among them one for IE7. That struck me as weird, since what started this was an upgrade to IE8, which seemed like it had been released too soon.

A thought...since I've migrated back to IE7 and am dealing with other issues...should this thread be in an XP Forum instead of the IE Forum?

 

[lorjack]

17 processes gone that is good.

Uninstall AVG and see if that helps.

Yeah i would say since now it is not just IE running slowly that you should have this moved over to the XP section. You might just even get others to jump in and help :smile: Just PM a Mod and they can do it for you.

 

[Geekgirl]

I wouldnt remove AVG as AVG always has multiple services running, its doing its job.

Please list your issues that you are having now and I will see if we should move this thread to XP forum.

1.Does the system run ok in Safe Mode w/networking?
2.Can you undo the System restore you did or is it too late, please check. I dont think you should have done this in the first place.
To undo the last restoration Access System Restore through Help and Support. Click Undo my last restoration. Save all files and close all programs, and then click Next. Reboot.
3.When was the last virus/malware scan using something other than AVG? Go Here and scan your pc.