Computer Help

[Venix]

Ok, i was just checking out why my computer was going slow and saw this:

I watched it rise from 1.04 to 1.65GB. I did nothing and it just dropped in like 3 sec down to 355MB. I only have a 512DDR, and the only programs i had open were AIM and Xfire, and the basic windows stuff. My computer regularly uses about 190-250mb of ram, and when i play a game it uses 700mb. I have never seen it hit a number this high before and im worried. Also, the computer uses 100% usage just to open programs sometimes. It has been doing this for months, maybe years, but i dont know whats wrong. Any help would be nice.

 

[i3ooivl]

check out your msconfig for startup programs and active services, background programs will kill ya

 

[Venix]

check out your msconfig for startup programs and active services, background programs will kill ya

I turn off everything but what i use....i do it everytime i start up...so that cant be it.

 

[i3ooivl]

you do what everytime you start up? Alot of programs dont open anything up for you to close. if you go to start.... run..... msconfig and click on what programs you dont want to start you'll be surprised how many there are

 

[03DOHC]

You only have 4MB of RAM available. Your computer is swapping to disk. Try setting your virtual memory to a fixed value like 768MB or 1024. I have 7 windows open including running Thunderbird, Adobe PS and Imageready.

 

[Silver03]

Click on that process tab, that will tell you what is using all the memory...

 

[NyteByte]

Click on the "Processes" tab in Task Manager and check to see what process is eating all that RAM.

 

[fuelonempty]

wow, I did the msconfig thing.. and I looked at all my start up programs, and there are ALOT, do I really need all of the ones that have weird names????

 

[Venix]

Click on the "Processes" tab in Task Manager and check to see what process is eating all that RAM.

when i looked at the process tab while it was freaking out there was not one single program running at over 6mb. And it would have never added up to that.

 

[Venix]

You only have 4MB of RAM available. Your computer is swapping to disk. Try setting your virtual memory to a fixed value like 768MB or 1024. I have 7 windows open including running Thunderbird, Adobe PS and Imageready.

how do i do that?

 

[ArkangelX3]

I had some major Slow down issue to. Heres what happened to me. At first we thought it was virus/spyware. So what i did was reboot windows from zero. After awhile it started crashing and slowing again. Turns out, they did a deeper search and found out my hard drive was crashing and or bad. So they replaced the hard drive for free(best buy warranty). I uprgrade from 512mb, to 1.2 Gigs for $180 bucks. Running Spy Sweeper and Norton. Its amazing the difference. Like 30 seconds to load windows, i can now run my game City of Heroes on just about Max graphics etc.... Big big difference.
Spy Sweeper is highly recomended, because it will warn you that a startup program is being added without your knowledge. You can chose to remove or let it go.

 

[Venix]

you do what everytime you start up? Alot of programs dont open anything up for you to close. if you go to start.... run..... msconfig and click on what programs you dont want to start you'll be surprised how many there are

i did that, and it just saved me time now, but thanks....i normally close all that stuff in my Ctrl Alt Dlet. I guess i just need some more ram.