Windows Forum / Windows XP / Performance and Maintainance / May 2008
Movies are jerky due to excessing paging
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AuthorCancerForTwo - 10 May 2008 16:09 GMT I use video in presentations and it is jerky when it plays. This started suddenly about six months ago for no apparent reason.
I am running XP sp2, 512mb on a Lattitude D610
I used the Performance tool in XP and everytime the video jerked the paging rate was all the way to the top of the scale. I have found that replaying the video eliminates the jerking, so that would indicate a lower paging rate because much of the video is already buffered.
AHA, thought I... more memory will solve the problem, so I bought 2GB on sale, put it in, and it behaves EXACTLY the same way.
With plenty of memory and all the default media player settings, why am I still paging so much?
Bob Harris - 10 May 2008 16:41 GMT Suggestions:
(1) Try an alternative media player. Some are betters than others with videos of specific formats/codecs. Many are free. (2) Try a different PC with similar cabapilities, at least temporarily. If another PC has similar problems, then maybe the reall problem is the video file, not the PC. If so, try making the video file differently. If the other PC works, try to detemrine how it is different. (3) Turn off your antivirus while playing the video. Some insist on scanning files 24/7, and can reduce PC performance.
Note that how well some videos play is more detemined by the video card speed and/or video RAM than by the CPU speed and its associated RAM. If the video plays well on a another PC, compare the video card/RAM specifications, or built-in video, if that is what is being used.
>I use video in presentations and it is jerky when it plays. This started > suddenly about six months ago for no apparent reason. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > With plenty of memory and all the default media player settings, why am I > still paging so much? AuthorCancerForTwo - 10 May 2008 17:22 GMT Thanks, Bob, for responding.
I can't try another player because it plays within PowerPoint - or can I?? Can I specify a different player for PowerPoint?
The problem is on my laptop - the video plays fine on my desktop and other laptops. In fact, it played fine on THIS laptop for over a year; it suddenly started doing this and I haven't really changed anything (I know, famous last words...) I am up-to-date on all automatic Windows updates so maybe one of those did something to cause this.
I use Norton Internet Security and it, too, is up-to-date with automatic updates. I disabled it, though, and there was no change in the symptoms.
I have also run the complete diagnostic application supplied by Dell for this computer and everything checked out.
I have also de-fragged the hard drive.
I'm out of ideas!!
Is there any other XP diagnostic tool that I could use to see what's happening when the video jerks? I've tried the task manager but CPU usage isn't very high during playback and nothing else of any significance is running.
The only thing that seems to be consistent that I've discovered so far is the paging rate, and if I have so much memory and so little going on in the machine, why is there ANY paging??
> Suggestions: > [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > With plenty of memory and all the default media player settings, why am I > > still paging so much? AuthorCancerForTwo - 11 May 2008 00:14 GMT Here are some other things I've tried:
I specified "No page file" thinking that that would force everything into RAM, but when I rebooted and tried the movie - it was just as jerky. Then I checked the Performance utility and it STILL SAID IT WAS PAGING... how can that be?
I tried different resolutions of the movie - jerkiness was the same on all of them
I tried MPG format - same jerkiness
I tried different movies - all are the same.
I tried re-coding the wmv file back into a wmv file to reformat it - didn't help.
Interesting tidbit - when I look at the Task Manager it shows about 250MB of page file usage, but no page file accesses, even though the Performance utility shows a lot of paging.
I am confused!!
> Suggestions: > [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > With plenty of memory and all the default media player settings, why am I > > still paging so much? Shenan Stanley - 11 May 2008 01:54 GMT > Here are some other things I've tried: > > I specified "No page file" thinking that that would force > everything into RAM, but when I rebooted and tried the movie - it > was just as jerky. Then I checked the Performance utility and it > STILL SAID IT WAS PAGING... how can that be? You truly cannot turn off paging.
 Signature Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
Shenan Stanley - 11 May 2008 02:04 GMT > I use video in presentations and it is jerky when it plays. This > started suddenly about six months ago for no apparent reason. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > With plenty of memory and all the default media player settings, > why am I still paging so much? I believe you need to thoroughly clean the system.
- Uninstall unused software from Add or Remove Programs control panel.
- Update the software packages you do utilize from their corresponding software manufacturer's support web pages.
- Update the hardware drivers for your motherboard chipset, sound card, video card and network card from each corresponding hardware manufacturer's support web pages. If you have a Dell/HP/IBM/etc - should be one-stop shopping.
- Run a full CHKDSK on your hard disk drive(s) and/or partitions (all of them). If it requires a reboot to do so - reboot.
- Ensure Windows XP is up-to-date with all the latest critical updates and even Optional *software* updates. Do not download the optional hardware updates however. (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ <- custom scan.)
- Ensure you are virus/trojan/worm free by updating your antivirus software and performing a complete scan on your computer. This may not 100% ensure it - but you may be surprised at what you find.
- Ensure you are spyware/adware/malware free by utilizing SuperAntiSpyware and Spybot Search and Destroy. This may not 100% ensure it - but you may be surprised at what you find.
- Try to free up 15+% of your system drive (usually C:) by utilizing some of the following advice:
If you are comfortable with the stability of your system, you can delete the uninstall files for the patches that Windows XP has installed... http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm
You can run Disk Cleanup - built into Windows XP - to erase all but your latest restore point and cleanup even more "loose files"..
How to use Disk Cleanup http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312
You can turn off hibernation if it is on and you don't use it..
When you hibernate your computer, Windows saves the contents of the system's memory to the hiberfil.sys file. As a result, the size of the hiberfil.sys file will always equal the amount of physical memory in your system. If you don't use the hibernate feature and want to recapture the space that Windows uses for the hiberfil.sys file, perform the following steps:
- Start the Control Panel Power Options applet (go to Start, Settings, Control Panel, and click Power Options). - Select the Hibernate tab, clear the "Enable hibernation" check box, then click OK; although you might think otherwise, selecting Never under the "System hibernates" option on the Power Schemes tab doesn't delete the hiberfil.sys file. - Windows will remove the "System hibernates" option from the Power Schemes tab and delete the hiberfil.sys file.
You can control how much space your System Restore can use...
1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties. 2. Click the System Restore tab. 3. Highlight one of your drives (or C: if you only have one) and click on the "Settings" button. 4. Change the percentage of disk space you wish to allow.. I suggest moving the slider until you have just about 1GB (1024MB or close to that...) 5. Click OK.. Then Click OK again.
You can control how much space your Temporary Internet Files can utilize...
Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a size between 64MB and 128MB..
- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer. - Select TOOLS -> Internet Options. - Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the following: - Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK) - Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to something between 64MB and 128MB. (It may be MUCH larger right now.) - Click OK. - Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents" (the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10 minutes or more.) - Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet Explorer.
You can use an application that scans your system for log files and temporary files and use that to get rid of those:
Ccleaner (Free!) http://www.ccleaner.com/
Other ways to locate space to free up.. (Visual tools help greatly - speed up the process.)
SequoiaView http://www.win.tue.nl/sequoiaview/
JDiskReport http://www.jgoodies.com/freeware/jdiskreport/index.html
- After you have freed up 15% or more space (or just used the advice above to clear out space that you don't actually need to have taken up) - defragment your System drive (usually C:) and all other partitions on your computer.
After you have done all that - your system should be running relatively well and be clear of clutter. Then one could hope to troubleshoot more easily any problem that remains.
 Signature Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
AuthorCancerForTwo - 11 May 2008 04:12 GMT WOW - that is one heckava post - thank you so much!
I'll start working on it right away - this is a big problem for me because I am a professional speaker and this video is a huge part of my program - if it's jerky then it affects the quality of my program.
Thanks again!
Dave
> > I use video in presentations and it is jerky when it plays. This > > started suddenly about six months ago for no apparent reason. [quoted text clipped - 123 lines] > and be clear of clutter. Then one could hope to troubleshoot more easily > any problem that remains. Shenan Stanley - 11 May 2008 04:19 GMT <snipped>
> WOW - that is one heckava post - thank you so much! > > I'll start working on it right away - this is a big problem for me > because I am a professional speaker and this video is a huge part > of my program - if it's jerky then it affects the quality of my > program. Here's a little more detailed (scared yet? *grin*) response for cleaning up the system:
Microsoft has these suggestions for Protecting your computer from the various things that could happen to you/it:
Protect your PC http://www.microsoft.com/protect/
Outfitting an XP computer for the Net http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/advanced/xppc.mspx
Getting started with a new PC http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/yournewpc.mspx
Although those tips are fantastic, there are many things you should know above and beyond that. Below I have detailed out many tips that can not only help you clean-up a problem PC but keep it clean, secure and running at its best.
I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot to take in for a novice - however I can assure you that one pass through this list and you will understand your computer and the options available to you for protecting your data much better - and that the next time you go through these steps, the time it takes will be greatly reduced - since many things can be setup to automatically protect you.
Let's take the cleanup/securing of your computer step-by-step. Yes, it will take up some of your time - but consider what you use your computer for and how much you would dislike it if all of your stuff on your computer went away because you did not "feel like" performing some simple maintenance tasks - think of it like taking out your garbage, collecting and sorting your postal mail, paying your bills on time, etc.
Now is a great time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:
Search using Google! http://www.google.com/ (How-to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )
Now, let's go through some maintenance first that should only have to be done once (for the most part):
Tip (1): Locate all of the software you have installed on your computer. (the installation media - CDs, downloaded files, etc) Collect these CD/DVDs and files together in a central and safe place along with their CD keys and such. Make backups of these installation media sets using your favorite copying method (CD/DVD Burner and application, Disk copier, etc.) You'll be glad to know that if you have a CD/DVD burner, you may be able to use a free application to make a duplicate copy of your CDs. One such application is ISORecorder:
ISORecorder page (with general instructions on use): http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm
More full function applications (free) for CD/DVD burning would be:
CDBurnerXP Pro http://www.cdburnerxp.se/
DeepBurner Free http://www.deepburner.com/
ImgBurn (burn ISO images) http://www.imgburn.com/
Final Burner Free http://www.protectedsoft.com/descr_fb.php
BWGBurn http://sourceforge.net/projects/bwgburn
BurnAware FREE Edition http://www.glorylogic.com/
Another Option would be to search the web with Pricewatch.com or Dealsites.net and find deals on Products like Ahead Nero and/or Roxio.
Ahead Nero http://www.nero.com/
Roxio Easy Media Creator http://www.roxio.com/
Tip (2): Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a size between 128MB and 256MB..
- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer. - Select TOOLS -> Internet Options. - Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the following: - Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK) - Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to something between 128MB and 256MB. - Click OK. - Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents" (the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10 minutes or more.) - Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet Explorer.
Tip (3): If things are running a bit sluggish and/or you have an older system (1.8GHz or less and less than 512MB RAM) then you may want to look into tweaking the performance by turning off some of the 'resource hogging' Windows XP "prettifications". The fastest method is:
Control Panel --> System --> Advanced tab --> Performance section, Settings button. Then choose "adjust for best performance" and you now have a Windows 2000/98 look which turned off most of the annoying "prettifications" in one swift action. You can play with the last three checkboxes to get more of an XP look without many of the other annoyances. You could also grab and install/use one (or more) of the Microsoft Powertoys - TweakUI in particular:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
Another viable (decently inexpensive) option is to increase the amount of memory (RAM) your computer has. You can get an idea of what you need by visiting:
Crucial Memory AdvisorT Tool http://www.crucial.com/
Then either buy direct from there or write down the specs you get and visit: http://www.pricewatch.com/ and locate the best price on what you need. 512MB up to 1GB total memory should be more than enough for the normal home user. Most will never need more than 3GB for Windows XP.
Tip (4): Understanding what a good password might be is vital to your personal and system security. You may think you do not need to password your home computer, as you may have it in a locked area (your home) where no one else has access to it. Remember, however, you aren't always "in that locked area" when using your computer online - meaning you likely have usernames and passwords associated with web sites and the likes that you would prefer other people do not discover/use. This is why you should understand and utilize good passwords.
Good passwords are those that meet these general rules (mileage may vary):
Passwords should contain at least six characters, and the character string should contain at least three of these four character types: - uppercase letters - lowercase letters - numerals - nonalphanumeric characters (e.g., *, %, &, !, :)
Passwords should not contain your name/username. Passwords should be unique to you and easy to remember.
One method many people are using today is to make up a phrase that describes a point in their life and then turning that phrase into their password by using only certain letters out of each word in that phrase. It's much better than using your birthday month/year or your anniversary in a pure sense. For example, let's say my phrase is: 'Great Thanksgiving in 2007!' I could come up with this password from that: 'Gr8Thanksgiving2007!'
The password tip is in the one time section, but I highly recommend you periodically change your passwords. The suggested time varies, but I will throw out a 'once in every 3 to 6 months for every account you have.'
Also - many people complain that they just cannot remember the passwords for all the sites they have - so they choose one password and use it for everything. Not a good idea. A much better method would be to use a Password Management tool - so you only have to remember one password, but it opens an application that stores your username/passwords for everything else - plus other valuable information. One that I can recommend:
KeePass Password Safe http://keepass.sourceforge.net/
It can even generate passwords for you.
Tip (5): This tip is also 'questionable' in the one time section; however - if properly setup - this one can be pretty well ignored for most people after the initial 'fiddle-with' time.
Why you should use a computer firewall.. http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/firewall/choosing.mspx
You should, in some way, use a firewall. Hardware (like a nice Cable Modem/DSL router) or software is up to you. Many use both of these. The simplest one to use is the hardware one, as most people don't do anything that they will need to configure their NAT device for and those who do certainly will not mind fiddling with the equipment to make things work for them. Next in the line of simplicity would have to be the built-in Windows Firewall of Windows XP. In SP2 it is turned on by default. It is not difficult to turn on in any case, however:
More information on the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320855
Post-SP2 Windows Firewall Information/guidance: http://snipurl.com/atal
The trouble with the Windows Firewall is that it only keeps things out. For most people who maintain their system in other ways, this is MORE than sufficient. You may feel otherwise. If you want to know when one of your applications is trying to obtain access to the outside world so you can stop it, then you will have to install a third-party application and configure/maintain it. I have compiled a list with links of some of the better known/free firewalls you can choose from:
Comodo Free Fireall (Free) http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/
Jetico Personal Firewall (Free) http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm
Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up) http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/
Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up) http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html
ZoneAlarm (Free and up) http://www.zonelabs.com/
You should find the right firewall for your situation in that list and set it up if you feel the Windows XP firewall is insufficient.
Every firewall WILL require some maintenance. Essentially checking for patches or upgrades (this goes for hardware and software solutions) is the extent of this maintenance - you may also have to configure your firewall to allow some traffic depending on your needs.
** Don't stack the software firewalls! Running more than one software firewall will not make you safer - it would possibly negate some protection you gleamed from one or the other firewall you run. It is fine (and in many ways better) to have the software firewall as well as a NAT router.
Now that you have some of the more basic things down.. Let's go through some of the steps you should take periodically to maintain a healthy and stable windows computer. If you have not done some of these things in the past, they may seem tedious - however, they will become routine and some can even be scheduled.
Tip (6): The system restore feature is only a useful feature if you keep it maintained and use it to your advantage. Remember that the system restore pretty much tells you in the name what it protects which is 'system' files. Your documents, your pictures, your stuff is NOT system files - so you should also look into some backup solution.
Whenever you think about it (after doing a once-over on your machine once a month or so would be optimal) - clear out your System Restore and create a manual restoration point.
'Why?'
Too many times have I seen the system restore files go corrupt or get a virus in them, meaning you could not or did not want to restore from them. By clearing it out periodically you help prevent any corruption from happening and you make sure you have at least one good "snapshot". (*This, of course, will erase any previous restore point you have.*)
- Turn off System Restore. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310405 - Reboot the Computer. - Review the first bullet to turn on System Restore - Make a Manual Restoration Point. http://snipurl.com/68nx
Don't want to remove ALL the system restore points? Don't. Simply utilize "Disk Cleanup" (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312) to remove all but the last system restore point.
Also - I suggest changing how much space System Restore can utilize. When it was first released, Windows XP didn't have to deal with hard disk drives of quite the bulk of today's drives. So, it may be a bit ambitious in setting the System Restore sizing. I personally suggest you set it to approximately 1GB, total.
See "Disk Space for System Restore" on how to change this: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/getstarted/ballew_03may1 9.mspx
That covers your system files, but doesn't do anything for the files that you are REALLY worried about - yours! For that you need to look into backups. You can either manually copy your important files, folders, documents, spreadsheets, emails, contacts, pictures, drawings and so on to an external location (CD/DVD - any disk of some sort, etc) or you can use the backup tool that comes with Windows XP:
How To Use Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308422
Yes - you still need some sort of external media to store the results on, but you could schedule the backup to occur when you are not around, then burn the resultant data onto CD or DVD or something when you are (while you do other things!)
Another option that seems to still be going strong:
Cobian Backup http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm
A lot of people have wondered about how to completely backup their system so that they would not have to go through the trouble of a reinstall.. I'm going to voice my opinion here and say that it would be worthless to do for MOST people. Unless you plan on periodically updating the image backup of your system (remaking it) - then by the time you use it (something goes wrong) - it will be so outdated as to be more trouble than performing a full install of the operating system and all applications.
Having said my part against it, you can clone/backup your hard drive completely using many methods - by far the simplest are using disk cloning applications:
Symantec/Norton Ghost http://snipurl.com/13e00
Acronis True Image http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/
BootIt NG http://terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html
Tip (7): You should sometimes look through the list of applications that are installed on your computer. The list may surprise you. There are more than likely things in there you know you never use - so why have them there? There may even be things you know you did *not* install and certainly do not use (maybe don't WANT to use.)
This web site should help you get started at looking through this list:
How to Uninstall Programs http://snipurl.com/8v6b
How to change or remove a program in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307895
A word of warning - Do NOT uninstall anything you think you MIGHT need in the future unless you have completed Tip (1) and have the installation media and proper keys for use backed up somewhere safe!
Tip (8): Patches and Updates!
This one cannot be stressed enough. It is SO simple, yet so neglected by many people. It is really simple for the critical Microsoft patches! Microsoft put in an AUTOMATED feature for you to utilize so that you do NOT have to worry yourself about the patching of the Operating System:
How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525
However, not everyone wants to be a slave to automation, and that is fine. Admittedly, I prefer this method on some of my more critical systems.
Windows Update http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get the critical ones as you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you see when selecting the updates and if you have trouble over the next few days, go into your control panel (Add/Remove Programs), insure that the 'Show Updates' checkbox is checked and match up the latest numbers you downloaded recently (since you started noticing an issue) and uninstall them. If there was more than one (usually is), uninstall them one by one with a few hours of use in between, to see if the problem returns. Yes - the process is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I mentioned - but as you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is MUCH better than the alternatives.
Windows is not the only product you likely have on your PC. The manufacturers of the other products usually have updates. New versions of almost everything come out all the time - some are free, some are pay and some you can only download if you are registered - but it is best to check. Just go to their web pages and look under their support and download sections. For example, for Microsoft Office you should visit:
Microsoft Office Updates http://office.microsoft.com/ (and select 'Downloads' for more - note that Microsoft Update does handle MS Office products too.)
You also have hardware on your machine that requires drivers to interface with the operating system. You have a video card that allows you to see on your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your PCs sound output and so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the latest downloadable drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always get the manufacturers' hardware driver over any Microsoft offers. On the Windows Update site I mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting their hardware drivers - no matter how tempting.
How do you know what hardware you have in your computer? Break out the invoice or if it is up and working now - take inventory:
Belarc Advisor http://belarc.com/free_download.html
Once you know what you have, what next? Go get the latest driver for your hardware/OS from the manufacturer's web page. For example, let's say you have an NVidia chipset video card or ATI video card, perhaps a Creative Labs sound card or C-Media chipset sound card...
NVidia Video Card Drivers http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp
ATI Video Card Drivers http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html
Creative Labs Sound Device http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/
C-Media Sound Device http://www.cmedia.com.tw/?q=en/driver
Then install these drivers. Updated drivers are usually more stable and may provide extra benefits/features that you really wished you had before.
As for Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP, Microsoft has made this particular patch available in a number of ways. First, there is the Windows Update web page above. Then there is a direct download site. **
Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP http://snipurl.com/8bqy
Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD http://snipurl.com/d41v
If all else fails - grab the full download above and try to use that. In this case - consider yourself a 'IT professional or developer'.
Tip (9): What about the dreaded word in the computer world, VIRUS?
Well, there are many products to choose from that will help you prevent infections from these horrid little applications. Many are FREE to the home user and which you choose is a matter of taste, really. Many people have emotional attachments or performance issues with one or another AntiVirus software. Try some out, read reviews and decide for yourself which you like more:
( Good Comparison Page for AV software: http://www.av-comparatives.org/ )
AntiVir (Free and up) http://www.free-av.com/
avast! (Free and up) http://www.avast.com/
AVG Anti-Virus System (Free and up) http://free.grisoft.com/
eset NOD32 (~$39.00 and up) http://www.eset.com/products/
Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$39.95 and up) http://www.kaspersky.com/kaspersky_anti-virus
McAfee VirusScan (~$39.99 and up) http://www.mcafee.com/
Panda Antivirus (~$39.95 and up) http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/antivirus/ (Free Online Scanner: http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/)
Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$39.99 and up) http://snipurl.com/13e12
Most of them have automatic update capabilities. You will have to look into the features of the one you choose. Whatever one you finally settle with - be SURE to keep it updated (I recommend at least daily) and perform a full scan periodically (yes, most protect you actively, but a full scan once a month at 4AM probably won't bother you.)
Tip (10): The most rampant infestation at the current time concerns SPYWARE/ADWARE. You need to eliminate it from your machine.
There is no one software that cleans and immunizes you against everything. Antivirus software - you only needed one. Firewall, you only needed one. AntiSpyware - you will need several. I have a list and I recommend you use at least the first five.
First - make sure you have NOT installed "Rogue AntiSpyware". There are people out there who created AntiSpyware products that actually install spyware of their own! You need to avoid these:
Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm
Also, you can always visit this site.. http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm For more updated information.
Install several of these: (Install, Run, Update, Scan with..) (If you already have one or more - uninstall them and download the LATEST version from the page given!)
SuperAntiSpyware (Free and up) http://www.superantispyware.com/
Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2007 Free (Free and up) http://www.lavasoft.de/products/ad_aware_free.php (How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdn )
Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!) http://www.safer-networking.net/en/download/ (How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdk )
SpywareBlaster (Free!) http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html (How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate6 )
CWShredder Stand-Alone (Free!) http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/
Hijack This! (Free!) http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html (Log Analyzer: http://hjt.networktechs.com/ )
Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!) http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/ (How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate3 )
Ccleaner (Free!) http://www.ccleaner.com/ (I suggest the 'slim' version: http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds )
Browser Security Tests (Free Tester) http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/
Popup Tester (Free Tester) http://www.popuptest.com/
The Cleaner (~$49.95 and up) http://www.moosoft.com/
Sometimes you need to install the application and reboot into SAFE MODE in order to thoroughly clean your computer. Many applications also have (or are) immunization applications. Spybot Search and Destroy and SpywareBlaster are two that currently do the best job at passively protecting your system from malware. None of these programs (in these editions) run in the background unless you TELL them to. The space they take up and how easy they are to use greatly makes up for any inconvenience you may be feeling.
Please notice that Windows XP SP2 does help stop popups as well.
Another option is to use an alternative Web browser. I suggest 'Mozilla Firefox', as it has some great features and is very easy to use:
Mozilla Firefox http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/
This does not replace the need for the above applications and an occassional scan of your system - but it does help somewhat.
Also - Internet Explorer 7.x is much better with the security than 6.x was. If you have not gone to Internet Explorer 7.0 and you are having trouble with spyware/adware - consider going now. Cleanup with the tools above *first* however.
So your machine is pretty clean and up to date now. If you use the sections above as a guide, it should stay that way! There are still a few more things you can do to keep your machine running in top shape.
Tip (11): You should periodically check your hard drive(s) for errors and defragment them. Only defragment after you have cleaned up your machine of outside parasites and never defragment as a solution to a quirkiness in your system. It may help speed up your system, but it should be clean before you do this. Do these things IN ORDER...
How to use Disk Cleanup http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312
How to scan your disks for errors http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265
How to Defragment your hard drives http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848
I would personally perform the above steps at least once every three months. For most people this should be sufficient, but if the difference you notice afterwards is greater than you think it should be, lessen the time in between its schedule.. If the difference you notice is negligible, you can increase the time.
Tip (12): SPAM! JUNK MAIL! This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You get 50 emails in one sitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What can you do? Well, although there are services out there to help you, some email servers/services that actually do lower your spam with features built into their servers - I still like the methods that let you be the end-decision maker on what is spam and what is not. I have a few products to suggest to you, look at them and see if any of them suite your needs. Again, if they don't, Google is free and available for your perusal.
SpamBayes (Free!) http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/
Spamihilator (Free!) http://www.spamihilator.com/
MailWasher http://www.mailwasher.net/
Another option - utilze some service that already does a FINE JOB on eliminating the spam from your mailbox (plus a number of other benefits.)
Google Mail (gmail): http://www.gmail.com/ (Set it up for your email client of choice - using POP: http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=13273 )
Windows Live Hotmail (formerly just "Hotmail"): http://get.live.com/mail/options
There are many others. Email from anywhere with a computer, lots of space for your emails/attachments, free services and if you change ISPs - your email doesn't change!
As I said, those are not your only options, but are reliable ones I have seen function for hundreds+ people. Feel free to search for your own solutions!
Tip (13): ADVANCED TIP! Only do this once you are comfortable under the hood of your computer!
There are lots of services on your PC that are probably turned on by default you don't use. Why have them on? Check out these web pages to see what all of the services you might find on your computer are and set them according to your personal needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and take heed and write down as you change things! Also, don't expect a large performance increase or anything - especially on today's 2+ GHz machines, however - I look at each service you set to manual as one less service you have to worry about someone exploiting.
Service Configuration Tips http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/xptweaks/supertweaks6.htm
Configuring Services http://smallvoid.com/tweak/winnt/services.html
Task List Programs http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm
Processes in Windows NT/2000/XP http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/
There are also applications that AREN'T services that startup when you start up the computer/logon. One of the better description on how to handle these I have found here:
Startups http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php
If you follow the advice laid out above (and do some of your own research as well, so you understand what you are doing) - your computer will stay fairly stable and secure and you will have a more trouble-free system.
** You may notice SP3 is not in that list. The reason is simple - I haven't changed it to reflect SP3 yet. Nothing more - nothing less. ;-)
 Signature Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
AuthorCancerForTwo - 11 May 2008 04:57 GMT Gee... I'll have to take a week off to do all this :-)
Actually, I am not a novice although certainly not an expert either. I grew up on mainframes, before anyone could even spell "PC" so I know enough about the concepts to be dangerous.
I do thank you for this most interesting and informative post.
One thing that scares me about doing all of these things is my past experiences where doing something seemingly minor screws everything up so badly that I lose DAYS. Case in point - I was trying to fix a problem with Norton AV and followed their instructions which caused a new problem to emerge. The domino effect kicked in and eventually I had to re-install the operating system from scratch! It sucked up about 3 days of my time including the time spent before the re-install of the OS.
So, that and a few other experiences make me pretty gun-shy about making changes that are relatively minor.
I will go through the list and do as much as I can, but next week I have a huge presentation and need to get this damn jerky video fixed!
I have a gut feel that some system setting changed that is causing this, because it worked just fine for over a year and then suddenly changed. It seems to be a problem with Windows Media Player because it now is jerky on all types of videos, although it is not consistent or predictable.
Is there a setting to slow down the CPU? Is there a setting that would put, say, a codec in the paging file so that it has to retrieve it alot? Why would Media Player cause so much paging?
Thanks again!
Dave It works fine on my desktop.
> <snipped> > > WOW - that is one heckava post - thank you so much! [quoted text clipped - 291 lines] > When it was first released, Windows XP didn't have to deal with hard > disk drives of quite the bulk of today's drives. So, it may be a bit Daave - 11 May 2008 05:21 GMT >I use video in presentations and it is jerky when it plays. This >started [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > am I > still paging so much? I'll take a stab at it.
Perhaps the last time you installed your OS, you switched the OS install mode in your BIOS from the default Off setting to On. Although this makes it possible for systems with lots of RAM to have the installation complete without a hitch, it has the annoying side effect of limiting your system RAM to only 256 MB! That might explain the paging. If this is the problem, there is a very easy fix:
Go into the BIOS and simply revert to Off for the OS Install Mode.
More info (the page is for a PowerEdge, but it still may apply to your Latitude):
http://support.ap.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/pe1750/en/sm/setup.htm
I noticed also in another post that you are running Norton. Do yourself a favor and ditch it! Also, follow Shenan's rock-solid advice.
AuthorCancerForTwo - 11 May 2008 06:25 GMT Gee, Daave, you got me all excited because that setting seemed to explain my problem.
Unfortunately, I don't have that setting in my BIOS :-(
...and I DID trash Norton. I still have the problem, though, after I uninstalled it.
Thanks, though!
> >I use video in presentations and it is jerky when it plays. This > >started [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > I noticed also in another post that you are running Norton. Do yourself > a favor and ditch it! Also, follow Shenan's rock-solid advice. Daave - 11 May 2008 06:59 GMT >> >I use video in presentations and it is jerky when it plays. This >> >started [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] >> yourself >> a favor and ditch it! Also, follow Shenan's rock-solid advice.
> Gee, Daave, you got me all excited because that setting seemed to > explain my > problem. > > Unfortunately, I don't have that setting in my BIOS :-( Bummer!
> ...and I DID trash Norton. I still have the problem, though, after I > uninstalled it. What is your *current* page file setting? Is the video streaming by any chance?
AuthorCancerForTwo - 11 May 2008 16:01 GMT Thank you so much for your help on this!
The video is not streaming - it's on the hard drive. I've also tried it from a thumb drive but it didn't help.
With 2gb of ram, the page file was set automatically to 3gb +/-. I don't really have the disk space for that, so I changed it to 512mb since I doubt if I'm using even 1gb of the ram.
I also tried it specifying "No page file" - and that seemed to help, but the problem is so random that, frankly, I'm not sure I believe it!
Next I'm going to try a RAM drive - I figure I'm using very little of the 2gb ram, so I'll use 1gb of it for the paging file.
Also, this seems to be a problem with media player because my desktop shows a lot of paging during playback, but it doesn't cause a problem because the desktop is a much faster machine. I'm also going to post in the Windows Media forum to see if there is any known causes of this.
One theory I have is that it might be a codec problem, but I don't know enough about codec to even determine that! I have tried WMV files that I created using Movie Maker, WMV files that were converted by a conversion utility, and WMV files that I've downloaded and the problem is there for all of them.
> >> >I use video in presentations and it is jerky when it plays. This > >> >started [quoted text clipped - 58 lines] > What is your *current* page file setting? Is the video streaming by any > chance? Daave - 11 May 2008 16:14 GMT > With 2gb of ram, the page file was set automatically to 3gb +/-. I don't know what this means!
My system also has 2GB of RAM. By default, Windows sets the following values under Custom size:
Initial size: 2046 MB Maximum size: 4092 MB.
That's what you should have. Actually, almost everyone recommends that users just select "System managed size," so I would just try that if I were you.
*NEVER NEVER NEVER* select No paging file!!!!!
So try the above, reboot, and post back.
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