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My PC is dying...

yegosimo

yegosimo

Bug Killer
Guys, I need serious help.
My dad bought me this computer in Jan 04. (2 and a half years old now). I was really excited about it because my last system was a total crap (P3 800Mhz, 64 RAM, 10Gbs...)
2 months after it was bought, I had my first problem with this PC. Then I had to format the drive, supposing that it would be alright later. This kept going on and on... I have formatted this PC like 15 times or more.
I am really dissapointed because every time I "fix" it formatting, it gets slower. Now it takes about 4 minutes to start, and other 4 minutes to turn off, when a computer exactly the same as mine (My dad's-"Handmade" system) takes about 30 seconds to do so.
I was going to buy a graphics card (Because I have an integrated crap one), I ad to check if I had an AGP port. It didn't have any, so the computer guy told me that I had to change the whole motherboard, then the processor...
The whole thing was about $290, kind of cheap, but I couldn't afford that. I just had the $92 that the video card costed.
If I had done it, then I would have changed EVEN the case because it isn't big enough for carrying a normal motherboard (Compaq bastards!!), so I would have practically changed the whole computer.
Now, I have 2 OSs in it: XP on C: and 2003 Server on D:
The 2003 partition works really good. Runs quickly, not buggy, but the bad thing is that since it's a server OS then you cannot make user accounts, and I don't want my stuff to be mixed with my dad's.
The XP partition is working terrible, even though i formatted the drive about 3 weeks ago. It behaves like if the hard drive wouldn't have been formatted in about 5 years.
I'm really sick of this, on next year I'll probably get money to buy another computer, and I know that the computer won't be Compaq, or Dell.
But what if I don't get the money? What can I do with this system? How can I make it behave like it did before? Do I install another OS? When I play FIFA 06, the computer gets stuck and I have to restart! Can't play NFS:Most Wanted, not even in my dreams...
What do I do? This night I'll have the Disk Defragmenter running...
 
G

gokuss4

Meh...
Maybe you could get another hard drive for the XP partition? Or.. did you do a FULL reformat? Do the slow format, not the quick. Also, Compaqs suck ass. Probably the worst.... no wait.. emachines are the worst premade computers, but yeah. I'd just get a custom computer since it's much more upgradeable and you always know exactly what you're getting.
 
t0rek

t0rek

Wilson's Friend
Check your HDD for a bad sector scan. Seagate Seatools desktops is very good for that, is free, and it works with every HDD, no matter if it is seagate or not. You cand download it and Seagate site

Also your RAM might be casuing problems, check it using Memtest86, google for it, it will be the first result.

Also you are maybe installing too many crap that is loading into RAM, that makes your computer slow, for example there are a lot of useless aplications that loads into your system tray and suck RAM, use only the ones you really need.

Don't forget to periodically defag your system, every week if you can, for that matter you could use Diskeeper since Windows XP default defrag tool sucks (btw I think Vista's defrag tool is based on diskeeper software so it should be good)

Also you should use a good antivirus, and get rid of crap using Crap Cleaner (CCleaner), and Spybot Search and Destroy

For playing graphic demanding games like Most Wanted (yeah I know there are more demanding games) I am sorry but with your integrated stuff, that is a reality for you. Your videocard is worst that a Geforce 400MX IMO
 
Doomulation

Doomulation

?????????????????????????
Full Format is almost always stupid...
All it does it do a bad sector scan and format. Huge waste of time. Though I'd point that out. You should do a bad sector scan and if maybe purchase a new HDD.
 
G

gokuss4

Meh...
Doomulation said:
Full Format is almost always stupid...
All it does it do a bad sector scan and format. Huge waste of time. Though I'd point that out. You should do a bad sector scan and if maybe purchase a new HDD.
Click to expand...

Full format also gets rid of files that were deleted in the past, so they can't be recovered later, and makes it so the bad sectors in your drive won't be in use later on... The latter probably being the better part of a full reformat for him.
 
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Doomulation

Doomulation

?????????????????????????
It doesn't remove files deleted in the past. They're still recoverable even if you did full format. And besides, why would you do such a thing? They don't take up space at all.
And bad sector marking can also be done by a disk checker, eg chkdsk or scandisk.
 
SlimickGamer

SlimickGamer

Stoic
Yeah I think you just need to do some computer maintenance like doing scandisk or maybe clean up your registry files or you could just delete everything and install the OS again? I don't know but I think reformatting is stupid though..
 
t0rek

t0rek

Wilson's Friend
Doomulation said:
It doesn't remove files deleted in the past. They're still recoverable even if you did full format. And besides, why would you do such a thing? They don't take up space at all.
And bad sector marking can also be done by a disk checker, eg chkdsk or scandisk.
Click to expand...

Indeed, a full format doesn't phisically erase the files. You need something that find bad sectors and mark them as bad (so they will never be used again) in case the HDD is bad. Seagate Seatools Desktop do that easiyly but there's also a bunch of options. Other programs wipe out your entire HDD doing that (including the partition data), but they also fix the bad sectors as well.
 
OP
yegosimo

yegosimo

Bug Killer
Right now I booted on Memtest-86, and it has been "testing" i don't know what for 3 hours and a half... I'm just wondering... Will it actually finish?
[I'm on my dad's right now].
Then I plan to get Diskeeper, and I have defragmented the C: drive twice, until no red lines appear on the map that the Windows Default Defrag thing shows.
 
t0rek

t0rek

Wilson's Friend
LOL, memtest86 nevers end testing, it actually ends when you decide to stop it, seriously
 
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OP
yegosimo

yegosimo

Bug Killer
Yeah... I've just found out lol, but I heard that the program should be left at least some 12 hours working, and this is the progress by now:
[The thing started at 16:55 and I plan to finish it tomorrow at 06:30am = 13 Hours, 35 Min, I think that should be enough]

Also, I have 2 memory sticks (256+256). Does it have anything to do? I would give you the specs of them but I can't boot into Windows right now...
 
t0rek

t0rek

Wilson's Friend
It has nothing to do, some people claim that 12 hours are necesary to ensure that there are no errors, some people say that more time is needed, as for me, one hour is enought, you don't have to be so obsesive IMO, I don't know what other people here think, maybe I am wrong. I forgot to tell you that memtest test all your memory sticks and doesn't matter what kind of RAM is (at least for normal PCs I guess)
 
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rcgamer

rcgamer

the old guy
yegosimo, first, why would you have to buy a new processor if you bought a new mobo? just buy a mobo that is compatible with the one you have now. im positive you could find one for $50 or less. do the scandisk and check to correct right click the drive in my computer and click tools then check now under error checking, make sure to check both the boxes and have it start when you restart. after this defrag, check for virus's, use a registry checker and spyware checker. also check to make sure you dont have a lot of unnecesary processes going.

to whoever said emachines was the worst. your just wrong. emachines are nice little machines that dont overbloat your xp with useless crap. they also usually give you enough pci slots and an agp/pci express slot so that you can upgrade without going through a bunch of hassle. they are also less expensive. although nothing beats putting your own pc together.
 
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OP
yegosimo

yegosimo

Bug Killer
rcgamer said:
check for virus's, use a registry checker and spyware checker. also check to make sure you dont have a lot of unnecesary processes going
Click to expand...

I don't think that it is something software-related, like a virus or spyware or registry errors because they would have dissapeared if I format the drive... wouldn't they?
I think it is something hardware-related. After defragging twice I don't see any changes (using Windows's), I will leave this thing with Diskeeper in a few minutes... see what happens
 
t0rek

t0rek

Wilson's Friend
Did you checkec your hard disk using the proggie Seagate Seatools Desktop I told you? It will work even if your HDD is not seagate
 
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