Correct me if I am wrong about Windows XP slowing down

[+Warwagon MVC]

One thing that can slow down a perfectly fine machine is if the hard drive decided to switch over from DMA down to PIO. To check this go into the device manager under IDE controllers. Then open the primary IDE controller. I think its the 3rd tab. Check to see what its running as. If it says PIO The fix is usually to delete the primary IDE controller and then reboot. The hard drive should be re detected and set correctly. Then reboot 1 more time and everything should be running normal.

[CrispCreations]

How does registry entries pointing to D:\ disappear if you just restore an image that has registry entries pointing to D:\ ? :|

In a case where you have already installed some programs on C:\, just use junction to point to another partition.

How it helps?

How big is your C:\ partition if you have your programs there? Probably quite big.

How big it is if it only has Windows? Shitloads smaller.

Why would I make unnecessarily large image? I can't think any reason.

Ah, I see! So you do just like to do image after image when you install/uninstall things, or do you just restore an old image and not worry about stuff you've installed/uninstalled since that image was taken? In which case, you will have stray entries in your registry anyway, which sorta defeats the object of your excercise doesn't it?

As for my Sys partition current size ~40GB, actually used by program files and windows ~6GB (on the system I'm sitting at, my server runs to ~4GB for prog files & win). As I have 4 systems, which round-robin backup to each others drives over the network I never worry about the size of the Windows installs personally, it's not an issue. Besides which, I seem to recall I don't suffer from mythical Windows rot, so my set-up and operation isn't really an issue, but seein as you asked.

[Richardarkless]

What I do to prevent windows rot is install portable versions of my programs I use so it doesnt clog up things

[theyarecomingforyou]

I tend to keep a Windows install for around 6-9 months before formatting or restoring to a backup image. Often this is because of hardware upgrades but it's also to clean out the mess left by countless programs I've installed / uninstalled. I don't do this as some sort of compulsive thing but when I notice my computer is running slower, which does happen (even on Vista64) - when I reinstall I then only put on the programs I definitely use, rather than trying to figure out the ones I don't (it sounds like the same thing but it's not). It wouldn't be so much of an issue if everytime a program was uninstalled it actually removed all traces of it and if installers didn't also install lots of other programs. My last install was a special case as about a couple of months ago a power cut corrupted my primary install - each time I booted up virtually every program would crash on launch.

Windows rot isn't as much of a problem as it was with Win9x / XP but sometimes it's simply less hassle reinstalling / restoring Windows than trying to isolate which of the many installed applications is causing problems. Installers still seem to have far too little accountability and users have little control over what they dump onto your system.

[+BudMan MVC]

I've seen cases when software refuses to install because of that crap left in the registry.

Like what exactly -- keys left from when the software was installed last time?? That has nothing to do windows slowing down.. Some software not installing has nothing to do with what the OP was asking about, ie windows rot.

Clearing software keys is something I am sure everyone that admins machines and software has done -- this is not the same thing as clicking go on some regclearner software -- and not having a clue to what is being deleted.

[themousepad]

Everyone here is so concerned about spyware/adware services/process and programs...and rightfully so ... but to throw a wrench in the build or for a different look on the subject... I have seen harddrives, appear good but have a very slow transfer rate. I have also seen motherboards with bad ide controllers and again result in a VERY slow transfer rate that can be undetected by the typical hardware testing software

.

I see 37 processes running which are not a ton but ... I typically like to see 20-25 processes. I also do not see a tremendous amount of processing power being used. Only 25% I cannot see the amount or memory being used as the page file. It probably has little to do with the slow down but it should be looked at just the same...

You can also ... if you havent done so as of yet... go check event viewer see if there are any system or application errors.... disk errors may show up there if there is an error... I havent seen that listed in the troubleshooting recommendations already posted.

If all else fails. try to find a copy of ultra x diagnostics programs or a computer repair shop that has a copy and uses it to test computers. This will verify hardware issues or non-issues.

It is probably software related just as everyone suspects but I guess the bottom line is.... it could be either hardware or software.

Thanks for letting me throw that wrench....

Edited July 6, 2008 by themousepad