Lindsay said:
I've had an EeePC netbook with Win XP Home SP3 for just over 2
years. A long time ago, hibernate stopped working -- I was told to
do a system restore, but that never happened as I was then only
using it intermittently. Now that I'm using it more regularly,
hibernate still does not work and the computer is gradually but
inexorably slowing down, to the point that it is now very
frustrating to use.
Is System Restore likely to provide a solution? Why do I not seem
to have any System Restore points that are older than 3 months?
Lindsay Graham
Canberra, Australia
Having read the other responses and your responses to some of them - and
knowing what a System Restore Point will have in it - I can tell you that if
you need one that is 3+ months old - it's too late and you are better off
fixing the problem as opposed to trying to restore to that point. To me -
especially in XP - a few days restore should be more than enough. Anything
beyond that it is better to diagnose and reolve the issue in another manner.
Why - you might ask - do I feel this way?
System Restore is not a cure-all and it only backs up the *system* files.
Your files - the ones that most people actually care about and truly the
only ones that matter since the others should be reproducable on a multitude
of other systems over and over without a single backup - system restore
could care less about (although it can devestate those if stored in
particular areas as well.)
So - System Restore should be used sparingly - and after 3 months - so many
changes have probably been made (applications updated, system files (DLLs
and the likes) updated by Microsoft, registry entries for applications
installed, uninstalled, updated and such modified/removed/added that a
System Restore Point that old would likely cause more stuff to fail while
trying to fix a simple (and pointless in comparison usually) issue.
Personally - I don't recommend hibernation - particularly in XP - as my
tests generally have show that a total shutdown and later power-on is about
the same time taken as a full functional recovery (network connectivity and
all) from a hibernation. Many people would argue this point - and I guess
hibernation has its place if you need to leave work open - but I have always
found that idea pretty strange as well - considering saving is the agreed
upon better option. Now this is all my experience over many different
machines (hardware-wise) - and is *just* my opinion. I still - to this
day - do not turn hibernation on any machine I setup (generally I turn it
off completely.) Not green? Possibly - but I don't think so.
In any case - System Restore is made for those "oops" moments realized in a
short period of time. Anything past a short period of time should be done
with actual system backups, disk images, etc - not System Restore. IMHO.
If your problem is your hibernation - my suggestions are:
- update all your hardware device drivers (motherboard chipset, video
device(s), network device(s), audio device(s)) and your system BIOS to the
latest version from EACH corresponding device manufacturer (or if a
third-tier product like Dell, HP, Lenovo, Gateway, etc - from the
make/model/serial number web page for your particular system.)
- Cleanup the system with the following steps - based on where you posted -
exactly:
(Seem like a lot? It is - but your system will be cleaner and may act right
afterwards. Some of it basic maintenance would prevent the need for; some
of it *is* basic maintenance. Like changing the oil in a vehicle, taking
out the trash from your home, picking up your mail...)
Reboot and logon as administrative user.
Empty your recycle bin.
Download/install this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301
After installing, do the following:
Start button --> RUN --> type in:
"%ProgramFiles%\Windows Installer Clean Up\msizap.exe" g!
--> Click OK.
(The quotation marks and percentage signs and spacing should be exact.)
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
( Particularly of interest here - #4 )
( Alternative:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm )
You can run Disk Cleanup - built into Windows XP - to erase all but your
latest restore point and cleanup even more "loose files"...
(You don't *have* to do the first part right now - the restore point thing
- based on your posting, you may feel uncomfortable doing this -
although it is highly unlikely you would have the ones you seem to want
and everyone is telling you you are better off not using if you did
anyway...)
How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312
Clear out your Internet Explorer Temporary Internet Files (all of them,
cookies, caches, etc.) (Instructions depend on IE Version. Want them?
Come back and give that information. ;-) )
You should now perform a full CHKDSK on your system drive (C
...
How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265
* will take time and a reboot
You should now perform a full Defragment on your system drive (C
...
How to Defragment your hard drives
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848
* will take time
Uninstall any and all third-party firewall applications (ZoneAlarm, etc)
and utilize the built-in Windows Firewall only.
Reboot and logon as administrative user.
Download, install, run, update and perform a full scan with the following
(freeware version):
SuperAntiSpyware
http://www.superantispyware.com/
Reboot and logon as administrative user.
Download, install, run, update and perform a full scan with the following
(freeware version):
MalwareBytes
http://www.malwarebytes.com/
Reboot and logon as administrative user.
Download and run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx
Reboot and logon as administrative user.
Fix your file/registry permissions...
Ignore the title and follow the sub-section under "Advanced Troubleshooting"
titled, "Method 1: Reset the registry and the file permissions"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949377
*will take time
** Ignore the last step - you likely (hopefully) have SP3 already...
Reboot and logon as administrative user.
Download/Install the latest Windows Installer (for your OS):
( Windows XP 32-bit : WindowsXP-KB942288-v3-x86.exe )
http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/...6F-60B6-4412-95B9-54D056D6F9F4&displaylang=en
Reboot and logon as administrative user.
Download the latest version of the Windows Update agent from here (x86):
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=91237
.... and save it to the root of your C:\ drive. After saving it to the root
of the C:\ drive, do the following:
Close all Internet Explorer windows and other applications.
Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemDrive%\windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe /WUFORCE
--> Click OK.
(If asked, select "Run.) --> Click on NEXT --> Select "I agree" and click on
NEXT --> When it finishes installing, click on "Finish"...
Reboot and logon as administrative user.
Visit this web page:
How do I reset Windows Update components?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058
.... and click on the "Microsoft Fix it" icon. When asked, select "RUN",
both times. Check the "I agree" box and click on "Next". Check the box
for "Run aggressive options (not recommended)" and click "Next". Let
it finish up and follow the prompts until it is done. Close/exit.
Reboot and logon as administrative user.
Visit
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and select to do a
CUSTOM scan...
Every time you are about to click on something while at these web pages -
first press and hold down the CTRL key while you click on it. You can
release the CTRL key after clicking each time.
Once the scan is done, select just _ONE_ of the high priority updates
(deselect any others) and install it.
Reboot and logon as administrative user.
If it did work - try the web page again - selecting no more than 3-5 at a
time. Rebooting as needed.
The Optional Software updates are generally safe - although I recommend
against the "Windows Search" one and any of the "Office Live" ones or
"Windows Live" ones for now. I would completely avoid the
Optional Hardware updates. Also - I do not see any urgent need to install
Internet Explorer 8 at this time. (If you already have it - so be it...)
Come back - especially if you get stuck someplace, but even if you don't -
and let everyone know how it turns out.
