J
jlk
I have been monitoring through Task Manager the Physical
Memory in my computer (a Dell Ispiron laptop) since I
started having some slowdown in performance after
downloading a number of recent Critical Updates from the
Update Site. I don't know that the Updates have anything
to do with the slowdown and the lessening of available
Physical Memory on starting up my computer, or in
restarting it, is the problem here, or even if the Memory
is the issue at all. But I thought I'd better ask.
About two weeks ago I began to notice problems after
turning on my computer when clicking the icons on my
desktop and bringing the programs up. I never had this
problem before. The desktop just sat there, nothing
happened. I'd have to restart my computer a number of
times before I could get anything to come up when I
doubleclicked an icon. After posting here and other
newsgroups and not getting anywhere, and the problem
continuing, I went to Task Manager and began watching what
was going on with my Physical Memory.
Before downloading and installing the critical updates,
when I would start up my computer, Norton System Doctor,
which I had loading at startup, would always indicate that
I had about 28 or 29 MB of Physical Memory. Now, after the
installation of the critical updates, the physical memory
at start up is as low as 3MB, and usually hovers between
that number and 8MB.
Task manager indicates there are 29 processes running at
start up. I know I can probably shut some of these down
and want a tech to shut down the ones I don't absolutely
need. I may, by the information in this post, seem to know
something about computers and the way they work, but I
don't. So don't let the overabundance of information here
or my using the lingo fool you. I am definitely not
computer savvy. I just struggled to learn from reading the
newsgroups after having this start up problem after
installing the critical updates.
Now I have shut down at start up Norton System Doctor as
well as the Automatic Update feature, which I never used
anyway. The small amount of physical memory at start up
still continues. It was great that I figured out how to
shut those two things down, and it was better in principal
that they're off at start up, but it still doesn't help my
Physical Memory problem at start up.
The odd thing is that when, after starting the computer, I
run Norton One Button Check on the system to see if
everything's in shape, the task manager shows the Physical
Memory increases..to about 9mb. This seems
counterintuitive to me. After running Norton Windoctor the
Physical Memory jumps to 11 or 12 MB. When I finish my
Norton checkups, the memory will go as high as 24 mb, then
fall off as I start up AOL, which I always minimize, and
surf the web using Internet Explorer.
After surfing the net a while my Physical Memory will run
as high as 30 MB; and if I leave my computer on for a few
days, as I just did to test this issue, the Physical
Memory will go as high as 67 MB. When I shut the computer
off, and start it up again, or if I restart the computer,
the memory issue that I've described above repeats itself.
I know I should have 256MB of physical memory in this
computer instead of the current 128, and I plan to fix
that soon. But since I wasn't having a problem at start up
with the current 128, I was wondering if these critical
updates, which I'll list below, might have anything to do
with this physical memory problem at start up. I'll list
the critical updates that preceeded this problem below, as
well as all the system information that I believe might be
needed to suggest an answer or a guess.
A few more points that may or may not be important: With
the exception of starting up some programs at which point
my CPU usage spikes to 80 percent, it otherwise hovers
consistently at around 3 or 4 percent. And I am very good
at deleting my cookies, offline files, and cache build up.
I do this from Norton, and during the course of a day will
do it often from IE Internet Options. I always clear the
history as well, and keep my clock set accurately. I've
learned these things are good things to do from posts
here. I would appreciate any sense of what may be going on
here, if anything, if these updates aren't the issue.
Since nothing else changed BUT these updates before I
began having this problem, it's only natural and logical
that I ask about them being the culprit.
The six critical updates downloaded and installed on
August 15th, before this problem began are:
818529 (for IE SP1)
819696
823559
823980
817606
822679
Within a few days of installing those six critical updates
the start up memory weirdness began. But just to be
complete about this download information, on June 1 I
downloaded and installed critcal update 815021, and in May
installed 814033 and 810833.
Could any of these installs have to do with my memory
problem? If not, any ideas what the sudden change in
physical memory at start up might be caused by? And any
thoughts on the increasing size of physical memory, as I
wrote above, when I leave my computer on for a day or two?
I haven't installed any updates since August 15 because
I'm worried that the performance may be hampered even
more, if it is an update problem.
Any help, suggestions, etc. will be greatly appreciated.
And please, if you do respond, remember that I'm not a
tech, so the simpler said the better for me. Thank you so
much.
Here is my system information, running on a dell ispiron
laptop--
OS:WINDOWS 2000 PROFESSIONAL, 5.00.2195, SERVICE PACK 3
IE 6 SP1 (with critical download Q818529 attached to it)
And information from right clicking on My Computer and
going to the System Tab and other Tabs there:
FROM SYSTEM TAB:
PROCESSOR: GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 8748
Math support: PresentBios: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1
Bus Type: PCI, ISA, USB
Memory: 127 MB (66% Utilized)
Floppy Disks: 1.44 MB
Hard Disks: 18.63 GB
Multimedia: Sound, CD-ROM
Video: 1028 x 768 in 64K Colors, NVIDIA G
Operating System
Windows: 5.0 (Build 2195)
Net Clients: Microsoft Windows Network
FROM MEMORY TAB
Under WINDOWS MEMORY USAGE on left side of card
Total Physical Memory: 128 MB
Total Windows Memory: 541 MB
Free: 431 MB
Used: 110 MB
Selection: 0
FROM DRIVE TAB
Disk Usage
Free: 14.35 GB
Used: 4.27 GB
Selection: 0 bytes
0 bytes Allocated, 0% Slack
Hope to hear some responses, ideas. Thank you again.
Memory in my computer (a Dell Ispiron laptop) since I
started having some slowdown in performance after
downloading a number of recent Critical Updates from the
Update Site. I don't know that the Updates have anything
to do with the slowdown and the lessening of available
Physical Memory on starting up my computer, or in
restarting it, is the problem here, or even if the Memory
is the issue at all. But I thought I'd better ask.
About two weeks ago I began to notice problems after
turning on my computer when clicking the icons on my
desktop and bringing the programs up. I never had this
problem before. The desktop just sat there, nothing
happened. I'd have to restart my computer a number of
times before I could get anything to come up when I
doubleclicked an icon. After posting here and other
newsgroups and not getting anywhere, and the problem
continuing, I went to Task Manager and began watching what
was going on with my Physical Memory.
Before downloading and installing the critical updates,
when I would start up my computer, Norton System Doctor,
which I had loading at startup, would always indicate that
I had about 28 or 29 MB of Physical Memory. Now, after the
installation of the critical updates, the physical memory
at start up is as low as 3MB, and usually hovers between
that number and 8MB.
Task manager indicates there are 29 processes running at
start up. I know I can probably shut some of these down
and want a tech to shut down the ones I don't absolutely
need. I may, by the information in this post, seem to know
something about computers and the way they work, but I
don't. So don't let the overabundance of information here
or my using the lingo fool you. I am definitely not
computer savvy. I just struggled to learn from reading the
newsgroups after having this start up problem after
installing the critical updates.
Now I have shut down at start up Norton System Doctor as
well as the Automatic Update feature, which I never used
anyway. The small amount of physical memory at start up
still continues. It was great that I figured out how to
shut those two things down, and it was better in principal
that they're off at start up, but it still doesn't help my
Physical Memory problem at start up.
The odd thing is that when, after starting the computer, I
run Norton One Button Check on the system to see if
everything's in shape, the task manager shows the Physical
Memory increases..to about 9mb. This seems
counterintuitive to me. After running Norton Windoctor the
Physical Memory jumps to 11 or 12 MB. When I finish my
Norton checkups, the memory will go as high as 24 mb, then
fall off as I start up AOL, which I always minimize, and
surf the web using Internet Explorer.
After surfing the net a while my Physical Memory will run
as high as 30 MB; and if I leave my computer on for a few
days, as I just did to test this issue, the Physical
Memory will go as high as 67 MB. When I shut the computer
off, and start it up again, or if I restart the computer,
the memory issue that I've described above repeats itself.
I know I should have 256MB of physical memory in this
computer instead of the current 128, and I plan to fix
that soon. But since I wasn't having a problem at start up
with the current 128, I was wondering if these critical
updates, which I'll list below, might have anything to do
with this physical memory problem at start up. I'll list
the critical updates that preceeded this problem below, as
well as all the system information that I believe might be
needed to suggest an answer or a guess.
A few more points that may or may not be important: With
the exception of starting up some programs at which point
my CPU usage spikes to 80 percent, it otherwise hovers
consistently at around 3 or 4 percent. And I am very good
at deleting my cookies, offline files, and cache build up.
I do this from Norton, and during the course of a day will
do it often from IE Internet Options. I always clear the
history as well, and keep my clock set accurately. I've
learned these things are good things to do from posts
here. I would appreciate any sense of what may be going on
here, if anything, if these updates aren't the issue.
Since nothing else changed BUT these updates before I
began having this problem, it's only natural and logical
that I ask about them being the culprit.
The six critical updates downloaded and installed on
August 15th, before this problem began are:
818529 (for IE SP1)
819696
823559
823980
817606
822679
Within a few days of installing those six critical updates
the start up memory weirdness began. But just to be
complete about this download information, on June 1 I
downloaded and installed critcal update 815021, and in May
installed 814033 and 810833.
Could any of these installs have to do with my memory
problem? If not, any ideas what the sudden change in
physical memory at start up might be caused by? And any
thoughts on the increasing size of physical memory, as I
wrote above, when I leave my computer on for a day or two?
I haven't installed any updates since August 15 because
I'm worried that the performance may be hampered even
more, if it is an update problem.
Any help, suggestions, etc. will be greatly appreciated.
And please, if you do respond, remember that I'm not a
tech, so the simpler said the better for me. Thank you so
much.
Here is my system information, running on a dell ispiron
laptop--
OS:WINDOWS 2000 PROFESSIONAL, 5.00.2195, SERVICE PACK 3
IE 6 SP1 (with critical download Q818529 attached to it)
And information from right clicking on My Computer and
going to the System Tab and other Tabs there:
FROM SYSTEM TAB:
PROCESSOR: GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 8748
Math support: PresentBios: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1
Bus Type: PCI, ISA, USB
Memory: 127 MB (66% Utilized)
Floppy Disks: 1.44 MB
Hard Disks: 18.63 GB
Multimedia: Sound, CD-ROM
Video: 1028 x 768 in 64K Colors, NVIDIA G
Operating System
Windows: 5.0 (Build 2195)
Net Clients: Microsoft Windows Network
FROM MEMORY TAB
Under WINDOWS MEMORY USAGE on left side of card
Total Physical Memory: 128 MB
Total Windows Memory: 541 MB
Free: 431 MB
Used: 110 MB
Selection: 0
FROM DRIVE TAB
Disk Usage
Free: 14.35 GB
Used: 4.27 GB
Selection: 0 bytes
0 bytes Allocated, 0% Slack
Hope to hear some responses, ideas. Thank you again.