Computer Help?

**Cymaster** · 04-13-2007, 06:59 PM

Alright. I have a laptop that is three years old. Lately I've been having some problems that are really ******* me off. It's been starting up really slowly. I have edited the startup programs so that just the necessary things are opening upon startup, but that doesn't see to help much.

Sometimes I'll try to open programs (firefox, or even disk cleanup), and they will take MINUTES to open.

In the past couple of days, I've been working on some group projects that have involved powerpoint. When I try to open a powerpoint that has been emailed to me, the powerpoint is downloaded, but when it tries to open an error comes up saying the file path is invalid. When I try to email a powerpoint, the email will just timeout (ISU webmail). If I try it on another computer, it works fine.

The past week or so I have gone to shut down my computer, and it has said that there are updates that will be installed before my computer shuts down. Thats all good and well once in a while, but every time for a week? Sometimes it is just one update, sometimes two. Either way, the update takes much longer than usual, and the fan runs on full blast during this time.

I've run the McAfee virus scan (from the University and with updates) and it hasn't come up with anything.

When running my defrag, I have noticed I have lost 7% free space in the last month or so.

At the moment, my is running as fast as it has in a while, but the pull down menu for visited websites in Firefox does not pull down. It will, however, pull down for Explorer.

Another thing that I never paid much attention to before is that my fan seems to be kicking in a lot more often, and seems to be kicking out a lot less air than it used to. Like I said, though, it might just be my imagination due to the problems I've been having. Could this be a source of my lack of performance?

Sorry for the long post, and thanks for any help...

**brianhos** · 04-13-2007, 07:14 PM

Re-install windows. If this is a 3 year old box with the original OS, you will have a heck of a time trying to get it working again. It is probably just all kinds of screwed up dlls.

**Cyberclone** · 04-13-2007, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by Cymaster

Alright. I have a laptop that is three years old. Lately I've been having some problems that are really ******* me off. It's been starting up really slowly. I have edited the startup programs so that just the necessary things are opening upon startup, but that doesn't see to help much.

Sometimes I'll try to open programs (firefox, or even disk cleanup), and they will take MINUTES to open.

In the past couple of days, I've been working on some group projects that have involved powerpoint. When I try to open a powerpoint that has been emailed to me, the powerpoint is downloaded, but when it tries to open an error comes up saying the file path is invalid. When I try to email a powerpoint, the email will just timeout (ISU webmail). If I try it on another computer, it works fine.

The past week or so I have gone to shut down my computer, and it has said that there are updates that will be installed before my computer shuts down. Thats all good and well once in a while, but every time for a week? Sometimes it is just one update, sometimes two. Either way, the update takes much longer than usual, and the fan runs on full blast during this time.

I've run the McAfee virus scan (from the University and with updates) and it hasn't come up with anything.

When running my defrag, I have noticed I have lost 7% free space in the last month or so.

At the moment, my is running as fast as it has in a while, but the pull down menu for visited websites in Firefox does not pull down. It will, however, pull down for Explorer.

Another thing that I never paid much attention to before is that my fan seems to be kicking in a lot more often, and seems to be kicking out a lot less air than it used to. Like I said, though, it might just be my imagination due to the problems I've been having. Could this be a source of my lack of performance?

Sorry for the long post, and thanks for any help...

Being a guy that does support for more than 200 notebooks where I work, sounds to me like an early sign of hard drive problems. I would do a hard drive diagnostic, and if it checks out ok, You might want to consider, saving down your important files, and reformatting and doing a clean install of windows. In the long run, believe it or not, you will save time.

**clonesalltheway** · 04-13-2007, 07:26 PM

How do you do a hard drive diagnostic?

**Angie** · 04-13-2007, 07:29 PM

Start by doing a Start - Run - chkdsk.

After that, you may want to try some online diagnostics. ARTICLE WITH LINKS

**Cyberclone** · 04-13-2007, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by clonesalltheway

How do you do a hard drive diagnostic?

Do you still have the Cds' that came with your computer, what brand is it?

**Cymaster** · 04-13-2007, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by Cyberclone

Do you still have the Cds' that came with your computer, what brand is it?

Well, I've got an acer TravelMate 2000 computer. I've found the recover CD's that came with the computer. I have thought of reformatting. The kicker is that I've got a couple of programs that I'd like to keep, but came on DVD's. Not a problem, right?

Well, this past summer my DVD ROM quit working on me, although the CD ROM still reads (at least for audio CDs). Our normal computer guy tried to order me a new one, but the company said it didn't exist (with the given serial number he gave them). He double checked the number, said he sent them the right number, and the last thing I knew he was going to send them a picture of the serial plate to prove it. That is the last I heard, because since then he has become seriously ill with a rare blood disease.

From the sounds if it I may need to find myself a new computer guy if I want to get this problem fixed, eh?

**ISUFan22** · 04-13-2007, 08:02 PM

I agree with Brian. Backup the files you need and completely restore the PC.

Did this recently to our older PC and it helped a ton. The only problem I'm having now is getting the network card to work - won't recognize itself or something.

**Cyberclone** · 04-13-2007, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by Cymaster

Well, I've got an acer TravelMate 2000 computer. I've found the recover CD's that came with the computer. I have thought of reformatting. The kicker is that I've got a couple of programs that I'd like to keep, but came on DVD's. Not a problem, right?

Well, this past summer my DVD ROM quit working on me, although the CD ROM still reads (at least for audio CDs). Our normal computer guy tried to order me a new one, but the company said it didn't exist (with the given serial number he gave them). He double checked the number, said he sent them the right number, and the last thing I knew he was going to send them a picture of the serial plate to prove it. That is the last I heard, because since then he has become seriously ill with a rare blood disease.

From the sounds if it I may need to find myself a new computer guy if I want to get this problem fixed, eh?

If you have the recover Cds it shouldn't be difficult, however, if you haven't done it before, and the instructions aren't clear, you might want to find someone who has done a recovery. I am not familiar with what an Acer recovery consists of. You will need a copy of the OS, and copies of the drivers to reinstall. Any programs you have on CD can be reinstalled after the recovery.

**Cyberclone** · 04-13-2007, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by Cymaster

Well, I've got an acer TravelMate 2000 computer. I've found the recover CD's that came with the computer. I have thought of reformatting. The kicker is that I've got a couple of programs that I'd like to keep, but came on DVD's. Not a problem, right?

Well, this past summer my DVD ROM quit working on me, although the CD ROM still reads (at least for audio CDs). Our normal computer guy tried to order me a new one, but the company said it didn't exist (with the given serial number he gave them). He double checked the number, said he sent them the right number, and the last thing I knew he was going to send them a picture of the serial plate to prove it. That is the last I heard, because since then he has become seriously ill with a rare blood disease.

From the sounds if it I may need to find myself a new computer guy if I want to get this problem fixed, eh?

I found this at the Acer website for the Travelmate 2000

http://www.acerpanam.com/synapse/dat...Management.pdf

take a look and see if this document seems to fit with your machine.

**dmclone** · 04-14-2007, 09:42 PM

Wouldn't hurt to try and do a system restore back a few months. I've seen this help a few people.

**HandSanitizer** · 04-14-2007, 09:58 PM

You might need to put all your stuff on a nice big Flash Drive if you don't want to get the DVD fixed. I prefer doing that anyway (unless you want to watch an actual DVD)
So anyway..
1. Backup your stuff (My documents where most things like Itunes, pictures are located, then Favorites, Any Data like quicken, blah blah you know the drill). Wouldn't hurt to get some drivers also.
2. Blow away your Laptop using your restore disk.
3. Update windows, drivers if needed and reintall programs you need from jump drive.

If that doesn't work then you could be looking at a bad hard drive. My advice on replacing a bad hard drive is do not get it from the dealer or some box store. Shop around online and you will get it half price.

Or you could get and IBM\Lenovo X60 Tablet and let the Acer go. Your probably not interested in spending a bunch of cash if your acer is only 3 years old though.
Find some IT guy that will help you out.