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Resolved Question

Significant Lag on Brand New Computer

Jul 29, 2011 4:57PM PDT

Hello CNET Community Members!

Discussion is locked

mister_winter has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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Back to the tech.
Jul 30, 2011 1:46AM PDT

Sorry but it all sounds like drivers and more.

But here's the rub. You took what might have been an OK machine and told the tech to do this and that.

You are now the designer of one or two machines. The post is full of details but so much I can't find what machine you ended up with.

Back to the tech and have them fix it.
Bob

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System Specs
Jul 30, 2011 11:21AM PDT

Thank you for the reply. To be clear, the system specs are as follows:

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I can't see why from here.
Jul 30, 2011 3:27PM PDT

It could be as simple as some USB thing plugged in to as nasty as malware.

But a new machine will be laggy for a week as Windows updates, indexes and more.

It's a shame it's like that.

In parting, it is just an i3 CPU so expectations might be very high but imagine the poor fellow who thought how cool it would be to use some HDTV as a display. SURPRISE is the understatement as the display was the cause of the laggy feelings. (Hint? We had to find it's GAME MODE.)
Bob

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Wags
Jul 31, 2011 2:35AM PDT

Your problem covers a big area.

Maybe.
Start>rc computer>properties.
Cpu and ram look ok?

Run a pass of W.E.I.
Any area got some very low numbers?

Use "msconfig"......turn off the startup group.
Anything change?

"No additional security software"
What have you done in this area?
I hope you have not been floating around the web sans firewall and anti products.

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Security
Jul 31, 2011 9:53PM PDT

I have ESET Nod 32 Antivirus installed (and have since Day 1). And I believe that Windows Defender takes care of the firewall aspect, does it not?

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Security
Jul 31, 2011 11:48PM PDT

I have ESET Nod 32 Antivirus installed (and have since Day 1). And I
believe that Windows Defender takes care of the firewall aspect, does it
not?............No......different animal.

RC>>>>>>>right click.
WEI>>>>>windows experience index......a built in basic benchmark tool.

I have no idea what features nod 32 comes with....so.
Start>control panel>action center>security.
You only want to see one entry under each of these.

Firewall.
AV.
Spyware.

If there is more than one entry that might be a problem.

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Very interesting... and helpful
Aug 1, 2011 12:33AM PDT

Ok, that is very interesting about the Security. I am, in fact, seeing both ESET NOD32 AND Windows Defender providing "spyware and unwanted software protection."

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Real time scanners
Aug 1, 2011 1:28AM PDT

So I will try to disable the spyware protection provided by either
Windows Defender or Nod32. Do you have a recommendation as to which?

Turn off win def real time.
Start>control panel>windows defender>tools> options>real-time protection.
Untick use real time-protection.

You can still use win def as an on-demand scanner.....meaning you can fire it up and let it scan when you want......it just won't be scanning in the background and maybe having a fight with nod32.

Network Access Protection
This seems to be a corporate/business feature.
I'll let you run that through Google to try and make sense of it.
I also have it turned off.

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Right or wrong.
Aug 1, 2011 1:37AM PDT

The malware writers seem to test against "the names." Microsoft, Norton and McAfee are the names.

Some get uppity about this but after years of seeing too much going on it remains the #1 reason why you can get great protection from other than the top names.

Hope this makes sense to you.
Bob

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Thank you...
Aug 1, 2011 2:23AM PDT

Thanks very much for your replies. I've turned off real-time protection in Windows Defender and I will report back in a day or two as to whether it resolves the issue or if I'm still experiencing lag.

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The Names
Aug 1, 2011 2:42AM PDT

Yeah, I think you are probably right about MS, Norton and McAfee.

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NOD32
Aug 1, 2011 2:48AM PDT

That company, so far knows what folk seek them out for and have avoided too much glitz and bloat.

Let's hope they keep doing that since that's what makes them unique.
Bob

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Resolved... I think
Aug 2, 2011 10:45PM PDT

Well, at the risk of counting my chickens before they've hatched, I do think that the fix you recommended (turning off Windows Defender real-time protection) seems to be doing the trick. I've used Photoshop pretty extensively the last two days and have not noticed ANY of the lag that was causing problems earlier.

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Just a tip.
Aug 3, 2011 1:20AM PDT

Watch out for ANY OVERLAP in protection software. Time and time again when you have overlap you find something odd or slow happening.
Bob

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Not Resolved, I Guess
Aug 4, 2011 12:35AM PDT

Well, it seems that the issue is not resolved, after all. After a couple of days of good performance, the computer went right back to being "laggy" yesterday. I did check to make sure that the AV/SW settings hadn't reverted back and they are still as I changed them the other day. So it seems like I need to investigate other possibilities at this point. Any advice on what the next step should be? I'll go back and re-read your earlier posts as I think you outlined a few other troubleshooting steps I should be taking.

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Answer
Tools I use.
Aug 4, 2011 3:06AM PDT

1. AUTORUNS.
2. HIJACKTHIS.
3. The history.

The first 2 items we find with google and then we examine every item and learn what each does. If we are confident then we toss, uninstall or stop the item.

The last item is vague on purpose. For example NEW OWNERS AND TECHS will not know to install the Intel RST app. And just past newbies will question if it's needed. As the owner and tech get more seasoned they learn what it does along with everything else and to use the new tools when possible.

HOWEVER a common slug to the machine is to leave USB HARD DRIVES plugged in. It's been fun to unplug those and viola! It runs again.
Bob

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Using These Tools...
Aug 21, 2011 6:46AM PDT

Hello,

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That's a great tool.
Aug 21, 2011 6:58AM PDT

What I do is when I don't know what an item is, I head to google and see if it's been written about.

You can reveal if the Intel RST has been installed as I noted it many times and can't see where you confirmed, denied, didn't know what it was or want to debate whether it's needed.
Bob

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Intel RST
Aug 21, 2011 9:36PM PDT

Yeah, sorry... I forgot to mention that. I don't know what it was. Any info you can provide would be much appreciated.

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Intel RST is
Aug 22, 2011 2:58AM PDT

Intel Rapid Storage Technology.

It is becoming clear that the maker of the machine did not clearly write out how to install the OS.

It may be time. Remember I did not create the machine and can't know the exact steps but it is one that I would install the Intel RST on. Let's hope I don't read a reply with "but I don't use RAID." If someone writes that I reply with what Intel states about this.
Bob

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Further down the rabbit hole...
Aug 23, 2011 7:45AM PDT

I hate to have to ask, but how can I tell if my machine uses RAID?
<div>
Shocked
</div>

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Unlikely.
Aug 23, 2011 7:48AM PDT

But as you read the Intel site, this is not just when we use RAID. It's a common item I find forgotten today.
Bob

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answered my own question...
Aug 23, 2011 7:49AM PDT

Actually, I think I found the answer to my question by going to the Device Manager and clicking on IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers. The only thing listed there is AMD SATA Controller which, I think, means that my machine does not support RAID.

Can you confirm?

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From HP, this used the Intel H67 chipset.
Aug 23, 2011 7:59AM PDT
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Answer
More wags
Aug 4, 2011 6:00AM PDT

Like throwing darts at a board in a pitch black room.
Now it seems the problem comes and goes.

Imagine a user who has multiple scheduled task and when one of these task kicks off then the machine becomes quite slow.

Imagine a user who has multiple apps set to auto update and when one of these updates kicks off the machine becomes quite slow.

Perhaps all tripe.......from this distance I'm blind.

Just an aside......the machine I'm looking at has a bit more horsepower than yours but I can make it lag/pause.
I never looked into that but I suspect it would take some very serious horsepower to never get lag/pause.
Consider the possibility you might be trying fix something that is not broke.

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Haven't Forgotten...
Aug 10, 2011 11:59PM PDT

Just as an FYI, I haven't forgotten about this issue. I've been traveling a lot, so my time in front of the computer has been pretty limited.