auxadrets Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 We and our normally well-behaved Dell laptop have just got back from five weeks in Sydney. Since our return a few days ago the laptop is taking 10 minutes to load Windows and be user-ready. It will then work, but not as fast as usual. Skype is particularly painful. It is on a home network with a PC, which is behaving impecably. I've done full scans (Norton 360) and found no viruses or other nasty stuff. Has anybody any suggestions as to how to cure its apparent jetlag? Simple suggestions would be appreciated.Angela (83) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 I'd have a pretty good bet that it's something to do with the dreaded Norton Antivirus. It has a habit of installing so many protections that it can tie a system up in knots. This happened to me a few years ago. My computer guru's suggestion : remove Norton and install a different anti virus system. I've done this ever since and have never had the same problems again. I now use AVG Free, btw.Of course, it could always be the Ozzies' fault! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarksinfrance Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 What Operating System? If by any chance its Vista, You may find that Windows Defender is completing a daily scan on startup, at the same time that Norton (ughh) is doing an almost identical thing. Personally I'd bin Norton, it is very virus-like itself, in inviegals its way into too many system processes, just like any dreaded virus. Have a look at ESETs Nod 32, works a treat,or if cost is an issue, the windows firewall is a reasonable bit of kit, and there are some very good free anti-virus programs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxadrets Posted March 24, 2008 Author Share Posted March 24, 2008 Thanks for your thoughts Cooperlola. We've never had any problems with Norton and can't think why a trip to Oz would have triggered something. We too will be off to our own guru soon if nobody has any ideas that might help - when our heads get back into the right time zone, that is. The change in temperature is a bit of a shock too. Angela (83) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxadrets Posted March 24, 2008 Author Share Posted March 24, 2008 We are running Windows XP home edition.Angela (83 and feeling it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Try installing this - Advanced Windows Care Free edition - from the iobit.com website. I have no connection with this site or company.Over the last few years I've installed it on all my Windows machines, also many many other friends and families machines as well, all with great success. It never fails to give your machine a good 'once over' where it checks for spyware (yes, I know other programmes do this, but they don't all always find the same things) it gives the registry a check, it also does a system optimisation and also removes junk files - it will also do a security sweep, but I've turned that off for the moment as it removes your log in details - cookies.Recently a friend was about to put her elderly machine in the bin - I suggested she tried this programme and she's been back in contact saying that it's given the old thing a new lease of life.It's not a 'cure all' for all he possible problems with your machine, but it's certainly worth a try. For your own security it also creates a restore point just in case of any problems.If you do try it, let me know how you get on.Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 [quote user="Timco"]Try installing this - Advanced Windows Care Free edition - from the iobit.com website. I have no connection with this site or company.It's not a 'cure all' for all he possible problems with your machine, but it's certainly worth a try. For your own security it also creates a restore point just in case of any problems. [/quote]It sounds as though this product might replace such programs as CCleaner and Spybot; if so it would suit my grandchildren. I have just spent a few days 'cleaning up' their computers whilst in the UK and I should be very happy to find a one-stop solution to their problems.Will this product work alongside others?Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard T Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 There's a nice piece of freeware called WinPatrol which I wouldn't be without. It easily lets you manage your startup programs and if you install some software which drops all sorts of extra applications (such as notifiers, updaters etc) it will ask you to confirm that you want them at startup. Usually I just say "no" and it helps my PC snap into action as soon as I boot up.Richard T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 [quote user="spg"][quote user="Timco"] Try installing this - Advanced Windows Care Free edition - from the iobit.com website. I have no connection with this site or company.It's not a 'cure all' for all he possible problems with your machine, but it's certainly worth a try. For your own security it also creates a restore point just in case of any problems. [/quote]It sounds as though this product might replace such programs as CCleaner and Spybot; if so it would suit my grandchildren. I have just spent a few days 'cleaning up' their computers whilst in the UK and I should be very happy to find a one-stop solution to their problems.Will this product work alongside others?Sue[/quote]Well, I use it in addition to Spybot and Ad Aware and alongside AVG Anti Virus Free. I also have CCleaner on one of my XP machines, so I wouldn't say that I would use it instead of anything else, but as well as the others.The programme also lets you edit your start up programmes so you can see what is going on when you switch on. I use this with a little caution as you can be a bit over zealous.It does need to be updated, but this is simply done.Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxadrets Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 The laptop is now in intensive care. The guru made noises when I said it was Nortonised. We are hoping to receive a favourable bulletin soon. Meanwhile we are fighting over this PC.Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxadrets Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 Oh goodness. Sorry. I didn't mean to do that; just wanted to illustrate a Frenchman about to throw up.Angela (83) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Out of interest, I wonder, did you make any WiFi connections networks whilst "Down Under" ?I once had a similar problem after attempting to access a WiFi connection in an airport lounge. The connection failed but afterwards I found that my laptop was continuously trying to establish the connection. I seem to recall that I went into Network Connections then WiFi properties then Wireless Networks and deleted all unneccessary connections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxadrets Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 Hello again,The laptop is back from the guru and working like a dream. The young man insisted on explaining what he'd done in English, which made it rather hard to understand. It did indeed seem to be a start-up problem. Too much old, redundant stuff all trying to start up at once, so I imagine that WinPatrol might be just what I needed. I still had Norton and Norton uninstaller and Norton something else on the desktop. He ditched them all. He also suggested that I let Norton run to the end of its current subscription and then load AVG Free. He didn't charge much so I'm very happy, I just wish I understood more about computers. Thank you all for your suggestions.Angela (83) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Yes, and the Advanced Windows Cleaner I suggested would have shown you everything in the start up and let you decide what you want.Anyway - I'm glad you're sorted out.Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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