Please help me save/fix a new PC

[getter77]

Firefox with 73, 592k, with the next smaller things in the 1x,xxx range.  If I choose to show all processes, the Antivirus thing and svchost.exe, one of the many, count about as much as Firefox.

Yet the CPU usage is 0% with the Physical Memory currently at 29%.   I could've sworn the physical memory was never such a number, but maybe I'm somehow remembering it wrong?

[mariodonick]

Well, 29% is good. My physical memory is about 79% (because I have only 1 GB and currently Chrome, Photoshop, Lazarus etc. open). Firefox with 73 MB is okay, too.

Could you post a list of all processes running? Or send me a screenshot of your taskmanager with the sorted list open? It might help to identify if something is running which should not run.

[getter77]

Firefox, Windows Explorer, Desktop Window Manager, Catalyst Control Centre Host Application, csrss.exe, IPoint.exe, Microsoft Security Essentials User Interface, Windows Task Manager, winlogon.exe, atieclxx.exe, ZoneAlarm Forcefield, Host Process for Windows Tasks, dpupdchk.exe, ZoneAlarm Client, Catalyst Control Centre Monitoring program, USB 3.0 monitor, Java(TM)Update Scheduler.

[mariodonick]

Thanks, but this is not the list of ALL processes (includig the admin processes), is it?

[getter77]

Oops!  Others not mentioned then:  TrueVector Service, Services and Controller app, Microsoft Windows Search Indexer, Spooler Subsystem app, Local security authority process, Windows Media Player network sharing service, Task Scheduler Engine, Windows session manager,  NT Kernel & system, percentage of time the processor is idle

Think that's all of them...otherwise some just have multiple processes running like you mention earlier.

[mariodonick]

Okay, nothing so unusual.

From my own experience I can identify only 2 things on your list that can really slow down your computer:

1. Microsoft Windows Search Indexer
2. Microsoft Security Essentials
3. all the ZoneAlarm stuff (incl. TrueVector Service)


1 and 2 make only problems when they either update their search index (1) or their database (2), or if (2) is running a background check of your system.

With ZoneAlarm I always had problems. I stick with the normal Windows 7 Firewall which is better than many people say. Deactivating the search indexer should be an option, if you don't search inside documents regularly.

I would also deactivate the Windows Media Player network sharing service, except you have connected multiple devices to your computer and want to access the music storend on your computer from all of the other devices.


... another idea: These freezes -- are these just Firefox freezes, or does your whole system freeze? If just Firefox freezes, it might be a profile problem. Try deleting your user profile (somewhere, often hidden, in your personal folder) and then try again. If it does not help, try to completly delete Firefox and reinstall it.

If you whole system freezes, it might be a heat problem.

[getter77]

Whole system freezes.  It is utterly random though, none happened when we ran some stress test diagnostic programs that cranked the usage and such way up.  Maybe we need to check on it again somehow and if worse comes to pass wrangle a new PSU...

Media sharer I definitely have no use for....will think about the others since Zonealarm has always worked  pretty swell for me and the security essentials I just keep on passively for virus protection with a recent fullscan finding nothing amiss.