How to fix an extremely slow laptop?

October 9, 2006 10:55 AM

Computer Boffins! My two year old laptop is currently running as slow as balls. Please help! I don't know if it is significant but my CPU usage is at 100% and upto 99% of that is by a process calling itsself MSACui.exe. Im running on windows XP and have just had the hard drive wiped but to no avail. Apologies if asked and answered before but a search would have taken several days at present.
posted by Reggie Knoble to computers & internet (12 comments total)

That process is part of Windows Defender and should be legit. It might be that Windows defender is doing it's initial scan since you reinstalled everything. I'm curious as to how Windows Defender got on your system if you had the hard drive wiped out?
posted by Ferrari328 at 11:02 AM on October 9, 2006

The guy who wiped the drive did say he would put some kind of basic firewall and antivirus on after he had finished, he didn't warn me it would cause a slow down comparable to the initial problem and thus cause me to shite myself though.

Any chance that once defender has had a good long scan things might pick up?

And if so, how long might I be looking at?

I already almost went straight out to buy a new one out of sheer frustration with it.
posted by Reggie Knoble at 11:08 AM on October 9, 2006

Any chance that once defender has had a good long scan things might pick up?

it should ... just be patient and let it do its thing
posted by pyramid termite at 11:17 AM on October 9, 2006

It's part of Windows Defender which is a notorious resource hog. Disable it when you don't really need it and run it once or twice a month.
posted by PetiePal at 11:41 AM on October 9, 2006

Disable unnecessary startup items. See this askmefi thread: http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/24202

You can also disable fancy XP graphics.

Use CCleaner to get rid of unnecessary computer gunk.

Etc....
posted by rumbles at 1:57 PM on October 9, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

Thank you everyone.

I have disabled Defender which has improved things a bit.

Just waiting for two years worth of microsoft updates and i will be back in the loving embrace of sweet sweet por..... work!
posted by Reggie Knoble at 2:27 PM on October 9, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

I already almost went straight out to buy a new one out of sheer frustration with it.

The system works.
posted by hoborg at 3:42 PM on October 9, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

Indeed hoburg.

Now chaps, i appear to be having some problem with Java, which to me vaguely has something to do with coffee.


So how would one go about turning Java on, assuming one was hypothetically so stupid as to have no clue whatsoever?
posted by Reggie Knoble at 5:01 PM on October 9, 2006

You may have to download it.
posted by oxford blue at 5:12 PM on October 9, 2006

Am attempting it now, out of interest, if anyone is bored enough to hold a complete idiots hand, what does Java actually do, could its absence be to blame for very slow internet loading, including web pages and videos?
posted by Reggie Knoble at 5:19 PM on October 9, 2006

I don't think so. Must videos use flash player to play. Java, not to be confused with javascript, is required by some web applications, as well as programs like Limewire &c.

Your slow speeds may be caused by another problem.
posted by oxford blue at 6:09 PM on October 9, 2006

Definately looks that way.

After a late night and a slow decent into suicidal thoughts my internet decided to give up the ghost effectively ending any attempt at fixing the damn thing.

So, in 24 hours i might have internet at home and might have a chance at getting it going, if not im buying a shiny new one.
posted by Reggie Knoble at 12:50 AM on October 10, 2006