I wonder if XP has some sort of built in diags software that I can use to figure out if there's something wrong with my operating system. I know of the Norton Utilities tools (WinDoctor), but wonder if MS has some other tool(s). I say this because in relation to my MS Outlook headaches - please see: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=334322 for details, Ive now discovered that my XP has some issues of its own. I cant even change the screen saver without XP going into "not responding" mode. The hangs when I manipulate the sceeen saver are not permanent, its like Windows goes into a phase of 1-2 minutes where is hangs and then I do get the desired changes in the screen saver. I have Microsoft Plus! installed.... maybe this add-on is causing problems.

I guess Im a little paranoid with all the Windows issues Im having... and maybe Im just seeing skeletons everywhere.... but, maybe the Outlook issues Ive been having are Windows based and not at all to do with Outlook...? Why else would my XP not let me change the settings or scheme of my screen saver without acting up?

There was something in the past about plus and performance, just can't remember what.

Maybe a search of microsoft KB?

Ive done a couple of searches on the MS KB under Plus! for XP and found nothing, just some issues with Voodoo video chipsets and other non related issues. Ive used "performance issues", "screensavers", and "not responding" as keywords. Nothing seems to come up.

Ive just disactivated the screen savers, as the Windows problems I have are now causing the sceen saver to take about 1 minute to reset (ie. getting back to the application when the screen saver kicks in). Under normal operations, its supposed to take less than one second to reset.

I continue to be puzzled..... its like my entire OS is haunted...

Im being told that the slow speed of my system could be sypware/virus/trojan related. I have AVG6.0 installed in my system, should it have caught this kind of stuff?

Is there some online resource I can use to check my entire system and tell me if I have some sort of infection?

Thanks.

If you have the Windows XP installation CD or can borrow one, start your computer with the CD already in the drive. In about 5 minutes, before you actually install XP, it will recognize there is already a version of XP on your hard drive and will give you the option to repair it. Choose to repair.

You will need your Administrator password. Hope this helps.

Good tip. I do have the XP CD's that came with the computer, so this should work. Of course, I wonder how much data could potentially be lost with this, and furthermore, by doing this I will then have to re-update my XP with all the new Service Packs and other updates from the MS website, right...?

Also, if I do have some sort of spyware or trojan on my system, this solution will not address this problem, or...?

Thanks.

This is how I got rid of a pesky trojan and memory resident bug. Have you checked your services for strange services running? that is where they may show up if so.

If you want, run a hijack this log and send it over and we can review it for spurious services that should not be running.

If you don't have a norton disc, PM me. I have about 15 sitting around.

I do have Norton SystemWorks installed in my computer, except for the NAV which I had a buddy uninstall and instead put up AVG. Can I check Services with Norton SysrtemWorks....?

Thanks a million for your help with this.

I performed this operation with Windows Server 2003 Professional and the only things I lost were settings related to the web page I was running. I didn't have to install new drivers or anything; the normal user shouldn't notice any change in functionality. All this does is copy the original files to your computer which are essential to run Windows.

If you have used Control Panel to install Windows components, you may have to reinstall those after the repair.

You may have to install updates but that should take no time at all if you have broadband Internet.

Can you describe "not responding" mode? I am running WinXPPro on a new Dell 1150 and twice now, when I boot up, XP has started apparently correctly, but it will not allow me to launch any applications. All the utility windows and alerts work fine but no applications launch. You can't even shut the machine down via the GUI, you have to mash the button down until it cold-stops. Have you had this happen? The first time a cold-start system restore fixed things, and a Dell rep told me never to download Microsoft critical updates (!) because they can corrupt the system. The second time, yesterday, I did the disk-based XP boot and after 45 minutes the system said it had fixed multiple errors but didn't name them.

The system in general seems to labor and suffer and grind away with more than two apps open and at first I thought it was Dell's fault but now I have The Fear about XPPro. I don't want to walk into a client presentation, boot up, and have the thing just freeze up on me.

The Dell rep was an idiot, to put it bluntly, if he/she told you never to download critical updates from Microsoft. The reason that so many viruses, worms, and spyware applications are prevalent is precisely because people listen to that kind of advice.

I second an earlier poster's suggestion to use the repair feature of Windows XP -- it will often fix mysterious problems like the ones you are experiencing.

They boasted about fast boot, but all one really does is get to the background screen and "images" on the desktop. Starting anything up, sometimes, the system is just not ready. Networking is not running, .exe is not running, you just have gotten to the desktop screen. At that point one often has to wait about two minutes till things will actually start.

have you tried using the "system restore" feature in windows XP and sesetting windows to an earlier date when things were working better. Ive used that feature many times after my kids get their hands on the computer and "fix" it.

By not responding, I mean the PC just sits there and does nothing.... I second the comment on the Dell rep being an idiot.... MS updates are fine to download, unless the resident FT experts tell you not to...