ACER laptop slow down after installing programmes: HELP!!!!

Skype, Picasa, GDS, FMA, SecondCopy, XTNDConnect,WinZip, WinRar, are all I
believe configured by default to run in the background, use their options to
modify this behaviour


"Wim" <eisingspam.TakeThisOut@iafrica.com> wrote in message
news:1164019781.089674.131540@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> I have a pretty fast laptop (ACER Travelmate 5612WMSMi with Intel Core
> Duo Processor 1.66 GHz x 2, 667 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2 cache, 1GB DDR2
> (support dual-channel) memory). After a while, it started slowing down
> terribly: Start-up times grew from 2 minutes to 5 minutes, shutting
> down from 30 secs to 2 minutes, hibernation from 17 secs to 4 minutes.
> Starting Outlook and Firefox, etc. takes much longer.
>
> Acer Helpdesk agreed that this slowdown is unacceptable and suggested
> to restore the factory defaults (which brings the laptop back to the
> configuration when I received the laptop, without all the added
> programmes installed). This process is very easy (well done Acer!) but
> of course the subsequent reinstalling of all favourite programmes (MS
> Office, Firefox, Skype, Picasa, GDS, FMA, SecondCopy, XTNDConnect,
> WinRar, WinZip) and all its required updates, incl. Microsoft Update)
> takes a hell of a long time. Acer suggested to track to changes in
> performance after each and every programme installation. That's what I
> did, and after the Restore to Factory Default the laptop was running
> like brand new again. VERY FAST!! Made me very happy again. And MS
> Office + updates, MS Windows update, NAV, etc. did not significantly
> slow down the computer.
>
> But all of a sudden (AND unfortunately I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE AFTER
> INSTALLATION OF WHICH PROGRAMME) the computer went back to its previous
> very slow performance.
> I tried to restore to a previous system restore point, but since I did
> not do that the same or next day, the relevant system restore point had
> already been deleted by the system and replaced by automatic system
> restore points on the days after (while I have my space allocation for
> the system restore set to maximum = 6.6GB on each disk x 2 = 13GB!!) .
> I then un-installed all programmes I remembered I installed in the days
> around the moment the laptop slowed down, but to no avail.
>
> Before I do Acer's Restore Factory Defaults again and re-install all
> requires programmes again (and even more consistently monitor the
> impact of each programme installation on the system's performance), I
> call upon the very experienced Google community to help me out! Which
> programme is causing the problem, why, and how to solve the problem?
> Let me know if you need screenshots of the programmes I have installed,
> the processes running and listed in Windows Task Manager, the registry,
> etcetera. Please help me out, before I spent my
>
> In Windows Task Manager Performance Tab the two CPUs are presented, and
> at start-up the 1st one is generally working to its maximum while the
> second CPU is much less active. Is that normal, is this an indication
> where the fault is?
>
> Wim Eising
> Durban
> South Africa
>

Skype, Picasa, GDS, FMA, SecondCopy, XTNDConnect,WinZip, WinRar, are all I
believe configured by default to run in the background, use their options to
modify this behaviour


"Wim" <eisingspam RemoveThis @iafrica.com> wrote in message
news:1164019781.089674.131540@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> I have a pretty fast laptop (ACER Travelmate 5612WMSMi with Intel Core
> Duo Processor 1.66 GHz x 2, 667 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2 cache, 1GB DDR2
> (support dual-channel) memory). After a while, it started slowing down
> terribly: Start-up times grew from 2 minutes to 5 minutes, shutting
> down from 30 secs to 2 minutes, hibernation from 17 secs to 4 minutes.
> Starting Outlook and Firefox, etc. takes much longer.
>
> Acer Helpdesk agreed that this slowdown is unacceptable and suggested
> to restore the factory defaults (which brings the laptop back to the
> configuration when I received the laptop, without all the added
> programmes installed). This process is very easy (well done Acer!) but
> of course the subsequent reinstalling of all favourite programmes (MS
> Office, Firefox, Skype, Picasa, GDS, FMA, SecondCopy, XTNDConnect,
> WinRar, WinZip) and all its required updates, incl. Microsoft Update)
> takes a hell of a long time. Acer suggested to track to changes in
> performance after each and every programme installation. That's what I
> did, and after the Restore to Factory Default the laptop was running
> like brand new again. VERY FAST!! Made me very happy again. And MS
> Office + updates, MS Windows update, NAV, etc. did not significantly
> slow down the computer.
>
> But all of a sudden (AND unfortunately I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE AFTER
> INSTALLATION OF WHICH PROGRAMME) the computer went back to its previous
> very slow performance.
> I tried to restore to a previous system restore point, but since I did
> not do that the same or next day, the relevant system restore point had
> already been deleted by the system and replaced by automatic system
> restore points on the days after (while I have my space allocation for
> the system restore set to maximum = 6.6GB on each disk x 2 = 13GB!!) .
> I then un-installed all programmes I remembered I installed in the days
> around the moment the laptop slowed down, but to no avail.
>
> Before I do Acer's Restore Factory Defaults again and re-install all
> requires programmes again (and even more consistently monitor the
> impact of each programme installation on the system's performance), I
> call upon the very experienced Google community to help me out! Which
> programme is causing the problem, why, and how to solve the problem?
> Let me know if you need screenshots of the programmes I have installed,
> the processes running and listed in Windows Task Manager, the registry,
> etcetera. Please help me out, before I spent my
>
> In Windows Task Manager Performance Tab the two CPUs are presented, and
> at start-up the 1st one is generally working to its maximum while the
> second CPU is much less active. Is that normal, is this an indication
> where the fault is?
>
> Wim Eising
> Durban
> South Africa
>