Jonj1611
asked on
Laptop Slowness
Hi,
I have a problem on my father in laws laptop and to be honest it is driving me insane.
I have been building computers for nearly 20 years and installed windows countless times, but this has got me stumped.
The laptop, a Compaq NC6320 is a Centrino Duo. The power pack went dead and when he took it to the "shop", they told him the power jack needed to be replaced too, both the jack was replaced and so was the power pack.
Now 2 days previous to this I did a full reinstall of Windows XP Pro, and it ran like a dream, no problems at all, quick opening of Windows and excellent system responsiveness.
After the "repair" the system was slow as hell and I mean slow, 1-2 minutes just to open My computer for instance. So I reinstalled Windows XP Pro with service pack 1. After installation system seemed sluggish, properties on My Computer showed processor to be running at 1.66Ghz.
Anyway after all the chipset drivers/video drivers etc etc were installed I installed Service Pack 2 then 3 and all other updates. And once again the system is really really slow, again 1-2 minutes to open a window. This is exactly the same thing I did before it went to the shop and it ran fine before. The hard drive was formatted before installation so I really don't know where the problem lies and I am running out of ideas.
Indexing service is not installed and to be honest the hard drive seems to be running slow but there is nothing wrong with the drive according to SMART or a full surface scan. The memory also bothers me, it reports 2GB of memory but at any point there is 1.7GB always free, it never seems to use any more than that.
The other wierd point is after service pack 2 was installed the CPU speed says 892Mhz, now I know about speedstep but the speed never ever changed, so I installed a utility to override speedstep and the utility shows the system running at 1.6Ghz, however the properties in my computer still say 892Mhz and Intels own chip identification tool show the processor to be running at 90Mhz!!!!
Being a laptop its difficult to do anything in the limited bios but I flashed it to the latest version BEFORE it all went wrong and had no problems with it.
Like I said I am running out of ideas so if any experts have any idea what is going on here, I would welcome any advice.
Regards
Jon
I have a problem on my father in laws laptop and to be honest it is driving me insane.
I have been building computers for nearly 20 years and installed windows countless times, but this has got me stumped.
The laptop, a Compaq NC6320 is a Centrino Duo. The power pack went dead and when he took it to the "shop", they told him the power jack needed to be replaced too, both the jack was replaced and so was the power pack.
Now 2 days previous to this I did a full reinstall of Windows XP Pro, and it ran like a dream, no problems at all, quick opening of Windows and excellent system responsiveness.
After the "repair" the system was slow as hell and I mean slow, 1-2 minutes just to open My computer for instance. So I reinstalled Windows XP Pro with service pack 1. After installation system seemed sluggish, properties on My Computer showed processor to be running at 1.66Ghz.
Anyway after all the chipset drivers/video drivers etc etc were installed I installed Service Pack 2 then 3 and all other updates. And once again the system is really really slow, again 1-2 minutes to open a window. This is exactly the same thing I did before it went to the shop and it ran fine before. The hard drive was formatted before installation so I really don't know where the problem lies and I am running out of ideas.
Indexing service is not installed and to be honest the hard drive seems to be running slow but there is nothing wrong with the drive according to SMART or a full surface scan. The memory also bothers me, it reports 2GB of memory but at any point there is 1.7GB always free, it never seems to use any more than that.
The other wierd point is after service pack 2 was installed the CPU speed says 892Mhz, now I know about speedstep but the speed never ever changed, so I installed a utility to override speedstep and the utility shows the system running at 1.6Ghz, however the properties in my computer still say 892Mhz and Intels own chip identification tool show the processor to be running at 90Mhz!!!!
Being a laptop its difficult to do anything in the limited bios but I flashed it to the latest version BEFORE it all went wrong and had no problems with it.
Like I said I am running out of ideas so if any experts have any idea what is going on here, I would welcome any advice.
Regards
Jon
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
Hi,
Thanks for the advice :)
There is a only a primary channel and it says it is set to DMA Multiword 2 or something along those lines.
There is no option to change it to anything else.
Unfortunately I do not have another battery pack
Regards
Jon
Thanks for the advice :)
There is a only a primary channel and it says it is set to DMA Multiword 2 or something along those lines.
There is no option to change it to anything else.
Unfortunately I do not have another battery pack
Regards
Jon
If the IDE channel is running your HDD change it back by uninstalling it in device manager. Reboot and XP will re-install it at the fastest mode it will support. If you have an optical drive then it's possible that it is what's showing at DMA 2 and your HDD is SATA. Have a check though and try uninstallign the IDE channel if it is actually running your HDD.
Sorry, by power pack I meant your mains power adapter. Try running your laptop of a universal mains adapter or a replacement model. it could be that teh one you;re using is underpowered or even faulty.
Sorry, by power pack I meant your mains power adapter. Try running your laptop of a universal mains adapter or a replacement model. it could be that teh one you;re using is underpowered or even faulty.
ASKER
Thanks, I will try out what you said and report back :)
Regards
Jon
Regards
Jon
ASKER
I uninstalled the IDE channel but when windows reloaded it just found it again, though saying that it didn't say anything about the hard drive, after it found the channel it then found the dvd rom drive.
The hard drive is a SATA drive.
Regards
Jon
The hard drive is a SATA drive.
Regards
Jon
That's right, if the IDE channel has kicked down to PIO mode uninstalling it will allow XP to re-install it in DMA mode. Since your HDD is SATA this won't have any effect anyway. Optical drives only run in DMA mode 2 or thereabouts anyway so that's fine.
Personally I believe the problem to be related to careless handling at the repair shop. The problem you are describing is the typical symptoms of ESD when the technician did not take precautions when re-soldering and/or manipulating the motherboard when reattaching the power jack.
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) can damage a sensitive electronic component, resulting in failures, reduced reliability or latent component failures in equipment in the field.
All electronic integrated circuit (IC) devices are susceptible to damage from static electricity or electro-static discharge (ESD). While some devices can withstand thousands of volts of ESD before damage, others may have a threshold of only a few volts.
All ESD damage is not created equal. In fact, there are three different types of ESD damage and they can be classified as a catastrophic failure, a latent defect or an upset failure.
As you would imagine, catastrophic failure is the easiest of the three to detect. This type of ESD damage causes some sort of permanent damage such as an oxide failure or a metal melt. The damage done is irreversible.
Latent defects are a little more difficult to spot. This type of damage would allow a device to work properly for the most part, but over time the small amount of damage might affect the life of the device or its ability to function. The issue with latent defects is that the item usually passes testing and is sent to the customer where it may fail.
Lastly, an upset failure is when ESD damages a device or component but not enough to cause complete failure. But while in use, the component may intermittently result in gate failure and cause problems with software and data storage. Just like latent defects, upset failures will pass testing but may have issues in the future.
Take a look at some of the attached screenshots taken with an electron microscope.
Bits ....
esd-damage2.JPG
esd-damage.gif
ESD-protection-diag-450px.gif
rohm-ic-ESD-damage.jpg
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) can damage a sensitive electronic component, resulting in failures, reduced reliability or latent component failures in equipment in the field.
All electronic integrated circuit (IC) devices are susceptible to damage from static electricity or electro-static discharge (ESD). While some devices can withstand thousands of volts of ESD before damage, others may have a threshold of only a few volts.
All ESD damage is not created equal. In fact, there are three different types of ESD damage and they can be classified as a catastrophic failure, a latent defect or an upset failure.
As you would imagine, catastrophic failure is the easiest of the three to detect. This type of ESD damage causes some sort of permanent damage such as an oxide failure or a metal melt. The damage done is irreversible.
Latent defects are a little more difficult to spot. This type of damage would allow a device to work properly for the most part, but over time the small amount of damage might affect the life of the device or its ability to function. The issue with latent defects is that the item usually passes testing and is sent to the customer where it may fail.
Lastly, an upset failure is when ESD damages a device or component but not enough to cause complete failure. But while in use, the component may intermittently result in gate failure and cause problems with software and data storage. Just like latent defects, upset failures will pass testing but may have issues in the future.
Take a look at some of the attached screenshots taken with an electron microscope.
Bits ....
esd-damage2.JPG
esd-damage.gif
ESD-protection-diag-450px.gif
rohm-ic-ESD-damage.jpg
ASKER
It could well be the repair shops fault. I have been thinking that myself.
When I reinstalled Windows the first time, before it went wrong, it was super smooth, fast opening, quick loading, no problems at all, not one. Then it went to the shop, now its out it just wont go any faster, the oddest things are happening with the CPU speed though.
Speedstep override utility says speed is : 1660Mhz
Windows says 892Mhz
Intel Utility says 90Mhz
CPU-Z says 980Mhz
Some wildly varying results there, its hard to say which one is correct. The whole laptop is just so slow. Screen refreshes like when loading a full screen app or anything else like a fullscreen window, it seems to slowly paint the image to the screen, but all the correct and latest drivers are installed, CPU-Z says the graphics card is using 224MB ram(its max) so it really shouldnt be that slow with nothing else going on.
This is why I turned to experts exchange, normally people come to me for advice, but I have really run out of ideas, I have tried everything I can think of, from full disk scans to checking each driver version manually.
I was thinking to rule out Windows entirely if its worth running a Linux live image and seeing if that suffers and slow down.
Regards
Jon
When I reinstalled Windows the first time, before it went wrong, it was super smooth, fast opening, quick loading, no problems at all, not one. Then it went to the shop, now its out it just wont go any faster, the oddest things are happening with the CPU speed though.
Speedstep override utility says speed is : 1660Mhz
Windows says 892Mhz
Intel Utility says 90Mhz
CPU-Z says 980Mhz
Some wildly varying results there, its hard to say which one is correct. The whole laptop is just so slow. Screen refreshes like when loading a full screen app or anything else like a fullscreen window, it seems to slowly paint the image to the screen, but all the correct and latest drivers are installed, CPU-Z says the graphics card is using 224MB ram(its max) so it really shouldnt be that slow with nothing else going on.
This is why I turned to experts exchange, normally people come to me for advice, but I have really run out of ideas, I have tried everything I can think of, from full disk scans to checking each driver version manually.
I was thinking to rule out Windows entirely if its worth running a Linux live image and seeing if that suffers and slow down.
Regards
Jon
Linux would be a way of eliminating Windows issues, but the problem you describe sounds very hardwarey.
The reason I mention your mains adapter is that I had a laptop in a week ago with a T7200 dual core CPU and 4gb RAM. was running like an absolute pig. We did all the usual things, diagnostics, uninstall Norton etc... In the end we connected it to a new 130W universal laptop adapter and kapowww - back to full speed.
Another thing to consider would be load optimised BIOS defaults, and consider flashign the BIOS in case it has become a bit corrupted.
The reason I mention your mains adapter is that I had a laptop in a week ago with a T7200 dual core CPU and 4gb RAM. was running like an absolute pig. We did all the usual things, diagnostics, uninstall Norton etc... In the end we connected it to a new 130W universal laptop adapter and kapowww - back to full speed.
Another thing to consider would be load optimised BIOS defaults, and consider flashign the BIOS in case it has become a bit corrupted.
ASKER
The bios has been flashed to the latest version and unfortunately there is no load optimised bios settings, being a laptop and quite old now the bios is severly restricted into what I can do with it.
The mains adapter the shop supplied looks like some generic thing, I will have a look into that and see if I can find a different one to try out with the laptop. I must say though, it does appear that when they changed the power jack they changed it to one that would only work with this new "generic" mains adapter. I say that as I swear the old power jack looked different.
Jon
The mains adapter the shop supplied looks like some generic thing, I will have a look into that and see if I can find a different one to try out with the laptop. I must say though, it does appear that when they changed the power jack they changed it to one that would only work with this new "generic" mains adapter. I say that as I swear the old power jack looked different.
Jon
ASKER
Have had a look at the bottom of the laptop and it says the power should be 18.5V and 3.5A, having looked at the mains adapter it says its output is 19.5V and 3.34A, the voltages seem very slightly different, could this be a problem?
Jon
Jon
It's impossible to say whether it will work reliably being 1V out, it might not be enough to make a difference. But to be sure you should be running it at 18.5V. However if it was supplied by a shop they should have given you an adapter of exactly the right voltage.
If you can get one a Trust 130W universal notebook adapter is a good bit of kit. They come with a variety of jack connectors and are switchable to a wide range of voltages.
If you can get one a Trust 130W universal notebook adapter is a good bit of kit. They come with a variety of jack connectors and are switchable to a wide range of voltages.
ASKER
I would have thought the same thing, that they should have supplied something running at least at the correct voltage, but it was my father in law and he isn't technically minded so probably didn't question it.
I will get a universal adapter and see if that helps solve the problem, will report back :)
Cheers
Jon
I will get a universal adapter and see if that helps solve the problem, will report back :)
Cheers
Jon
Best of luck Jon, even if the universal adapter doesn;t cure your problem they are handy to have around and because they're universal you can still keep it even if you get rid of your current laptop. Money well spent. :-)
SOLUTION
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I should add that it is NOT enough that it be from the same manufacturer!
You can check your HP/COMPAQ part for compatibility here:
http://h20141.www2.hp.com/HPParts/Default.aspx
Type in the part number (often hard to find on these things) in the search by part number field. (click the double arrow)
Here's an example:
http://h20141.www2.hp.com/Hpparts/part_where_used.aspx?SearchCriteria=325112-001
This is the compatibility list for power supply part number 325112-001. Notice the supply is 18.5v and can supply up to 4.9A, yet this supply will not work properly with the NX9420, which also requires 18.5v. If you attempt to use this supply with that laptop, the batter will charge and the computer will run, but the computer will enter low-power mode and run VERY slowly. (About 200 Mhz instead of 2 Ghz.)
You can check your HP/COMPAQ part for compatibility here:
http://h20141.www2.hp.com/HPParts/Default.aspx
Type in the part number (often hard to find on these things) in the search by part number field. (click the double arrow)
Here's an example:
http://h20141.www2.hp.com/Hpparts/part_where_used.aspx?SearchCriteria=325112-001
This is the compatibility list for power supply part number 325112-001. Notice the supply is 18.5v and can supply up to 4.9A, yet this supply will not work properly with the NX9420, which also requires 18.5v. If you attempt to use this supply with that laptop, the batter will charge and the computer will run, but the computer will enter low-power mode and run VERY slowly. (About 200 Mhz instead of 2 Ghz.)
Jonj1611....
What happened to the previous power adapter? Is the "power pack" you mention above the "power adapter"?
When you took it to the shop, only 2 variables were introduced in a system that was "...working like dream...":
"......The power pack went dead and when he took it to the "shop", they told him the power jack needed to be replaced too, both the jack was replaced and so was the power pack...."
So the jack was replaced and obviously it is working otherwise it would not be powering the laptop. The only other variables left are the "power pack" and mishandling.
Usually, to replace a power jack is a pain.... you have to take apart all the laptop in order to gain access to the bottom of the motherboard.
If they are not extremely careful, they can damage it with to much heat when soldering, ESD as I mentioned above or assemble it with cables being crimped by the sharp pins sticking under the motherboard, potentially damaging it or causing malfunctions.
The behavior you are describing is most likely hardware damage, nevertheless, since the "Power Pack" was replaced, it remains a variable.
Bits ....
What happened to the previous power adapter? Is the "power pack" you mention above the "power adapter"?
When you took it to the shop, only 2 variables were introduced in a system that was "...working like dream...":
"......The power pack went dead and when he took it to the "shop", they told him the power jack needed to be replaced too, both the jack was replaced and so was the power pack...."
So the jack was replaced and obviously it is working otherwise it would not be powering the laptop. The only other variables left are the "power pack" and mishandling.
Usually, to replace a power jack is a pain.... you have to take apart all the laptop in order to gain access to the bottom of the motherboard.
If they are not extremely careful, they can damage it with to much heat when soldering, ESD as I mentioned above or assemble it with cables being crimped by the sharp pins sticking under the motherboard, potentially damaging it or causing malfunctions.
The behavior you are describing is most likely hardware damage, nevertheless, since the "Power Pack" was replaced, it remains a variable.
Bits ....
I'll repeat it one more time. This is KNOWN behavior when the wrong power supply is used. Read the above. This is nothing new, and you do not have a damaged laptop. This behavior is due to the smart supplies used on HP/Compaq laptops.
cwn9...relax!! No need to repeat...all of us who have been doing for 25+ years have seen this problem before...it has been documented over and over :-)
There could be in issue with the power pack as suggested above.
There is no mention of observations when you run on battery pack alone with the AC power pack removed.
Are you having the same sluggish speed while running on battery alone ?
If the speed with the battery is okie, the mains power adaptor is an issue.
I would also run a live knoppix to rule out any issues with the windows OS.
There is no mention of observations when you run on battery pack alone with the AC power pack removed.
Are you having the same sluggish speed while running on battery alone ?
If the speed with the battery is okie, the mains power adaptor is an issue.
I would also run a live knoppix to rule out any issues with the windows OS.
ASKER
Hi,
I disconnected the power and left it running on the battery, the speed immediately went back to 1.6Ghz and it was running like it used to. I reconnected the power and it continued to say 1.6Ghz but seemed to be running a bit slower.
I tried it without a battery installed and just the power plugged in and it was running slowly again.
So, does it appear to be the power supply?
Jon
I disconnected the power and left it running on the battery, the speed immediately went back to 1.6Ghz and it was running like it used to. I reconnected the power and it continued to say 1.6Ghz but seemed to be running a bit slower.
I tried it without a battery installed and just the power plugged in and it was running slowly again.
So, does it appear to be the power supply?
Jon
SOLUTION
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ASKER
I will see if I can get the power pack checked, to be honest with you, having looked at it, it is a really really cheap replacement power pack, not an HP one at all, just some generic device that probably cost next to nothing.
Next stop today is getting a replacement power pack and seeing if that has any effect.
Jon
Next stop today is getting a replacement power pack and seeing if that has any effect.
Jon
Bring your old power pack and laptop along.
Get the generic pack checked and see what voltage is being out put.
It will be good if you could record the information.
When buying the new power pack check it on the system before you pay for it.
Good luck.
Get the generic pack checked and see what voltage is being out put.
It will be good if you could record the information.
When buying the new power pack check it on the system before you pay for it.
Good luck.
As I mentioned a while back one of these will do the job for you - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trust-Compact-MultiFunction-Notebook-Adapter/dp/B001DY03WW very good quality. We sell lots of these and haven't seen a system they don't work with yet.
ASKER
Thats what I intend to get. I have spoken to my father in law to get him to take the power adapter back, I will get him the multi function one so he hopefully wont have any further problems with it. I am so annoyed with myself that I should have checked the power pack first. 3 windows install and countless messing around with drivers, I was at my wits end!
Anyway will confirm the power pack is at fault when new one arrives and will post back accordingly including points etc :)
Thankyou to everyone :)
Jon
Anyway will confirm the power pack is at fault when new one arrives and will post back accordingly including points etc :)
Thankyou to everyone :)
Jon
ASKER
UPDATE :
My father in law took the laptop back to the shop, they had it for 24 hours and then said they have found the correct adapter(so they say) but the laptop is still running slow.
For some reason they have changed the memory(which I already tested) and have opened it all up to clean it, which wasn't neccesary as I did that myself anyway.
They have now asked my father in law for the software disc's and they are reinstalling windows, something I did 3 times since I had it.
So will wait to they get back to him I guess. The thing is the laptop was perfect before the power problem, then the power jack went and the power pack and they replaced both, now it is running slow.
The battery was never that good, only holding a charge for 10 mins at most. They are saying its now the battery thats the problem, but I cannot understand why, with just the battery the laptop ran at the correct speed, take the battery out or leave it in and connect power, it slows right down again.
Is it possible the shop just have naff power supplies or is the problem more than likely laptop hardware related?
Cheers
Jon
My father in law took the laptop back to the shop, they had it for 24 hours and then said they have found the correct adapter(so they say) but the laptop is still running slow.
For some reason they have changed the memory(which I already tested) and have opened it all up to clean it, which wasn't neccesary as I did that myself anyway.
They have now asked my father in law for the software disc's and they are reinstalling windows, something I did 3 times since I had it.
So will wait to they get back to him I guess. The thing is the laptop was perfect before the power problem, then the power jack went and the power pack and they replaced both, now it is running slow.
The battery was never that good, only holding a charge for 10 mins at most. They are saying its now the battery thats the problem, but I cannot understand why, with just the battery the laptop ran at the correct speed, take the battery out or leave it in and connect power, it slows right down again.
Is it possible the shop just have naff power supplies or is the problem more than likely laptop hardware related?
Cheers
Jon
Strange behaviour noted at the shop. A weak battery means the laptop cannot run for hours.
Did they test the set with the battery inserted or was it removed as you have done it?
As you have noted with the battery in place the speed was noted to be OK.
You only had the slowness problem with out the battery in the laptop.
Just check with your father in law how they did the test.
Did they test the set with the battery inserted or was it removed as you have done it?
As you have noted with the battery in place the speed was noted to be OK.
You only had the slowness problem with out the battery in the laptop.
Just check with your father in law how they did the test.
ASKER
I will check with what procedure they used, but to clarify :-
Battery In, Power Connected : Slow Speed
Battery Out, Power Connected : Slow Speed
Battery In, No Power Connected : Usual Speed
Jon
Battery In, Power Connected : Slow Speed
Battery Out, Power Connected : Slow Speed
Battery In, No Power Connected : Usual Speed
Jon
SOLUTION
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ASKER
I have told my father in law to bring his laptop to me in future! The shop he took it to installed a new power jack and supplied the power pack.
This was the same company who told him his other laptop he took there had a faulty mainboard and they would buy it off him for scrap. He gave it to me and I looked at it and what do you know it started, hmmm.
Anyway it is back with them, all they are interested in doing is reinstalling Windows, which I have done several times already. I am waiting for him to get back to me on what the shop say this time. But I have basically told him, just get your money back for the power pack and let me sort you one out. Should here back tomorrow and will report back then.
And just to everyone that commented on my question, thank you! Points and all that will be sorted soon
Cheers
Jon
This was the same company who told him his other laptop he took there had a faulty mainboard and they would buy it off him for scrap. He gave it to me and I looked at it and what do you know it started, hmmm.
Anyway it is back with them, all they are interested in doing is reinstalling Windows, which I have done several times already. I am waiting for him to get back to me on what the shop say this time. But I have basically told him, just get your money back for the power pack and let me sort you one out. Should here back tomorrow and will report back then.
And just to everyone that commented on my question, thank you! Points and all that will be sorted soon
Cheers
Jon
ASKER
Hi,
Haven't forgotten about this, will sort points now, basically the shop messed him around, they said they had a new power pack and wanted to reinstall windows, then when he went to collect it, they said that the drivers for windows weren't installed(they were I did them), then they said it was still running slow but couldn't get a power pack, hmmmm, but they told him last week they had a power pack that was the right voltage etc.
Anyway he has got his money back and I am doing the work for him.
Thanks to everyone who commented on this problem :)
Jon
Haven't forgotten about this, will sort points now, basically the shop messed him around, they said they had a new power pack and wanted to reinstall windows, then when he went to collect it, they said that the drivers for windows weren't installed(they were I did them), then they said it was still running slow but couldn't get a power pack, hmmmm, but they told him last week they had a power pack that was the right voltage etc.
Anyway he has got his money back and I am doing the work for him.
Thanks to everyone who commented on this problem :)
Jon
2. Set power settings to "Always On", could be the power settings are stepping the CPU down in speed.