System is very slow ONLY when using network connections
This is an XP SP2 laptop, 1.86 Pentium M, 1GB RAM, that has recently begun working very slowly ONLY when it is either:
1) Connected to an office network using a CAT5 cable
---or---
2) Connected to an internet connect using it's wireless connection.
And by slow, I don't just mean internet apps (which are often slow and unresponsive), but also standard apps on the C: drive. For example, when connected either of these two ways, it will take 25 seconds to bring up MS Word, and 30 seconds to bring up Adobe reader. I can do it twice in a row (i.e. without rebooting) and it takes that long each time. Then, I can unplug the CAT5 cable, and it will bring up these apps instantly, literally, just like it did in the past. I can then plug back in the CAT5 cable, again without rebooting, and we're back to 25-30 seconds every time.
And things I try to do on this laptop while connected using the wired or wireless are often sluggish and non-responsive for long periods of time, like 15 - 60 seconds, such as opening documents, scrolling through e-mails, etc.
If I am in a hotel, connected to their network wirelessly, the way I can 'solve' this speed problem is by disabling the wireless card.
Note that there are no problems if I connect to the Internet via AOL dialup, or if I use my cell phone as a modem (connected to my laptop via USB). In those cases I'm connected to the internet just fine, and all my apps work fast like normal.
For the past few weeks, it's been doing this only when I travel, and was fine on our office network. But now it's having the same problems connected to our office network, and doing a restore back to when it was OK (last week) does not solve the problem.
Any ideas what I can try? TIA
1) Connected to an office network using a CAT5 cable
---or---
2) Connected to an internet connect using it's wireless connection.
And by slow, I don't just mean internet apps (which are often slow and unresponsive), but also standard apps on the C: drive. For example, when connected either of these two ways, it will take 25 seconds to bring up MS Word, and 30 seconds to bring up Adobe reader. I can do it twice in a row (i.e. without rebooting) and it takes that long each time. Then, I can unplug the CAT5 cable, and it will bring up these apps instantly, literally, just like it did in the past. I can then plug back in the CAT5 cable, again without rebooting, and we're back to 25-30 seconds every time.
And things I try to do on this laptop while connected using the wired or wireless are often sluggish and non-responsive for long periods of time, like 15 - 60 seconds, such as opening documents, scrolling through e-mails, etc.
If I am in a hotel, connected to their network wirelessly, the way I can 'solve' this speed problem is by disabling the wireless card.
Note that there are no problems if I connect to the Internet via AOL dialup, or if I use my cell phone as a modem (connected to my laptop via USB). In those cases I'm connected to the internet just fine, and all my apps work fast like normal.
For the past few weeks, it's been doing this only when I travel, and was fine on our office network. But now it's having the same problems connected to our office network, and doing a restore back to when it was OK (last week) does not solve the problem.
Any ideas what I can try? TIA
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are your sure that all network connection setting are good?
i guess you have some connection setting for every connection type you use,right?
i guess you have some connection setting for every connection type you use,right?
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wow!!! GOT ZONE ALARM?!
this could be it! i used to use ZA but since last update it became pain in the neck!
apps took almost 1 minute to load and the machine started to work fine after remove it.
could be the same effect by other AV software too...
this could be it! i used to use ZA but since last update it became pain in the neck!
apps took almost 1 minute to load and the machine started to work fine after remove it.
could be the same effect by other AV software too...
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I also forgot to mention that when this is happening I have often gone to task manager--and found that nothing at all was running consistently; various tasks would take 2% or 3% now and then, but that's about it.
I will report back soon.