Pc Very Slow; Wp Freezes; Wtm Multiplies Self

Where to begin? Multiple problems. I think there is something wrong with something in Windows.

SYSTEM AND APPLICATION INFORMATION:

From Systems Properties:
∙ MS Windows XP, Home edition, version 2002, SP2
∙ Computer: Intel Celeron CPU 1.80 GHz, then 1.79 GHz, 128 of Ram

Capacity: 27.91 GB. Free space: 21.80 GH (78%)

Virtual memory
∙ recommended: 189 MB
∙ have set it to 300 Initial, 500 max to decrease Page File usage from over 70% down to about 50%, though there is no noticeable difference in the way the PC operates

Applications/Devices:
∙ Internet: Internet Explorer 6, then Internet Explorer 7, now Mozilla Firefox
∙ Word processing: WordPerfect 10 [WP10]
∙ Antivirus: was something, then was Norton Antivirus 2007, now AVG Anti-virus
∙ Spyware: was Spyware Doctor, now Ad Aware se Personal
∙ Printers: was Lexmark Z515, then was essentially same Lexmark but different number, now HP Deskjet 3940

PROBLEM #1 - PRINT JOB FREEZES WP10:

Usually when I order a print job from WP10, WP freezes up and the document does not get printed. Windows Task Manager [WTM] shows that CPU Usage does not go high.

I have not had any problem printing anything from the Internet.

Occasionally I can print a document from WP, but it is rare I am able to do this. WP freezes and I have to close it down at least 15 times for every document I actually get printed.

I can tell ahead of time to some degree whether the problem will arise.
∙ If the Print window opens fairly quickly [rare] + I click the Print button QUICKLY + WTM shows my CPU Usage to be extremely low, I MAY be able to print the document.
∙ If any one element above is not present, for sure WP will freeze up.
∙ If the Print window opens slowly, the problem will occur.
∙ If CPU Usage shows on the WTM icon in the Notification Area, WP will freeze.
∙ If I take the minimal amount of time to change the print range [to current page, say] or just leave the print window open a bit before clicking Print, WP will freeze.

A friend of mine bought a new Notebook and WP12. I uninstalled WP10 from my PC and installed WP12 to see if the problem would still exist. It did. [I then uninstalled WP12 and reinstalled my own WP10.]

I had this problem on my old Lexmark Z515 printer. [It also did not print envelopes.] The Lexmark died and I replaced it with essentially the same printer with a different number. It had exactly the same problem [and still would not print envelopes.] So I returned the new Lexmark and got a HP Deskjet 3940 Printer. It prints envelopes. But it, too, does not print documents when WP freezes after ordering a print job.

PROBLEM #2 - OPENING WORDPERFECT 10 FILE FREEZES WP:

On Dec 21 I saved a document in WordPerfect 10. I have not been able to open it since, though I have tried to repeatedly.

Each time I try to open it, CPU Usage shoots to 100% and stays there. WP freezes.

The document is just 37.4 KB, about 5-6 pages. It is all text except for one small Table (about 15 cells, each with a bit of text inside).

PROBLEM #3 - PC LOGS OFF ON ITS OWN:

On Dec 23 I used the code CTRL-O to open a file or CTRL-P to try to print a doc. [I forget which].

A message box appeared: wpwin10.exe-DLL initialization failed. The application failed to initialize because the window status is shutting down.

Astonishingly, the PC on its own proceeded to log off my account and took me to the log on screen. I am the sole user of the PC and do not log on so it took me a moment to recognize what it was. The PC did this all on its own.

PROBLEM #4 - WTM REPLICATES + FREEZES PC:

Sometimes when the PC is turned on, Windows Task Manager [WTM] duplicates itself repeatedly.

Once the PC is turned on and before any program is opened, there will ordinarily be 30-35 processes running. When the WTM problem occurs, the number of processes will run from 60 to 122, with all the additional ones being WTM. Needless to say, everything becomes EXCEEDINGLY slow and sometimes the PC freezes completely [including the clock!]

When the PC is not entirely frozen, I use WTM and click End Task to close each of the WTMs. Then I can run WP and the Internet.

PROBLEM #5 - SYSTEM IS SLOW:

My system is slow. WP is slower than the Internet, but they are both slow.

I know the 128 MB RAM is considered to be “light”, but I do not run a lot of programs. Typically I run WP10 and the Internet. I now always have Windows Task Manager open. The system in the past has run much faster than it does now.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled WP10 and also WP12. It makes no difference.

I have had 3 different antivirus programs and 2 different spyware programs. There is no appreciable difference.

There has been some noticeable difference with respect to Internet browser. I “upgraded” from Internet Explorer 6 to IE7, which I found to be slow. So I switched to Mozilla Firefox. It is faster than IE7 but still not really fast. I really think the problem there is IE7, not my PC.

I have increased my virtual memory. 189 MB is recommended. I have set it to 300 MB initial, to 500 MB maximum. This has decreased the Page File Usage percentage, and gotten rid of the messages about increasing my virtual memory. It has not made any appreciable difference in the speed of WP or the Internet, however.

What do I mean by slow? It sometimes takes a full minute [or sometimes longer, much longer] for CTRL-O to open the Open File window in WP10, or for CTRL-N to open a New blank document. This is with only WP10 and WTM open. I just opened the Open File window, taking about half a minute. Here is the info I took from the Performance Tab of WTM immediately after this:
∙ CPU Usage 4%. Page File Usage 179 MB
∙ Totals: Handles 6941. Threads 337. Processes 32
∙ Commit Charge (K): Total 183504. Limit 425272. Peak 248004
∙ Physical Memory (K): Total 129520. Available 49476. System Cache 39160
∙ Kernel Memory (K): Total 41284. Paged 37080. Nonpaged 4204
∙ Processes 33. CPU Usage 4%. Commit charge 183.../425... [43%]

BACKGROUND INFORMATION - ANTIVIRUS:

Yes, I have checked for viruses and spyware.

In the last 3 months I have installed and run full antivirus scans by Norton, AVG, Vcleaner and some other antivirus program. Only one antivirus program is installed at a time: the one before Norton [memory fails me], then Norton, [then Vcleaner sweep], now AVG.

Windows Task Manager [WTM] tells me that AVG does not take as many resources as Norton did, but I cannot say I see any difference in the functioning of the PC. I still have the problems with slowness, print jobs freezing WP, not being able to open the one WP file. I cannot say if the WTM problem still exists, as I just installed AVG today.

I had Spyware Doctor, then got rid of it to lighten the demand on the PC to make it faster and relied on the spyware program with Norton, then added Ad-Aware. Nothing has been found.

By the way, the problem with a print job freezing WP occurs even when there is no antivirus program installed. I checked it today between uninstalling Norton and installing AVG.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION - SERIOUS PROBLEM:

Three months or so ago I first became aware that the PC was slowing down. I noticed that it was slow in comparison with a friend’s new Notebook (1.79 GHz, the same as mine; 448 MB RAM, almost 4 times mine). It seemed to me that my PC had been faster in the past.

Then a problem arose that grew geometrically. I did not know about WTM then. I now think the problem was that a lot of WTMs were running and I did not know that was the problem [or part of the problem], nor how to get rid of them. Everything became SUPER-EXTREMELY slow and the PC kept freezing. Over a period of several days the PC became essentially non-operational. Norton full scans found nothing. Same for its predecessor.

I had a tech come to my place because I essentially could do nothing. He suggesting “hosing” the system, saying it was clear that a virus had infected the system. He ran no diagnostic tests that I could see and did not open WTM. In all honesty, he may have tried to but the system was so unresponsive that nothing opened.

It took me 12 hours to copy my files to CD. This was not because I had so many files, but because I could only copy things in little tiny batches at a time. Otherwise the PC froze. [I subsequently copied the same files from the PC and it took less than half an hour.] This to me is an indication of how little memory I had available to use because of whatever was causing the problem. [The difference in the total size of the files at the 2 different times would be negligible.]

The system was hosed and Windows XP reinstalled. It was updated. WP was reinstalled. Norton was downloaded again. My files were copied back.

After this, the system ran much faster than it had recently, but it was still slow.

Occasionally when WP has frozen a couple of times, the next time it opens very quickly. Perhaps it is because of using cache memory. In any event, when it opens “very quickly” by today’s standards, it is more like it used to be in the more distant past. Everything takes longer in WP than it should. The same for the Internet, but it is not as slow as WP is.

ADDITIONAL INFO GLADLY PROVIDED

What additional info can I provide you so that you can assist me? Whatever it is, just let me know. Please also let me know where to find it, and if there is any way to automatically have it copied (for “long” stuff.) Thank you for your assistance.

**************

NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON OLD PROBLEMS

Multiple WTMs - Speed Improved - Can Print

This morning [Dec 24] I followed my usual procedure of turning on the PC, then some time later returning to launch WTM before launching WP and the Internet.

Even before the WTM window opened (but after launching it), multiple WTM icons appeared in the Notification Area. WTM showed 42 processes, with CPU Usage 100%, Page File Usage was under 50%. The only applications shown on WTM were 10 WTMs. I closed each one with End Task.

Now down to 32 processes, I launched WP and the Internet. To my surprise, they opened up quickly. [This is the way they used to open.]

I quickly printed a document that I had been wanting to print. It printed! I then printed a second document I had been wanting to print. It also printed!

Opening File Freezes WP

I then tried to open the file that refuses to open. CPU Usage shot to 100% and stayed there. The file would not open. I went to Event Viewer. It did not show any Application Hang error for the day yet. I am able to maneuver around the Control Panel with no problem despite CPU Usage showing 100% in WTM. Same with the Internet. WP is frozen, though Event Viewer does not show it. Apparently it only lists an item after it has been closed, not while it is frozen but still “open”.

WTM Performance tab readings with CPU Usage at 100%
∙ CPU Usage 100%. Page File Usage 214 MB
∙ Totals: Handles 7081. Threads 357. Processes 32.
∙ Commit Charge: Total 219552. Limit 425272. Peak 249644
∙ Physical Memory (K): Total 129520. Available 32240. System Cach3 30512.
∙ Kernel Memory (K): Total 41968. Paged 37148. Nonpaged 4820.
∙ Commit Charge: [48%]

WTM shows 2 icons for WP, each showing Not Responding. One has the WP icon and goes to the process wpwin10.exe. The other has a WTM icon and goes to process explorer.exe. This is routine. I close WP using End Task.

I go to Event Viewer. Now it does show 2 Application Hang errors.

One of the errors is Event ID 1002, category (101). Description: Hanging application wpwin10.exe, version 10.0.0.696, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000. For more info, see Help and Support Center.

The other error is Event ID 1001, no category specified. Description: Fault bucket 22880387. For more info, see Help and Support Center.

Help and Support Center on Event ID 1002: The explanation: Program stopped responding. Matching event with Event ID 1001 might appear in log, displaying info re specific error. Are no articles on error or event message.
∙ Product: Windows operating system
∙ Event ID: 1001
∙ Source: Application Hang
∙ Version: 5.2
∙ Symbolic name: DW_BUCKET_LOG
∙ Message: Fault bucket %1

Help and Support Center on Event ID 1001: The explanation: Refers to an article on Internet Explorer 6 closing unexpectedly, error in the Mshtml.dll file. Has an article on when you visit a web pae that uses a custom pop-up object, IE6 closes unexpectedly and generates an error in the Mshtml.dll file. This problem occurs after you install security update 918899 on WinXP SP2 based computer. An update is available. To resolve, install security update 922760 or 923996.
∙ Product: Windows operating system
∙ Event ID: 1002
∙ Source: Application Hang
∙ Version: 5.2
∙ Symbolic name: ER_BUCKET_LOG
∙ Message: Hanging application %1, version %2, hang module %3, version %4, hang address 0%5

I checked out those update messages. They may cause other problems per the article so I have done nothing yet. I do have IE7 installed on the computer, but have not used IE7 since installing Mozilla Firefox. When WP froze, I was trying to open a file in WP, not using the Internet. The Internet was open, but it was Mozilla Firefox, not IE.

I reopen WP. I can print a document.

New Problem - Event Viewer Non-Responsive

WTM shows the following applications: Internet (Firefox), WP and Event Viewer. All are shown as running. [The WTM window is also open.]

When I click the Event Viewer button on the Taskbar, Event Viewer appears on top but it does not activate. Nothing is activated! I can see 3 windows displaying in part: WP, Event Viewer, and WTM. Each has a dulled blue title bar.

I click on Event Viewer but it does not activate. I cannot do anything with it. I right click the Event Viewer button on the Taskbar. All that does is bring Event Viewer to the foreground of the screen. It does not raise a menu where I can click on Close, as a right click normally does. The Event Viewer window in the foreground is not activated, though in its appearing in the foreground the WP screen in the background becomes deactivated [dull blue title bar].

[When WP freezes, WTM shows it as Not Responding. It shows Event Viewer as Running, though in fact it is unresponsive.]

I close Event Viewer using the End Task button on WTM. I go to Event Viewer. It has the 2 error messages for this event.

One is Event ID 1002. Description: Hanging application mmc.exe, version 5.1.2600.2180, hang module hungapp, version version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000. For more help, see Help + Support Center.

The other error is Event ID 1001, no category specified. Description: Fault bucket 126818269. For more info, see Help and Support Center.

Help and Support Center has the same messages for these as for the events described above.

Event Viewer closes this time.

I check the Internet for the above Fault bucket numbers. At least one other person has had the problem with the Event Viewer becoming non-responsive after going to Microsoft to check out an error message. Otherwise nothing much.

DEFRAG DONE

I have not mentioned this before, but I have recently defragged my PC. No discernible difference in performance before and after.

PRINT JOB FREEZES WP

I try to print a document. It freezes WP. Same old story. WTM shows CPU Usage 100% but can use Control Panel, Internet.

Close WP using End Task in WTM. Event Viewer shows same error messages as before.

This time when I closed WP both icons in WTM had a WP icon. Still, one would go to process explorer.exe, and the other to wpwin10.exe. I have noticed that in the past also. Sometimes the icons are both WP icons, sometimes one is a WTM icon. Always one goes to explorer and the other to wp as a process.

So here I am 2 hours after beginning all this. I am so sick and tired of this.

 

Quite a bit of info in here, and I didn't get through it all.

One thing: 128mb of ram is not enough. Your swap file size is insufficient. Windows XP can, and usually does, use more ram than that on initial boot. Let windows manage it with that little of ram.

My apologies if I missed this. Can you print from notepad, or wordpad? This would establish if its directly a Wordperfect, or printer problem.

Have you gone through the printer properties and check the ports tab to see if spooling is enabled. Try it both ways.

Edit: I finished reading your post, and aside from the oddness of the multiple task managers popping up the one time (sounds like virus activity), I'm still convinced that your ram is insufficient. I know what the min reqs are for XP, but every machine I've ever used with that little of ram and XP...responded like how you describe.

 

However, I have to agree that getting rid of Norton is a good step towards lowering resource consumption.... nowhere did zbd21 say, "because I don't like it"... it WAS directed towards resolving the problem.

I also agree 128MB RAM doesn't cut it. Top recommendation would be a hardware upgrade. (alternatively, you can install Windows 2000 with a valid Windows XP license... that should run alright on that much RAM, but support is being phased out)

However, remaining malware-free is a must for performance! You may want to follow the instructions in the malware removal thread.

You may also want to consider the recommendations in this post to minimize the number of background processes that are tying up memory addresses and CPU time.

 

UPDATE ON PROBLEMS AND THANK YOU

First of all, thank you to those who have posted replies.

What I have done since my last post:
∙ Upgraded from 128 MB RAM to 640 MB RAM
∙ Uninstalled and reinstalled WordPerfect
∙ Repaired [rather than clean install] Windows XP Home [complete with updates, etc.]

Current problems:
∙ Sometimes WordPerfect still freezes on a print job. Much less so than before.
∙ The one WordPerfect file still will not open - it freezes WordPerfect instead.
∙ NEVER MENTIONED BEFORE: Cannot get CNN videos [the free ones] to play. I do have Windows Media Player and it works on some things. [I have Mozilla Firefox as my browser]

Speed now is just fine.

I have not had the Windows Task Manager duplicating problem for a while.

YOUR HELP REQUESTED:

1. Should I do a clean install to see if it takes care of the remaining problems? I never have done one before on my own and am a bit nervous about it. Anything I should be alert for?

2. What do I need to do to get the CNN videos to play?

Thanks again

 

To be honest, I stopped using WP because of its random lockups.

As for the file that refuses to open, it may be corrupt. You should see if there are any Wordperfect file viewers out there for download.

As for the video issue, little things do come up with repairs. What version of IE are you using (assuming thats your browser)?

 

I have IE7 installed but do not use it. I use Mozilla Firefox. I cannot get CNN free videos to play on either IE7 or on Firefox

 

Ok, any firewalls of any sort?

Try this.

Go into Internet Options, advanced.


Uncheck enable third party browser extensions and restart IE.

Any luck?

 

OK, I now can get the free CNN videos on IE7. Thank you for the info.

Do you know what I would need to do to have them play on Mozilla Firefox? I prefer to use it, but am willing to open IE7 on those occasions when I do look at a video. There is no comparable setting in Mozilla's Options to the setting you mention in IE7's Internet Options.

The only firewall I have is the Windows XP one. It is on.

Thank you again.

 

The following may help with the ff issue with cnn:

link for more info:

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=381675

 

Well, the thing with IE is, you disabled every addon it has. I'd now re-enable them, then go to manage addons and find out which one it is, by disabling them, systematically.

Similarly, you can disable extensions in Firefox.

 

Thank you for the posts.

***

To Theefool:

I followed your steps and still get no video on Firefox. What next?

***

To Adrynaline:

I do not understand what you are saying. I now get the CNN video on IE7, so why should I do anything more about IE’s extensions? What I want is to get the CNN video on Firefox, my preferred browser. Would disabling some extension in Firefox achieve this? If so, which extension?

***

Thank you again for any help you can provide.

 

Its possible disabling FF extensions will do the trick.

As for IE, its kind of like running in Safe Mode. Sure, it works, but if you ever find an addon for IE that you want to use, you will not be able to.

Ultimately, tis your choice.