help! my computer is acting up!

Im a new user first post and alland i need a little help. Normally i dont like to use forums b/c i can't always get responses and I don't like getting help from other people but when your computer is being as... useless as mine you start to rethink your choices. anyways heres some of the problems with my computer

1. My CD drive is broken... Whenever i insert any disk into y main CD drive (D: drive) for more than about three minutes my computer has a fit and resets itself. Its not like it tells me windows is shutting down or anything its like someone hit the powerbar on and off.

2. For some reason recently i havn't been able to run any SetUp.Exe files, and i dont have half a clue why, i noticed it the other day when i was trying to install Half-Life, so i could play Counter-Strike and some of the mods. Well that wasn't going to happen b/c my computer wont start the setup, however it works on my other computer. (this is installing through my E: drive) I also noticed it yesterday when i tried to use a setup.exe in one of my game folders... my computer just makes a noise like its trying to do something and then gives up and does nothing.

3. My computer seems to have some abnormal slowness to it... sometimes it works and at other times it's slow as a sloth... I play WC3 alot and it does fine most of the time (aside from another problem i am going to post) and it doesnt lag... but sometimes after ive been using certain programs like MSN or Steam or anything that runs in the little area where icons like that go my computer seems to get som wierd lag after i turn them off.

4. My computer keeps trying to install Microsoft Programs like Microsoft word and stuff like that every time i begin a conversation on MSN or when i use a search in My computer using Ctrl+F to find things.

5. The final problem i am experiencing is that my Internet seems to have some wierd problems. When nobody else on my network is even running a game or just using MSN or even playing POGO i get some nonsense lag which makes me completely drop from my WC3 games or stops my downloads. Its more noticable on downloads b/c of course i cannot restart them and when it does it... well lets just say i almost "kill" my computer because it stops in the middle of all these downloads when im trying to fix things. My internet service comes from Rogers Cable, and i have the High Speed. The only reason that rogers will give me is that its low bandwidth. The thing is, is that all of my friends are running Rogers High Speed or just the plain internet service and all of them are on routers and they dont seem to have this problem. They all say that they run Limewire, Xbox live, and have msn on the computer with lime wire, and have another one running a game and they never have this problem. The problem started when they issued new modems free of charge...

If anyone has any fixes to these problems then i would be very happy to hear suggestions... I'm currently running Windows Xp Professional with service pack 2, i have an Intel Pentium III, 804 Mhz processor, with 512 ram, My internet provider is Rogers High Speed internet (Cable) and I am using a Linksys router to split my internet service between 3 computers, the main one that is always running a MMORPG (my dads) the secondary(mine mostly running online games) and my brothers, which is pretty much used for MSN. Now... SOMEONE HELP ME!

 

Oh i have another problem, My recycle bin apparently thinks the folder/file WINDOWS is in it and keeps asking me if i want to delete it... i said no a few times and got fed up and told it yes... it doesnt even go away so yea i have alot of problems lol... someone help

 

DANGIT! i forgot to address another problem that i have... for some reason my computer will not defragment... it tells me that theres something wrong with a file and to run the chkdsk utility... i did that and told it to fix the problem and now it still doesnt run grrr... maybe i should just buy a new computer.... oh well anyways if anyone needs more specifications to help me thats fine just post what you need and how to get it and ill get it for you my computer is so sad...

 

With all those problems, I would seriously consider a format.

I normally don't like suggesting that, but your case is an extreme one.

 

well thanks :S ive been trying to avoid that lol cuz i cant find anyone to help me with it but ok one thing tho do you have any suggestions / possible things wrong with my cable lol

 

Hello - before you throw it out the window or format have you tried deleting all the tmp files and other gunk that accumulates over time? If XP cannot flex it's muscles outside of the RAM on your system (ie spare hard drive space) you run into multiple problems. Try that and as soon as you can install crapcleaner and emptemp programs and use them frequently to clean out the rubbish
Hope it all works out for you
Robert

 

Have you checked for viruses/spyware problems first? You may want to do a couple online scans..., or follow the stickys on it.

 

This is the definition of Bit Rot!


I VOte.....Reformat and reinstall!!!

You nightmare will be over! Will not take you that long!