Safe Mode Fine, Normal Mode laggy

[MichaelsComputerServices]

Have a computer on the bench that first came saying it wouldn't boot. They said it happened after they went to Office Depot and download some scans that they had made or pictures, something along that line. Safe mode, at first would just not work and restart the computer and no normal mode. Got safe mode fixed by doing a system restore using ERD, but then still couldn't get into normal mode, it'd just lock up. I have a full backup so began digging deeper. This has Windows XP Pro so I just ended up doing a repair install to regain access into normal mode. Well now the issue is that in normal mode it is super slow and if you hit the start button it is just very laggy and the icons behind it reload slow. I have disabled startup items and services, with no change. I also have tested the RAM and hard drive to be fine. Scanned with Kaspersky Rescue Disk, Malwarebytes, TDSSkiller, Combofix. Ran a fixboot and fixmbr. Next on the list it to run a SFC. Any ideas what to do after that?

 

[davidsonmg]

Hardware?

Have you tested the hardware? Testing the hard drive and looking at the physical condition of the motherboard would be my first steps. Make sure their are no bad sectors on the drive and also no leaking capacitors on the board.

 

[MichaelsComputerServices]

Yes, like I said I have tested RAM and hard drive. Motherboard looks clean. I think it's driver related given everything I've done.

 

[davidsonmg]

Missed that sentence, sorry. Could possibly be driver related, that's worth a shot. How did SFC work out?

 

[codegreen]

Check running processes in normal mode. Any runaway processes eating up resources?

 

[coffee]

I would start by booting another operating system. See if the problem is software or hardware related. Then go from there. If its windows Then I would fire up msconfig and do a minimal load or look thru the programs loading at start up.

coffee

 

[seedubya]

What version of XP? What SP? How much RAM? What processor? Hard drive PATA or SATA? How full is it? Is the swap file enabled and correctly sized? What does process explorer show you? What AV is running? Is there more than one?

 

[MichaelsComputerServices]

What version of XP? What SP? How much RAM? What processor? Hard drive PATA or SATA? How full is it? Is the swap file enabled and correctly sized? What does process explorer show you? What AV is running? Is there more than one?

XP Pro, SP2, 4GB RAM, AMD Athlon X2, Sata HD with 100GB free. Swap is fine. Both processor explorer and autoruns give "c000021a fatal system error subsystem system process" .

 

[MichaelsComputerServices]

I would start by booting another operating system. See if the problem is software or hardware related. Then go from there. If its windows Then I would fire up msconfig and do a minimal load or look thru the programs loading at start up.

coffee

I have booted to Parted Magic and everything runs fine, as well as safe modes.

 

[codegreen]

Both processor explorer and autoruns give "c000021a fatal system error subsystem system process" .

Try it with plain ol' Task Manager.

 

[coffee]

I have booted to Parted Magic and everything runs fine, as well as safe modes.

Cool. I think this below tells the tale..

Both processor explorer and autoruns give "c000021a fatal system error subsystem system process

Hard to tell you what it is when I cannot have my hands on it. However, Thats the basic flow plan I follow along with a disk check and chkdsk.

coffee

 

[MichaelsComputerServices]

Try it with plain ol' Task Manager.

Did, around 70% cpu and like 1/3 memory usage. Nothing stand out.

 

[MichaelsComputerServices]

Anyone have experience if a bad CPU would cause normal mode to act laggy? It was having some overheating issues- I had to re apply thermal compound, before it was almost bare metal.

 

[Krynn72]

Anyone have experience if a bad CPU would cause normal mode to act laggy? It was having some overheating issues- I had to re apply thermal compound, before it was almost bare metal.

Yep, had this once. Chip was failing, replaced it and it worked fine. Took me forever to rule out the rest of the stuff, as its usually the absolute last thing that would cause it.

Some other strange things I've seen cause this sort of thing were bad USB ports (disabled in device manager fixed it), bad PCI modem cards, and random faulty drivers. I'd definitely take the advice on booting a more substantial Linux distro and seeing if you get anything similar still so you could rule out drivers and any other software. Not sure I'd trust Parted Magic as a reliable test for this kind of thing. How are the temps now that you redid the thermal paste? And 70% CPU is pretty high for idling. I'd start killing some auto-starting processes with Autoruns if you can get it to work in safe mode?

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

have you done a read/write hdd speed test yet? Edit: in windows i mean

 

[MichaelsComputerServices]

I had to give it back to him so he could do his invoicing, it is usable in safe mode. What runs through my mind is since it is fine in safe mode wouldn't it have to be something that doesn't run in safe mode and is running in normal mode? I have disabled all the services and startup options and it was still doing it in normal mode, I did a diagnostic startup and still was doing it. Shouldn't it lead to being a driver issue then? If it was the processor wouldn't it show the same or some signs of it in safe mode?

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

probably, but it could simply be a driver triggering a problem with hardware.

Have you done an HDD speed test? I'm not there so I don't know exactly what the slowness is but icons and start menu loading slow id strongly advise you to do an HDD speed test.

 

[MichaelsComputerServices]

probably, but it could simply be a driver triggering a problem with hardware.

Have you done an HDD speed test? I'm not there so I don't know exactly what the slowness is but icons and start menu loading slow id strongly advise you to do an HDD speed test.

Don't have it now, but wouldn't it do it in safe mode too if it was a HDD speed issue? The slowness is hard to explain, I call it a lag. If you move the mouse from point a to point b, what you see is behind your physical movements. Also, if you hit the start button and then close the start menu the icons behind it load slow, if that makes any sense.

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

Don't have it now, but wouldn't it do it in safe mode too if it was a HDD speed issue? The slowness is hard to explain, I call it a lag. If you move the mouse from point a to point b, what you see is behind your physical movements. Also, if you hit the start button and then close the start menu the icons behind it load slow, if that makes any sense.

oh thats not the hdd, if you move the mouse from point a to point b and the cursor is lagging behind thats a different ball game. is the cursor movement smooth or choppy? i'd do a passmark to see if the hardware is running smoothly because at that point id be suspecting video drivers, refresh rate, stuff like that.

 

[MichaelsComputerServices]

2/3 times it is choppy, if you move it fast it makes it worse. I tried VGA mode and it still did it, so I believe that removes the video driver as the issue.