It takes good 15 seconds after the open command is given to anything from the desktop or from programes .What could be the fault and how to rectify..?

What is the operating system, and what is the configuration of the computer?

Some general things to check --

1. Does the system have an anti-virus installed that is scanning every file? Sometimes, this can slow things down quite a bit.

2. If there is no anti-virus, then it is possible that there is a virus, worm, or trojan horse on the computer which is slowing everything down.

3. When was the disk drive last de-fragmented?
Run the refrag and see how much fragmentation it is reporting.

4. Is the system running low on virtual memory and/or running out of hard-drive space?
If either (or both) are true, then that is a very likely cause of the problem.

5. Too many programs have been installed, un-installed, etc. on the computer and over a period of time a normal slowdown does happen.

Does any of this help?

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"Mah deah, there is much more money to be made in the destruction of civilization than in building it up."

-- Rhett Butler in "Gone with the Wind"

Thanks Pratickm
I have put 256 ram ,it has increased speed and have removed some programes too which has helped but the only problem still there is when a print command is given it still takes 15 seconds to execute.
Have reinstalled printer drivers but it didnt work still the delay is there.

Which program are you using the print?
Is it like Word, Excel or is it a more complex document formatting program like CorelDraw, PageMaker, etc.

Also, how is the printer connected to your computer?
Is it a direct connection like USB or serial port?
Or is it a network connection?

If printing is the only serious problem now, then try the following first -

Open Notepad and type 1 line of some text in it and try to print it.
If it still taking that long, then the likely problem is with the connectivity to the printer.
If it is a network printer, then it could be network name resolution or general network latency.

If it is a serial or USB port, then it could be a driver problem.

However, if Notepad prints fast enough, then there is an issue with the program that you are using to print, like Word, etc.
Sometimes Word/Excel, etc. take a long time to format or re-format a document for printing.
Depending on the size of the document and the formatting inside it, sometimes it can take 2 - 3 minutes for send it to the printer.

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"Mah deah, there is much more money to be made in the destruction of civilization than in building it up."

-- Rhett Butler in "Gone with the Wind"

I need some help on deciding about a new laptop I want to buy.

I have an option of two laptops that I have seen at Future Shop last evening. Both are priced at 1,499.99

1. Toshiba Satellite A 70-KL1 P4HT
Intel P4 HT 532 (3.06 GHZ)
512 RAM
40 GB HDD (4200 RPM)
CD-Burner/DVD Reader
64MB ATI Radeon 9000
15.4 WXGA TFT
Windows XP Home

2. Compaq R3240 A-64 (Open Box) - Price of new one is $1,699.99
AMD ATHLON 64 3200+
512 MB DDR SDRAM
60 GB HDD
DVD+R COMBO DRIVE
64 MB NIDIA GEFORCE 440 GO
15.4 WXGA TFT SCREEN
10/100 ETHERNET
802.11B/G INTEGRATED WR/L LAN

As explained to me by the salesman, Compaq has these advantages over the toshiba one:

1. DVD writer
2. Bigger Hard Drive (+20GB)
3. It does not have a shared RAM while the other (Toshiba) one has shared

The problem is that the open box item is a returned item (NOT a display modal) and one of the pads at the base is missing (which I think can be replaced)

Another friend of mine says that while the above advantages are there, the difference between Pentium and Athlon chips is that Athlon gets heated earlier. Since my laptop is going to be used more at desktop (in the ratio of say 75:25), that might create some problem.

I need advice from you guys which is a better deal to go with since both are priced same. Also, is it good to take a additional Future shope warranty for 3 years at between $300-350 which covers more things than manufacturers warranty (like normal wear and tear - which manufacturer does not cover)?

Could it be a nice idea to buy the Compaq open box with addtional warranty for say $300 so while I save $200 on the computer itself (compared to actual price for new one), I get 3 years warranty effectively for $100 only and so there is peace of mind.

I need the advice urgently since the open box might soon go away and the deal on Toshiba (which they say is a price below cost - they do it for some computers at times) is only upto 16th Dec or till stocks last.

All help appreciated.

Chandresh

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Chandresh

Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!

Quote:

---

Orginally posted by chandresh

I need some help on deciding about a new laptop I want to buy.

I have an option of two laptops that I have seen at Future Shop last evening. Both are priced at 1,499.99

1. Toshiba Satellite A 70-KL1 P4HT
Intel P4 HT 532 (3.06 GHZ)
512 RAM
40 GB HDD (4200 RPM)
CD-Burner/DVD Reader
64MB ATI Radeon 9000
15.4 WXGA TFT
Windows XP Home

2. Compaq R3240 A-64 (Open Box) - Price of new one is $1,699.99
AMD ATHLON 64 3200+
512 MB DDR SDRAM
60 GB HDD
DVD+R COMBO DRIVE
64 MB NIDIA GEFORCE 440 GO
15.4 WXGA TFT SCREEN
10/100 ETHERNET
802.11B/G INTEGRATED WR/L LAN

As explained to me by the salesman, Compaq has these advantages over the toshiba one:

1. DVD writer
2. Bigger Hard Drive (+20GB)
3. It does not have a shared RAM while the other (Toshiba) one has shared

The problem is that the open box item is a returned item (NOT a display modal) and one of the pads at the base is missing (which I think can be replaced)

Another friend of mine says that while the above advantages are there, the difference between Pentium and Athlon chips is that Athlon gets heated earlier. Since my laptop is going to be used more at desktop (in the ratio of say 75:25), that might create some problem.

I need advice from you guys which is a better deal to go with since both are priced same. Also, is it good to take a additional Future shope warranty for 3 years at between $300-350 which covers more things than manufacturers warranty (like normal wear and tear - which manufacturer does not cover)?

Could it be a nice idea to buy the Compaq open box with addtional warranty for say $300 so while I save $200 on the computer itself (compared to actual price for new one), I get 3 years warranty effectively for $100 only and so there is peace of mind.

I need the advice urgently since the open box might soon go away and the deal on Toshiba (which they say is a price below cost - they do it for some computers at times) is only upto 16th Dec or till stocks last.

All help appreciated.

Chandresh

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Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.

Chandresh --

My suggestion is to go for the Compaq laptop.
My reasons are below -

1. In general, Compaq makes better machines than Toshiba.
At least in my experience, I have found Toshiba to be a very inferior maker of laptops.
I've had Toshiba laptops in the past and not been happy with those at all.
For laptops, I normally go with Dell, Gateway, IBM and Compaq (in that order).

2. AMD processors have issues with certain types of applications. Intel is true Intel - you can't go wrong with Intel.

As for the laptop getting heated, I don't think that should happen.
You should set some power management options on it to make sure it is conserving power and not getting overheated.
Also, most people don't turn off laptops at all - they just shut the lid, the computer goes into power save mode and that's it.
What I am saying is that most modern machines are designed that way.

Also, I wouldn't worry about the extended warranty.
You will have at least 1 year warranty from the manufacturer.
3 additional years of warranty is not worth it because in 4 years from now, the computer is not likely to be very usable.
Technology would have progressed so far ahead that you can probably donate it to a museum

Unlike PCs, laptops are not very easy to upgrade and 4 years from now, it ain't worth that much.

Hope this helps.

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"Mah deah, there is much more money to be made in the destruction of civilization than in building it up."

-- Rhett Butler in "Gone with the Wind"