Windoze experts - help!!

[cashflyer]

I came into the office on Sunday and started up my computer... well, tried to start it. Lots of screens flew past with something about chkdsk - then nothing.

I had to "restore" to a save point from Saturday just to get it running, but immediately found most of my programs would not run or would crash. A windows screen popped up that indicates the HD had suffered some sort of failure that corrupted a lot of data.

I finally ended up going with a format and reinstall today. Lot's of lost productivity that has not ended yet, as I still have to reinstall a lot of other software that I use. I lost a lot of my personal stuff (porsche, porn, etc) but luckily, I have backups of all the business stuff.

My question, and why I need help, is that my internet connectivity is now dreadfully slow.

No hardware changes, latest drivers for the NIC, etc. I double checked my NIC settings against the other computers in the office, and they all are correct. But there is definately something wrong.

Other computers on the network, running through the same router and modem, are connecting fine. Connection to the LAN is fine. Just internet seems effected.

Most visable symptom is that when I open a browser and try to go to a website, it "looks for the site" for a long time before finding it. Then every time I change the page, like when I hit this "submit" button in a second, it starts looking again.

What am I missing or forgetting?

This wouldn't bother me too much if it just meant slow surfing for BS. In fact, that would probably motivate me to get some work done. But the problem is that a good deal of business is conducted via internet. (IE: all my invoicing, quoting, scheduling, etc...)

[slodave]

Your hard drive may be almost dead. Chkdsk runs when there is corruption on the hard drive due to improper shut down or when sectors on the hard drive itself become bad. Any data stored to these bad sectors will be lost. Reinstalling widows won't help the problem if the hard drive is bad. It'll die again.

Slow response by your computer can also mean a bad HDD.

Dave

[slodave]

Go to this site
scroll down the page to "Drive Fitness Test" and download the "Diskette creator for Windows OS" Do this from another computer and make a floppy disk. This test will test the drive and report if it is bad.

Dave

[Moneyguy1]

An excellent argument for multiple copies of data.

Or (perish the thought) paper copies of everything.

My computer (Compaq) seems to be temp sensitive and cannot be trusted. Floppies are a lifesaver!!

[slodave]

Actually, floppies suck. They are unreliable, but they are good to make diag disks. Storing to CD/DVD or some other long term format is better.

[Moneyguy1]

DVDs have their problems as well, sad to say. They are not as "permanent" as we would like to think (then again, what is?)

[cashflyer]

I certainly don't object to giving that app a try, however I have already run a similar (and highly rated) utility for that same purpose and it turned up no drive problems.

Also, the computer overall has not slowed down at all. Only the internet browsing.

[cashflyer]

This may be purely a internet browsing problem.

More symptom descriptions:
When I first go to a site, such as PP, the browser has a significant lag before it "finds" the site. Once there, I can go from page to page at normal speed.

If I surf away, say to Google, then I get the lag again before pulling up the google search window. Let;s say I search for "slow browser". I get the lag, then the results... but once the results are up I can go from page to page at normal speed.

Now let's say I go back to PP. It forgot where PP was, so I get the big lag again until it finally pulls up the page.

This is happening in both IE and FF.

Email seems to be sending and receiving as normal, so I don't think this is a problem with my NIC or my connection.

[Scott R]

Originally posted by cashflyer
This may be purely a internet browsing problem.

More symptom descriptions:
When I first go to a site, such as PP, the browser has a significant lag before it "finds" the site. Once there, I can go from page to page at normal speed.

If I surf away, say to Google, then I get the lag again before pulling up the google search window. Let;s say I search for "slow browser". I get the lag, then the results... but once the results are up I can go from page to page at normal speed.

Now let's say I go back to PP. It forgot where PP was, so I get the big lag again until it finally pulls up the page.

This is happening in both IE and FF.

Email seems to be sending and receiving as normal, so I don't think this is a problem with my NIC or my connection.

Few things from a professional standpoint, do not rule out a bad drive just because a software diag says it's good, slodave is giving you some good advice here. Internet browsing caches a lot of information to the drive while you surf, and if the drive is having issues, which is what prompts a chkdsk in the first place you could have slow browsing.

Second thing, I know you said you verified your network settings, but how far did you drill down? Did you check your speed and duplex? A new driver can default to something goofy like 10/full or 100/half and cause you a truckload of collisions during over the wire transactions. I would also add that if you’re set to "auto negotiate" you should still hard code the setting to your router anyway. Your email may seem as quick because it only contacts the server on an timed interval, whereas browsing is instant request scenario.

[cashflyer]

I did not mean to dismiss daves advice, only to point out that I have run a diags program similar to the one he suggested. I am taking several precautions as I do not trust the drive at this time. All data has remained backed up, and I will be very vigilant about that.

Meanwhile, I have partially found the problem. I found this in a FireFox forum. Online updating to XP service pack 2 automatically saddles you with Microsoft IPv6. The thread explained how to disable it in the firefox config. Now my FF browser runs like a top. Could probably do 165 with the top off.

Now if I could only figure out how to remedy the problem with IE. Unfortunately, some of my applications require that IE be working.

[slodave]

For IE, goto Tools-> Internet Options-> Connections-> Lan Settings and make sure that "Automatically Detect Settings" is not checked. If it is, it can cause a delay in IE.

Dave

[cashflyer]

Nope... it's unchecked.

And if I enter an IP into the address bar instead of a name address, the browser hops right to it with no delay.

The problem is definately a DNS resolution issue.

[slodave]

You can try this little program that can fix damaged TCP stacks. Pretty easy to run, just launch it and if it says "No problems found", well, I am out of ideas for the moment.

Dave

[cashflyer]

Fixed. (I hope)

Even though I had IPv6 "disabled", since it is a Microsoft item the Microsoft software was still using it.

I have now uninstalled IPv6 and IE seems to be up to snuff now.

[Scott R]

Originally posted by cashflyer
I did not mean to dismiss daves advice, only to point out that I have run a diags program similar to the one he suggested. I am taking several precautions as I do not trust the drive at this time. All data has remained backed up, and I will be very vigilant about that.

Meanwhile, I have partially found the problem. I found this in a FireFox forum. Online updating to XP service pack 2 automatically saddles you with Microsoft IPv6. The thread explained how to disable it in the firefox config. Now my FF browser runs like a top. Could probably do 165 with the top off.

Now if I could only figure out how to remedy the problem with IE. Unfortunately, some of my applications require that IE be working.

Along with disabling IP6 I would also remove QOS Packet scheduler, both have issues with certain type of network traffic. QOS was meant to help the average dial-up users, but it stinks on WAN applications of certain types.

[cashflyer]

Thanks. Will take that one off also!

[LeRoux Strydom]

Don't mean to hijack, but where so I find this IPv6 and QoS Packet stuff you guys talk about to disable/uninstall them?

[slodave]

Originally posted by LeRoux Strydom
Don't mean to hijack, but where so I find this IPv6 and QoS Packet stuff you guys talk about to disable/uninstall them?

XP: Start-> Setting-> Network Connections

Double-click Local Area Connection or Wireless Network Connection, then go to the properties of either and uninstall.

Dave