WinXPPro problem

[theGringo]

I have a Dell computer running Widows XP Professional. I got it in August. I've been living with a problem that is driving me nuts. Whenever I try to save any kind of file (image file, document, PDF) I hit "save as" and I get the default "my documents" folder that the machine was set up with.

But I don't want to save there. I usually save temporarily to desktop, then reorganize later. When I try to change the "save to" destination, it takes FOREVER. (well, maybe two minutes). My other computers make the change almost instantly.

It's the same when opening files. When I try to change the location I'm opening from .... long delay. Might as well light a smoke and relace my shoes.

What's up with this? Can I fix it?

Man, I'm going batty.

 

[Moderator]

I am sure there is another way, but many times I just drag and drop pictures to my desktop. (Though I do not have the problem that you are speaking of)

1. Click "restore down button" the "square" middle button between "_" and "X"
2. Place your cursor over the image you want.
3. Left click on the image and drag it to your desktop.

Notes;
This will not work on all web pages and if the picture is a link you will end up with a shortcut to the link on your desktop.

 

[KimberCT]

Here's something you can try....

Hit Start then Run
Type powercfg.cpl into the box.
Change the Power Scheme to Always On.

You can also try disconnecting any external drives you have attached to the computer. Some of these like to spin down when idle, but take forever to spin back up which causes hangs like you are experiencing.

 

[shanef]

Good morning...
Try running defrag and see if that helps also when you are doing this open "task manager" and see what programs/dll are running or being loaded.....

 

[UFO]

Gringo:

From which application does this happen? You are trying to save an email attachment or what?

Each app has its own settings. This can be changed in MS Word in someplace like Tools-->Options-->File Locations.

XP settings can be changed using a free utility like TweakUI, but be careful using it.

If the lag is happening in your mail program, make sure your mailbox is lean. Too often people have hundreds of messages in their inbox.

Finally, the XP defrag utility is shite. "Diskeeper" is superior, free to try and then you buy. Its a very good utility.

 

[jdubois]

When I try to change the "save to" destination, it takes FOREVER. (well, maybe two minutes).

I think kimber is onto the same idea as I am. Does it take forever to open up when you double click the "my computer" icon also? If so, it may be a bad drive (local or network) that is causing the problem. Most often I see this caused by bad CDROM drives or network drives which can't reach the server.

 

[Brent]

I think kimber is onto the same idea as I am. Does it take forever to open up when you double click the "my computer" icon also? If so, it may be a bad drive (local or network) that is causing the problem. Most often I see this caused by bad CDROM drives or network drives which can't reach the server.

I agree with jdubois. This is often caused by a network mapping of some sort that is no longer available but still in your list. Everytime you open up explorer/my computer or something that has to populate the drive listings, it has to wait till all the drives respond. If a share is still mapped but unavailable, it will have to wait till it times out. So remove any mapped drives that are no longer there.

 

[theGringo]

Ohhhh ... Damn. This has never happened on any other computer. It's not email related. I create a Word doc and I want to save it to Desktop. I hit "save as", "save to desktop", and WAIT.

Same happens if I open an image file from any location, edit the file, and then try to save it to Desktop.

Same thing happens if I try to open any file stored on Desktop. I wait.

I can not save any file type to, or retrieve from, Desktop without a protracted delay.

I'll read through this advice when I'm not so danged frustrated. Thanks.

 

[theGringo]

Here's something you can try....

Hit Start then Run
Type powercfg.cpl into the box.
Change the Power Scheme to Always On.

You can also try disconnecting any external drives you have attached to the computer. Some of these like to spin down when idle, but take forever to spin back up which causes hangs like you are experiencing.

Hmmm ... that didn't do it.

 

[VTpro]

your memory maybe dead ( the one in the computer I mean )
google for a memory check util. and test

restart your comp to the DOS prompt and run C:\chkdsk /r

and last, you may need to DEFRAGMENT

just suggestions

 

[theGringo]

your memory maybe dead ( the one in the computer I mean )
google for a memory check util. and test

restart your comp to the DOS prompt and run C:\chkdsk /r

and last, you may need to DEFRAGMENT

just suggestions

I dunno. I'm to stupid to do some of this stuff. This issue has been present since the day the computer came out of the box and was turned on. Technology sucks.

 

[VTpro]

http://www.technologyquestions.com/technology/microsoft-office/34756-save-very-slow.html

apar

Re: save as very slow
Hi,
I actually found a way around it. I created new local user profiles. But now
that I think about it it makes perfect sense. Our terminal server was down.
Users that had a mapped drive to it had the slow 'save as' response problem.
Because this mapped drive is manually created, the new user profile did not
have the mapped drive setup and therefore the users didn't have any problems
anymore. So, I believe that disconnecting that drive would have solved my
problem.

Thanks very much!

"garfield-n-odie [MVP]" wrote:

> Right-click on the My Computer icon on the Windows desktop,
> left-click on Disconnect Network Drive, and disconnect any mapped
> drives that are not currently available.

http://www.tutorials-win.com/WindowsXP/slow-1894524/

Harlan
Tue Apr 22 06:55:03 PDT 2008

Is this a laptop?
I had a similar problem awhile ago with a DELL laptop. Ended up being dust
in the fan and heatsink. The CPU was getting too warm and slowing itself
down to keep from self destruction. I ended up having to take the heatsink
off the CPU and cleaning it all up good..... works great after that.

Harlan

http://www.techsupportforum.com/mic...783-slow-windows-xp-response.html#post1258958

What does your CPU utilization look like when you try to do something? Press ctrl+alt+del, click TASK MANAGER, then click on the performance tab. If your performance is spiking with something as simple as this, there is something else hogging your resources. If you click on the RESOURCES tab, then click on the CPU column, you can sort by the highest drain on your resources first. System Idle Process should be at the top most of the time. If something else is pegging your resources, do a GOOGLE search on the image name and that will most likely tell you what the culprit is.

or

http://help.lockergnome.com/office/Slow-quot-Save-quot-ftopict192458.html

 

[UFO]

Checkout the advice given to Lugnut.

You are sounding more and more like a spyware victim.

It is rare that memory fails, especially on a 6-month old machine.

Download and run:
- AdAware
- AVG
- Windows Defender
- CrapCleaner etc

 

[theGringo]

Checkout the advice given to Lugnut.

You are sounding more and more like a spyware victim.

It is rare that memory fails, especially on a 6-month old machine.

Download and run:
- AdAware
- AVG
- Windows Defender
- CrapCleaner etc

This really isn't a spyware problem. That's what makes it so hard to explain. I run AVG, AdAware and CCleaner regularly. It's not that the computer is slow. It's not slow. It just takes a wicked long time to "save to" Desktop, and to retrieve from Desktop. It has always been this way, even before this machine was connected to the internet. It was this way from the very first moment that the machine was plugged in, last August.

In all other respects, the machine is as fast as it ought to be.

The computer defaults to a generic "My Documents" folder for saving. I never use that folder. I always choose another folder as the destination folder. I think I'll just delete the default folder, and see if I have an easier time designating an alternative file storage location.

It seems like this machine is trying to organize my filing system for me, and when I choose to organize in a different way, the computer gets confused.

I could call Dell and ask them what is up, but I'll get some guy in Argentina or India and just end up more pissed off.

 

[UFO]

I don't recommend deleting "My Documents". It may be a protected folder anyway. If not, it will probably send XP into a seizure.

You could move your personal organizational hierarchy under My Documents. That might speed things up.

 

[shanef]

- run defrag
- run checkdsk
- run task manager when you are trying to save or retrieve and see what is running and being loaded
- if cannot find problem then rebuilt machine (I rebuilt my machine a few times a year ) Worse case is use the Dell recovery CDs and save off what you need and just reinstall everything - I hate those recovery CD becuase they are just loaded with useless junk.....