[Clean] Asus X5DC laptop running very slow.

[jontye]

Hi KenB, There is AmUStor.sys

The diskdrive status shows,

Status

OK

OK

Jontye.

[KenB]

Hi again

 

Let's try something else:

 

Take a look here and run a disk check on your C: drive.

click here

 

You will have to select - Automatically fix file system errors -first

You will need to restart. Let it complete the scan.

Try the system again.

 

If no better ... go back the the process and select - Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors

You will need to re-start.

It will take a long time to complete - maybe let it run over night ? [ Depends how big the drive is ]

[jontye]

Hi KenB, I ran the 'FIX FILE SYSTEM' last night and nothing changed with the performance, I then ran the second process, which didn't take that long, only about 20 minutes, and the performance was much better, for about an hour, then it reverted back to it's normal antics of running slow, not responding message and this afternoon the screen totally froze, even the clock stopped for about 2 minutes, on two occasions. I thought for a short time that you had cracked the problem.

Jontye.

[KenB]

Hi jonte,

 

, I then ran the second process, which didn't take that long, only about 20 minutes,

I have not known it be this quick.

 

Try running Sea-Tools again.

If it crashes I suggest Sea-Tools for DOS

 

This involves downloading an ISO version [ you will need to burn this to disk ]

Insert the disk and re-boot.

The system will then run off the disk and check the drive without booting Windows.

[ Instructions on the page]

 

click here

[jontye]

Hi KemB, Downloaded and burned to cd-rom Seatool dos, it took ages because of Seatool site 'not responding' a ton of times.

Put the CD-ROM in and rebooted, it opened up as normal windows desktop, I could hear the E-Drive whirring but nothing was happening, when the E-Drive stopped I repeated the reboot four times with the same outcome.

I then went to the SET UP at the beginning of the reboot to try and change the BIOS setting as per the information on the SEATOOL website, no mention of BIOS settings at all.

What am I doing wrong.

The machine is teetering very close to the rubbish bin !

Jontye.

[KenB]

Hi jontye,

 

I then went to the SET UP at the beginning of the reboot to try and change the BIOS ......... no mention of BIOS settings at all.

I found the manual for your machine. click here

 

There should be an option to select "Boot Device Priority" [ page 52 "System BIOS Settings" ]

The CD/ROM should be 1st in the Boot Order.

Highlight it ( use up / down arrows ) then move it up ( use + key )

F10 to Save and Exit.

 

To access BIOS it should be F2 ( tap constantly after switching on )

 

Let me know how you get on.

[jontye]

Hi KenB, Ok, that worked, I've done the scan, at the end of the scan and before exiting and rebooting the message said 'For list of log files enter, DIR*.log at C: prompt' surprise surprise, message from windows saying 'file log couldn't be found', tried severals times even put the log name into search box without any joy.

One thing I noticed was that the 'star' symbol in the intsruction was the same size as the letters DIR, on the laptop keyboard it is a small *

Do I need to reset the reboot proceedure after doing the scan?

Thank you for the time you must have spent finding the instruction book for the laptop.

Jontye.

[Plastic Nev]

Try just the DIR and no * symbol. I think the star symbol was just to highlight the DIR.

 

Nev.

[jontye]

Hi Nev, I've tried every combination, upper case, lower case, combined upper/lower, with the . without the . C:\ C: just DIR,

Just to make sure I'm in the right place, I'm left clicking on C Drive then on the following page entering DIR.log at the C:\ prompt.

Jontye.

[KenB]

Hi Jontye

 

From what I have read - the log is actually saved onto the RAM and not in Windows itself.

I assume that you typed in dir.log [ and other combinations ] immediately after completion of the test - without re-booting ?

 

There is a DOS guide here - click here

[jontye]

Hi KenB, This is getting beyond my level of understanding, but I've rerun the DOS scan again and written down what was listed in the scan log section,

Started Long Test 7/18/2015 @ 19.43.03

DST Completed without error

Short DST Passed 7/18/2015 @ 20.46.58

Long Test Passed 7/18/2015 @ 20.46.58.

 

I then exited the scan and tried to open the log on the next screen by entering DIR.log at the C:\ promp, as instructed, and got the following message,

 

Volume in Drive C: is TURBODSK File not found,

 

I then tried to save the log onto a usb stick, by typing C:>Copy Log B: as per the instructions on the screen, and got the following message

 

Error reading from drive B Dos Area, Drive not ready.

I also followed the DOS instructions for connecting the USB stick.

 

Would it not be just as easy to replace the hard drive, as I've already replaced the one in my laptop, under instruction from your team, about 18 months ago.

Jontye.

[jontye]

Hi KenB, I forgot to mention that when I was trying to find the BIOS boot setup last week, I came across the Advanced Boot Option sceen and on it was an option for Repair Your Computer, may this be worth a try ?

 

Jontye.

[KenB]

Hi Jontye

 

DST Completed without error

Short DST Passed 7/18/2015 @ 20.46.58

Long Test Passed 7/18/2015 @ 20.46.58.

If it said this then you drive would appear to be OK.

 

Would it not be just as easy to replace the hard-drive

 

I am not now convinced that your drive is the problem.

 

Repair Your Computer, may this be worth a try ?

This may be worth looking at after my next suggestion.

 

We took the RAM out earlier and tried them one at a time.

It could be that they are both faulty.

 

When you saw the "Repair your Computer" .....was there an option to test hardware ....RAM specifically ?

[jontye]

Hi KenB, This is the information on the two screens when I accessed the Windows Boot Manager.

 

First Screen,

 

Choose a operating system to start or press tab to select a tool.

 

Windows 7 >

 

To specify an option for this choice, press F8

 

Tools

Windows Memory Diagnostics.

 

( When I pressed F8 it changed to the second screen )

 

Advanced Boot Options.

( Use arrow keys to highlight your choice )

 

Repair Your Computer.

 

Safe Mode

Safe Mode with networking

Safe mode with command prompt

 

Enable Boot Logging

Enable low resolution video (640x480)

Last known good configuration (advanced)

Directory services restore mode

Debugging mode

Disable automatic restart on system failure

Disable driver signature enforcement

 

Start windows normally.

 

Jontye.

[KenB]

Hi Jontye,

 

You may be in luck:

Windows Memory Diagnostics.

 

Give this a try.

It should analyse your RAM for you.

I know it is a basic analysis - but if there is a definite problem it should highlight it.

 

Let me know how it goes :)

[jontye]

Hi KenB, I've run the 'Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool' both the Standard Test and the Extended Test and they both gave the same result, 'NO MEMORY ERRORS DETECTED'.

Jontye.

PS. I've sent you a PM.

[KenB]

Curiouser and curiouser !!

 

Enjoy your holiday - We will still be here when you return :)

[jontye]

Hi Ken, The laptop runs very slowly, with a 'not responding' message on just about every site we go on. This has been ongoing for quite sometime now.

 

A brief history of solving the problems is, as follows.

 

Firstly with Seedy21, Re-set I.E., run Mini Tool Box, Defraged C&D drives, run ESET Service Repair Tool, created new User Account.

 

With yourself, checked the RAM performance, downloaded and run Seatools for Windows, run Automatically Fix File System Errors, used Windows Memory Diagnostics to analyse Ram.

Nothing, so far, has solved the problem, since our return from holiday the laptop has had very little use, it's too frustrating.

 

Regards Jontye.

[KenB]

Hi jontye

 

Tools

Windows Memory Diagnostics.

 

( When I pressed F8 it changed to the second screen )

 

Advanced Boot Options.

( Use arrow keys to highlight your choice )

 

Repair Your Computer.

 

Safe Mode

Safe Mode with networking

Safe mode with command prompt

 

Enable Boot Logging

Enable low resolution video (640x480)

Last known good configuration (advanced)

Directory services restore mode

Debugging mode

Disable automatic restart on system failure

Disable driver signature enforcement

 

You listed the above as options earlier.

Try selecting "Last Known Good Configuration"

This is an outside chance but worth a try as nothing will be lost in doing so.

 

Try creating a new user account:

click here

 

Once created shut down then select the new account on startup.

Let me know if this account has the same problems.

[jontye]

Hi Ken, I've started up with ' Last known good configuration', will run it for a couple of days and get back to you. I set up a 'new user account' when I was conversing with Seedy21 about the problem, Do you want me to set up another user account,as there was no improvement when I set up the last one. I'm running the laptop using the original user account as of now, thinking that the last good configuration would have been when this was in use.

 

Regards Jontye

[KenB]

Hi Jontye

 

No - there is nothing to be gained if you tried this with Seedy21

 

Let me know how things are after trying "Last Known ..."

[jontye]

Hi Ken, After I replied to you last night the laptop went into melt down, I couldn't come out of this site, the screen then froze, not even the arrow would move, after about 10 minutes I removed the battery then replaced it, switched back on to do start up, message came up, 'Checking file system, one of your disks needs to be checked for consistancy', the resulting report said 'Deleted index entry, recovering orphaned files into directory file 81288'.

Opened up using the new user account I set up with Seedy, the laptop worked great for about 5 minutes then went back to dead slow, with a pop up message saying 'SIS tray not working'.

I come out of I.E. which took quite sometime, decided to do a Malwarebytes scan, because it has been a while since one was done, due to the machine not being used, Malwarebytes couldn't connect to the update service, I tried four times, so therefore was unable to scan.

So I then run Microsoft Essentials quick scan, which after 1 hr it had managed to scan all of 723 items, I reckon at that rate it would still be scanning now to complete the process.

My wife has just been trying to open up her ebay page and spent 10 minutes watching the little blue circle going around and around, before she gave up.

Regards Jontye.

[KenB]

Hi Jontye

 

Do this for me please:

 

Start > type in ......cmd .....then right click on the cmd.exe that shows top left of screen

Select "Run as Administrator"

At the prompt type in ....... fsutil dirty query c: ......then hit return.

You should get a fast response saying if the drive is dirty or not.

 

"Dirty" is nothing to do with dust - it is Windows flagging problems with reading and writing to the disk itself.

 

SIS tray not working'

This is linked to the video card.

I assume that this has only happened once ?

 

Have you run chkdsk on this drive ?

[jontye]

Hi Ken, The result came out as ... c: is NOT DIRTY

When I opened the desktop this time the SIS Tray Not Working popped up and went off straight away.

I've checked back through the thread and can't see any instruction for running 'chkdsk'.

One other point I missed out yesterday is that the desktop icons/figuring are much bigger than they were before the meltdown.

Jontye.

[KenB]

c: is NOT DIRTY

Thanks for that - at least you have a little bit of good news :)

 

desktop icons/figuring are much bigger than they were before the meltdown.

This could be linked with the SIS error you have been getting.

Please remind me that we need to address this if I forget.

 

Regarding chkdsk - we did this in post #52 by a different route :) [ sorry I should have checked ]

 

OK - try this:

Start > type in ....cmd ....then right click on .....cmd.exe ..... that appears top left of screen.

Click on "Run as Administrator"

At the prompt type in ................ sfc /scannow ..............ENTER .............there is a space after sfc

 

This will check your system files and attempt to correct any that are corrupt or missing.

 

This process will take some time - make sure that the laptop has the power lead in.

I have been putting off "Repair your Computer" but it may well come to this as a last resort.