Computer Problems and\or Advice 2008 to 2011

[David Nicholson]

David, without taking up too much of your time are you able to prompt a reasonably easy way of finding out what the programmes using memory are? Some of them I can translate but many of them don't give me a clue, for example sychost.exe.

[Martin Baxendale]

You can also bring up the task manager by pressing 'cntrl', 'alt' and 'delete' keys all together. The Applications tab will show what programmes are running (but I'm not sure if that shows background activity by, for example, antivirus programmes). The Processes tab will show how much memory is being used by various programmes. Don't worry about the bottom one - System Idle Process - showing a high number, like 95%. That is actually how much free memory the system has - i.e. how much memory you have on the CPU chip to run programmes and do stuff without having to use the hard disc (which, as David says, makes things very, very slow - it's when your chip runs out of space and programmes have to start using the much slower hard disc - you may need a memory upgrade, Maggi, if the computer is old and has restricted RAM memory of less then a Gb and you have a lot of programmes running).

[Martin Baxendale]

Sorry, should have said that the Performance tab in the task manager shows what I think David was suggesting - the total memory on the CPU chip and how much is available at any one time. If the available memory is very low compared to the total memory then you will be getting probelsm with slow running. If the total memory is low then again you may need a memory upgrade; an extra chip or a larger-memory chip put in, not at all difficult really.

[Mick McLoughlin]

David,
    Try doing a search in google I hope your post should read svchost.exe if it is more jargon to baffle you here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314056
If it really is sychost then see here http://www.2-spyware.com/remove-sychost-exe.html

Better experts than me will be able to advise on this.
Cheers
Mick

[David Pilling]

Process names are cryptic, if you can't guess, type the name into Google, there are web sites that specialise in explaining Windows process names. The process list can be a way of finding if software has been installed that you don't need or want.

System Idle is what the computer does when it is doing nothing else, so a high percentage is good here. Memory usage for System Idle is not relevant.

With a problem like Maggi's I'd have the task manager open on the desktop, wait for things to grind slowly and then look if something is using a lot of processing power at that time.

[Maggi Young]

Okay, here's another question for the Techy Buffs.... a chum is having trouble opening Ian's Bulb Logs as pdfs.... gets a message about lacking permission from the owner " ?
Any suggestions to rescue her?

[David Nicholson]

David,
    Try doing a search in google I hope your post should read svchost.exe if it is more jargon to baffle you here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314056
If it really is sychost then see here http://www.2-spyware.com/remove-sychost-exe.html

Better experts than me will be able to advise on this.
Cheers
Mick

Gulp!! Thanks for that Mick, I'll check it out later.

Later edit: Phew!! It was svchost, I need new specs.

[Mick McLoughlin]

happy about that David

[David Pilling]

Okay, here's another question for the Techy Buffs.... a chum is having trouble opening Ian's Bulb Logs as pdfs.... gets a message about lacking permission from the owner " ?

Can you tell us the exact error message, and which program is giving it (usually in the title of the error window). Does this happen when the link on the web page is clicked or has the bulb log PDF been saved to disc and is it then being loaded or double click run?

[Maggi Young]

David, I only have that info, vague as it is.... I will seek more!

[Martin Baxendale]

Maggi, you having any luck with your slow-running problem?

[Maggi Young]

I had a slight respite for a few minutes yesterday but today my forum posts are as bad as ever. It is only while posting to the forum... if I were typing in an email or any kind of word document etc, it is not a problem.    

[Michael J Campbell]

Maggi.open word in a new tab and type your replies there and copy and paste in the forum page. You are probably are doing this already.

[Martin Baxendale]

I had a slight respite for a few minutes yesterday but today my forum posts are as bad as ever. It is only while posting to the forum... if I were typing in an email or any kind of word document etc, it is not a problem.    

So it's when you're online, having looked at stuff on the forum, which may be using up a lot of memory (I assume temporary internet files are held in RAM rather than on the hard disc, and those files could be big if they're forum pages with lots of pics). Have you tried deleting temporary internet files immediately before posting on the forum, to see if that helps? I still think you may be running with not enough RAM and may need an upgrade to your memory chips - an additional chip or a replacement with a larger-memory chip. Can you check your system (look in windows task manager, performance tab, to see what your total physical memory is, and how much is available)? A local PC World should be able to fit a new chip for you, or you can do it yourself quite easily. I've done it on two computers and all it took was a small screwdriver.

[Gerry Webster]

To all you people suffering in the hell that is Microsoft. I say again, it is not too late; buy a Mac,  install Safari or Firefox & walk off into the sunset.