Breathing life into an elderly laptop - advice please

S0litaire

I'd not go with Ubuntu on such an old laptop.

The "desktop" it uses will feel just as slow (it has a lot of constant media scanning programs running in the background and takes a lot of tweaking for little return in speed.)

If you DO want to go for a Linux install then try a base Debian Linux install with a lighter desktop (2 popular ones are LDXE or Xfce).

Steve-o

NiftyDigits wrote: »

If you don't use the Media Centre function, run a back up and clean install as I have suggested. Don't be afraid to do so. Once you've done that you can take an image with Macrium.

I don't use the Media Centre function, but don't have any non-MSE discs to install. The MSE is also only a factory restore on a hidden partition.

Steve-o

Boot up time is approx 1 min 20sec, to the moment when the hard drive activity stops being continuous.

Can't seem to get rid of:
O18 - Protocol: AutorunsDisabled - (no CLSID) - (no file)
O24 - Desktop Component 0: (no name) - (no file)


Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 18:44:51, on 25/09/2013
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v8.00 (8.00.6001.18702)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System 32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system 32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system 32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system 32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system 32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System 32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system 32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\AvastSvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system 32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system 32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live\WLIDSVC.EXE
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live\WLIDSvcM.exe
C:\Program Files\RALINK\Common\RaUI.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Gordak\My Documents\Downloads\HijackThis(1).exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page =
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In SSV Helper - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre7\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: avast! WebRep - {8E5E2654-AD2D-48bf-AC2D-D17F00898D06} - C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\aswWebRepIE.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre7\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O4 - S-1-5-18 Startup: AutorunsDisabled (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - .DEFAULT Startup: AutorunsDisabled (User 'Default user')
O4 - Startup: AutorunsDisabled
O4 - Global Startup: Ralink Wireless Utility.lnk = C:\Program Files\RALINK\Common\RaUI.exe
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - AutorunsDisabled - (no file)
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O18 - Protocol: AutorunsDisabled - (no CLSID) - (no file)
O18 - Protocol: grooveLocalGWS - {88FED34C-F0CA-4636-A375-3CB6248B04CD} - C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\GrooveSystemServices.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Browseui preloader - {438755C2-A8BA-11D1-B96B-00A0C90312E1} - C:\WINDOWS\system 32\browseui.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Component Categories cache daemon - {8C7461EF-2B13-11d2-BE35-3078302C2030} - C:\WINDOWS\system 32\browseui.dll
O23 - Service: avast! Antivirus - AVAST Software - C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\AvastSvc.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\1050\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O24 - Desktop Component 0: (no name) - (no file)

--
End of file - 3275 bytes

NiftyDigits

Steve-o wrote: »

I don't use the Media Centre function, but don't have any non-MSE discs to install. The MSE is also only a factory restore on a hidden partition.

Perhaps you don't check your private messages...

But at least you have the machine performing to an acceptable standard now.

henm2

I find LXLE a lubuntu based linux distro works really well with old laptops and netbooks. It is not resource hungry and works smoothly and securely. Most of your old windows programs will have a good open source alternative available for free and obtained by download through LXLE (Many will automatically be already included when LXLE is first installed e.g chromium web browser for google chrome.)
http://lxle.net/ reviews http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20130909#feature

poppellerant

One thing I can't see mentioned is defragmenting the drive. After all that uinstalling, the drive will need defragmenting.

If you can, let MyDefrag run overnight using the 'System Disk Monthly" method.