Work Laptop is a dog

[TheStu]

Finally received my work laptop and it is just terribly slow.

It is a 2.4GHz Core i5 (not Sandy Bridge) with HyperThreading. It has 4GB RAM and a 250GB 7200 RPM drive. Windows XP SP3 32bit.

So the problem is that it sucks. It is slow, it renders slowly. If i move a window around, it tears because it cannot keep up with my impossibly fast movement of slightly adjusting two windows side by side. I have plenty of free memory, so that isn't the issue.

What do you guys need from me to help me figure out how to make this thing actually behave like a quad core (or hell, a dual core).

 

[Lotheron]

It sounds like the video card drivers aren't loaded and it's using the default windows XP driver which will cause the tearing that you're seeing.

 

[TheStu]

I put this here because it is absolutely a software issue. The hardware specs so exceed XP's requirements that I am effectively ignoring that possibility.

 

[TheStu]

It sounds like the video card drivers aren't loaded and it's using the default windows XP driver which will cause the tearing that you're seeing.

Would Dell or Intel be the best place to get that?

I am trying to get it from Dell now, we'll see how it goes.

Thank god I have admin access on this system.

 

[rivan]

I put this here because it is absolutely a software issue. The hardware specs so exceed XP's requirements that I am effectively ignoring that possibility.

He suggested a software fix. Video drivers.

It's what I'd suggest, too.

Edit: I see now you weren't replying to him. Personally I like to use Dell's drivers when possible. The exception to that is video when it's AMD or nVidia drivers I need. I think you're probably best off with Dell for Intel video.

 

[Lotheron]

Would Dell or Intel be the best place to get that?

I am trying to get it from Dell now, we'll see how it goes.

Thank god I have admin access on this system.

The Intel driver might complain that it is not authorized to install and to get it from the vendor, in your case Dell.

Get the driver from Dell most likely, even if it might be a bit outdated.

 

[TheStu]

The Intel driver might complain that it is not authorized to install and to get it from the vendor, in your case Dell.

Get the driver from Dell most likely, even if it might be a bit outdated.

I cannot get the files to download from dell, not sure if it is on my end or theirs. The intel provided driver did exactly like you said.

 

[Lotheron]

What model dell do you have?

Does your work block ftp file transfer? I think Dell uses FTP for its drivers, afaik.

 

[TheStu]

What model dell do you have?

Does your work block ftp file transfer? I think Dell uses FTP for its drivers, afaik.

Latitude e6410. It is trying to use FTP to download, so that might be the issue. I emailed a friend and asked him to get it for me and email me the drivers if he can.

 

[alkemyst]

As a 'work' laptop, do you even have access to fix it?

 

[TheStu]

As a 'work' laptop, do you even have access to fix it?

I was given admin access on it, so yes.

That came in handy this morning when I had to kill Symantec's virus scan. It was bringing the system to its knees.

 

[sm625]

It probably doesnt even have chipset drivers for XP. Why did it come with XP? And yeah I wouldnt count on it to have XP support even if they offered XP an an option.

 

[TheStu]

It probably doesnt even have chipset drivers for XP. Why did it come with XP? And yeah I wouldnt count on it to have XP support even if they offered XP an an option.

It came with XP because XP is the image that we have here at work, it is the same reason why I am still using IE7 and not 8, the IT dept. I don't even know if they are testing Vista roll-out, let alone 7. There are no devices missing drivers in Device Manager, and the chipset drivers appear to all be there.

Reinstalling the display drivers didn't make much of any difference, still getting tearing and general slowness. My Air in 7 doesn't feel this slow (though it has an SSD which helps immensely).

Any other ideas about what I can do to make this thing snappier? Buying more RAM or an SSD is out, I am not spending money to fix this thing, and I don't think the IT dept would either.

 

[Fardringle]

The Dell support website does have a full set of XP drivers for the laptop, sm625. The only problem is that Dell's driver download system uses FTP and TheStu can't use FTP at work, but he is already working on a solution to that by having his friend download the drivers.

Having said that, the fact that the IT folks apparently didn't even install the video drivers for the laptop makes me wonder if they installed any of the other drivers. I'd recommend having the friend download all available drivers for the laptop (or do it yourself at home and install them on the laptop with a USB drive to make sure that everything you need is installed properly.

 

[Possessed Freak]

I was given admin access on it, so yes.

That came in handy this morning when I had to kill Symantec's virus scan. It was bringing the system to its knees.

... probably a good way to lose admin rights.

 

[TheStu]

The Dell support website does have a full set of XP drivers for the laptop, sm625. The only problem is that Dell's driver download system uses FTP and TheStu can't use FTP at work, but he is already working on a solution to that by having his friend download the drivers.

Having said that, the fact that the IT folks apparently didn't even install the video drivers for the laptop makes me wonder if they installed any of the other drivers. I'd recommend having the friend download all available drivers for the laptop (or do it yourself at home and install them on the laptop with a USB drive to make sure that everything you need is installed properly.

They did have them installed, they were only slightly out of date. The intel provided version is v14 or something, the Dell ones were v6 and the ones on the laptop were also v6, just slight lower number (6.1.2.5467 vs 6.1.2.5775)

I may do that tonight, download and reinstall all the drivers.

... probably a good way to lose admin rights.

It is what IT told me to do, restarting did not help the issue.

 

[TheStu]

I had a new theory that 2 utilities that I had installed were causing the issue. Ultramon and Windows background switcher (MS made). I was thinking that they both involve the display that maybe they were the root cause. Not so much, I turned them both off, and it is still tearing and being generally slow.

The IT guy came by and he is astounded at how bad it is.

 

[alkemyst]

I had a new theory that 2 utilities that I had installed were causing the issue. Ultramon and Windows background switcher (MS made). I was thinking that they both involve the display that maybe they were the root cause. Not so much, I turned them both off, and it is still tearing and being generally slow.

The IT guy came by and he is astounded at how bad it is.

Stop installing things with googling: "XXXXXXX issues" "XXXXXX problems" "XXXXX slow"

profit!

 

[TheStu]

Stop installing things with googling: "XXXXXXX issues" "XXXXXX problems" "XXXXX slow"

profit!

Ultramon I used years ago, I installed it so I could have a second taskbar. The Microsoft made background powertoy I installed so i could have an auto-changing background (something that I am used to from Win7). I also installed TweakUI (MS made).

I haven't been installing anything suspicious, only stuff that I have actually used.

You aren't wrong in principle however. It was crummy before I put any of that on there though.

 

[Bryf50]

Could be the cpu throttling for some reason. Check your power settings in the Control Panel and see if its not letting the cpu run at 100%. On my laptop I throw it in Power Saver mode to conserve battery sometimes and it keeps the cpu at only 700mhz. I'd tell you exactly how to do it if it were 7 but I don't remember for xp.

 

[TheStu]

Could be the cpu throttling for some reason. Check your power settings in the Control Panel and see if its not letting the cpu run at 100%. On my laptop I throw it in Power Saver mode to conserve battery sometimes and it keeps the cpu at only 700mhz. I'd tell you exactly how to do it if it were 7 but I don't remember for xp.

I just changed it to 'Desk' setting, we will see if that helps at all.

Maybe WinXP is just crummy on new hardware? I have Win7/8 at home on my desktop, I haven't run WinXP on anything newer than a Core Duo since Vista came out.

 

[Rottie]

Finally received my work laptop and it is just terribly slow.

It is a 2.4GHz Core i5 (not Sandy Bridge) with HyperThreading. It has 4GB RAM and a 250GB 7200 RPM drive. Windows XP SP3 32bit.

So the problem is that it sucks. It is slow, it renders slowly. If i move a window around, it tears because it cannot keep up with my impossibly fast movement of slightly adjusting two windows side by side. I have plenty of free memory, so that isn't the issue.

What do you guys need from me to help me figure out how to make this thing actually behave like a quad core (or hell, a dual core).

Tell your boss to get a MBP…so you will not complaining.

 

[TheStu]

Tell your boss to get a MBP…so you will not complaining.

It won't make a difference, I would still have to use XP. I don't know how the web app that we use (which requires a static IP to connect) would react to being within a VM.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Wow, even my old AMD Sempron 3000+ laptop from 2005 doesn't have those kinds of performance problems. Then again, it has AMD something-200 graphics, and can play UT2004 at 640x480 too. (Pre-dates AMD HD IGPs.)

 

[sm625]

Verify that the cpu is running at full speed by running superpi.

http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/366/Super_PI_Mod_v1.5.html

You should get somewhere around.. 17 sec? Somewhere in that ballpark. Definitely not over 25. Try plugging in the AC adapter.

Though I think that even at the lowest possible speed you shouldnt see tearing on the display.

Give this a look

http://www.darthcontinent.com/2011/03/dell-latitude-e6410-speedstep-or.html