What really slows Windows down

[Bozo]

No surpises. But they did leave out the 'chair-to-keyboard' interface.

http://www.thepcspy.com/articles/other/what_really_slows_windows_down/5

Bozo :joker:

 

[e_dawg]

They forgot to mention the Aero GUI, the file copy bug, and other mysterious stuff in Vista.

Wow, Norton is death to performance. Good thing I haven't used it in a while. Pleasantly surprised that AVG 7.1 is relatively benign. I hope 7.5 is the same.

 

[Stereodude]

Interesting article. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Chewy509]

Interesting article.

However I've noted that the latest version of TrendMicro PC-Cillin 2007 loves RAM. (Don't install it on systems with only 256MB of RAM, you need at least 512MB).

The company I work for, has recently advised NOT to use Norton products due to incompatibilities between it and our software products. The strange thing is, we don't have the issues with any other anti-virus vendor out there, just Symantec/Norton.

 

[MaxBurn]

I am curious, I don't see the enterprise stuff like Symantec Antivirus on the list there. Seat of the pants says it is much faster than the consumer stuff.

 

[Bozo]

I am curious, I don't see the enterprise stuff like Symantec Antivirus on the list there. Seat of the pants says it is much faster than the consumer stuff.

On our corp boxes at work, it is about as fast as grass growing.

Bozo :joker:

 

[MaxBurn]

Better or worse than the worst listed in the table there? Maybe I have been using it for so long I don't know anymore.

 

[Bozo]

Better or worse than the worst listed in the table there? Maybe I have been using it for so long I don't know anymore.

From a cold boot our corp boxes only take about 20 seconds to the log on screen. The GUI starts a few seconds after log on. Then the box sits there for 3-5 minutes with the hard drive grinding away while Norton does it's thing. The computer is unusable at this time.
Opening a folder from Explorer takes about 30 seconds, sometimes longer.
Clicking on Internet Explorer and waiting for the home page to load takes a good minute.
This is on a leased IBM vomit box. Don't know the specs off-hand, but doubling the memory to 1GB did nothing to help.

Bozo :joker:

 

[timwhit]

I think the HDD on those leased IBM boxes are slow as sin. At least the ones I have used have been.

I have admin rights on my box at work and I went ahead and set all the Norton services to manual. My work machine is already slow enough, I don't need Norton to make it any slower.

 

[MaxBurn]

Good lord Bozo, my corporate box does none of that. Dell D610. I also have Symantec AV 10 on both my home computers and neither do that as well.

 

[Stereodude]

From a cold boot our corp boxes only take about 20 seconds to the log on screen. The GUI starts a few seconds after log on. Then the box sits there for 3-5 minutes with the hard drive grinding away while Norton does it's thing. The computer is unusable at this time.
Opening a folder from Explorer takes about 30 seconds, sometimes longer.
Clicking on Internet Explorer and waiting for the home page to load takes a good minute.
This is on a leased IBM vomit box. Don't know the specs off-hand, but doubling the memory to 1GB did nothing to help.

Bozo :joker:

Are you sure you have DMA enabled?

 

[Bozo]

Don't know if DMA is enabled.
The box is locked down by corp. I can't make any changes, add or remove programs. I must submit an IT request to have them run defrag for me.
All I do with the box is e-mail and internet/intranet.

Bozo :joker:

 

[Santilli]

I SO love that corporate lock down stuff. Worked at Cabrillo School District in Half Moon Bay, and, apparently, their idea of a functioning computer and mine took awhile to cross. Took bringing in my own machine.

I was so demanding, wanting working USB and floppy drives...

GS

 

[Fushigi]

There are reasons to disallow USB/external/removable drives. A lot of malware enters corporate networks through these devices. Someone gets an infection on their home PC, connects their thumb drive to it, and then brings in the drive to transfer data to their work machine. In a school environment you're especially in danger from the student population-- both in terms of unknown home security practices and potential malicious intent (key loggers, etc.).

Also, allowing these devices is another way that corporate data can leak. Not to say it can't be bypassed or that other ways of getting the data out exist, just that it's one way.

Companies have to safeguard their data or risk becoming the next ChoicePoint. Where I work, I'd never approve (I'm the security officer) a user bringing in their home PC. Any machine allowed on our network has to meet our minimum security baseline.

 

[Santilli]

There are reasons to disallow USB/external/removable drives. A lot of malware enters corporate networks through these devices. Someone gets an infection on their home PC, connects their thumb drive to it, and then brings in the drive to transfer data to their work machine. In a school environment you're especially in danger from the student population-- both in terms of unknown home security practices and potential malicious intent (key loggers, etc.).

Also, allowing these devices is another way that corporate data can leak. Not to say it can't be bypassed or that other ways of getting the data out exist, just that it's one way.

Companies have to safeguard their data or risk becoming the next ChoicePoint. Where I work, I'd never approve (I'm the security officer) a user bringing in their home PC. Any machine allowed on our network has to meet our minimum security baseline.

Got that. However, the guy prior to me had NEVER had a functioning computer, nor did I. For some reason, this was OK with the principal. Our job function required us to enter attendance data by computer, have access to district email, and, as I'm sure you know, just because you are a Special Education student/teacher, that does NOT mean that the district can deprive you of the same equipment the rest of the student body has access to, or, the ability the computer access has to enhance the students educational experience.

I'm pretty sure I was hired as a fill-in while another teacher the principal knew became avaliable at a later date.

Nothing new...

Dr S

 

[e_dawg]

Indexing service also slows things down a bit.