Computer Runs Slow?--You May Have Registry Problem

When your computer runs slow and you have Windows XP startup errors you need to know how startup works and how to fix these errors easily.

When your computer starts up start up a sequence of events happens.

1.The Power On Self Test (POST) is the first thing to be run. The computer makes use of the BIOS firmware settings are to test and ascertain that the systems hardware which includes storage media,RAM,power supply and other computer peripherals is working as it should. POST will also ensure that the operating system is installed correctly. If any one of these tests should fail a beeping sound will tell you have a problem.

2. When the POST tests are finished other tests are then run which will ascertain that hardware including the hard drive and video card etc are working the way they should. In the case of a problem you will once more receive an error message.

3.The NT Loader which is usually known as the boot loader or ntldr will start running. The ntldr loads the startup programs,starts up the files system and will check the boot.ini file to find where the operating system should be uploaded to. Again there is the possibility that more errors may occur if you should have a damaged hard drive or Master Boot Record (MBR).

4. The next thing is for ntdetect.com to identify and configure a nuimber of computer hardware items for example the mouse,keyboard,hard drive,video adapter etc.

5. The next step is for ntoskml.exe to load the Windows kernel which is the main component of the Windows operating system. When ntoskml.exe and all of the hardware files have been successfully loaded the computer registry is then consulted in to load the programs which will keep the computer running correctly.

6. The next item to run is smss.exe which is known as the Session Manager. This step allows Windows to go to GUI mode from text mode.

7. Now finally the Windows operating system is fully in place and controls the computer. You can now log in, if needeed, and start using the machine. Normally boot up will take no more than 2 to 3 minutes or less. However if any of the above listed steps should have problems the startup could be very prolonged or the computer may freeze and will not boot at all.
Common failure signs are:

1. On running the initial POST(Power On Self Test) the computer emits a beeping sound and will freeze or may shut down.
2. You get a blank computer screen with nothing at all displayed on it.
3. The text which scrolls during bootup freezes.
4. A blue screen of death or stop error is shown on the screen and the computer stops running.
5. During the startup process you have an error message shown and the machine freezes.
6. You are shown an error message and the boot fails completely.
7. Windows is loading message remains on display for a prolonged period but the system will not load.
Troubleshooting any startup problems and when your computer runs slow depends totally on identifying at what time in the sequence of startup events the error happened.
Guideline For Troubleshooting Startup:
1.If an error message displays onscreen you may use the text and error codes of the message to determine the source of your troubles. The Microsoft knowledge base or several other help sites may be of great assistance to you with this determination.
2.If the problem takes place during the text mode of the boot up you should take a look at the last few lines of the text messages to find which process actually succeeded. You might with a bit of luck get a lot of necessary information about the failed process also.
3.If the "Windows is loading" remains on display or if the screen goes totally blank try:

A. Wait for a few minutes or so to see if the problem will finally resolve itself without further work.

B. If it does not resolve itself then you should press the Escape key (ESC) a few times.

C. If you still do not have success, in resolving the problem, try hitting the reset button in order to hard boot the system.

D. The next thing you can do is to try booting the machine in safe mode. To try this tactic press the F8 key just after POST and then choose SAFE MODE from the menu of options which is displayed.

E. If the mouse cursor shows on the screen move the mouse to determine if the cursor will also move. If the cursor does in fact move this suggests that windows is loading behind the scenes. If it does not move you have a system freeze taking place and you should try hard booting the computer.

If your computer runs slow, and may also have Windows XP startup problems, the common reason is a bloated corrupt registry. Over a period of time as the machine is run the windows registry accumulates many fragments of files and data which are of no use. These come from incompletely uninstalled programs,programs which did not install properly,old drivers,unused shortcuts, adware, spyware and a lot of other sources.

This corrupt registry slows down running of the operating system, very considerably, when it tries to find the registry files it needs in order to run the computer. The easy way to eliminate this nasty problem when your computer runs slow and has Windows XP startup problems is to use one of the top windows XP registry cleaners.

Windows XP registry cleaners are availabe for downloading from the internet for your use. Good windows registry repair software will first of all offer to give you a free scan to find what errors are present in your computer's registry. You can examine the results of this free scan and then decide whether or not you want to use the repair function of the windows reg cleaner to fix registry problems.

We recommend that you use a windows XP registry repair application and do not attempt to do the job manually yourself. You need to learn how to do your registry repair the safe way. If you remove one essential item by mistake it can cause you problems even to the point that your computer will not run any more. You can actually get a completely free scan from one of the top registry cleaners to correct registry errors. We found that Regeasy was the best PC registry repair tool and produced superior results compared to several others we tested. You will find a lot of free information and resources at our website. Just click here to see it: Computer runs slow