My keyboard is on a go-slow

[acompton]

As of yesterday, my main computer has taken to 'pausing' during typing. Every 30 seconds or so it is very slow in echoing keystokes, but catches up after a few seconds.
Doesn't look good to me, but AVG doesn't find anything.

[Big_Dave]

Might be worth checking Task Manager and looking at your resources. Is the processor 100% busy? All your memory being used? Might point to something running in the background using up all your resources.

I'd also run something like SpyBot Search and Destroy which is free.

[acompton]

I tried the task manager and that didn't show up anything.

SpyBot Search and Destroy which is free.
Not any longer. I downloaded S&D and did the scan - found the usual batch of cookies and some registry entries. Removing them now requires a one-off registration fee ($20)

[Big_Dave]

Are you sure SpyBot now costs? Just visited their website and its says its still free. I'm using it at home weekly without any cost?

They do ask you to make a donation but its not essential.

[gabrielcrowe]

mine too.

test:
try closing all instances of all web browsers.

open a notepad and type. does it still do it?

[acompton]

Are you sure SpyBot now costs?
Try downloading a new version. Its fine until you get to the 'Fix' part.

@gabriel: I shall try that, but from memory, any application showed this behaviour with or without a browser open (did have Outlook open, though)

[gabrielcrowe]

outlook uses internet explorer, as part of its rendering engine, and therfore has it in memory.

also, hold the windows key and press 'R'.

type 'msconfig'. and press enter.

click the startup tab and uncheck all the things you dont need.

restart.

if its not something you have installed yourself, thenh it must be something that has seen fit to autoupdate itself.

try rolling back windows using the restore points?

this happens to me all the time. winamp is the worst. it updates every day, almost. and the most recent update has made it unusable for me.

[Jan]

If you have a cordless keyboard, you batteries might be running out. This used to happen on mine and I got so fed up with it that I threw the keyboard away.

Regards,

[gabrielcrowe]

jan will be right. lols.

its always something like that, after you've pulled the side off your computer and poked screwdrivers in it, you always find that someone has accidentally pulled a cable out.

[acompton]

If you have a cordless keyboard
Nice idea, but its a lappy

[Stereo Steve]

Things like this are often a good excuse for a clearout and re-install.

We have a Vista machine which runs actinic and over the weeks it gets slower and slower until we get mad and reboot, then it flies again. I can't see why this is but obviously something is getting built up somewhere. Not had time to poke about with it yet, probably something simple.

[jont]

There is a known issue with a Microsoft Windows update patch causing this - especially with Office 2003 and in conjunction with S&D ... I had a 10 second delay under Outlook and removing S&D (it was the immunize feature) cured the issue. I don't recall the errant upgrade patch number but worth Googling and checking if it is showing in your Control Panel.

The obvious question to answer is if you have checked the keyboard setting for the key repeat speed .. this could have been increased somehow to a longer setting - worth a check for nowt.

[acompton]

The obvious question to answer is if you have checked the keyboard setting for the key repeat speed .. this could have been increased somehow to a longer setting - worth a check for nowt.
Unlikely. The problem comes and goes about every 30 seconds. When its there, its a blinkin' nuisance. When its not, everything is fine.

[Mike Hughes]

Turn off everything you don't need and see if that fixes it. MS defender, avg, google desktop, ghost, etc, pretty much everything that runs in the background. If you're worried about security then disconnect from the net first (should probably do this anyway if you think you might have a virus or spyware).

If it goes away then at least you know where to start looking.

Another thing to check is whether your firewall is blocking any network access attempts. This can cause problems with persistent things, even if they're legitimate.

Mike

[JSnow]

Put your MS based laptop in a box and trade it in for a Mac.

[acompton]

Thanks for all the replies. Gabriel was the one that hit the nail on the head. Running msconfig and getting rid of the junk fixed it. Also speeded up the boot and shut down. :)

[Darren B]

Cheers for letting us know alan, wish most people would post there fixes

D

[Duncan Rounding]

OOC was was some of the rubbish that you got rid of?

[acompton]

CLI (ATI Control Centre)
CTFMON (MS Office input support <-- this was showing Task Manager activity at the offending times)
CTSVoIFE (Creative Mixer)
quickset (Dell Quickset)
DSAgnt (Dell Support)
ISUSPM (InstallShield updates)
issch (InstallShield updates)
msmsgs (MS Messenger <-- this was showing Task Manager activity at the offending times)
PCMService (Dell Media Direct)
qttask (QuickTime)
RealPlay
stsvstra SigmaTel C-Major Audio Tray App
SypywareBot
jusched (Java Update Scheduler)
Adobe Reader Speed Launch
Digital Line Detect
Microsoft Office

[Duncan Rounding]

CHeers Alan - amazing how the junk builds up isn't it

[BigRedKeith]

Hi Alan

CLI (ATI Control Centre)
CTFMON (MS Office input support <-- this was showing Task Manager activity at the offending times)
CTSVoIFE (Creative Mixer)
quickset (Dell Quickset)
DSAgnt (Dell Support)
ISUSPM (InstallShield updates)
issch (InstallShield updates)
msmsgs (MS Messenger <-- this was showing Task Manager activity at the offending times)
PCMService (Dell Media Direct)
qttask (QuickTime)
RealPlay
stsvstra SigmaTel C-Major Audio Tray App
SypywareBot
jusched (Java Update Scheduler)
Adobe Reader Speed Launch
Digital Line Detect
Microsoft Office

Just a quick thought on CTFMON, Microsoft are using that now as part of the Ligitimate Software Program, especially in relation to the 2003 office suit. If its switched off for any period of time it can cause a problem if you log onto the MS upload site for a patch and you are scanned for the most recent tags that the CTFMON will have downloaded. Just a thought.
Keith