Desktop loading extremely slow in Windows XP

[Elieis]

Hi,
I am noticing an extremely slow performance of Windows XP. When I open My Computer and click on Files then the drop down menu comes after some time. Means it is not instant as it was before. Is this a system of some virus issue. The other things which I had noticed that when Windows boot up the desktop icons and task bar takes long time to load. Some time I have to restart the system. How can I repair it.

[Raine]

Disabling Smooth Scrolling allows the display faster. This comes at the expense of display without disturbing the user. Click on Start > Run > Type regedit. Then go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop. Create a binary value named SmoothScroll. Validate and then give it the value 00 00 00 00. Exit it and reboot your windows to let the settings take effect.

[Eric B]

The multimedia issue can be due to windows registry. Because or else it works fine in normal way. Just go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ FileSystem. Here you will have to create a new DWORD value named ContigFileAllocSize . Then give it a value of 200 in hexadecimal is 512 in decimal. Restart your pc and check back again.

[Glenny]

It happens as time passes on Windows performance gets lower. But you can fix the same by tweaking Windows Registry fiel. By changing a value in the file you can speed up the menu display speed. Run Regedit and open HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop. Create a string value named MenuShowDelay. Validate and then give it to 0.

[JonathanD]

The destkop issue comes out when there is virus in your computer. You explorer.exe fails to load or is damaged. This happens many time. The way you can repair is running the repair option from Windows bootable disc. You can run it manually by pressing ctrl + alt + del. Then go to New > Task. Type here explorer.exe and then hit enter.

[Macarenas]

Everything you see on your desktop, whether the Start menu, My Computer, folders or shortcuts, displays icons. Windows stores these icons in a cache: file ShellIconCache. This method allows the icons to appear more quickly, because he did not get them on the hard disk. This cache to its original value limited to 512 icons. Once completed and if new icons are installed, Windows destroyed the cache and rebuilt entirely as and when required. It is located here. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer. Click in the right panel with the right button of mouse, choose New String Value. Add a name Cached Icons and press enter. Double-click the new entry and set the value with a fairly high number (eg 2048, or 4 times larger than the original mask). Close Regedit.

[Gointekkie]

I tried this didn't work?

[JAMES_911]

I tried this didn't work?

Can you please elaborate what did you try and what didnt work? With so less information we wont be able to help you in anyway. You should atleast try to post some information about your problem so that we will be able to diagnose whether it can be sorted out or not?

[Gointekkie]

Here's what I tried;

1. Disabling Smooth Scrolling allows the display faster. This comes at the expense of display without disturbing the user. Click on Start > Run > Type regedit. Then go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop. Create a binary value named SmoothScroll. Validate and then give it the value 00 00 00 00. Exit it and reboot your windows to let the settings take effect.

2. The multimedia issue can be due to windows registry. Because or else it works fine in normal way. Just go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ FileSystem. Here you will have to create a new DWORD value named ContigFileAllocSize . Then give it a value of 200 in hexadecimal is 512 in decimal. Restart your pc and check back again.

3. It happens as time passes on Windows performance gets lower. But you can fix the same by tweaking Windows Registry fiel. By changing a value in the file you can speed up the menu display speed. Run Regedit and open HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop. Create a string value named MenuShowDelay. Validate and then give it to 0.

4. The destkop issue comes out when there is virus in your computer. You explorer.exe fails to load or is damaged. This happens many time. The way you can repair is running the repair option from Windows bootable disc. You can run it manually by pressing ctrl + alt + del. Then go to New > Task. Type here explorer.exe and then hit enter.

5. Everything you see on your desktop, whether the Start menu, My Computer, folders or shortcuts, displays icons. Windows stores these icons in a cache: file ShellIconCache. This method allows the icons to appear more quickly, because he did not get them on the hard disk. This cache to its original value limited to 512 icons. Once completed and if new icons are installed, Windows destroyed the cache and rebuilt entirely as and when required. It is located here. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer. Click in the right panel with the right button of mouse, choose New String Value. Add a name Cached Icons and press enter. Double-click the new entry and set the value with a fairly high number (eg 2048, or 4 times larger than the original mask). Close Regedit.

The desktop still loads very slowly, this after dealing with numerous instances of Trojans, Root Kit generator viruses. The main Trojan was the Trojan:WinNT/Omexo.D.

I think this virus reeked havoc in the file system & the only way for sure to know the fix is to re-install windows, which I tried to do with the reinstall disk, only to have it tell me that the version currently on the computer was newer than on the disk and windows cannot reinstall???? Now what???

Thanks for any help

[ThoMas321]

Have you tried to run a system restore. This may help you well to get sort of the issue. You need to set the date accordingly when the system was working fine from the start menu > all programs > accessories > system tools > system restore. The as it is been set restart and then perform a clean install. I hope this may help.

[Gointekkie]

Thank you ThoMas321, I have tried a restore the only problem is that the restore doesn't go back far enough. It goes back to about the time the computer started haveing issues & still had the virus on it.