Re: A8N-E running slow

In article <431e0d27$0$17503$ed2e19e4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "John"
<jb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Latest Norton Internet security and Windows Spyware installed.
> Just updated the HD using a utility from Hitachi. This is now correctly
> reported in Biios, but pc still running slow
> "GSV Three Minds in a Can" <GSV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:IPTpncBTvfHDFAv5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Bitstring <431df9cc$0$1294$ed2619ec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, from the
> > wonderful person John <jb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> said
> >>Built a new system for just over a week, based as follows
> >>
> >>A8N-E, with Venice 3500
> >>1Gig memory
> >>Windows Xp hjome
> >>dvd rewriter
> >>ati x800 graphics
> >>Hitachio deskstar SATA II drive.
> >>
> >>The system ran fine for a few days, but now has started to run very
> >>slow,ie
> >>takes an age to load all programmes.
> >>have fiddled with all settings,only oddity is BIOS post reports the hard
> >>drive as SATA I not II. Bios is latest 1008, chip drivers also latest from
> >>asus website.
> >>
> >>Any ideas ???
> >
> > What does Task manager show is going on in terms of CPU and memory usage?
> > How up-to-date is your virus and malware scanner??
> >
> > --
> > GSV Three Minds in a Can
> > Contact recommends the use of Firefox; SC recommends it at gunpoint.

Could it be a disk transfer rate issue ?

Check the IDE transfer rate of the disk. If Windows detects CRC
errors while doing operations on the disk, it will downclock the
transfer rate from the disk. The disk may start doing DMA at
100MB/sec, but can end up doing PIO at ~4MB/sec, if Windows uses
the slowest possible transfer mode. (I presume this is still
possible, even though there is SATA in the path.)

This article discusses how Windows treats disk errors, and
how you can end up being "downshifted" to PIO mode:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;817472

  "After the Windows IDE/ATAPI Port driver (Atapi.sys) receives a
   cumulative total of six time-out or cyclical redundancy check
   (CRC) errors, the driver reduces the communications speed (the
   transfer mode ) from the highest Direct Memory Access (DMA) mode
   to lower DMA modes in steps. If the driver continues to receive
   time-out or CRC errors, the driver eventually reduces the transfer
    mode to the slowest mode (PIO mode )."

Workaround:

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware/msg/754224f4bbc59997

HTH,
Paul
.

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