OT: A computer annoyance - help wanted!

[Xrati]

Try increasing the swap file size if it is not on auto. Its sounds more and more as if your going to have to reinstall. Something is using or limiting resources to the point where there is no noticable usage on the processor but the structure of the process has broken down into small packets being processed. Basically, it's the memory management or lack of it. Probably a corrupted file.

[Fyron]

Have you tried using an app like Process Explorer to see what is really going on? Lots of stuff can hide from Task Manager, or simply don't get reported in the normal course of things.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Baron Grazic said:
Could it be something like the Anti-Virus software doing an update as soon as you go online and it halts other programs from loading while the upgrade takes place?
Could explain why it takes different amounts of time & no noticeable CPU usage.

This makes sense.

[Renegade 13]

Baron Grazic said:
Could it be something like the Anti-Virus software doing an update as soon as you go online and it halts other programs from loading while the upgrade takes place?
Could explain why it takes different amounts of time & no noticeable CPU usage.

This is definitely possible, sounds like something Norton would do. Though I have it set to disable automatic updates... I hardly trust it to actually do so.

Fyron said:
Have you tried using an app like Process Explorer to see what is really going on? Lots of stuff can hide from Task Manager, or simply don't get reported in the normal course of things.

I have not, but shall do so. Thanks for the info

A wee bit off topic, but can anyone recommend a program that'll tell me exactly what traffic my internet is conducting at any given time? (My terminology is probably wrong, but I hope you get the picture)

[Raapys]

There's TCPView

http://technet.microsoft.com/nb-no/s...37(en-us).aspx

[Fyron]

netstat can give you the basics as well, built into the OS.

[aegisx]

netstat -ab