Pulsing freeze

[SteveC]

Hi guys,

Don't know if this has been covered, as I can't find anything through a search.

Anyhow, whenever I either a) open a new application, b) minimize an application, so that the desktop is showing, or c) have particular applications running (escpecially Azureus), my PC will freeze for a split second, every second. This only happens for about 1 minute, then things seem to return to normal. It is most noticable when I am moving the mouse around the screen, or if I am playing an mp3.

When I open a new application, this freezing gets worse, until the application fully loads.

I am running Windows XP on a 1.30 gigahertz Intel Celeron, 256 MB RAM, and a 20 GB HD with 5 GB available.

I could be wrong, but it either started to happen, or got worse when I reformatted my hard drive about a month ago. I can't quite remember it occuring or being this bad before then.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Praetor]

Check that the drive isnt set to PIO mode

To ensure your drives are operating in DMA mode: (1) Control Panel, (2) System, (3) Goto the Hardware Tab, (4) Device Manager, (5) IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers, (6) Right Click on Primary IDE Channel --> Properties, (7) Goto the Advanced Settings Tab, Make sure both drop down boxes say 'DMA if Available', Click OK,(8) Right Click on Seconady IDE Channel --> Properties, (9) Goto the Advanced Settings Tab, Make sure both drop down boxes say 'DMA if Available', Click OK, (10) Reboot.

 

[SteveC]

Have done all of that now. I found that Device 1 of the Primary IDE Channel was set to PIO. They all now say 'DMA if available', but they all still have a 'Current Transfer Mode: PIO Mode'. THe problem is still occuring.

While I was reformatting the Hard Drive, I plugged another harddrive in to back up my data. Have I potentially moved something when I had the case open?

 

[Praetor]

Have done all of that now. I found that Device 1 of the Primary IDE Channel was set to PIO. They all now say 'DMA if available', but they all still have a 'Current Transfer Mode: PIO Mode'. THe problem is still occuring.

Ok if the current transfer mode = PIO then that's your problem (or at least one of them). You'll have to hunt around in the BIOS to setup the faster DMA mode.

While I was reformatting the Hard Drive, I plugged another harddrive in to back up my data. Have I potentially moved something when I had the case open

Uh.... you plugged a drive into the computer live?

 

[SteveC]

Uh.... you plugged a drive into the computer live?

Nope. Not that stupid.