Windows clean install has serious lag/freezing, hardware OK

[typci]

I have spent the last week trying to figure out why windows runs like crap, minus the obvious reason that it is windows. This problem started a couple of months ago and I didn't have the time to diagnose the problem until last week.

Before I start, let me say that I have enough computer parts to build 2 computers. I have tried every possible combination to find a hardware fault, and it is just not there. Regardless of which parts I use, windows acts exactly the same. I therefore am 100% confident that it is not a hardware problem. And yes, I have tried installing windows on various hard drives and the result is the same. I even turned off paging to disk when I had 64bit windows with 8GB ram, and it still had problems. Also everything is at stock, until I can solve this problem. I've installed windows at least 12 times during testing, and used various install discs just to make sure it wasn't a bad DVD.

Here is the hardware:
CPU: E4300, Q6600
RAM: 2*2GB DDR2 800MHz: 4GB OCZ and 4GB Corsair
Motherboard: EP35-DS3L, P35-DS3L, P5Q Turbo
Video Card: 240GT, HD4890
Power Supply: 600W Huntkey, 450 watt Some Chinese brand
Harddrive: 32GB SSD (for OS) and 3 other HDD
Heatsink: 2 different big copper heatsinks with 2 big fans on each one, no heat problems (one is a thermalright, the other is some Chinese brand)

OK, with that said: Windows runs like crap. It lags/freezes constantly. It is most noticeable when using a browser (chrome, ie, firefox). It even freezes for a few seconds while I'm typing this. It will freeze when I switch tabs, scroll down a page, or for no reason at all. When I open programs, switch between folders, open a hard drive, plug in a USB drive, it lags/freezes enough to be a pain in my @SS. Also my girlfriend, or anyone who uses my computer, notices it enough to complain about how slow it is. While the hardware is not top of the line, it should be fully capable of basic internet browsing, and using windows explorer without problem.

I use windows 7 ultimate SP1, which was provided by the school I work for. I use their software because I live in China, and haven't seen a legit copy of windows for sale during the year I've been here. I am also pretty certain the copy they gave me is legit: It looks legit, and windows says it's legit.

I've tried both 64 and 32 bit versions. Right now I have a clean install of 64bit windows SP1, with only drivers (newest, just downloaded), browsers(Chrome, IE, Firefox), VLC, and Winrar installed. I choose not to install Antivirus this time just to make sure it wasn't causing problems. I also haven't updated it out of fear that one one of the updates was causing the problem. I'll do a selective update now.

Please help figure out why my windows runs like crap.

If is it a hardware problem, then it means whatever component is broken, the other component of the same type has the exact same problem. I find it more likely that windows has a problem, rather that two components with identical problems.

Has windows just gone to crap? Do I need to go back to Vista or XP? Is it time to make the jump to linux? Maybe I should just port android over to my pc because my freaking phone performs better than my computer.

 

[Supertrucker]

Were all installs on the ssd? or did you also try it on the mechanical drives with exactly the same problem? Because windows 7, in my experience is so far beyond XP that ive thrown away my xp disks, you couldnt pay me to downgrade to it.

The reason i ask about the ssd is because what you are describing is exactly what happened when the OS was installed on early jmicron based ssd drives. The controller for the ssd had very limited cache, and when it filled up the computer would appear to freeze for a second or three, then return to normal use like nothing had happened. I had a second generation jmicron based drive that kingston had tweaked to help the problem, and i could still get it to do it if i tried.

Failing that, i would try one of the easier to use linux distros (ive been playing with mint 11 myself, its easy enough that i could jump into it with no previous linux experience and have a working computer right off the bat) and see if the problem persists.

But whatever your problem is, it isnt a common thing for windows 7, and it should not be acting that way.

 

[typci]

I originally had it installed on a mechanical HDD. The lags/freezes were the reason I bought the SSD. I know it has a Jmicron controllers, I don't know what generation. I just bought it less than a month ago.

 

[Supertrucker]

If you can, i would wipe all of the data off of one of the mechanical drives, do a format, and install win 7 on it. If you still get lag and freezes, try linux mint. Linux mint, like some of the other user friendly distros, also works as a live cd option. You can actually get to a functioning desktop booting off the cd without ever installing anything, and it will allow you to test whether mint will work well with your hardware.

To give you an idea of how well it works for me, i can drop the live cd in, boot to it, be at a functioning desktop that can access the internet, and all of the data on my storgae drive, sound, video, fully functioning computer, in about 5 minutes. It detects my belkin usb wireless internet adapter, i can watch one of my movies or concerts that are stored on my hard drive, while i surf the web, while it installs itself. The options are straightforward to install it next to win7, and grub didnt give me any problems with a dual boot menu that allowed me to choose which os that i wanted to boot, even though i had linux and win 7 on different hard drives. It allows you to load the boot info onto a separate drive from the OS. Seriously, microsoft could learn a few things from these people.



The only other thing that comes to mind, is are you hooking all of the hard drives up no matter which drive you are loading the OS on. Once, a very long time ago, i had a 60 gb western digital drive. If i plugged it into my computer, either on the main ide plug or the secondary, any one of a dozen ide cables, whether windows was installed on it or it was added later completely formatted, if it was hooked up the computer took 7 to 10 minutes to go from the loading windows screen to desktop. Once on the desktop, everything worked fine, the drive was able to read and write at normal speed, benchmarked fine, error checked fine. It wasnt intermittent, it was 100% repeatable, if the drive was on either ide channel, the computer just took forever to boot. Sometimes computer parts just break in the weirdest imaginable way, and while logic dictates that they arent broken, somehow they are.

 

[typci]

Thanks for the advice. I'll install windows to one of the mechanical drives and see how it goes. Since I've been doing testing, I only have the bare minimum hardware connected (no extra drives), to narrow down the problem.

Also, if I have paging to disk turned off, then I shouldn't see the lag with the browser, since everything should be loaded into RAM, right? That is if the lag is caused by the cache problem with the SSD. The original plan was to get an SDD, add 4 more GB ram (total 8), and turn off paging, so that the hard drive speed affects the system as little as possible. I know the hard drive is usually the slowest component in a system.

As far as Linux, I've already started a thread on it and download the latest Mint. I'm so tired of windows, and I'm sure Linux can do everything I need it to. Even if it can't play all of the games, I'd rather miss out on a game than put up with more M$ crap. I'll install linux when I get a few hours free.

 

[Edward78]

My XP has been doing something like that for a few months, I have my drive partioned & where I have my downloads, it hangs for a few secs. I have the Lifeguard util for my drive, I tested a few times in the last few months, it says everything is ok. I also have mint, same drive, when I boot it up, I get no probs. I think it is strange that a free OS is better then windows. I am planing to build a new system & upgrade to 7.