T61 Very Slow

So I purchased a T61 last Friday and it seems to be running very slow. I have not added any new programs yet for fear that this would only make the issue worse. I have turned off my wireless at start up and I have run virus, spyware, and pc doctor tests. According to these, everything is fine. The main issue is when the computer is first booting after the welcome screen. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

Press Windows + R and then type MSCONFIG, then choose the far right tab labeled "Startup" There are a bunch of programs in here that start when your computer starts (after the welcome screen) Research the ones in there and disable the ones you feel like you don't need. I also recommend looking at your services tab too, hide the Microsoft services and look at which ones you don't need. There are a few databases on the internet that will tell you what is what. Just use google and type in the name of the process or startup entry and you can usually find out all about it. Try that and let us know what happens.

Hope this helps!
Jeremy

 

Check what your Power Scheme is in the power manager. While it is unlikely, perhaps the processor is set to run at its lowest level.

Are you running Vista? I can't speak from experience (have 2GB RAM) but I would imagine running Vista at the highest graphics settings with 1GB RAM would be sluggish. If this is the case, try turning off the graphical stuff.

 

I had the same problem with my t61. I did a clean install and now it's lightening fast. Here are some links that can help you out with a full clean install. It's really easy and well worth it.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=120228

http://jstigall.googlepages.com/t61clean.html

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-67853.html




But if you don't want to do that. Here are a couple of suggestions
1. Get rid of Norton
2. Limit the amount of programs that run at start-up (for example all of the Thinkvantage Utilities)
3. Also I read that indexing slows the computer down...but that can be managed also.
4. some people will tell you just to switch back to XP.

 

Thanks everyone. I have gone through the start-up programs and the system processes and it is definitely running faster. I also checked the power manager and made sure that was at the optimum level. Does anyone have issues with the screen completely turning black for two seconds if they are opening or closing a program?

I am getting pretty pissed at this thing because my T43 runs much better and is practically two years older.

 

We need to start making more stickies in these forums to eliminate repeat questions like these. What are our moderators doing?

 

Apparently sleeping. Zzzzz. Someone make me moderator, I would do it, I'm in this forum like everyday! But then again, if people didn't ask these questions over and over again, I wouldn't have 92 Posts!

TopDrop18, going through the startup and services is not specific to a thinkpad just so you know, it is a problem that I see that is the case of 75% of the people that call me and say that their computer is running slow. Stupid people like Kodak and Logitech think that their little utilities are SOOOO important and they take up your RAM when you start your computer. Getting rid of things like Ipod Service, iTunes Helper, HPZ Printer Service, and other crazy services that you DON'T NEED! can seriously improve the overall performance of your machine. The less your computer has to think about, the faster it can run.

 

Thanks for this info, I just got an R61 and have a similar issue (although I suspect I also need to upgrade to 2GB of RAM). I’ll try this tonight.

 

I agree with the clean install. It does wonders.

If you're not comfortable with the clean install, you may consider using BlackViper's website for a start on how to turn off various services. He has also compiled descriptions for them and various recommended combinations.

Good luck.