computer prob help needed

[desmo2]

I don't know what has happened, but my lag has gotten so bad I can't funtion on the server.

My ping is the same as always.

I'm assuming it must be a video problem, but don't know what would have changed. While playing I hear the hard drive spinning a lot. My video freezes up, particularly when an opponent approaches me or a lot of firing starts up. When the freezing stops, I'm usually dead.

Until I get this fixed, I am effectively out of commission. Can someone please tell me what to look for and help get me back on track? ?!?

[Lamron]

I'm glad your're not one of those people who say stuff like "computer broke, help me?" I can actually tell by your description what the problem is.

What you are describing is a severe memory shortage. If the computer needs more memory than it has, it temporarily holds some of it on disk and retrieves it when needed. This disk write/read is WAY to slow to play with.

Anyway, its caused by either having too many other programs running at once or by a virus/trojan/spyware running in the background hogging CPU time.

Make sure you have any virus protection like Norton turned off when you play. Also any other utilities you might have running.

More likely, its the other cause. Download several virus/trojan/spyware cleaners and use all of them. They have different strengths, so one might catch what others miss. After you clean everything out, use a Registry cleaner and then defragment your hard drive.

Good luck with cleaning it out. Sometimes it can be very difficult to kill some of these programs. I had to completely reformat my hard drive to stop a trojan once.

Now I'm so paranoid about security that I have Norton 2005 and StopZilla and a router firewall running all the time to keep it from happening again.

[desmo2]

Thanks for the info. I'm using Symantec anti-virus, and after a scan it reported no problems. I also use SpyBot, and after deleting some spyware I got no improvement. I'll look into running a back-up virus scan. The only things on the task bar at the lower right are WinZip Quick Pick, NVIDIA settings, and Symantec.

I haven't been disabling Symantec while playing and will try that. However, I've had it on while playing since I started here and have never had problems before.

I'll run a registry cleaner and run a defrag, too.
Geez, I really hope I don't have some bugger of a virus chewing up my system. That would capital S Suck!

[RedRock]

I had similar problems once, Des, and it was Norton Systemworks for the Mac downloading updates in the background automatically. I turned that off and it solved the problem.

[Marauder(CDN)]

Lost is also reporting some of the same symptoms..so as was said to a thorough check,defrag you hard drive also if it hasn't been done for awhile.

housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/start_frame.asp

Go here use this on-line virus scanner by Trend-Micro.
Norton seems to miss a few things.Also..did you do any updating lately?...as in drivers or put SP2 in? Many people are reporting gaming performance loss after the installation of SP2. there is also one other possibility..Windows is and has always been self corrupting, XP is better than other versions but it is good to format and reinstall yearly.

[desmo2]

I ran the HouseCall virus scan...clean.
Symantec virus scan was clean.
SpyBot eliminated a few pesky spyware programs.
I've run a registry cleaner.
I've run a disc scan and defrag.
When I shut down, restart, and load MoH, a memory warning pops up when the first map starts to load. It says:
"Your system is low on virtual memory. Windows is increasing the size of your virtual memory paging file. During this process, memory requests for some applications may be denied. For more information, see Help."

I haven't loaded any SP's recently, or made any other changes I can think of. I'm using Windows2000, not XP.
Dunno what to do, other than drop the CPU off the roof onto the concrete basketball court 3 floors below. "Oooopss. Dang, Hon, look what I accidentally did. I'm such a clutz. Well, no since crying over spilt milk. Where's the credit card?"

[Lamron]

You've got something stealing memory. If shutting it down helps for a little while, then you have an active program that slowly takes more and more space. You might want to try a few more cleaners. Sometimes you'll find something that one will catch and the rest will miss.

What version of Norton are you using? 2005 gives better trojan protection/detection than earlier versions. If you exhaust all possiblities and it doesn't help, then the virus/trojan/whatever may have damaged the operating system to the point that it can't operate effeciently. If that's the case, a full drive format is the best fix.

[Marauder(CDN)]

am not sure if this works in 2000...but in the run command window...type the command msconfig. If it works in 2000..go to the STARTUP tab and look and see what is starting upwith the system. Make sure you do not have anything unrecognized...be warned though...if you remove a check mark from something that is required by Windows....you may not boot!!

[RedRock]

(clearing throat softly, from way back in the room)

get a Mac

[Marauder(CDN)]

HEY RED...we are supposed to battle in the maps not here....if you all have read the times...it seems like a competition tonight between Red and I. That is a good one from the shy and quiet one.

[Lamron]

RedRock said:

(clearing throat softly, from way back in the room)
get a Mac

He's right, trade your computer in on one of these and it will never give you any trouble again:

[RedRock]

When......if.......I think of a suitable reply, server boy, I'll definitely........get back to you! ;D

[feliks]

RedRock said:

When......if.......I think of a suitable reply, server boy, I'll definitely........get back to you! ;D

Lamron...At least he's not trying to dress you up, and calling you catboy ;D

[RedRock]

He has quite the tough skin, Feliks. I've tried a little of everything--sever boy, super duper chief puter dude, etc., but I haven't found anything yet (except for killing him more than twice in a minute) that gets to him. Oh, I usually try to add insult to injury when I do hit my target, and throw out the appropriate comment (you'll appreciate this, I know, and I used to live in Indy, too) such as "HOOSIER DADDY? HOOSIER DADDY NOW?"

LOL

I sometimes think he is so busy doing so many things at once WHILE PLAYING--doing new mods, fixing old mods, restarting servers, giving PC and programming advice, re-initializing Windows PC's, thinking and talking guns and bikes, probably chugging diet pepsis and inhaling doritos, watching Fox News in one corner of his screen, ordering the next week's work supplies, planning his next Mac purchase, etc.--that he just doesn't "hear" me picking at him! Remember Gene, Gene, the Dancing Mo-chine from the old Gong Show? Well, we've got our own Genie, Genie, the Dancing MOH-chiney.

(I'm doing Taxes this weekend!--PITY THE FOO', PITY THE FOO')

[Lamron]

RedRock said:

I sometimes think he is so busy doing so many things at once WHILE PLAYING--doing new mods, fixing old mods, restarting servers, giving PC and programming advice, re-initializing Windows PC's, thinking and talking guns and bikes, probably chugging diet pepsis and inhaling doritos, watching Fox News in one corner of his screen, ordering the next week's work supplies, planning his next Mac purchase, etc

Boy, you are WAY off. I would never drink a "diet" anything.