Win2k and IE slow now..
 

Hello..

Have a somewhat older dual 500-MHz Xeon Win2k workstation which is 10k
RPM SCSI-based. Still works really well only lack of raw CPU power is
becoming increasingly noticeable. Don't want to decommission (ditch)
it just yet.

Recently.. right about the time.. or before SP4 came out.. perhaps it
was a MS security update.. IE started to performing terribly.. It
seems to freeze at the beginning of each new webpage and has
difficulty selecting a `save-as' directory for saving downloads. This
thing is sluggish!!

Have backed out SP4.. and messed with the IE settings. Here are the
questions:


1) Is SP4 too bloated for this older/slower machine? Or ok?

2) What has saddled this browser?? security updates?

3) Does MS intentionally sabotage Win2k to sell Xp?

4) Where can one find a guide to IE security settings?

5) Could it be a software firewall product that is not working well?


Cheers!!

Re: Win2k and IE slow now..
 

"dude" <gabbey.spam@spam.dynanet.com> wrote in message
news:isl6lvsroaj0mcuou54hj533075oukpi2f@4ax.com...
>
> Hello..
>
> Have a somewhat older dual 500-MHz Xeon Win2k workstation which is 10k
> RPM SCSI-based. Still works really well only lack of raw CPU power is
> becoming increasingly noticeable. Don't want to decommission (ditch)
> it just yet.
>
> Recently.. right about the time.. or before SP4 came out.. perhaps it
> was a MS security update.. IE started to performing terribly.. It
> seems to freeze at the beginning of each new webpage and has
> difficulty selecting a `save-as' directory for saving downloads. This
> thing is sluggish!!
>
> Have backed out SP4.. and messed with the IE settings. Here are the
> questions:
>
>
> 1) Is SP4 too bloated for this older/slower machine? Or ok?
>
> 2) What has saddled this browser?? security updates?
>
> 3) Does MS intentionally sabotage Win2k to sell Xp?
>
> 4) Where can one find a guide to IE security settings?
>
> 5) Could it be a software firewall product that is not working well?
>
>
> Cheers!!

Plenty of folks still running Win95 without complaints. Sounds like you are
loaded down with crapware that is hogging your connection behind the scenes.
Try AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy (don't forget to update them
first.) See what that does for you. Can't comment on the firewall issue
since you gave no idea what you are using for a firewall.

Re: Win2k and IE slow now..
 

On Mon, 1 Sep 2003 16:31:18 -0400, "mto"
<nobody@dontsendmeanyspam.thanks> brought the following to our
attention:

>
>"dude" <gabbey.spam@spam.dynanet.com> wrote in message
>news:isl6lvsroaj0mcuou54hj533075oukpi2f@4ax.com.. .
>>
>> Hello..
>>
>> Have a somewhat older dual 500-MHz Xeon Win2k workstation which is 10k
>> RPM SCSI-based. Still works really well only lack of raw CPU power is
>> becoming increasingly noticeable. Don't want to decommission (ditch)
>> it just yet.
>>
>> Recently.. right about the time.. or before SP4 came out.. perhaps it
>> was a MS security update.. IE started to performing terribly.. It
>> seems to freeze at the beginning of each new webpage and has
>> difficulty selecting a `save-as' directory for saving downloads. This
>> thing is sluggish!!
>>
>> Have backed out SP4.. and messed with the IE settings. Here are the
>> questions:
>>
>>
>> 1) Is SP4 too bloated for this older/slower machine? Or ok?
>>
>> 2) What has saddled this browser?? security updates?
>>
>> 3) Does MS intentionally sabotage Win2k to sell Xp?
>>
>> 4) Where can one find a guide to IE security settings?
>>
>> 5) Could it be a software firewall product that is not working well?
>>
>>
>> Cheers!!
>
>Plenty of folks still running Win95 without complaints. Sounds like you are
>loaded down with crapware that is hogging your connection behind the scenes.
>Try AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy (don't forget to update them
>first.) See what that does for you. Can't comment on the firewall issue
>since you gave no idea what you are using for a firewall.
>

Thanks..

I run AdAware often.. and it's free of snoops. It's also virus free
per NAV. One of my rules for security is.. never discuss your security
with anyone.. but in this case.. the exception is a security
consultant. The firewall is NPF and I'm going to evaluate ZoneAlarm
(again) and Sygate.


Cheers..!!

Re: Win2k and IE slow now..
 

"dude" <gabbey.spam@spam.dynanet.com> wrote in message
news:32b7lv4i5gectq4qqlss938ursepmegpiu@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 1 Sep 2003 16:31:18 -0400, "mto"
> <nobody@dontsendmeanyspam.thanks> brought the following to our
> attention:
>
> >
> >"dude" <gabbey.spam@spam.dynanet.com> wrote in message
> >news:isl6lvsroaj0mcuou54hj533075oukpi2f@4ax.com.. .
> >>
> >> Hello..
> >>
> >> Have a somewhat older dual 500-MHz Xeon Win2k workstation which is 10k
> >> RPM SCSI-based. Still works really well only lack of raw CPU power is
> >> becoming increasingly noticeable. Don't want to decommission (ditch)
> >> it just yet.
> >>
> >> Recently.. right about the time.. or before SP4 came out.. perhaps it
> >> was a MS security update.. IE started to performing terribly.. It
> >> seems to freeze at the beginning of each new webpage and has
> >> difficulty selecting a `save-as' directory for saving downloads. This
> >> thing is sluggish!!
> >>
> >> Have backed out SP4.. and messed with the IE settings. Here are the
> >> questions:
> >>
> >>
> >> 1) Is SP4 too bloated for this older/slower machine? Or ok?
> >>
> >> 2) What has saddled this browser?? security updates?
> >>
> >> 3) Does MS intentionally sabotage Win2k to sell Xp?
> >>
> >> 4) Where can one find a guide to IE security settings?
> >>
> >> 5) Could it be a software firewall product that is not working well?
> >>
> >>
> >> Cheers!!
> >
> >Plenty of folks still running Win95 without complaints. Sounds like you
are
> >loaded down with crapware that is hogging your connection behind the
scenes.
> >Try AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy (don't forget to update them
> >first.) See what that does for you. Can't comment on the firewall issue
> >since you gave no idea what you are using for a firewall.
> >
>
> Thanks..
>
> I run AdAware often.. and it's free of snoops. It's also virus free
> per NAV. One of my rules for security is.. never discuss your security
> with anyone.. but in this case.. the exception is a security
> consultant. The firewall is NPF and I'm going to evaluate ZoneAlarm
> (again) and Sygate.
>
>
> Cheers..!!
>
Have you tried Spybot Search and Destroy? More than once I've seen that
remove things that AdAware will not touch. Make sure you update both of
those before running them - lots of updates lately for new things.

BTW, haven't seen a written guide to IE security settings other than "turn
everything to off or prompt."

Note that you might have to uninstall your current firewall in order to
evaluate something else. ZA and Sygate do not do well together at all, at
least on my XP machine. I like ZA for the extensive ad blocking - which
really speeds up the pages.

Re: Win2k and IE slow now..
 

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

In article <2cmcndOjfvGFfM6iXTWJhA@seg.net>, on Mon, 1 Sep 2003 20:15:11
-0400, "mto" <nobody@dontsendmeanyspam.thanks>
wrote:

<snip>

| BTW, haven't seen a written guide to IE security settings other than "turn
| everything to off or prompt."

<http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/using/howto/security/setup.asp>

<davidp />

- --
David Postill

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Re: Win2k and IE slow now..
 

dude <gabbey.spam@spam.dynanet.com> wrote in message news:<isl6lvsroaj0mcuou54hj533075oukpi2f@4ax.com>. ..
> Hello..
>
> Have a somewhat older dual 500-MHz Xeon Win2k workstation which is 10k
> RPM SCSI-based. Still works really well only lack of raw CPU power is
> becoming increasingly noticeable. Don't want to decommission (ditch)
> it just yet.
>
> Recently.. right about the time.. or before SP4 came out.. perhaps it
> was a MS security update.. IE started to performing terribly.. It
> seems to freeze at the beginning of each new webpage and has
> difficulty selecting a `save-as' directory for saving downloads. This
> thing is sluggish!!
>
> Have backed out SP4.. and messed with the IE settings. Here are the
> questions:
>
>
> 1) Is SP4 too bloated for this older/slower machine? Or ok?
>
> 2) What has saddled this browser?? security updates?
>
> 3) Does MS intentionally sabotage Win2k to sell Xp?
>
> 4) Where can one find a guide to IE security settings?
>
> 5) Could it be a software firewall product that is not working well?
>
>
> Cheers!!

Try the obvious - run an anti-virus scan, with the most up-to-date
dataset available.

Failing that, it is very likely SP4 or the patch. Microsoft's "fixes"
usually introduce more problems than they fix. I have had similar
experiences. Try to rollback your system. Windows Update keeps a
history of your patches and updates, so you may be able to figure out
which one. Of course, you may need to reinstall Win2k.

As far as you individual items:
1. It's buggy all-around.

2. IE is a disaster. It is, far and away, your single greatest
security risk. I can't say what has saddled it other than to say that
dumping it is easily the best thing you can do, security-wise.

3. It wouldn't surprise me.

4. Er, permit me plug my own site which has such instructions:
http://www.geocities.com/yosponge/browser.html. Disable Active
Scripting if you don't have a pop-up blocker like Proxomitron. I also
recommend disabling all items related to ActiveX in your
Tools/Internet Options/Security/Custom Settings menu. At an absolute
minimum, disable Unsigned ActiveX downloads and set Sign ActiveX
downloads to Prompt.

5. Very unlikely. Although conflicts are always possible, I find the
likelihood being in the following order: 1-virus; 2-the patch; 3-SP4,
4-hardware misconfiguration or conflict (including CMOS mis-settings);
5-driver conflict.

Sponge
Sponge's Anti-Spyware Source
www.geocities.com/yosponge