Network suddenly very slow

I have 2 XP machnes on a LAN with a router and high speed
cable internet connection. One machine works fine. The
other machine suddenly (mid to late March 2004) went from
running fine to creeping along.

Internet speed went from cable speeds to slower than dial
up. If you access 'my computer' the system often has to
scan for minutes to find the drives. Access to and from
the other network computer is very very slow to non-
existent.

When I look at system resources, the CPU is barely running
(2-4% typically) even when network demand suggest that it
should be running. However, processes such as work
processing and printing seem to work fine.

I have deleted and reinstalled both Norton and McAfee
antivirus/firewall software, run 3 different spyware
search programs, reinstalled the NIC driver and generally
tried or cursed everything I can think of. Nothing has
any effect. I have switched router ports and cables as
well.

I have also disabled the 'on-board' NIC and installed a
new NIC card in an open slot. The new NIC runs at the
correct speed, but freezes after 30-40 seconds and nothing
I can do will prevent this. I presume an IRQ conflict but
cannot find one. Have tried the new NIC in two different
slots, assigned to different IRQ, with the same result.

All I can think of is that a MS security download around
mid to late March might have done something to interfere.

I would LOVE any ideas on how to fix this problem.

Hi Al,

I also think MS security patch has slown down your comp. Why haven't you
tried to restore computer to an earlier time?

--
Best Regards,
Sebastjan Kocelj, MCSA
Avtenta.SI
Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
for Support Services

"Al Alderman" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:8f9b01c432dd$fa71cde0$a001280a@phx.gbl...
> I have 2 XP machnes on a LAN with a router and high speed
> cable internet connection. One machine works fine. The
> other machine suddenly (mid to late March 2004) went from
> running fine to creeping along.
>
> Internet speed went from cable speeds to slower than dial
> up. If you access 'my computer' the system often has to
> scan for minutes to find the drives. Access to and from
> the other network computer is very very slow to non-
> existent.
>
> When I look at system resources, the CPU is barely running
> (2-4% typically) even when network demand suggest that it
> should be running. However, processes such as work
> processing and printing seem to work fine.
>
> I have deleted and reinstalled both Norton and McAfee
> antivirus/firewall software, run 3 different spyware
> search programs, reinstalled the NIC driver and generally
> tried or cursed everything I can think of. Nothing has
> any effect. I have switched router ports and cables as
> well.
>
> I have also disabled the 'on-board' NIC and installed a
> new NIC card in an open slot. The new NIC runs at the
> correct speed, but freezes after 30-40 seconds and nothing
> I can do will prevent this. I presume an IRQ conflict but
> cannot find one. Have tried the new NIC in two different
> slots, assigned to different IRQ, with the same result.
>
> All I can think of is that a MS security download around
> mid to late March might have done something to interfere.
>
> I would LOVE any ideas on how to fix this problem.
>
>

Restore points from the 'good' era seem to have
disappeared.
>-----Original Message-----
>Hi Al,
>
>I also think MS security patch has slown down your comp.
Why haven't you
>tried to restore computer to an earlier time?
>
>--
>Best Regards,
>Sebastjan Kocelj, MCSA
>Avtenta.SI
>Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
>for Support Services
>
>"Al Alderman" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote in message
>news:8f9b01c432dd$fa71cde0$a001280a@phx.gbl...
>> I have 2 XP machnes on a LAN with a router and high
speed
>> cable internet connection. One machine works fine.
The
>> other machine suddenly (mid to late March 2004) went
from
>> running fine to creeping along.
>>
>> Internet speed went from cable speeds to slower than
dial
>> up. If you access 'my computer' the system often has
to
>> scan for minutes to find the drives. Access to and
from
>> the other network computer is very very slow to non-
>> existent.
>>
>> When I look at system resources, the CPU is barely
running
>> (2-4% typically) even when network demand suggest that
it
>> should be running. However, processes such as work
>> processing and printing seem to work fine.
>>
>> I have deleted and reinstalled both Norton and McAfee
>> antivirus/firewall software, run 3 different spyware
>> search programs, reinstalled the NIC driver and
generally
>> tried or cursed everything I can think of. Nothing has
>> any effect. I have switched router ports and cables as
>> well.
>>
>> I have also disabled the 'on-board' NIC and installed a
>> new NIC card in an open slot. The new NIC runs at the
>> correct speed, but freezes after 30-40 seconds and
nothing
>> I can do will prevent this. I presume an IRQ conflict
but
>> cannot find one. Have tried the new NIC in two
different
>> slots, assigned to different IRQ, with the same result.
>>
>> All I can think of is that a MS security download
around
>> mid to late March might have done something to
interfere.
>>
>> I would LOVE any ideas on how to fix this problem.
>>
>>
>
>
>.
>