Machine Slows Down When Making Zip/Rar Files!

DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
edited November 2006 in Hardware
It really has me p.o'd. This machine slows down to a crawl whenever I try to make a simple zip/rar file, you would think it was slow but then again who knows...
It's an eMachine T5026
3.06Ghz
160GB
512MB
CD/DVDRW

The only problems it has given me is that it slows down when making simple rar/zip files. Could the memory be causing this? If so would upgrading to more solve the problem? I think I'm able to install up to 4GB. If not then what else?
I have another machine 1.5GHz 768MB where I do zip/rar files all the time and it doesn't slow down, the fan just speeds up like crazy to the point where it sounds like its gonna blow up but it hangs in there, which is what eMachine should do

Comments

  • ArmoArmo Mr. Nice Guy Is Dead,Only Aqua Remains Member
    edited November 2006
    more ram is always a good idea, but 4gb is total over kill, you might wanna invest in another 512mb so you have a gig.

    what program are you using to create the zips? Winzip? you may wanna try switching to Winrar.
  • DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
    edited November 2006
    Winrar is the program that I always have been using, which is the only one I use since I don't like zip files but I do tend to deal with them every now and then. Still, it slows my machine down to a crawl when trying to make a simple rar file so I don't think it could be winrar gobbling up my memory, could it?
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    edited November 2006
    does the task manager show 100% cpu usage?

    Also, what size archive are you creating?
  • jack19jack19
    edited November 2006
    I m out of ideas about it,butif you explian a bit more clear than i may help you...
  • DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
    edited November 2006
    does the task manager show 100% cpu usage?
    The file sizes usually range from 50mb a bit more or less at times and about the cpu I have yet to check. I'm using old faithful as the eMachine is worthless if it can't do simple tasks as making rar files.
  • WeAreNotAloneWeAreNotAlone
    edited November 2006
    If it uses the same type of ram I'd take the ram out of the other machine, install it in the e-machine unit.... 512 isn't much these days and any increase in ram will make it run faster. (Should be a pretty decent speed increase from 512 to 768)

    ( You want to see the machine really "crawl" remove one ram stick out of the 512 machine... Windows with 256mb crawls...)

    Press Crtl, Alt, Delete to bring up the task manager... From there you should see the CPU usage go to MAX, and you should be able to see if anything else is sucking power.

    You'll also be able to see the size of the pagefile.


    .
  • WeAreNotAloneWeAreNotAlone
    edited November 2006
    Another thought..

    How long has it been since a fresh install of the OS, a virus, adware, etc scan? ... and do you run with a FIREWALL, use a browser that is not prone to viruses?

    Another place to look may be the temp files... CLEAR them out.
  • DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
    edited November 2006
    The machine is pratically brand new so nothing has been done to it and therefor I don't have to worry about adware/spyware/viruses or any of that stuff... The ram from both machines is not compatible, at least I don't think it is. They're different... one is an old Compaq 1.5GHz with 768MB SDRAM and the other is an eMachine 3.06GHz with 512MB non-SDRAM (Fast isn't always good in my case)
  • WeAreNotAloneWeAreNotAlone
    edited November 2006
    A PC mag did a test...to see how fast the average PC gets some type of infection...

    They took several newly formated machines, installed a fresh copy of the OS on them, then connected to the net to download ONLY the needed DRIVERS... (no porn sites, or warez type sites were visited)

    In something like 6 minutes or less... ALL the machines were infected with something.

    .
  • WeAreNotAloneWeAreNotAlone
    edited November 2006
    .

    One more thought...

    I think WinRar has options for how it behaves... When I'm rar'ing a file it slows down my PC too if I run it in the forground (which I usually do) I think Winrar has an option to give preference to forground apps, and run Winrar in the background on free cpu cycles... screw around with the options... assign a lesser priority in TASK Manager..
  • DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
    edited November 2006
    Yea, when I also make rar files with my Compaq machine it slows down too but not that bad. For example, when I make a rar file on the eMachine it slows down and the arrow-pointer (from the mouse) creates drag, you can notice it not moving smoothly as it would normally do like on my Compaq machine, it's old but it gets the job done.
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    edited November 2006
    So, I figure there are two probable causes. It'd be great if you could actually tell us what the CPU usage is, and it should help to differentiate between the following. Also, knowing ram/pagefile usage would be very helpful as well...

    a CPU issue (throttling due to heat, or something else)
    a HD issue (when zipping/raring, you are reading and potentially writing to the same disk)
    Other!
  • DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
    edited November 2006
    The CPU usage is about 98-99, Mem Usage is about 32,496 K. Although this time it did not slow down because this time I made a rar file from an album already in the machine. I also tried to make a rar file from an album in a 50GB external drive and it worked out ok. When installing the 300GB IDE drive inside with the SATA drive is when it gives me problems such as it slowing down when making a rar file from the larger drive.
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