Toshiba laptop, new HD, new XP install, SLOW

Hello all, subject line says it all. New HD, formatted and used Toshiba recovery CDs. Windows XP Media Center SP2.

Here are my problems (right now):

It will not shutdown. When I click shutdown, I get an hourglass. It still moves, but nothing else works. No blue screen, etc...Can cntrl-alt-del, but it will not shut down from there either.

It also will not perform Windows updates, either by the icon in the lower left or by the web site.

This PC seems to run normally about 3-5 mins, that it just stops.

Safe mode appears to work normally, with no slow down....

I currently have all Toshiba services stopped, and also all items in startup unchecked. Still happens.

I can provide any other info if needed.

Thanks.

I rebooted machine again (had to use power button, shutdown brings up everlasting hourglass). When it came back up, Windows updates told me it had new ones to install, so I told it to install. It got through 2 updates OK, but it has stalled out on the third one. No hard drive or Ethernet activity at all. No hourglass. It literally is just sitting there.

Help?

Laptop? I have seen a bad battery cause that. Desktop? I suggest that you take out 1 stick of ram and reboot, re-test, until you find a bad one, or no bad ones are evident. unplug all unnecessary peripherals and try that, adding them back one at a time if it runs well. Good luck!

Yah, I thought about memory causing it, but it gives no errors or BSODs...

I will test it and post back.

Run memtest from dos (Hiren cd or such) to check memory modules. You can also try to install a different OS on another hard drive if you have.
You can also try to run linux livecd to see how it bahaves with a different OS to see if it's hardware realted

Well, its the battery causing all this. Pulled it, and it immediately cranked up.

Good call, Guts3d, thank you!

:thumbs: Happy to help!