Hey experts. I hope you can help with this. I have a Dell CPX laptop which keeps locking up due to the CPU usage hitting 100%. It has a pentium 3 498 MHz processor and 128 MB of RAM. Out of the 18.6GB of storage on my C drive I am only using 4.76 GB. I am running XP w/ SP 2. I have run Defrag / Mcafee / Spybot / Ad-ware and System Mechanic 4. System Mechanic made it so the computer would not lock up except for when I connect the printer but the thing is still slow as hell and I still cannot print. I downloaded Hijack This and here is what it said.

Hope you can help.
Thanks,
JM

Logfile of HijackThis v1.98.2
Scan saved at 10:37:22 PM, on 8/31/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\System32\atievxx.exe
c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcvsrte.exe
C:\Program Files\Linksys\Odyssey Client for
Linksys\OdTray.exe
C:\Program Files\Linksys\Wireless-G Notebook
Adapter\WLMon.exe
C:\Program Files\HP\HP Software Update\HPWuSchd2.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcvsshld.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\agent\mcagent.exe
C:\Program Files\HP\hpcoretech\hpcmpmgr.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\hpztsb09.exe
c:\progra~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcvsescn.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\fxssvc.exe
C:\Program Files\HP\hpcoretech\comp\hptskmgr.exe
c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcshield.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Office\Local
Settings\Temp\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.yahoo.com/
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main,Local Page =
F1 - win.ini: run=fntldr.exe
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class -
{06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program
Files\Adobe\Acrobat
6.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O3 - Toolbar: McAfee VirusScan -
{BA52B914-B692-46c4-B683-905236F6F655} -
c:\progra~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcvsshl.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [OdTray.exe] "C:\Program
Files\Linksys\Odyssey Client for Linksys\OdTray.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WLMonWPC54G] C:\Program
Files\Linksys\Wireless-G Notebook Adapter\WLMon.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HP Software Update] "C:\Program
Files\HP\HP Software Update\HPWuSchd2.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VSOCheckTask]
"c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcmnhdlr.exe" /checktask
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VirusScan Online]
"c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcvsshld.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MCAgentExe]
c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\agent\mcagent.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MCUpdateExe]
C:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\agent\mcupdate.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HP Component Manager] "C:\Program
Files\HP\hpcoretech\hpcmpmgr.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HPDJ Taskbar Utility]
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\hpztsb09.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\RunOnce: [DELDIR0.EXE]
"C:\DOCUME~1\Office\LOCALS~1\Temp\DELDIR0.EXE"
"C:\Program Files\McAfee\McAfee Shared
Components\Guardian\"
O4 - HKLM\..\RunOnce: [System Mechanic Cache Cleanup]
C:\Program Files\iolo\System Mechanic 4\SysMech4.exe
/COMPLETECACHE
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [McAfee.InstantUpdate.Monitor]
"C:\Program Files\McAfee\McAfee Shared
Components\Instant Updater\RuLaunch.exe" /startmonitor
O18 - Protocol: cetihpz -
{CF184AD3-CDCB-4168-A3F7-8E447D129300} - C:\Program
Files\HP\hpcoretech\comp\hpuiprot.dll

I've responded to your post in the other area, but a good look at your posting doesn't show anything that looks untoward to me. I'll stick with my thought that you need more ram. 128mb is just not enough for WinXP.

i opened up the compartment on the back of the computer and I have two chips that read 128MB 1000MHz. ANy Ideas?

If you have 2 chips that read 128mb, you SHOULD have 256mb of ram. Are there any empty slots? Do you know for a fact that it only had 128mb when you bought it, or was that just what you think it had? If there are two sticks of ram, perhaps one is not seated right?

Lastly, it could be that you have 2 64meg sticks, paired memory was common on P3's as I recall. Unlikely, though, if each is marked 128mb. I'm a bit confused now. ^^;

yep, they are both marked 128mb. Is there something I can run or somewhere I can look that tells me what I have?

i opened setup when I rebooted my computer and it says:

CPU speed - 500 MHz
level 2 cache - 256 kb
system memory - 128 mb

Did you buy it directly from Dell? It really looks to me like you have 256mb of ram, but that only 128mb of it is accessible.

Were I you: I would unplug each module, then replace it, being sure each firmly seats into the slot the stick goes into. After doing this with both memory cards, try rebooting and see if it still reads 128mb ram.

The other thing is, (it's rare, but), some manufacturers put their own stickers on memory, it could be that that machine has 2x64mb chips that total 128mb, and they might have labeled it as a pair, since most Pentium 3's use paired memory. A longshot, but...

Calling Dell might be your best option if reseating the memory modules doesn't change anything. Replace what you have with a pair of 256mb modules, and you'll be all set. (Of course, your wallet will also be almost 300$ lighter that way).

I unpludes both and reset them. The computer still reads 125 mb. Then I pluged one in the Dimm A slot and it read 125mb. The other did the same. Then I pluged one on Dimm B and left Dimm A open. The computer did not boot. It is almost like the Dimm B slot is not being read. ANy ideas?