Our Windows XP is not working correctly. Dr Watson Postmortem is problem?

[truedelphi]

Pulling AVG out of the mix and using AVAST! has helped us some.

But it still runs slow.

Spouse and I both think that it has to do with this program called "Dr Watson Postmortem"

I can even catch it on the task manager running Three Separate Copies of itself all at once, with various amounts of CPU mem being taken up by each one. "drwatsn32.exe"

I want to know why there would be three of this file - seemingly from the same location, though using "search" function, one of them always come up in BLUE (not black) type like the others.

How to install? Or should I just drag them over to the trashcan?

We never installed this file - and think it maybe came with the machine out of the box so to speak.

[canetoad]

1. It's a pain in the neck

You can either edit the registry, which is not hard, just intimidating if you have never done it before.

Or...Right click Start Button. Select Properties/Customise, Tick show administrative tools.

Then go here Start/Programs/Administrative Tools/Services (or you can just type services.msc in your 'Run Box').

Look for Error Reporting Service, double click and then disable it.

While you are in Services, you can disable Indexing Service and Messenger. This might speed your machine up a bit.

[hobbit709]

2. I'd say you have something else really bogging it down.

Check your startup manager and see what all loads.

[canetoad]

3. hobbit, I've got into the habit

Of checking msconfig each and every time I install a program to see what insinuates itself in there.

Recently needed a new desktop so installed XP, mobo drivers etc. check msiconfig, clean out out crap. Adobe suite, MS office, clean out the crap....and so on. If you don't, your nice new installation get progressively slower and slower.

[truedelphi]

4. H0w would I go about checking the msconfig ? With this XP machine?

Does it involve going into the registry?

[canetoad]

5. Nope, nothing so exotic

go to your start menu, the Run box and type in msconfig and hit return.

You will see a window with several tabs along the top. Go to the right-most tab; Startup

The ticked boxes are all the programs that start when you boot your machine and can slow it down considerably. I'd start by unticking absolutely everything except your anti-virus, close and reboot.

When you reboot you will need to check the box in the dialogue (don't open msconfig ...can't remember exact words)that apears on booting and hit OK.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

6. Here's a screenshot...

Check the box & press OK.

[truedelphi]

7. Thank you. And Canetoad too. n/t