# [SOLVED] Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds



## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

Hello, I recently purchased a family pack of Windows 7: Home Premium and installed it on my computer. However, there has been reoccurring stuttering ever since. Whether I'm watching a video, playing a game, or simply scrolling in Firefox, roughly every second there is a brief amount of lag. The lag continues every second or so, making it quite annoying to carry out my average computer activities. 

I've made sure that all of my drivers are up to date; and have reinstalled my integrated graphics card driver. I have also attempted to turn off certain windows display features, including transparency; yet the problem still exists. CPU and RAM usage are hardly ever high, even with several windows open. 

Here are some of my system specs:

Compaq Presario SR1910NX
1.5 Gb of DDR PC3200 RAM
NVIDIA Geforce 6150 LE
AMD Sephron 1.8 Gigahertz Processor 3200+ 

I understand that this computer by no means should blow the operating system to dust, but it shouldn't cause any extensive issues, correct? Everything runs very fervently actually, aside for this annoying lag issue. Also, I have provided two files, one is a quick screen capture showing the torturous lag, while the other is a picture of the processes I have running in task manager. 

Thank You! -Richard

View attachment Stutter.zip


EDIT: I feel I should point this out; I noticed that whenever the lag occurs, my computer thinking light flashes quite quickly. I'm assuming that might have something to do with it?


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Try a lower screen resolution.


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## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*



Corday said:


> Try a lower screen resolution.


Thank you for the quick reply, but lowering my screen resolution did not end the issue.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Open in Safe Mode. If problem doesn't happen there, use the Clean Boot approach to identify the culprit. I'm assuming your Graphics Card is really OK. You could test it.


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## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

I just attempted booting my computer in safemode, and the lag was not there. However, when I did a clean boot and disabled all unnecessary processes, the lag still existed. 

Thanks.


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## Dracia (Mar 19, 2008)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Hi there

When you say you get lag, does the sound lag too, or is this just the display? Seeing as safe mode harbours no problems, I'm inclined to think it may be your video driver.

If you're using the latest version, try rolling back to a previous one. If not, then update it to the most recent. You should be able to locate your driver by going to the manufacturer's website.


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## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

The sound does not lag at all - it comes out crystal clear. I'm nearly possitive that the driver is up to date; I have downloaded and installed the latest drivers from the NVIDIA website. I rolled back my driver, but the problem didn't cease. I have also tried reinstalling the drivers (And, without drivers on the PC, the issue didn't exist). 

I am actually planning on purchasing a new video card soon; though I am very confused as to why the lag exists. Also, attempting to reinstall other drivers that the integrated card controlled (such as the 6150 LE chipset) did not fix my issue. 

Thanks.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

You mentioned disabling all non essential processes, but let's try again disabling all  one at a time. I know the process is a pain, but we should find the culprit.


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## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

I thought I did it right; I went into misconfig, and unchecked *every single* process in the "Startup" tab, and in the "Boot" tab. But the lag was not even reduced. The same annoying stuttering kept up even with virtually no processes running on my computer. 

Maybe there was actually lag when I booted the computer in safe mod; but I just didn't realize it. If that was case, what could be the problem? (I'm checking it right after I post this)

Thank you for your help so far!


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Just in case our vocabulary is conflicting, if you mean screen flicker when you say lag, then see this MS site concerning refresh rate.
Correct monitor flicker (refresh rate)


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Another suggestion. Make sure you've dedicated a minimum of 128mb in the bios for your Nividia Geforce 6150 LE.


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## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

No, my monitor isn't flickering. I checked in Safe Mod again, and I am fairly confident that the lag isn't there. I followed you suggestion of ensuring that I have dedicated 128 mb in my Computer's bios, and I had (Though, it wouldn't let me change it to any further amount). 

This problem seems relentless. I also just ran a malware scan to see if some bugger left over from Windows XP was causing the issue, but nothing was found. 

Thanks.


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## mcorton (Apr 16, 2009)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Hi Quatiplet, :wave: ,Try removing the 512 MB stick of RAM and trying it. Mismatched RAM can sometimes misbehave.


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## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

That was a very good guess - but it didn't work! :sigh: I attempted to remove the two different kits of RAM separately - first with my 512 mb kit, and then with my 1gb kit. (Both are DDR PC3200) and running Windows 7 likewise did not solve the issue. I remember, approximately a year ago, I had Vista on this same machine. What was curious is that I vividly remember lag issues identical to the one occurring now. However, the operating system ran so terrible on this computer, that I reluctantly reinstalled XP and the problem ceased. Perplexing nonetheless. 

Like I said, I plan on ordering a new graphics card tomorrow from Amazon. It'll be interesting to see if the problem stops once I install that. 

Thanks!


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

One of our hardware staff believes the Graphics Card is the problem. Earlier in this thread I suggested testing it, but that wouldn't reveal a lack of "guts" (the only terminology I can think of).


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## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Thank you sir. Just out of a need to exhaust every possibility; how could I go about testing it? 

Also, my computer has been occasionally - roughly once a week - freezing at times. (At times, when I try to access the start menu, the mouse and thinking light randomly stop) In my mind that points dirrectly to the graphics card, as my RAM and CPU usage are hardly ever high. I honestly hadn't even remotely linked the two issues together until now. 

-Thanks for your help, Corday!


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Testing for Hardware Problems Using Hardware Diagnostic Tools in Windows Vista - HP Customer Care (United States - English)
For Vista. If it doesn't work on 7, HP probably has a diagnostic tool that does.


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## lool123 (Oct 20, 2009)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Could the problem be your HDD? Is it a very old one, like 20GB space? One you've touched place you shouldn't (Like it's circuitboard on it's back), or dropped into the floor?

Also, since you said "Thinking Light", it gives me the impression this is a Lenovo thinkpad laptop?
Those have a kinda HDD freezer whenever the computer moves. In other words, when you shake or move the computer a little too much, it stops it's HDD. This they put there to prevent the HDD and it's data from going to HDD heaven in case you dropped the laptop in the floor.


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## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Apologies; I probably should have put "Thinking light" in quotations. I was attempting to refer to the hard drive activity light. And my Hard drive is five years old but by no means as pitiful as a twenty gigabyte one. 

I did run the hardware diagnostic tool, but nothing abnormal was found. The tool said that my PC was not experiencing any issues. 

Thank you.


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## lool123 (Oct 20, 2009)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Since you say both your RAM and CPU isn't the cause, and neither is your Graphics Card, then it narrows me down to your HDD..
Could it be it's been a while since you've restarted it? In other words, you've had it on for a very long time // Used Hibernation whenever you turn it off? That stuffs the HDD with temp. Files, decreasing it's working capacity untill it's restarted thus deleting the temp files.
Do you have any other HDDs at your disposal you can test with? If not, and you still want to try, and decide to just buy a new HDD, I suggest one with 64MB cache. For instance Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 64MB cache 
Newegg.com - Product Detail
Which I got and am VERY happy with..


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## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

I turn off my computer regularly, so hard drive error in that regard shouldn't be an issue. I do have other hard drives, and have tried to boot them on this computer hoping it could be a fix. However, they all have XP on them, and while the lag stopped with that; you have to remember that the problem immediately started occurring after installing Windows 7, so I'm not counting too much on that being a fix.

Thank you for the hard drive suggestion though. I have been meaning to purchase a new one, and will probably end up deciding on that specific one.

Thanks again.


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## lool123 (Oct 20, 2009)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

So all your other HDDs except this one works?
Is it possible that you could install Win7 on one of those too and try, just to get rid of the possibility that the HDD is the problem? 

Also, this lag, does it appear while you're running lots of applications and programs at the same time only, or when you're not running anything, just racing your cursor across your desktop in boredom too, so to speak?


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## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

There is no possibility that I could install Windows 7 on one of my other hard drives. Also, the freezing is not random at all, but rythematic. It continually happens when I'm playing a game, coding, or just moving my mouse around with absolutely no programs running. (See the video attachment in my first post) 

It is truly a pain... 

Thanks.


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## lool123 (Oct 20, 2009)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

You're right .. Certainly seems like a bad graphics card, yes ..
Reminds me of one of those i'd see on Windows 98s 

How old is the grphics card? It might just be that it can't handle Windows 7's basic graphics, which would require you to change it ... That or downgrade to Windows XP.
When you used to game with it on your old Windows XP, did games run smoothly? Or could it just barely handle small flash games?


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## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

The Graphics Card is a Integrated NVIDIA Geforce 6150 LE, and I believe it is from 2005 or 2006. It is actually a better card then one might expect; I can actually run Counter Strike Two on medium-high settings. I plan on getting a nice HIS Radeon HD 4670 IceQ 1 GB (128bit) soon; probably sometime in April, if not this month. (I ended up not ordering it yesterday).

NVIDIA has drivers that are allegedly for Windows 7 on their site, but the lag still exists with them installed. Also, I am pretty confident now that it _is _the card that is my issue, not the hard drive. Seeing, when I record videos on this computer, and transfer them to my second PC, I am able to watch them lagless. The same goes if I upload them to the internet and then watch them on a different computer. 

Thanks.


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Hi, I do not recommend ANY memory tests they are next to useless unless the Ram is really gone then thats obvious, HDD diagnostics fit into the same bill. We have not the time for this just replace and if OK problem solved. Now you should never mix match ram 1gb with 1 gb not 512 and 1 gb.

Note:- Memory management in Vista, 7 has improved, both will try to use as much physical memory as possible, unlike XP where 512 worked well. 2gb should be your min requirement.


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## Quatiplet (Mar 4, 2011)

*Re: Windows Seven Lags Every Few Seconds*

Thank you. I solved the issue, but not by touching my RAM. I thought we had determined that RAM wasn't the case after I un-mismatched and switched it and the lag still existed. (Furthermore, I installed my 1gb kit after installing the operating system, and as I said; I am nearly positive the problem existed right after the install, with only one 256 Mb x2 kit in my PC)

Anyhow, to fix the issue; I bought a nice, cheap graphics card from a local store around the same stature of the one I was using for fifteen dollars, and installed that. The lag stopped after downloading the latest drivers. The stuttering has vanished! 

_"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy._

Thank you for all of your help everyone! 
~Richard


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