Battery Power Causes Laptop's Performance to Decline

Hello. I've done a lot a troubleshooting on my laptop and I've learned
that my battery is causing my computer to act sluggish. Let me
elaborate a little more...It's only sluggish when it comes to typing,
scrolling, and flash animations. Music and H.264 HD video plays just
fine, but it's mostly the text "hiccup" that's bothering me.

I've isolated it to a windows problem. (I ran knoppix and found no
problem in linux) I have also:

Scanned for viruses/spyware/adware using NOD32, spyboy, and ad-aware
Cleaned out registry with hijackthis
Defragmented
Checked all BIOS settings
Checked for corrupted memory

Thanks

On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:10:48 -0800 (PST), wrote:

>Hello. I've done a lot a troubleshooting on my laptop and I've learned
>that my battery is causing my computer to act sluggish. Let me
>elaborate a little more...It's only sluggish when it comes to typing,
>scrolling, and flash animations. Music and H.264 HD video plays just
>fine, but it's mostly the text "hiccup" that's bothering me.
>
>I've isolated it to a windows problem. (I ran knoppix and found no
>problem in linux) I have also:
>
>Scanned for viruses/spyware/adware using NOD32, spyboy, and ad-aware
>Cleaned out registry with hijackthis
>Defragmented
>Checked all BIOS settings
>Checked for corrupted memory
>
>Thanks

I don't know what model of laptop you have and what OS -- those would
be useful things to know.

Could it be due to your power settings which (on Vista even more) can
be customized quite a bit?

Or maybe a setting in your bios?

Usually though when you're talking about slow typing and scrolling, I
would look at the processes that are running that could be stealing
resources. Take a look too at the CPU resources being used and in
what processes at a time you are noticing lagging text.

This may sound nitpicky but it's likely not "your battery that is
causing" your computer to be sluggish. Your computer is sluggish when
running on battery.

On Jan 28, 11:43 pm, Journey <jour...@merr.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:10:48 -0800 (PST), fansofbr...@gmail.com wrote:
> >Hello. I've done a lot a troubleshooting on my laptop and I've learned
> >that my battery is causing my computer to act sluggish. Let me
> >elaborate a little more...It's only sluggish when it comes to typing,
> >scrolling, and flash animations. Music and H.264 HD video plays just
> >fine, but it's mostly the text "hiccup" that's bothering me.
>
> >I've isolated it to a windows problem. (I ran knoppix and found no
> >problem in linux) I have also:
>
> >Scanned for viruses/spyware/adware using NOD32, spyboy, and ad-aware
> >Cleaned out registry with hijackthis
> >Defragmented
> >Checked all BIOS settings
> >Checked for corrupted memory
>
> >Thanks
>
> I don't know what model of laptop you have and what OS -- those would
> be useful things to know.
>
> Could it be due to your power settings which (on Vista even more) can
> be customized quite a bit?
>
> Or maybe a setting in your bios?
>
> Usually though when you're talking about slow typing and scrolling, I
> would look at the processes that are running that could be stealing
> resources. Take a look too at the CPU resources being used and in
> what processes at a time you are noticing lagging text.
>
> This may sound nitpicky but it's likely not "your battery that is
> causing" your computer to be sluggish. Your computer is sluggish when
> running on battery.

Yeah sorry about the wording.

Dell Vostro 1000. Windows XP Home SP2

How much memory?

Anyway, this is actually normal. It is done to preserve battery life.
Turn off Speedstep in the BIOS and adjust your power settings to Full,
or something like it, when on battery and the problem will go away.

And you'll get about 1/2 the battery life.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [private.php?do=newpm&u=]
> Posted At: Monday, January 28, 2008 9:11 PM
> Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
> Conversation: Battery Power Causes Laptop's Performance to Decline
> Subject: Battery Power Causes Laptop's Performance to Decline
>
> Hello. I've done a lot a troubleshooting on my laptop and I've learned
> that my battery is causing my computer to act sluggish. Let me
> elaborate a little more...It's only sluggish when it comes to typing,
> scrolling, and flash animations. Music and H.264 HD video plays just
> fine, but it's mostly the text "hiccup" that's bothering me.
>
> I've isolated it to a windows problem. (I ran knoppix and found no
> problem in linux) I have also:
>
> Scanned for viruses/spyware/adware using NOD32, spyboy, and ad-aware
> Cleaned out registry with hijackthis
> Defragmented
> Checked all BIOS settings
> Checked for corrupted memory
>
> Thanks

On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:28:48 GMT, "Tom Scales" <>
wrote:

>How much memory?
>
>Anyway, this is actually normal. It is done to preserve battery life.
>Turn off Speedstep in the BIOS and adjust your power settings to Full,
>or something like it, when on battery and the problem will go away.
>
>And you'll get about 1/2 the battery life.
>

I don't normally disagree with you <g> but on this I think this is not
necessary regarding changing bios settings. Most people who have
this problem don't have to do this and I tend to agree with Journey.
I DO agree with one thing Tom you said first... How much memory?
Obviously if he's running 256 definitely not enough, 512 questionable
and 1 gig should be okay.

To the OP: Reread Journey's post. I also don't think the battery is
the problem. Likely a firewall or virus (or similar program) is
scanning, slowing or stopping other processes during it's operation.
Recheck your processes running when this happens. I suffer lags in
preformance when my firewall or virus checker run because I gave my
firewall / virus checker higher priority over other processes and I'm
running xp with 2 gigs memory. Yes, it's annoying but I made it do
this.

The settings Tom is referring to are accessible through the bios, but can
also be changed through Dell Quickset and I imagine Vista itself.
HTH
Robert

"RnR" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:28:48 GMT, "Tom Scales" <>
> wrote:
>
>>How much memory?
>>
>>Anyway, this is actually normal. It is done to preserve battery life.
>>Turn off Speedstep in the BIOS and adjust your power settings to Full,
>>or something like it, when on battery and the problem will go away.
>>
>>And you'll get about 1/2 the battery life.
>>
>
> I don't normally disagree with you <g> but on this I think this is not
> necessary regarding changing bios settings. Most people who have
> this problem don't have to do this and I tend to agree with Journey.
> I DO agree with one thing Tom you said first... How much memory?
> Obviously if he's running 256 definitely not enough, 512 questionable
> and 1 gig should be okay.
>
> To the OP: Reread Journey's post. I also don't think the battery is
> the problem. Likely a firewall or virus (or similar program) is
> scanning, slowing or stopping other processes during it's operation.
> Recheck your processes running when this happens. I suffer lags in
> preformance when my firewall or virus checker run because I gave my
> firewall / virus checker higher priority over other processes and I'm
> running xp with 2 gigs memory. Yes, it's annoying but I made it do
> this.

"Tom Scales" <> wrote in message
news:6B8FA6C7217C467EB6287322335E2DA6@M2010...
> How much memory?
>
> Anyway, this is actually normal. It is done to preserve battery life.
> Turn off Speedstep in the BIOS and adjust your power settings to Full,
> or something like it, when on battery and the problem will go away.
>
> And you'll get about 1/2 the battery life.
>


This question is eerily similar to the poster below who had added a 2gb
SODIMM to a V1000 (when specs only allow for 1gb/2gb max capacity).

It just appears the poster has had a name change.

"S.Lewis" <> wrote in message
news:y2Fnj.53257$. ..
>
> "Tom Scales" <> wrote in message
> news:6B8FA6C7217C467EB6287322335E2DA6@M2010...
>> How much memory?
>>
>> Anyway, this is actually normal. It is done to preserve battery life.
>> Turn off Speedstep in the BIOS and adjust your power settings to Full,
>> or something like it, when on battery and the problem will go away.
>>
>> And you'll get about 1/2 the battery life.
>>
>
>
> This question is eerily similar to the poster below who had added a 2gb
> SODIMM to a V1000 (when specs only allow for 1gb/2gb max capacity).
>
> It just appears the poster has had a name change.

right. and he/she dismissed my previous suggestion. but let him/her waste
time with all the other suggestions. speedstep or any other power saving
measure should not result in a delay of a typed letter from appearing on the
screen. the cause of this behavior is because of what i previously
mentioned.

"Christopher Muto" <> wrote in message
news:...
> "S.Lewis" <> wrote in message
> news:y2Fnj.53257$. ..
>>
>> "Tom Scales" <> wrote in message
>> news:6B8FA6C7217C467EB6287322335E2DA6@M2010...
>>> How much memory?
>>>
>>> Anyway, this is actually normal. It is done to preserve battery life.
>>> Turn off Speedstep in the BIOS and adjust your power settings to Full,
>>> or something like it, when on battery and the problem will go away.
>>>
>>> And you'll get about 1/2 the battery life.
>>>
>>
>>
>> This question is eerily similar to the poster below who had added a 2gb
>> SODIMM to a V1000 (when specs only allow for 1gb/2gb max capacity).
>>
>> It just appears the poster has had a name change.
>
> right. and he/she dismissed my previous suggestion. but let him/her waste
> time with all the other suggestions. speedstep or any other power saving
> measure should not result in a delay of a typed letter from appearing on
> the screen. the cause of this behavior is because of what i previously
> mentioned.
>


I dropped the thread when the poster dismissed exceeding the recommended RAM
specifications.

Further, running a budget system on (what I consider to be) off-brand RAM in
the wrong size......

It's obvious to me that the poster has it all figured out and doesn't need
any assistance from me.

On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 06:02:09 -0600, RnR <> wrote:

>On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:28:48 GMT, "Tom Scales" <>
>wrote:
>
>>How much memory?
>>
>>Anyway, this is actually normal. It is done to preserve battery life.
>>Turn off Speedstep in the BIOS and adjust your power settings to Full,
>>or something like it, when on battery and the problem will go away.
>>
>>And you'll get about 1/2 the battery life.
>>
>
>I don't normally disagree with you <g> but on this I think this is not
>necessary regarding changing bios settings. Most people who have
>this problem don't have to do this and I tend to agree with Journey.
>I DO agree with one thing Tom you said first... How much memory?
>Obviously if he's running 256 definitely not enough, 512 questionable
>and 1 gig should be okay.
>
>To the OP: Reread Journey's post. I also don't think the battery is
>the problem. Likely a firewall or virus (or similar program) is
>scanning, slowing or stopping other processes during it's operation.
>Recheck your processes running when this happens. I suffer lags in
>preformance when my firewall or virus checker run because I gave my

Typo: I suffer lags in preformance....
should be " My system lags in performance "

Sorry bout that . Maybe at that moment I was lagging too.