🚀 go-pugleaf

Hey all...

Well, my comp's pretty f***ed up a the mo, so i htought I'd tryand get some
help. Ive already taken it into the local computer store and they, being the
hick town airheads they are, not only couldn't fix it, but tried to charge
me twice for **not** fixing it. sheesh. Anyways, heres what happened:

the machine is a Intel pentium 200 MMX, with 64 megs SDram, with a 430tx
motherboard. 32bit yamaha soundcard, dynalink 33.6k modem, realtek NE2000
network card 4mb S3 Virge video card,
Mitsumi 24X CDROM, 4.3GB HDD (Bigfoot? One of those big crappy 5 1/4" ones).

I used to have a Gig dedicated to linux, which I used for  programming while
at Uni. When term broke up I decided to delete it to give me more room for
other stuff. Backed up all my files, then stuffed up by forgetting to use
the linux partition program to wipe the partition, instead using fdisk. Comp
started running **slow** like, not even able to handle an mp3 (only
buffering 2.3 secs) when it used to handle an mp3 (8.6 secs buffered) AND
carmageddon.

thought, oh, ok, win98 (had the beta back then) needs to be reinstalled, so
reinstalled win98. No change. tried installing win95 (a very old version -
didn't even have USB support). no help there. borrowed friends brand new
win98 and installed that. nada. zip. zilch. Thought "It must be the HDD", so
went to foremention hick store and got them to completely wipe the HDD (boot
sector and all) Partititoned it,  formatted it, reinstalled new win98. Still
runs slows. "hmm" methinks "could be the cards". So, out come the cards,
trashed them in the system properties. restarted - nothing. reinstalled
win98 (glutton for punishemnt huh?). nothing. still slow as a one legged
dog. Put cards back in one by one(even in different orders) co improvement.

Took hte machine into the hick store again. they reset the CMOS settings.
nothing. played around and did other stuff. nothing.  I've now got it so
that it can limp along (can handle an mp3 with 1.8 secs buffered). Still
very slow - estimate performance at about 484 DMX4 100 with maybe 16 megs
ram. Its that bad. I have run out of ideas. I've tried different drivers.
everything. Has anybody else heard of anything like this? please let me know
if you know a fix - I would be SOOOOOOO grateful.

please please please please please please please please! thanks.


Monty.

ps, interestingly, I can no longer run ICQ NEt detect in the background.
ideas?