Thanks for the info Squeezebox.

/*goes to update*  

One thing you should be aware of is: in some parts of the UK, 10Mbps downstream is not possible with the current hardware BT uses. So, no matter how fast your ISP dish out the bits -- you can only download as fast as your BT lines can handle. Although I believe BT are due to upgrade all their hardware this year, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that to happen, lol.

Hi GogMagog. Welcome to fixmyxp forum.  :wavey:

Welcome to fixmyxp, big gee.  

That's the speed typing I was on about in my edit.

Hi, Light. Welcome to Fixmyxp.

I have to say I don't agree on this one. I think you should set msconfig as stated in my post above, before resorting to System Restore.

EDIT: Too much speed typing going on here for me.. lol.

Since you can access msconfig still: Open msconfig and select "Normal Startup - load all device drivers and services" then click "Apply"-->"Close"-->"Restart".

Haha, as bad as all that, eh. I had a Duron 700MHz with 256MB RAM at one point, and it wasn't actually that much different with SP2 installed. I'm surprised you see such a difference with the Pentium, they have a faster FSB and L2 cache than AMD Durons.

EDIT: BTW, you don't need 'Shoot The Messenger' - you can disable the Messenger service manually in Control Panel. If you don't know how to do that, then go for Shoot The Messenger.

Hi teak. Welcome to fixmyxp forum.  

Perhaps your thinking of Windows/MSN messanger? The 'Messanger Service' is just that: a system service, which can be disabled.

Also, the post above me is right (besides that fact that SP2 actually WOULD fix the immidieate problem), SP2 would have disabled the messenger service by default, among locking down countless other security holes.

You have to be logged in with an account that has Administrator (or possibly Power user?) privileges to make changes to the registry, install software, ect.

Perhaps you could give a link to the article in question?

And even better yet: just make an image of your HDD and re-install from that. Done! lol

Good stuff. I guess it would have been next to impossible to realize that was the problem.

And I'll keep my mouth shut about AVG vs [insert your fave AV here] lol.

Open AVG 'Control Center'--> E-mail Scanner--> Properties--> uncheck 'Show notification window' (If you don't want the spinny icon thing either: uncheck 'Show notification icon')--> OK--> OK.