Slow Shrinking/Burning DVDs

[espresso]

Hi...

I'm running Windows XP Pro (SP2) on a P4 (3.0), 1GB Ram, SATA HDD, 256GB ATI graphics, LG DVD-RW, ASUS M/B with on board Realtek sound.

The problem is that using DVD Shrink it takes around 50 minutes to shrink a DVD. Then Using Nero to burn takes about 45 minutes to burn the single layer DVD disc.

Speaking to friends with old PCs with slower spec, they're getting far faster results... ie 10 mins to burn a DVD.

Also... I cannot play internet radio/sound apps (with 2.2MB broadband) as the sound stops, slows, reverbs, hangs...

Also I cannot really use any other apps as everything slows up dramatically? With possible crashes.

Anyone with ideas on solving this greatly appreciated!!

thanks

dave

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Check your system for malware using resources first. Secondly, make sure you only run apps needed at the time. Run MSCONFIG and close the ones not needed. Use Black Viper's site to decide which ones are and are not nessessary.

Also the speed of your burner will affect how fast you can make a dvd. I have an old PII 233mhz system with a 52x cd burner that burns at full speed no prob, as long as I use 52x media. But it burns at 24x with 24x media. Then I have a newer, faster one with a slower burner so the bottleneck is the burner or the media in these cases.

As fr as DVD Shrink, well, yeah, it's slow, but consider it likened to converting formats on the fly. You've got to expect 'some' slowdown.

[espresso]

Thanks for the suggestions!

But I'm well covered on virus, spyware, etc which run daily with daily updates. And my DVD burner is new and fast - or at least it should be fast. The discs are 8x single layer. That's the prob.

I'm already closing all other apps, else I wouldn't be able to burn a DVD at all without the PC crashing. This means I can't do anything at all while burning a DVD. That can't be right.

[Sylvander]

"I'm already closing all other apps"
Are you really sure?
Have you tried running in the "msconfig->Diagnostic Startup->"Normal" at restart"?
This is like Safe Mode, but with optical drive access.
e.g
I run Win98SE and have in:

Normal Windows
31 Processes shown running by "Wintop"
21 Programs shown running in "Close Program"
[why the difference?]

msconfig->Diagnostic Startup
7 Processes shown running by "Wintop"
2 Programs shown running in "Close Program" [Explorer & System Tray only]
[much less running in this environment]