Hi Everyone!
This is my first post here, but I promise I'll do my best to make sense. :)
I've been using a PC since 1999, but I've always stayed away from the technical end of things & had the "experts" deal with problems because my mind just isn't wired-up to be a DIY lady. Since money is quite scarce due to my disability, I have to be the one to do what's needed this time, & with your guidance, resolve the current problem. In my defense, I'm no dummy & I'm a quick learner... I can do just about anything...as long as I have very detailed instructions from someone who knows what/how to do what needs to be done, & that's where all the more knowledgeable people on this Forum come in. I'll do my best to explain things, but if I leave something out, just ask & I'll do my best to fill in the blanks. Thanks for taking the time to read my post...I'm very grateful for your help & especially for your patience! ;)
Now to my problem....
I'm running Windows 8.1, 64 bit on a Lenovo G585 Idea Pad. About a month ago, I noticed a sharp decline in my PC's ability to handle streaming media & performance in general. (I rely heavily on streaming media ability, as I keep records on Bald Eagle nests for research & educational purposes), & I always have at least 1 nest cam on 24/7, (usually 2-4), & I used to be able to have Firefox or Pale Moon browser open with the live nest-cam feed streaming, & then have another window open to do searches or do online shopping, read/write email or play a game without any noticeable change in performance. (Just some extra info here...I never use IE, but the problems also occur when I tried using Opera or Chrome).
I noticed sluggish, choppy streaming from the nest cam sites, then I started having the same issues watching YouTube, Ustream or any other media-streaming site. I got so tired of watching that annoying broken circle spinning in the middle of my screen & I knew that something was wrong because I was starting to get dizzy!.
First, I made sure everything was up-to-date, (everything was), then I called my ISP, (Comcast) to make sure there were no changes with their equipment or service that I needed to address, (they said everything was OK), & then I remembered that my router might need a firmware upgrade. I realized my router was about 5-6 years old, & I'd been reading about how the new "N" routers were supposed to be amazing & that upgrading from a 802.11 "G" router to a new "N" router would, "speed up streaming media at least 3 times", (what I read from one of the articles). I bought & installed a Linksys E2500 Dual-Band, N600 router & all I kept thinking was how I'd probably get wind-burn when I used my PC because it was gonna be so fast. Well, it's been over 1 month since I installed it & the only thing that's faster is the time it takes me to yell at my PC!
I can only have 1 window open that's streaming the nest cam, but it's choppy & jumpy & even hard to watch. When this 1 window is open, I can't download/write email, I can't play any game, (unless I stop the nest-cam stream), & if I try to do some research for a report, it takes forever for the page to load..in other words, I can't use my PC in the way it was destined to function, & the way it DID function only 6-8 weeks ago!. It's like my PC is powered by a hamster running full-speed in his wheel...things are that slow.
I've gone to Device Manager & selected the things I know might be one of the culprits in need of a driver update, but when I go to their Properties & then select "check on this computer & online for driver update", I always get the same "you already have the current driver installed", (even when the date of the driver that's installed is dated BEFORE I even got my PC! I DO have "driver updates" included in what the normal Windows Updates provide, so why won't Windows provide the driver updates when they're available?
Sorry, I got a bit off-topic with my mini-rant about driver updates...so, anyway....
The little technical info I know about PCs is that they need driver updates & even BIOS updates, but I've heard so many horror stories about people like me trying to do these procedures & messing up their PCs so much that they end up either having to buy a new device, (which is totally unaffordable), or going to one of those "chain store geek people" & getting overcharged for something that I've been assured can be done by non-geeks like me.
I downloaded one of those driver-search programs that scans your device & tells you what needs to be updated, but I was told, (after I'd already bought it of course!), that this program can cause problems, especially because it does all the updates at once & not necessarily in the right order, nor does it check for BIOS updates. The scan results said that I needed 6 drivers updated, but I'm afraid to follow its suggestions because of all the unfavorable ratings this program got, so I need to know what the heck I should do to get my PC to run like it used to.
I have plenty of RAM, there's more than enough room left on my HDD, I always update whatever's necessary, I do an AV scan & Malwarebytes scan every week & run CCleaner 2-3 times/month & I defrag my HDD 2-3 times a year , so my very limited knowledge tells me that driver/BIOS updates should fix my problems, but if it could be something else, please tell me so I can check into whatever that may be, too.
If you think it's a driver issue, will you please tell me the correct way to update my drivers & if there is a certain order that should be followed, (including rebooting, etc), & use LOTS of details, so I don't make the hamster in the wheel run even slower! LOL
So, Friends, that's my story. If you need any more info, please let me know.
Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to read my post, & for any & all suggestions you have for me to try. It's less than 2 weeks till "hatch time", & having a PC that streams media without jerks, pauses & hiccups is mandatory if you want to keep accurate records!
Gratefully,
BeakGeek :)
This is my first post here, but I promise I'll do my best to make sense. :)
I've been using a PC since 1999, but I've always stayed away from the technical end of things & had the "experts" deal with problems because my mind just isn't wired-up to be a DIY lady. Since money is quite scarce due to my disability, I have to be the one to do what's needed this time, & with your guidance, resolve the current problem. In my defense, I'm no dummy & I'm a quick learner... I can do just about anything...as long as I have very detailed instructions from someone who knows what/how to do what needs to be done, & that's where all the more knowledgeable people on this Forum come in. I'll do my best to explain things, but if I leave something out, just ask & I'll do my best to fill in the blanks. Thanks for taking the time to read my post...I'm very grateful for your help & especially for your patience! ;)
Now to my problem....
I'm running Windows 8.1, 64 bit on a Lenovo G585 Idea Pad. About a month ago, I noticed a sharp decline in my PC's ability to handle streaming media & performance in general. (I rely heavily on streaming media ability, as I keep records on Bald Eagle nests for research & educational purposes), & I always have at least 1 nest cam on 24/7, (usually 2-4), & I used to be able to have Firefox or Pale Moon browser open with the live nest-cam feed streaming, & then have another window open to do searches or do online shopping, read/write email or play a game without any noticeable change in performance. (Just some extra info here...I never use IE, but the problems also occur when I tried using Opera or Chrome).
I noticed sluggish, choppy streaming from the nest cam sites, then I started having the same issues watching YouTube, Ustream or any other media-streaming site. I got so tired of watching that annoying broken circle spinning in the middle of my screen & I knew that something was wrong because I was starting to get dizzy!.
First, I made sure everything was up-to-date, (everything was), then I called my ISP, (Comcast) to make sure there were no changes with their equipment or service that I needed to address, (they said everything was OK), & then I remembered that my router might need a firmware upgrade. I realized my router was about 5-6 years old, & I'd been reading about how the new "N" routers were supposed to be amazing & that upgrading from a 802.11 "G" router to a new "N" router would, "speed up streaming media at least 3 times", (what I read from one of the articles). I bought & installed a Linksys E2500 Dual-Band, N600 router & all I kept thinking was how I'd probably get wind-burn when I used my PC because it was gonna be so fast. Well, it's been over 1 month since I installed it & the only thing that's faster is the time it takes me to yell at my PC!
I can only have 1 window open that's streaming the nest cam, but it's choppy & jumpy & even hard to watch. When this 1 window is open, I can't download/write email, I can't play any game, (unless I stop the nest-cam stream), & if I try to do some research for a report, it takes forever for the page to load..in other words, I can't use my PC in the way it was destined to function, & the way it DID function only 6-8 weeks ago!. It's like my PC is powered by a hamster running full-speed in his wheel...things are that slow.
I've gone to Device Manager & selected the things I know might be one of the culprits in need of a driver update, but when I go to their Properties & then select "check on this computer & online for driver update", I always get the same "you already have the current driver installed", (even when the date of the driver that's installed is dated BEFORE I even got my PC! I DO have "driver updates" included in what the normal Windows Updates provide, so why won't Windows provide the driver updates when they're available?
Sorry, I got a bit off-topic with my mini-rant about driver updates...so, anyway....
The little technical info I know about PCs is that they need driver updates & even BIOS updates, but I've heard so many horror stories about people like me trying to do these procedures & messing up their PCs so much that they end up either having to buy a new device, (which is totally unaffordable), or going to one of those "chain store geek people" & getting overcharged for something that I've been assured can be done by non-geeks like me.
I downloaded one of those driver-search programs that scans your device & tells you what needs to be updated, but I was told, (after I'd already bought it of course!), that this program can cause problems, especially because it does all the updates at once & not necessarily in the right order, nor does it check for BIOS updates. The scan results said that I needed 6 drivers updated, but I'm afraid to follow its suggestions because of all the unfavorable ratings this program got, so I need to know what the heck I should do to get my PC to run like it used to.
I have plenty of RAM, there's more than enough room left on my HDD, I always update whatever's necessary, I do an AV scan & Malwarebytes scan every week & run CCleaner 2-3 times/month & I defrag my HDD 2-3 times a year , so my very limited knowledge tells me that driver/BIOS updates should fix my problems, but if it could be something else, please tell me so I can check into whatever that may be, too.
If you think it's a driver issue, will you please tell me the correct way to update my drivers & if there is a certain order that should be followed, (including rebooting, etc), & use LOTS of details, so I don't make the hamster in the wheel run even slower! LOL
So, Friends, that's my story. If you need any more info, please let me know.
Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to read my post, & for any & all suggestions you have for me to try. It's less than 2 weeks till "hatch time", & having a PC that streams media without jerks, pauses & hiccups is mandatory if you want to keep accurate records!
Gratefully,
BeakGeek :)