Computer operation seems jerky, stopping and starting. Why?

[buddyboy]

I have a HP Pavilion 7955 with XP SP2 Home, 250GB HD, 1GB RAM, it's well maintained, defragged, swept and protected.  AntiVirus is now AVG.  I seem to have lots of resources and  many things seem to operate smoothly but with short periods of freezing.  It is most evident when I play a simple video game at http://www.fetchfido.co.uk/games/curve_ball/curve_ball.htm where the ball keeps stopping and starting.  It makes life on the computer less pleasurable. 

I have an integrated graphics card.  I am wondering if it's anything to do with that.  I have my priorities set to give performance priority (I forget where that setting can be found). Is there something I can do to improve things?  I have the maximum RAM that I can install and my HD is not exactly small.  My computer speed is 1.5GHz, not the fastest, but no slouch either.  I don't use it for anything heavy duty like gaming, though I do seem to max my resources when I do the occasional photo editing.

[Calum]

What browser are you using?  Try updating your version of Flash.
What spyware protection are you using?
Does this only happen on online games?
Has it always been like this?
If not, what happened before it started?

[buddyboy]

Hi Calum:   

Well, I use the latest version of Firefox.  My spyware protection is AdAware Personal SE, Spybot Search and Destroy, Windows Defender, AVG Anti-Spyware, and Spyware Blaster.  I update and scan regularly.  If it's spyware, none of them have found it. 

It happens in all programs, though, for obvious reasons, it is very graphically clear when playing an on-line game which should have smooth, steady movement.  For example, as I type this looking at the keyboard I look up every so often and see I have characters missing as though I missed typing them, but it is because there was a momentary freeze as I hit the letter(s).

Frankly it has been like this for many months and I can't pinpoint any event that seemed to precede it, sorry.  I will look to update the Flash to the latest version, but I may have to ask you how to go about that, if I can't figure it out.

[buddyboy]

I updated my Adobe Flash and it seems to have cured the jerkiness as evidenced by the game I mentioned above.  I was already on the current version 9, although I was on a slightly earlier iteration of it.

Thanks for your response, Calum.  At this point it seems to have done the trick.

[buddyboy]

Correction.  Not cured.  As before, it seems to come and go, usually there freezing more often than not.  So, I'm still scratching my head.

[patio]

Travel Here

Hope this helps...

[buddyboy]

Thanks patio.  That looks to be straightforward.  However, can you confirm that the idea is ti uninstall the Flash player then reinstall it?  The site just covers how to uninstall it.

[patio]

Yes that is correct...the tool listed just does a more thourough un-install then just using Add/Remove....

[buddyboy]

Well, patio, I downloaded the Flash uninstaller, but it absolutely refused to install, even in Safe Mode.  So, I simply uninstalled the programme using the Remove Programmes facility in XP, then downlaoded and reinstalled it.  At first blush the jerky motion has all but disppaeared.  Sadly it seems to do that, then quickly return.  I'll just have to see if my improvement lasts.

Thanks again for persevering with me, patio.

[patio]

I don't believe it actually installs...it's just a script that runs.

Probably went by so fast you didn't see it.

Good Luck and let us know.