I have a Dell Dimension 4500, 1.87 ghz processor, plenty of HD space and 1 1/2 gigs of ram. I upgraded Illustrator to CS3 and it is running so slow it is unusable.
Just this morning I tried to print a small file and it took about 8 minutes just to get to the print screen. Change tools, 3 to 5 seconds. Open a file, several minutes. While it's trying to do things, the tool pallets loose their icons, then the icons reappear, but then the tool pallet headers will go blank. Tool pallets and windows go blank, flicker, parts reappear then disappear over and over again. I've ran spy bot and adaware and they find no problems.
I find it hard to believe that the computer can't handle the software. Any ideas?
Posted by Jon Jantz (Member # 6137) on :
[ April 03, 2008, 02:43 PM: Message edited by: Jon Jantz ]
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
That didn't help. Thanks anyway Jon. Anyone else with an idea?
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Just a guess- do a system restore to the day before. This laptop slowed down to a dribble last week- even emails took ages to type, but a simple reboot fixed it. I could find no apparent cause of the problem, either.
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
It's been like this since the day I installed the upgrade. Launching the program takes 3 minutes and 45 seconds. Try to open a file, save a file, basically do anything, even simple thing like changing a tool takes several seconds.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Dave - you should remove your aiprefs file, reboot and Illustrator will rebuild this file.... that's always the first thing they suggest when things start acting up.
It's adobe's version of "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning."
If that doesn't work Dave, you probably need to uninstall the program.... reboot.... and reinstall it clean. I know you've been having problems for quite a while with sluggish performance and that's not normal - even on a pc..... I don't have performance issues on my pc.
Let me know if that helps.
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
Thanks Todd. I'll give it a go. Don Coplan told me to do the same thing. I actually though of that but could not find the prefs file on this dang PC. I know where to go on a Mac. Thanks for the link. I'll check it out tomorrow.
Hey Todd, check out Apples Time capsule. Sweet item especially for you Leopard guys with Time Machine in your OS.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Cool Dave - hope it works out, let me know if it did?
Yeah, my buddy just got time capsule but hasn't set it up yet.... curious to see how it works for him.
Saw it at Best Buy too.... $229 for the 500 gig unit....
Posted by Sarah F.Evans (Member # 7022) on :
I have had problems with CS3 Illustrator from day 1. The thing is, it NEVER shuts down without a forced quit. It often gets bogged down and tools lose icons just as you have mentioned. Then interesting thing is that I don't have these problems on my downstairs computer. Only on my laptop. The difference is, the downstairs computer only has Illustrator installed. The laptop has the entire CS3 Suite which was a monster to install. I've called Adobe and they suggested reseting preferences. Haven't tried it as of yet. They gave me a document number to search the Adobe site for troubleshooting info. It is as follows, kb401053 for what it's worth.
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
Sarah, I don't have the suite, just Illy and Photoshop 7.0. At the end of the day I usually have to force quit Illy, but if I quit it within the first few hours it usually quits fairly fast, but nothing like CS2 on my Mac.
Well anyway, I dumped the prefs file and it didn't help at all. 4.5 minutes to launch CS3, and still, every window I open like to open a file or save a file, I wait at least 5 seconds just for the window to open. Even to minimize and maximize Illy is a minute operation. I sit there watching the tool pallets load then go blank then re load partially, go blank again, then eventually load. Each tool pallet does this one at a time. How frustrating.
Now I am wondering if it's my computer because I notice that when I download a file, after my mail checks for viruses, the OK to download button takes about 2 seconds to become active. It used to be instantaneous.
Posted by John Deaton (Member # 925) on :
Could it be a memory issue Dave? Possbily you have other programs running in the background that are using up the memory? Hitting ctrl, alt and delete, and then clicking the processes tab will show you how your memory is being used. You might possibly have alot of spyware running in the background also. I use adaware a couple times each week to keep my computers clean. So much crap on the net,and so much adware, they can cause alot of problems. Edited to say I have CS3 also, and I just opened it up, and it took 17 seconds to open. This is a new computer 2.2ghz, 1gig ram, and I dont have much loaded on it except the programs I use every day.
[ April 05, 2008, 02:39 PM: Message edited by: John Deaton ]
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
John, I'm thinking spyware junk. 2 gihz processor with 1.5 gigs of ram. Even when I start up the puter and CS3 is the first program I launch it still takes minutes to launch.
Posted by Sam Staffan (Member # 4552) on :
Dave, sorry I have nothing to help you out with but I will stay in touch with you via phone in the coming weeks because I too was getting ready to upgrade to CS3. and I may be able to get the jump on it when your issue is resolved.
Remember awhile back when you and I talked about how slow everthing was running with CS2 on my system? The only way I found to fix it was to buy a new system and start clean.
