Windows 7/IE 8 typing issues

[Tiger Wench]

I just got a new Sony laptop (Vaio NW series).  Things were fine until the last set of automatic updates.  Now I am getting a typing delay almost eery tme I try to typ anything on te intrnet.  (See - that was the unedited sentence) - it is like the cmputer cannot keep up wth my tping speed.  PRETTY DAMN FRUSTRATING!!!

Anyone else having this problem or know of a fix?

I cannot/willnot run Firefox for various reasons, so that is not a solution.

Thanks - I will hang up an listen.

[Vandy Vol]

This may or may not solve your problem.

Go to the Control Panel on your computer, which can be found on the Start Menu (at least, I assume it's still in the same place on Windows 7).  On the Control Panel, double click the Regional and Language Options icon.  Click on the Languages tab.  Click on the Details button.

A window will come up.  The bottom half of the window shows you the Installed Services.  If there is a service called Voice Recognition, you can remove it (unless, of course, you are using or plan on using Windows' voice recognition features).

This installed service has been known to cause delays in typing, although I don't know if this is your problem or not.  It's possible that a Windows Update reinstalled that service, but not very likely.  It's worth a try though.

You also might want to try booting in safe mode.  If the delay occurs while in safe mode, then the cause could be narrowed down to hardware issues, Windows corruption, registry corruption, or some sort of malware.  However, if this started soon after the Windows update, then it's probably not any of those issues.

The only other thing I can think of is that the update has installed some sort of process or service that is running in the background and is using up your memory and/or CPU.  You might want to press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and choose to go to your Task Manager.  That will show you what processes, services and applications are running, as well as how much CPU and memory they are using.  If anything appears abnormally high, then it may be hogging your system's resources and causing the delay in typing.

EDIT:  It's possible that there is some sort of driver issue as well, but unless you've installed a driver recently (or Windows update installed a driver), then it shouldn't be that.  If all else fails, however, I can direct you to a link from which you can download an application that will check your drivers.

[Vandy Vol]

There's one other potential solution that I found by doing a Google search on the topic.  In Internet Explorer 8, there is a Tools menu to the right.  Click on it and choose Compatibility View Settings.  It will come up with a window that, upon first glance, seems to ask you to add specific website domains to it.  However, if you look at the very last option at the bottom, you can choose to "Display all websites in Compatibility View."  Check this box and see if it fixes anything.

Basically, IE8 has a lot of new features that don't work so well with websites designed for older versions.  The Compatibility View option "forces" IE8 to view older websites as they were viewed with previous versions of IE instead of trying to make them work with the new features.  If your delay problem only occurs in IE, then I would try this fix first.  If your typing delay occurs outside of IE, or if the IE solution doesn't work, then I'd try the solutions in my previous post.

[Buzz Killington]

There's one other potential solution that I found by doing a Google search on the topic.  In Internet Explorer 8, there is a Tools menu to the right.  Click on it and choose Compatibility View Settings.  It will come up with a window that, upon first glance, seems to ask you to add specific website domains to it.  However, if you look at the very last option at the bottom, you can choose to "Display all websites in Compatibility View."  Check this box and see if it fixes anything.

Basically, IE8 has a lot of new features that don't work so well with websites designed for older versions.  The Compatibility View option "forces" IE8 to view older websites as they were viewed with previous versions of IE instead of trying to make them work with the new features.  If your delay problem only occurs in IE, then I would try this fix first.  If your typing delay occurs outside of IE, or if the IE solution doesn't work, then I'd try the solutions in my previous post.

This may be it.  IE8 does not do well with many Java based programs, and if you run it in Compatibility mode, many times, your problems will disappear.

[AUChizad]

[Vandy Vol]

[Tiger Wench]

Voice Recognition was not it.

I had already set up the Compatibility View thing - I remembered that fix from an issue I had on here.

One thing I am trying is getting rid of all the Windows Live bullshit that came preinstalled.  I also killed the Sony Vaio Messenger that was running in the background (good tip, ) and that has helped somewhat.  The skips are not as bad.  I am going to keep looking for stupid preinstalled crap that is of no use to me.

I really do appreciate the hints - I know just enough to be dangerous when it comes to computers.  Nice to have an army of nerds at my fingertips - literally. 

I'll see what happens.

[Vandy Vol]

One way you can try to prevent the Live Messenger program from running is by changing your startup programs.  Click on the Start Menu and you should see a Run option on the main menu.  Click on it and a small window will come up in the bottom left.  In the window's blank, type "msconfig" (without the quotation marks).

This will open a window with several tabs; you'll want to go to the Startup tab.  From there, you can uncheck any programs that you don't want to run on startup.  Windows Live Messenger has a nasty habit of reinstalling itself after being deleted, especially after you do a Windows update, so you can usually prevent it from running by unchecking it in the startup menu.

There's also a Startup folder on your Start Menu.  Not all programs that automatically startup are found in this folder, but many are.  You can delete any items in that folder that you don't want to run on startup, as they are just shortcut icons and not the actual programs.

[Aubie16]

[Vandy Vol]