I just threw away 2 sticks of EDO Ram if you want that :) - Sorry I couldn't resist.

River, you don't say what OS and which player(s) you're using.

If you installed the full version of Registry Mechanic (via the offer K8 found back in December), you might want to run a scan AFTER making sure - Settings > Scan&Repair > Create a System Restore Pt is ENabled (if you're running WinXP)
and
Settings > Scan&Repair > Remove all problems automatically is DISabled
-- or --
back up Registry (if you're running something else).
I strongly suggest that you not just click OK when it finds problems. Go through the list and make sure it's not deleting anything important. If you're unsure, ask someone.

You might also want to either update or remove/reinstall your music/vid player(s), especially if by "hesitation throughout" you mean for stuff already on your drive. If you meant jerkiness with material streamed off the Internet, it might be a modem buffer overflow type problem, where your modem speed is set too high. I seem to recall on my older PC that when I'd set up a new internet connection, the modem speed was automatically set to 111k(?) when it should have been set to 56k. (my numbers may be off... it's the end of my day, too) You might want to have your ISP talk you through resetting your modem and as I recall, there were 2 different places you had to drill down to and reset the speed. If you only did it in one of 'em, the problem would continue.

I will try all that can...I really appreciate everyone's help.....thanks guys

Just replied via PM - 512MB

BTW - best to answer in the forums - because I might not get the message for a while - and someone else can help you in the meantime - case in point, it is 5.00am and I am going to grab some sleep - was only luck I saw the PM right now.

Depending on which version of windows you are running - 512MB isn't a great deal. Also depends on what other programs are running. Also check which services are started automatically.

If you are running Win2000 or later - you can use Performance Monitor to tell exactly what is running and taking memory or CPU. SysInternals Process Explorer is also useful to see what is eating your CPU and Memory.

CPU is 2.40 GHz with a 512MB RAM....and no the defrag didn't help......

Did it help RiverEgle? I defrag about once every 2 years and I never ever seen any improvement. Some people swear it helps though. I think it does if you delete things a lot on your hard drive. I don't tend to do this though.

By the way, like BuBBy asked, how much RAM do you have installed? You can find this info by double clicking the System icon in the Control Panel (General tab). And what does it say for the CPU and speed too?

BuBBy and Lee makes a point I did overlook. There are trojans contained is some media files now. If your downloading an are not using a auto scanner, it would be good to scan them after the download.

Thanks guys!

did the defrag...thanks for the advice

If you haven't already - download, install and update a copy of Spybot Search & Destroy - to check for any nasties - that you can clean off your system.

BTW - How much RAM do you have?

You could check to see if the swap (page) file is configured correctly.

Apart from the mentions from Angel, corrupt codecs, corrupt player and also check that your hard disk is not on it's way to meet it's maker.

I suggest a good registry cleaner. Oh and defragging the HD too.

my computer has over 50gb of freespace on an 80gig hard drive. but my programs run slow and music and videos both hesitate through out. Is there any software or anything else that may help with this kind of problem?