I've been going through the SRD spell list for my own game, and these are spells that I feel are less-than-optimal and deserve some sort of boost in the game to make them useful.
Flaming Sphere: With a movement rate of 30 ft. and Reflex negates on damage, this spell is easy to outrun/outmanuever and avoid damage. It should probably move at least 50 ft. a round and have a save of Reflex half.
Helping Hand: As written, I'd rather just use the 1st level spell, Message and tell someone how to find me. The "time to locate" table should be scrapped - this is a magic spell, the hand should just magically manifest at the location of the spell's target. It would also be nice if the spell compels the target to follow the hand if they fail a Will save - but restrict the hand to directing the target along the safest route to the caster, and if the intention is to ambush/attack the target it automatically fails (no sending it to the hideout of the BBEG and forcing him to come to you).
That's all I have for now. Any other "pathetic" spells in the SRD that need some help?
What if Helping Hand also included a Cure Light Wounds effect? You know, to help.
Otherwise, I agree with the 'no wait to locate target' and disagree with the 'compel' - I think that changes the spell too much. I could see a higher level version that was a 'compel', but not till 6th or 7th level.
My spell that needs help: Daze. As a 0-level cantrip, I think it'll be fantastically useful at low levels and then be completely useless once opponents are more than 4 hit dice.
My suggestions to fix daze:
1) Limit it to creatures with no more hit dice than the caster's level (1st level caster - 1 hit dice creatures).
2) A creature can only be affected a particular caster's daze once per day.
This way, daze will continue to be usable at higher levels, but only against equivalent-power opponents and it can't be spammed against one big 4-HD target by 1st level characters.
Agreed on Daze. Personally, I've been removing the HD limit from spells in the rules I'm working on; I've been compensating by giving creatures whose levels/HD exceed the caster's own get a +4 bonus to the save on spells that used to have a HD limit (or a save, if there was normally none).
The suck factor on "ooh, I'm sorry, he's too high level - nothing happens" for such spells is epic.