"Non-invasive possibilities":
- Run chkdsk with no parameters on all partitions. If errors found, run
chkdsk /f /r to correct errors.
- Get and run a good defrag program (like PerfectDisk) on all
partitions. PD is able to defrag all system files/index structures,
unlike W2k's included defragger.
- make sure your pagefile(s) are properly sized and located optimally. I
believe Start | Help discusses this; certainly the MS Knowledge Base does.
"Hardware upgrades":
- If you can, upgrade to 256 or better yet 512MB RAM.
- If you can, replace CPU with the fastest PIII the board can handle.
W2k will run just fine on your machine, as you know, but disk
fragmentation as it accumulates over time can slow things down (as can
an old slow drive.) Some structural problems, not immediately evident
but correctable by chkdsk, can do the same. More RAM and a faster CPU
can improve performance a good deal. There comes a time however when one
should consider laying in a new motherboard/CPU and/or new fast
drive(s). Running "slowly" is a personal judgment...
Be aware that W2k as currently installed will continue to run just file
after chkdsk and defrag and a CPU replacement or new hard drive, as long
as the motherboard is not changed. If the motherboard is changed, things
get more complicated. W2k is not simple to move to a new motherboard
environment. There's a lot of newsgroup traffic on that subject.
