Linda in Iowa said:
My computer is about 7 years old. Running windows xp home. Service pack
3. It is a pentium 4 cpu 1.80 GHz and 256 MB of ram.
It has gotten so slow that I wait for it to print or wonder if I really
clicked a button at times. I also get a lot of virtual memory messages.
It has a 40 gig hard drive with 16 gig of free space. My cable internet
connection is like a dial up these days.
I have thought about cleaning the hard drive as in formatting and
reinstalling windows and programs I need, but then all those updates need
to be redone. Is there an easy way to clean up the hard drive so i can
remove all those little unknown things that mysteriously get there?
Not ready to buy a new computer as I don't want Vista and also don't want
to spend the money as this computer is more than adequate for what I need.
Thanks.
Hi Linda,
I'm running Windows XP-pro SP3 on a Dell, with pentium 4, 3Ghz and 1024MB
ram, and freshly defragged hard drive, and numerous applications and
processes going and everything is lightning fast, (except the 56K dial up
connection, of course.
Not much else needs to be added to what others have provided in the way of
tips on freeing up memory. Defragging will help your virtual memory problems
a little. You have plenty of free drive space. Limiting how many programs
are operating will help. Your main problem is you only have 256MB ram. Your
computer is not keeping up with the increasing demands of modern versions of
programs. Ram memory is lightning fast. There are physical limits on how
fast your drive can shuffle-bored its virtual memory data back and forth.
(Did I remember to say that, "Ram memory is lightning fast"?
The difference between fast RAM and slow virtual memory? Virtual MEM is sort
of like talking to someone, and instead of speaking each thought that comes
to mind immediately, you, uh, instead, write down the thought with pen and
paper, and then read that to the person you are speaking to, and then write
down the reply you hear, without thinking about what you are writing, and
then you read the reply, and then think about what it says, and then think
about what to say in response, and write down your cogitations and musings,
and read the response to the other person, and, (Look how he smiles when he
talks!) and you write down his reply, without thinking about what you are
writing, and then silently read the reply, (or you could do a clever
imitation of Dan Rather repetition,) and, (wait a sec... you find yourself
wondering if he mis-spoke, or you mis-wrote the word "teh" instead of "the",
but who really cares what Type-O negative people think? Oh Wow! is that my
favorite song playing? HEY, TURN THAT UP!) and then, let's see, oh yeah,
thinking long and hard about what to say, not wanting to be too obtuse, (of
course,) and, (Oh that's uh Byoo-Tuh-Full Song!) and then, instead of just
blurting it out, you slowly start to write it down, and pause, and massage
your hand, since the first sign of writer's cramp is beginning to set in,
and (Whew!) you finish writing your most concise and to the point, "one
liner" ever, and begin to read it to the other person, and, er, uh, Hello?
(Where'd he go?) Come out, come out, where EVER you are! (Where'd he go?)
ALL-ee ALL-ee out, income FREE! (Was I talking too fast?
You're welcome. --Richard
(The one liner? --> Buy RAM - Plug In - Zoom Zoom!
