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I've got a PC running Windows XP. It has gotten very slow. Slow as in
15-20 seconds to switch from one open window to another. Slow as in 45-60
seconds to start a new window. 45 seconds for a new email to open
sufficiently for me to type in the recipient's email address. Sometimes a
minute or more to refresh a webpage.

I've defragged. I've de-spywared, de-virused, all that stuff.

A couple of friends with some mild computer experience have suggested that I
don't have enough memory for current needs and it's the constant swapping
that's causing me problems.

One of those friends suggests a new memory stick should do it.

The other suggests that that's a band-aid and that I really should be
looking at a new computer.

Before I commit, I'd like to get some ideas from you folks.

Here's what I've got:

Windows XP Home, Service Pack 2

Gateway E-3600 computer "Processor x86 Family 15 Model 0 Stepping 10
GenuineIntel ~1694 Mhz"

BIOS Version/Date Intel Corp. HV84510A.15A.0008.P03.0108231035, 8/23/2001

SMBIOS Version 2.3

Total Physical Memory 512.00 MB

Available Physical Memory 77.19 MB

Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB

Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB

Page File Space 1.34 GB

I've got two hard disks:

C: Size 37.27 GB
Free Space 15.03 GB

F: Size 189.92 GB
Free Space 153.30 GB

Most of this stuff is Greek to me, beyond disk space and OS.

So. Should I get more memory, a new computer, or something else?

Jim Beaver

"Jim Beaver" <> wrote in
news:4pgMi.56708$. net:

> I've got a PC running Windows XP. It has gotten very slow. Slow as
> in 15-20 seconds to switch from one open window to another. Slow as
> in 45-60 seconds to start a new window. 45 seconds for a new email to
> open sufficiently for me to type in the recipient's email address.
> Sometimes a minute or more to refresh a webpage.
>
> I've defragged. I've de-spywared, de-virused, all that stuff.
>
> A couple of friends with some mild computer experience have suggested
> that I don't have enough memory for current needs and it's the
> constant swapping that's causing me problems.
>
> One of those friends suggests a new memory stick should do it.
>
> The other suggests that that's a band-aid and that I really should be
> looking at a new computer.
>
Clean out your startup. The steps you were "recommended" never do
anything of note. RAM would concievably help, but it wouldn't fix the
cause.


--
(setq (chuck nil) car(chuck) )

Gateway = Poop
Gateway computers usually wear out in a few weeks so you won't have to worry
much longer. You could try a quad core intel pentium chip.


Jim Beaver wrote:

> I've got a PC running Windows XP. It has gotten very slow. Slow as in
> 15-20 seconds to switch from one open window to another. Slow as in 45-60
> seconds to start a new window. 45 seconds for a new email to open
> sufficiently for me to type in the recipient's email address. Sometimes a
> minute or more to refresh a webpage.
>
> I've defragged. I've de-spywared, de-virused, all that stuff.
>
> A couple of friends with some mild computer experience have suggested that I
> don't have enough memory for current needs and it's the constant swapping
> that's causing me problems.
>
> One of those friends suggests a new memory stick should do it.
>
> The other suggests that that's a band-aid and that I really should be
> looking at a new computer.
>
> Before I commit, I'd like to get some ideas from you folks.
>
> Here's what I've got:
>
> Windows XP Home, Service Pack 2
>
> Gateway E-3600 computer "Processor x86 Family 15 Model 0 Stepping 10
> GenuineIntel ~1694 Mhz"
>
> BIOS Version/Date Intel Corp. HV84510A.15A.0008.P03.0108231035, 8/23/2001
>
> SMBIOS Version 2.3
>
> Total Physical Memory 512.00 MB
>
> Available Physical Memory 77.19 MB
>
> Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
>
> Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
>
> Page File Space 1.34 GB
>
> I've got two hard disks:
>
> C: Size 37.27 GB
> Free Space 15.03 GB
>
> F: Size 189.92 GB
> Free Space 153.30 GB
>
> Most of this stuff is Greek to me, beyond disk space and OS.
>
> So. Should I get more memory, a new computer, or something else?
>
> Jim Beaver

What he says is just normal for any gateway computer. That's why they're the
worst even worst than emachines.


chuckcar wrote:

> "Jim Beaver" <> wrote in
> news:4pgMi.56708$. net:
>
> > I've got a PC running Windows XP. It has gotten very slow. Slow as
> > in 15-20 seconds to switch from one open window to another. Slow as
> > in 45-60 seconds to start a new window. 45 seconds for a new email to
> > open sufficiently for me to type in the recipient's email address.
> > Sometimes a minute or more to refresh a webpage.
> >
> > I've defragged. I've de-spywared, de-virused, all that stuff.
> >
> > A couple of friends with some mild computer experience have suggested
> > that I don't have enough memory for current needs and it's the
> > constant swapping that's causing me problems.
> >
> > One of those friends suggests a new memory stick should do it.
> >
> > The other suggests that that's a band-aid and that I really should be
> > looking at a new computer.
> >
> Clean out your startup. The steps you were "recommended" never do
> anything of note. RAM would concievably help, but it wouldn't fix the
> cause.
>
> --
> (setq (chuck nil) car(chuck) )

Jim Beaver wrote:
> I've got a PC running Windows XP. It has gotten very slow. Slow as in
> 15-20 seconds to switch from one open window to another. Slow as in 45-60
> seconds to start a new window. 45 seconds for a new email to open
> sufficiently for me to type in the recipient's email address. Sometimes a
> minute or more to refresh a webpage.
>
> I've defragged. I've de-spywared, de-virused, all that stuff.
>
> A couple of friends with some mild computer experience have suggested that I
> don't have enough memory for current needs and it's the constant swapping
> that's causing me problems.
>
> One of those friends suggests a new memory stick should do it.
>
> The other suggests that that's a band-aid and that I really should be
> looking at a new computer.
>
> Before I commit, I'd like to get some ideas from you folks.
>
> Here's what I've got:
>
> Windows XP Home, Service Pack 2
>
> Gateway E-3600 computer "Processor x86 Family 15 Model 0 Stepping 10
> GenuineIntel ~1694 Mhz"
>
> BIOS Version/Date Intel Corp. HV84510A.15A.0008.P03.0108231035, 8/23/2001
>
> SMBIOS Version 2.3
>
> Total Physical Memory 512.00 MB
>
> Available Physical Memory 77.19 MB
>
> Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
>
> Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
>
> Page File Space 1.34 GB
>
> I've got two hard disks:
>
> C: Size 37.27 GB
> Free Space 15.03 GB
>
> F: Size 189.92 GB
> Free Space 153.30 GB
>
> Most of this stuff is Greek to me, beyond disk space and OS.
>
> So. Should I get more memory, a new computer, or something else?

I'd bring that half-gig of RAM up to a gig, for starters.

--
Blinky RLU 297263
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project - http://improve-usenet.org

Jim Beaver <> wrote...
> I've got a PC running Windows XP. It has gotten very slow. Slow as
> in 15-20 seconds to switch from one open window to another. Slow as
> in 45-60 seconds to start a new window. 45 seconds for a new email
> to open sufficiently for me to type in the recipient's email address.
> Sometimes a minute or more to refresh a webpage.
>
> I've defragged. I've de-spywared, de-virused, all that stuff.
>
> A couple of friends with some mild computer experience have suggested
> that I don't have enough memory for current needs and it's the
> constant swapping that's causing me problems.
>
> One of those friends suggests a new memory stick should do it.
>
> The other suggests that that's a band-aid and that I really should be
> looking at a new computer.
>
> Before I commit, I'd like to get some ideas from you folks.
>
> Here's what I've got:
>
> Windows XP Home, Service Pack 2
>
> Gateway E-3600 computer "Processor x86 Family 15 Model 0 Stepping 10
> GenuineIntel ~1694 Mhz"
>
> BIOS Version/Date Intel Corp. HV84510A.15A.0008.P03.0108231035,
> 8/23/2001
> SMBIOS Version 2.3
>
> Total Physical Memory 512.00 MB
>
> Available Physical Memory 77.19 MB
>
> Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
>
> Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
>
> Page File Space 1.34 GB
>
> I've got two hard disks:
>
> C: Size 37.27 GB
> Free Space 15.03 GB
>
> F: Size 189.92 GB
> Free Space 153.30 GB
>
> Most of this stuff is Greek to me, beyond disk space and OS.
>
> So. Should I get more memory, a new computer, or something else?
>
> Jim Beaver

old 'pyoota' doomajiggers git slowa' wid age..... junk duh wahtahmellun
an' steal sum fresh one.....

"Jim Beaver" <> wrote in message
news:4pgMi.56708$. net...
> I've got a PC running Windows XP. It has gotten very slow. Slow as in
> 15-20 seconds to switch from one open window to another. Slow as in 45-60
> seconds to start a new window. 45 seconds for a new email to open
> sufficiently for me to type in the recipient's email address. Sometimes a
> minute or more to refresh a webpage.
<snip>
> A couple of friends with some mild computer experience have suggested that
> I don't have enough memory for current needs and it's the constant
> swapping that's causing me problems.
<snip>

There is a very simple test for whether you need more memory because its
swapping. There is a disk light on your pc. If its constantly on (or near
constantly on) while you are waiting for your pc then yes you need more
physical ram. If it isn't on or just blinks occasionally then you don't need
more RAM.
--
Brian Cryer
www.cryer.co.uk/brian