RAM is cheap right now and would make a huge improvement, especially with WinXP.
I'd use msconfig and/or the preferences/settings/options method to kill a bunch of that Yahoo stuff. Except for the IM program none of them are worth having loaded 24/7. For that matter, I'd kill any IM program which you didn't use all the time. No sense in using up system resources to send an "Away" message. Unless she really uses all those toolbars, I'd keep them from loading at startup as well; she can always open them when she wants them.
The extra MS Office stuff is of no practical use to anyone who isn't sitting in an office doing the same few tasks over and over again all day.
The ATi entries are all for tweaking the video card, which you can still do through Control Panel. The card will work just fine without them.
The extra Kodak stuff is just there to get you to use their program. Be careful to avoid removing the actual connection software, but you can safely get rid of the "always running" photo album programs.
I like to keep a lean-running machine and only open a program when I want to use it, not have it constantly running so some company can keep their icon (read "logo") sitting under my nose all the time. I'd have her go through this list and remove any of these which she doesn't use all the time:
RAM is cheap right now and would make a huge improvement, especially with WinXP.
I'd use msconfig and/or the preferences/settings/options method to kill a bunch of that Yahoo stuff. Except for the IM program none of them are worth having loaded 24/7. For that matter, I'd kill any IM program which you didn't use all the time. No sense in using up system resources to send an "Away" message. Unless she really uses all those toolbars, I'd keep them from loading at startup as well; she can always open them when she wants them.
The extra MS Office stuff is of no practical use to anyone who isn't sitting in an office doing the same few tasks over and over again all day.
The ATi entries are all for tweaking the video card, which you can still do through Control Panel. The card will work just fine without them.
The extra Kodak stuff is just there to get you to use their program. Be careful to avoid removing the actual connection software, but you can safely get rid of the "always running" photo album programs.
I like to keep a lean-running machine and only open a program when I want to use it, not have it constantly running so some company can keep their icon (read "logo") sitting under my nose all the time. I'd have her go through this list and remove any of these which she doesn't use all the time:
When you say remove them, I presume you mean keep the programs on the hard drive, but stop it from loading at startup. That way the program is available for use when desired, but not taking up memory when not in use.
How do I remove them from startup? Can you give me a kind of step by step on how I do that? I tried to read about it in the help section, but easily confused my little 1 KB brain!!
Thanks! I used startup inspector and disabled the unneeded programs from starting automatically. That made a noticible improvement.
Question about RAM. This computer has 4 memory slots. Right now I have one stick of ram installed. It is 256MB SDRAM PC133. Am I correct in presuming that the 256MB stick of PC2700 DDR 184 pin DIMM will not work in this computer?
I'm sure showing my computer ignorance with all these questions! :-)
You are correct, unless your MB has two each of both SDRAM and DDR slots. During the time that DDR was just getting started, many MB companies made boards with both.
WARNING: You can't mix & match types - if you do have both kinds of slots then you'd have to remove the existing RAM before adding the new DDR memory.
What brand and model# is the board? Tell me that and I'll see what options are available to you.
You are correct, unless your MB has two each of both SDRAM and DDR slots. During the time that DDR was just getting started, many MB companies made boards with both.
WARNING: You can't mix & match types - if you do have both kinds of slots then you'd have to remove the existing RAM before adding the new DDR memory.
What brand and model# is the board? Tell me that and I'll see what options are available to you.
I'm not sure what brand or model the board is. I did an online scan and it told me there are 4 memory slots and only one filled. How would I find out the brand and model number?
You'll just have to look around on the board. I just ID'd a MB that had nothing stamped on it but GA-7DX. I knew that the GA meant it was a Gigabyte board. A quick google search for GA-7DX confirmed it.
Basically, anything which is stamped on the board which you know is not just a label for a particular component might provide a clue.
Found it! Tool me 20 mins but I remebered the site
This site, PCSERVICECALL, has some good info. It has all the hardware specs for OEM computers and so on.
Chip, have a look and see if your Laptop is listed. If so, then it should have the hardware specs which you can tell Prof
Tried the pcservicecall site, but my PC is a generic model...no name...purchased from CompUSA so I couldn't get info on it from that site.
Looked at some of the literature that came with the computer...says the mainboard has a socket-462 processor for an amd K7 type cpu. Says it uses 168-pin SDRAM memory modules. Says is a socket A M810 model.
There appear to be many versions of that board, which is made by PCChips. The manual I found says it only has two RAM slots, though.
Are all the slots identical? The main thing to look for in this case are the notches at the bottom of the groove where the memory is installed. Do all the slots have two notches, one notch, or a pair of each? If you have both types on the board which kind is your current stick of RAM using?
Comments
Did the slowdown happen abruptly, occur over time, or was the computer always kind of slow?
I'd use msconfig and/or the preferences/settings/options method to kill a bunch of that Yahoo stuff. Except for the IM program none of them are worth having loaded 24/7. For that matter, I'd kill any IM program which you didn't use all the time. No sense in using up system resources to send an "Away" message. Unless she really uses all those toolbars, I'd keep them from loading at startup as well; she can always open them when she wants them.
The extra MS Office stuff is of no practical use to anyone who isn't sitting in an office doing the same few tasks over and over again all day.
The ATi entries are all for tweaking the video card, which you can still do through Control Panel. The card will work just fine without them.
The extra Kodak stuff is just there to get you to use their program. Be careful to avoid removing the actual connection software, but you can safely get rid of the "always running" photo album programs.
I like to keep a lean-running machine and only open a program when I want to use it, not have it constantly running so some company can keep their icon (read "logo") sitting under my nose all the time. I'd have her go through this list and remove any of these which she doesn't use all the time:
C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe
C:\Program Files\Kodak\Kodak EasyShare software\bin\EasyShare.exe
C:\Program Files\Kodak\KODAK Software Updater\7288971\Program\Kodak Software Updater.exe
C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\msnmsgr.exe
C:\Program Files\AIM95\aim.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\ymsgr_tray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ATIPTA] C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\atiptaxx.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Gamma Loader.exe.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Kodak EasyShare software.lnk = C:\Program Files\Kodak\Kodak EasyShare software\bin\EasyShare.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Kodak software updater.lnk = C:\Program Files\Kodak\KODAK Software Updater\7288971\Program\Kodak Software Updater.exe
O18 - Protocol: msnim - {828030A1-22C1-4009-854F-8E305202313F} - "C:\PROGRA~1\MSNMES~1\msgrapp.dll" (file missing)
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\System32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: ATI Smart - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ati2sgag.exe
When you say remove them, I presume you mean keep the programs on the hard drive, but stop it from loading at startup. That way the program is available for use when desired, but not taking up memory when not in use.
How do I remove them from startup? Can you give me a kind of step by step on how I do that? I tried to read about it in the help section, but easily confused my little 1 KB brain!!
Thanks!
Chip
A program I've found useful is Startup Inspector. It's free and less than 1MB to download.
Question about RAM. This computer has 4 memory slots. Right now I have one stick of ram installed. It is 256MB SDRAM PC133. Am I correct in presuming that the 256MB stick of PC2700 DDR 184 pin DIMM will not work in this computer?
I'm sure showing my computer ignorance with all these questions! :-)
I really appreciate your help!
Chip
WARNING: You can't mix & match types - if you do have both kinds of slots then you'd have to remove the existing RAM before adding the new DDR memory.
What brand and model# is the board? Tell me that and I'll see what options are available to you.
I'm not sure what brand or model the board is. I did an online scan and it told me there are 4 memory slots and only one filled. How would I find out the brand and model number?
Basically, anything which is stamped on the board which you know is not just a label for a particular component might provide a clue.
This site, PCSERVICECALL, has some good info. It has all the hardware specs for OEM computers and so on.
Chip, have a look and see if your Laptop is listed. If so, then it should have the hardware specs which you can tell Prof
Tried the pcservicecall site, but my PC is a generic model...no name...purchased from CompUSA so I couldn't get info on it from that site.
Looked at some of the literature that came with the computer...says the mainboard has a socket-462 processor for an amd K7 type cpu. Says it uses 168-pin SDRAM memory modules. Says is a socket A M810 model.
Does any of that help?
Are all the slots identical? The main thing to look for in this case are the notches at the bottom of the groove where the memory is installed. Do all the slots have two notches, one notch, or a pair of each? If you have both types on the board which kind is your current stick of RAM using?