Linux partition makes PC faster?

TorrestheGreat

Hi, my computer is slower than a Welshman. A collegue suggested that I partition the hard disk and run Linux on one side, and leave my regular windows XP on the other. He said even on my crap computer the linux side will run fast?
Does this sound feasible?

Browntoa

you can try this

http://www.ubuntu.com/

as a boot from Cd rather than an install to try

Conor_3

No, he's talking bollox. It'll run Linux the same speed as XP - the only real difference being whether or not your XP install has a virus/trojan/malware. As loaner said, try a live cd first

TorrestheGreat

Thanks, I've always suspected that he was a moron.

mal79

Changing the operating system may be extreme, unless you have exhausted other optimisation options first. An overview of your current set-up will give an insight as to the current situation:

Current operating system (XP, Vista); Hardware (CPU, RAM, Hard Disk Drive); memory used/ free space (virtual memory) and so on.

Also what is slow? Web page loading, file access? Has it recently become slow, or is it an older PC that feels slow compared to new machines?

Regular defragmentation of the HDD would be the first step, delete unused files, disable the windows features that you don't use. Use leaner applications, such as Foxit reader instead of Adobe Acrobat. A quick search on the web will uncover countless other ways to speed up the PC.

If once you have done all that and it is still slow, the OS is another area to look at. True that Microsoft OSes have high system overheads and Linux is much leaner, so should run faster (though YouTube on Win95 with a 56k dial up will always be slow!). Of course the down side with Linux is some of the compatibility issues with Microsoft products that are the de-facto Applications for many. Though the more people that adopt non Microsoft OSes and Apps should force some more standardisation...

I am using a load of open source software at the moment anyway, so will already work around compatibility issues. I will be installing Ubuntu on a duel boot, as soon as I have backed up my current set-up. I will report back as to how I get on.

Mal

TorrestheGreat

Ive tried the common things to make my PC run faster:
regualr malware scan/defrag/use light programs whenever possible/stop unneccesary processes all that bollox. I know I need more RAM I just cant be arsed buying it. Someone mentioned that Windows has a half life, I think mine is beyond due for a re-install but again I cant be arsed.
My PC runs slower than a new machine but even the brand new machines I use at work are p*ss poor, its the Red Queen hypothesis: all that running just to stay in the same place.
I think I might get a mac- just ignore me