HELP! Questions re: memory & additional internet connection...

TRAVELMAN_2

Hello all,

I post regularly on the TRAVEL section but am by no means a 'techie' so please answer me in baby language...(!)

Ok...memory. I have 128mb ram & run windows XP. I also have a RAM booster (freeram xp) which constantly shows 95-100% 'load' after system has been on for an hour or 2. I don't download huge files, just need several ie windows open at a time, outlook & possibly a word doc. System just goes SO slow....& in my job I need to be quick. I realise I need more memory ( i know how to insert this) but HOW much do I need? The system is 'cleaned' & defragged daily & I've only used 10% of the hard drive-antivirus up to date & a firewall in use (freeware zone alarm & AVG antivrus).. Any suggestions?

Secondly....web connection. We have an in house ISP on 1/2 mb adsl connection. For security reasons on our in house booking system & outlook express (where we load customers details, print receipts, credit card authorisation...etc) & viewdata (where we actually confirm flights/hols). Now this seems SO slow....obviously the memory bit I guess will affect this plus the sheer number of people using it I'd think. 95% of my work now is looking at websites & having 4/5 windows open & looking at low-cost sites, etc WHICH I NEED TO BE QUICK. Sometimes it's a full minute for a page to change! I've been looking at the MADASAFISH 2mb deal....now I could set this up on a different phone line to the company broadband with the free modem that's sent....I'm assuming this will speed things ip MUCH MORE especially if the memory problem is addressed-any ideas/comments? Also....& I know this will sound thick (!) is there an additional slot in the base unit so TWO modems can be connected....& can you have TWO connections on at the same time-so I could switch between quickly-or would I have to unplug company modem & plug in other when I want the 2mb connection?

Thirdly....the time on the e-mails i send is ALWAYS wrong! The clock on the toolbar right hand corner is correct-can anyone tell me in simple terms how to change this?

Thanks in advance-cheap holidays as payment (!)

Chris

NellyLock

1) i think 128mb is the min xp will run on, see what your machine can take and put in as much as you want, with 256mb you should notice a change if i were you id contemplate buying a 256/512 stick

2) its likely you will get a usb modem from madasfish if thats the case then you can just plug that into a spare usb port. if all you want the new connecttion for is browsing you could potentially set up a proxy but im not to sure about that, not really sure how you would set up dual running of the same applications without enabling/disabling them

3)what application you sending emails using?

TRAVELMAN_2

hi-thanks for the reply!

Outlook Express is the mail programme I use.

Do you think with an extra 500mb ram & the 2mb 'madasafish' deal it'd be much, much quicker? Is the reason it's SO slow the fact that a) the processor is at 95-100% load & b)-lack of memory & c) Only a 1/2 mb speed?

Told you I was c**p at this??!

Chris

Joe_Bloggs

You probably need 256-512Mb to run XP. You do not mention if you have onboard graphics. This hogs memory as well so 512Mb would be best. The ram type needs to be determined as does the motherboard's capability to use it.
See this recent link for software that can determine what you have:-
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=42238

This is just a thought. PCs are cheap they are only expensive when they don't work. Why not get a new PC and operate it initially in parallel with your existing system. You can always fall back on the old one during computer downtime. You could also backup files between computers.

You can route adsl connections with and adsl modem/router. You may as well get one with a firewall. Many of these have 4 100 Mbit ethernet connections so you can link PCs if they have the cards and share files and the much slower 500K,1Mb, or 2Mb connection.

J_B.

NellyLock

what processor have u got....95-100% load blimey what are you running on it?!

check this is correct- >Open Control Panel. change it to 'Classic View'. Click the 'Date and Time' icon. Click the 'Time Zone' tab and set your time zone from the list. It is listed as 'GMT...Dublin/eding/london'
if it isent set to gmt london change it to that
neil

TRAVELMAN_2

Thanks all-clock now fixed!

CPU is an 'INTEL PENTIUM 4 CPU 2.40GHZ, 119mb, intel 82845g/GL/GE/PE/GV graphics controller.

Come to think of it there is an 'extreme intel graphics' icon in toolbar. Don't know what this is....don't play games or anything-could this be hogging memory? Sorry again-really THICK with this sort of stuff!

Chris

NellyLock

wow if its a p4 chuck some more ram in and you should be FINE. i thought you were gonna tell me it was a p2, i think there maybe something running that maybe shouldnt be...do a ctrl_alt_del click on processes and sort by CPU what processes are hoggint the top of the screen ie with lots of cpu usage.

neil

newfoundglory

NellyLock wrote:

what processor have u got....95-100% load blimey what are you running on it?!

I'd agree with Neil here... 95%+ in a 2.4GHz doesn't sound right at all.

Of course, system idle processes can use nearly if not all the processor... but they should stop as soon as you start working.

I installed XP pro SP2 on a very old machine I found at home last week - an IBM laptop Thinkpad 600E - its only got a 400MHz processor with admittedly some beefed-up memory at 192Mb... but XP runs surprisingly fast given the laptops age (about 7 or 8 years old!).

Memory is so cheap, i'd look to buy at least a 512 chip if the motherboard will take it... and if its running slow look at the stuff you have installed; do virus and spyware check and if that still doesnt fix it just backup, format and reinstall windows.

Joe_Bloggs

Get more memory. It seems like the graphics is stealing 10 Mb. The graphics would be faster if you could give it more ram. There will be a lot of prolonged hard disk activity with a system with so little ram. Hence there will be large delays as the contents of ram are continually swapped to hard disk and back again when required.
J_B.
The 'extreme' is a form or marketing speak . It probably stands for something extremely poor but better than nothing.

andy88_2

Neil has a point. Get more memory, but even so it seems too busy. The other way to get to Task Manager is to right-click the taskbar (blue bar at bottom).

I'm wondering if you've got spyware issues hogging the connection and memory.

ps I just looked in my TM - iexplore.exe (InternetExplorer) using ~90MB; maybe that is the only problem after all.

Joe's right - you're running at a speed governed by the hard-disk, not the processor.

TRAVELMAN_2

Hi, just done the task manager thing, all zero's except the 'system idle' which is 98??! Does this mean anything? Also the AVG antivirus is using a lot of memory....think a 512mb is answer...anyone know what the '98' means??

Chris