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Author Topic:   BAD PC problem HELP
mike the wiz
Member
Posts: 4752
From: u.k
Joined: 05-24-2003


Message 16 of 34 (482895)
09-18-2008 5:56 PM
Reply to: Message 15 by NosyNed
09-18-2008 4:58 PM


Thanks anyway guys, 'preciate your time
I think, if nothing else, your computer is just too slow and with two little memory for XP.
yeah, I only have complete bafflement to offer. Apparently if you sit there and fidget long enough, and occasionally bash the monitor in frustration, this tends to fix things.
In motoring terminology, my PC is an old banger, but beggars can't be choosers.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 15 by NosyNed, posted 09-18-2008 4:58 PM NosyNed has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 17 by obvious Child, posted 09-19-2008 11:44 PM mike the wiz has not replied
 Message 20 by Legend, posted 09-20-2008 5:05 PM mike the wiz has not replied
 Message 28 by iano, posted 09-22-2008 6:36 PM mike the wiz has replied

  
obvious Child
Member (Idle past 4116 days)
Posts: 661
Joined: 08-17-2006


Message 17 of 34 (483093)
09-19-2008 11:44 PM
Reply to: Message 16 by mike the wiz
09-18-2008 5:56 PM


Re: Thanks anyway guys, 'preciate your time
Sounds like they are right about your memory problems. XP itself is a memory hog. I have freeramxp which tracks my memory usage. Right now windows processes are eating up over 500 megs of memory on idle. Luckily I have 2 gigs of fast ram.
Get more ram if you can. Since your computer is old you should be able to find cheap DDR or SDRAM. Newegg's got 512 of SDRAM for $35 with shipping.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 16 by mike the wiz, posted 09-18-2008 5:56 PM mike the wiz has not replied

  
johnfolton 
Suspended Member (Idle past 5591 days)
Posts: 2024
Joined: 12-04-2005


Message 18 of 34 (483113)
09-20-2008 2:13 AM


Just a note if you should decide to buy a new computer with vista many of your old programs, printers, modems, usually are not compatible. It sucks you buy a new computer and find non of your old progams work on vista, like the printer, etc...
I just bought an used 50 dollar gateway with a 1.8 speed and bought another 50 dollars in RAM memory so I would not lose all the programs I paid good money for then ran my xp program unto my harddrive and it working great printer, modem, etc...
If you have at least a 900 speed computer I'd just reload XP onto your existing hard drive and max out your RAM memory? reload all your programs, anti-virus, printers, etc....
P.S. Anything less than 900 might consider buying a faster computer, just my opinion though. If you have the xp software you might beable to buy a faster used computer that you can upgrade personally by downloading your xp software to. Schools sometimes sell off their older computers that probably are far faster than what your now presently using?

  
Taz
Member (Idle past 3291 days)
Posts: 5069
From: Zerus
Joined: 07-18-2006


Message 19 of 34 (483145)
09-20-2008 9:46 AM


Mike, forget everything that everyone just said. I know exactly what your problem is.
On the web, there are plenty of fake registry cleaners that are more of a scam than anything. The problem is it's legal scam. What it is is by pressing yes you allow them to pretty much ruin your computer. In turn, you will have to buy their "products" in order to fix the supposed problems that you never had but now you do.
I first notice these scams when my engineer creationist brother decided to do almost the same thing you did. Long story short, he called me up one day and asked me to come over. After I thoroughly interrogated him, the truth came out that he clicked on these supposed free registry cleaners and then everything went downhill from there.
I ended up backing up all his crap and installed a new OS.
Oh, and the reason sp2 made your computer slow is because it hadn't stopped installing you dumbass. Especially on old machines, it does take forever for it to install quietly in the background. It also requires a lot of memory, so you not having enough memory for it is another problem. By the way, the dumbass thing is a joke. Not everyone is as perfect as I am
I don't know how it is on that godforsaken island that you live on, but over here on the mainland across the pond from you decent computers are cheaper than dirt. You could easily buy a 2ghz 1gig ddr computer for like $120, which I'm sure is like 50 euro or something these days.
But the main thing is do us a favor and don't ever run a program that claims to clean up your registry or whatever other components of your OS again unless you know what the hell is going on. In fact, I wouldn't even turn on your computer without consulting one of us here first. Just drop us a line asking whether it's safe to turn on your computer or not before pressing the power button.

  
Legend
Member (Idle past 5006 days)
Posts: 1226
From: Wales, UK
Joined: 05-07-2004


Message 20 of 34 (483194)
09-20-2008 5:05 PM
Reply to: Message 16 by mike the wiz
09-18-2008 5:56 PM


Re: Thanks anyway guys, 'preciate your time
my PC is an old banger, but beggars can't be choosers.
Mike, here's a suggestion that will enable you to get the most bang out of your old banger:
IF (and that's a big if) you don't
- have any 'quirky' hardware on your machine, i.e. certain graphics cards or USb microphones and such like.
- use web-sites that cater only for Internet Explorer (i.e. certain online banksing sites)
- rely on specific apps like Adobe Photoshop or MatLab,
In other words if you're an 'average Joe' user who uses their computer for web-surfing, letter-writing and basic media management, then you might want to try a Linux distribution. I personally recommend Ubuntu or its lightweight cousin Xubuntu, as their hardware recognition is quite good and the installer also gives you the option to port existing Windows settings (if you install side-by-side with Windows).
On your older hardware you'll notice a definite performance improvement (especially with Xubuntu). Plus, you won't have to worry about things like registry cleaners ever again.
Edited by Legend, : No reason given.

"We must respect the law, not let it blind us away from the basic principles of fairness, justice and freedom"

This message is a reply to:
 Message 16 by mike the wiz, posted 09-18-2008 5:56 PM mike the wiz has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 22 by Taz, posted 09-20-2008 6:58 PM Legend has replied

  
mike the wiz
Member
Posts: 4752
From: u.k
Joined: 05-24-2003


Message 21 of 34 (483203)
09-20-2008 6:04 PM


mikey's woeful blunders tut tut
Thanks guys.
Hey Taz - gud 2 c u r still around, and legend. Good post Taz . Yes, over here PCs are expensive new. About $800 in Americano terms. (How ironic that my dollar key works but not my pound key.
My best bet would be going for a less banged banger on ebay, perhaps, where desperate mikeys linger for cheap-deals-for-paupers.
hey Legend, hi there, lurker-of-old, I like the sound of that thingymajigwotsit and will more than likely download it.
Taz has found me out - I'm a download now, think later kind of guy.

Replies to this message:
 Message 24 by Legend, posted 09-20-2008 8:02 PM mike the wiz has not replied
 Message 26 by Percy, posted 09-21-2008 8:22 AM mike the wiz has not replied

  
Taz
Member (Idle past 3291 days)
Posts: 5069
From: Zerus
Joined: 07-18-2006


Message 22 of 34 (483215)
09-20-2008 6:58 PM
Reply to: Message 20 by Legend
09-20-2008 5:05 PM


Re: Thanks anyway guys, 'preciate your time
Legend writes:
In other words if you're an 'average Joe' user who uses their computer for web-surfing, letter-writing and basic media management, then you might want to try a Linux distribution. I personally recommend Ubuntu or its lightweight cousin Xubuntu, as their hardware recognition is quite good and the installer also gives you the option to port existing Windows settings (if you install side-by-side with Windows).
Speaking as a linux fan, I highly recommend average joes using any linux distro. Ubuntu is nice, but they really didn't have older machines in mind when they wrote it. Here are some reasons why I recommend against using linux for average joes.
(1) startup is painfully slow, especially on older machines. Compared to xp, ubuntu looks like a snail during startup.
(2) most people don't know how to use linux, so when you want help who are you going to turn to?
(3) online linux "pros" are some of the worst people that have ever existed. When I was a newbie linux user, I went online to ask for help on installing certain programs. I got two 1-liners and a dozen "you're stupid, don't waste our time" answers. The 1-liners absolutely did not help at all and the "you're stupid" answers almost made me stop using linux. I can confidently say that almost everything I know about linux I figured out by myself, and I'm talking about spending thousands and thousands of waking hours trying to make the damn programs to work. So don't expect much help from the online linux community.
(4) It will cost you at least 20 hours trying to figure out how to run basic programs originally written for windows on a linux system. Just don't go there.
In short, it's better if you just stick with xp if you have it already.
Added by edit.
Once upon a time I literally got on my knees and prayed I'd see a desktop after I spent many hours installing a linux OS. My faith went out the window when a black screen turned up. I spent the next eternity trying to figure out the commands to make the damn thing work.
Edited by Taz, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 20 by Legend, posted 09-20-2008 5:05 PM Legend has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 23 by Legend, posted 09-20-2008 7:46 PM Taz has replied

  
Legend
Member (Idle past 5006 days)
Posts: 1226
From: Wales, UK
Joined: 05-07-2004


Message 23 of 34 (483222)
09-20-2008 7:46 PM
Reply to: Message 22 by Taz
09-20-2008 6:58 PM


Re: Thanks anyway guys, 'preciate your time
Hey Taz, I can see where you're coming from but a couple of things need clarification IMHO:
startup is painfully slow, especially on older machines. Compared to xp, ubuntu looks like a snail during startup.
I strongly disagree with this. I'm dual-booting XP and Ubuntu, with similar set of apps on both and XP is by far the slowest to boot. It makes sense really, if you're using something like Norton IS on your XP you're looking at an extra 20-30 secs added on to boot time to start with. With ubuntu there isn't any such overhead.
most people don't know how to use linux, so when you want help who are you going to turn to?
If you're an average Joe user chances are you won't need help with the tasks I described, as most Linux distros cater for them quite reliably and also most mainstream Linux apps (like OpenOffice) actually adopt Windows conventions and look. Besides, one of the reasons I recommended Ubuntu is that it has one of the largest and friendliest (by Linux standards) online communities that you can turn to if need be.
online linux "pros" are some of the worst people that have ever existed. When I was a newbie linux user, I went online to ask for help on installing certain programs. I got two 1-liners and a dozen "you're stupid, don't waste our time" answers. The 1-liners absolutely did not help at all and the "you're stupid" answers almost made me stop using linux. I can confidently say that almost everything I know about linux I figured out by myself. So don't expect much help from the online linux community.
You're right up to a point, unfortunately there are a lot of zealots and self-important arseholes in the Linux community and there's also a 'siege mentality' cultivated in certain circles. Having said that, in my experience the Ubuntu community is one of the best ones out there.
It will cost you at least 20 hours trying to figure out how to run basic programs originally written for windows on a linux system. Just don't go there.
I'm not sure what you mean by that. OpenOffice and Picasa look and feel the same in Linux and Windows. Anyone who's ever used Nero won't have any problems burning CDs with Brasero or K3b. Most Linux file managers adopt Windows convention (i.e. two-pane view, context-menu for actions, drag & drop, etc.
For the 'average Joe' doing average tasks the learning curve is minimal.
Case in point, I've recently set-up a relative with Xubuntu. His computer is a Pentium-3, 800 MHz, 128 MB Ram. He's now happily surfing the web, writing his letters and saving his photos on his old relic of a machine!

"We must respect the law, not let it blind us away from the basic principles of fairness, justice and freedom"

This message is a reply to:
 Message 22 by Taz, posted 09-20-2008 6:58 PM Taz has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 25 by Taz, posted 09-20-2008 8:51 PM Legend has not replied

  
Legend
Member (Idle past 5006 days)
Posts: 1226
From: Wales, UK
Joined: 05-07-2004


Message 24 of 34 (483223)
09-20-2008 8:02 PM
Reply to: Message 21 by mike the wiz
09-20-2008 6:04 PM


Re: mikey's woeful blunders tut tut
Hi Mike, yes I'm still lurking and post here and there (drive-by-posting) whenever time permits .
word of advice: if you're going to buy used computer on e-bay be very cautious because there are quite a few scams (some of them technically legal) doing the rounds.
If you want to try Linux and can afford 4.95 go to your nearest newsagent and buy a Linux magazine. Most of them come with attached DVDs with several distributions (Linux 'flavours' to you and I) on them. Most distributions can be run directly from the DVD, which means you can try it out before installing on your hard disk.
...I'm a download now, think later kind of guy.
LOL!...aren't we all!

"We must respect the law, not let it blind us away from the basic principles of fairness, justice and freedom"

This message is a reply to:
 Message 21 by mike the wiz, posted 09-20-2008 6:04 PM mike the wiz has not replied

  
Taz
Member (Idle past 3291 days)
Posts: 5069
From: Zerus
Joined: 07-18-2006


Message 25 of 34 (483227)
09-20-2008 8:51 PM
Reply to: Message 23 by Legend
09-20-2008 7:46 PM


Re: Thanks anyway guys, 'preciate your time
Legend writes:
I strongly disagree with this. I'm dual-booting XP and Ubuntu, with similar set of apps on both and XP is by far the slowest to boot. It makes sense really, if you're using something like Norton IS on your XP you're looking at an extra 20-30 secs added on to boot time to start with.
Well, there's your problem. Norton is a piece of crap... pardon my french. There really isn't a need to have it start up with your OS every single time. What I do with my machine is I have everything disabled and once my machine is up and running I'd start running all the essential programs, like the anti-virus.
Besides, one of the reasons I recommended Ubuntu is that it has one of the largest and friendliest (by Linux standards) online communities that you can turn to if need be.
I agree, to a certain point at least. The problem I see is Mikey Mouse there might be doing other things he's not telling us, like playing games and stuff. I agree that if you only want to use the comp for internet and typing up stuff, then by all means ubuntu is perfect for you. But let's be honest. Do these people actually exist? If you're an average joe, you're gonna need to spend hours and hours trying to figure out stuff, something that Mikey Mouse has mentioned he doesn't have a lot of right now.
You're right up to a point, unfortunately there are a lot of zealots and self-important arseholes in the Linux community and there's also a 'siege mentality' cultivated in certain circles. Having said that, in my experience the Ubuntu community is one of the best ones out there.
I guess I'm an oldie with a grudge from the past. If the ubuntu community is like what you say, I wish Mikey Mouse there the best of luck. I said that with some reservations.
I'm not sure what you mean by that. OpenOffice and Picasa look and feel the same in Linux and Windows. Anyone who's ever used Nero won't have any problems burning CDs with Brasero or K3b. Most Linux file managers adopt Windows convention (i.e. two-pane view, context-menu for actions, drag & drop, etc.
I agree completely... up to a point. What I meant is there will come a time when a linux user will wish he could use a windows based program on a linux machine. Let's face it. Most programs out there aren't written for linux. The way I see it, it's best that linux is left to those who know a little more about comp than the average joe.
Mikey Mouse, here is a message for you if you're reading this. If you have the time, I have no objection to you using ubuntu. It's certainly a user-friendly OS. However, no matter what happens you will be forced to invest time into the project, and it will also take time to getting use to. I'll come back in a few months to say "I told you so".

This message is a reply to:
 Message 23 by Legend, posted 09-20-2008 7:46 PM Legend has not replied

  
Percy
Member
Posts: 22392
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.3


Message 26 of 34 (483264)
09-21-2008 8:22 AM
Reply to: Message 21 by mike the wiz
09-20-2008 6:04 PM


Re: mikey's woeful blunders tut tut
mike the wiz writes:
hey Legend, hi there, lurker-of-old, I like the sound of that thingymajigwotsit and will more than likely download it.
Linux is not just another download that runs under Windows. It's a replacement for Windows, not just another thingymajigwotsit. Do not attempt to download and install Linux casually. If you do you won't be in Kansas anymore, or for those in the post-WOZ generation, all the familiarity of Windows will be gone, it will be like trying to get around in a foreign city where no one speaks English.
I use Linux in my daily work. The number of Windows applications that do not run on Linux is legion. The number of people and discussion boards you can go to for help, compared to Windows, is sparse, and a significant proportion of them are using Linux for work rather than fun. While many things you can do in Windows can also be done in Linux, where and how you do them is not the same, so there's a significant learning curve.
I wouldn't recommend Linux as a solution for amateurs. As you attempt to get Linux up and running there will be many times when you're wondering, "What the heck do I do next," and if you can't get online then it's very unlikely that any of your friends or neighbors will be able to help you.
--Percy

This message is a reply to:
 Message 21 by mike the wiz, posted 09-20-2008 6:04 PM mike the wiz has not replied

  
mike the wiz
Member
Posts: 4752
From: u.k
Joined: 05-24-2003


Message 27 of 34 (483326)
09-21-2008 4:50 PM


Except FEW mikey messages
Hi guys, mikey-mouse signing in here. (just about signing in anyway, haha.)
I'll make this my first and last post, to save my PC getting out of breath. He's a walking heart attack.
At the moment, sites like ebay are really slow on the old banger, but EvC is about a third as slow. Dunno what that means. One thing I do know is that having heard the MEGA megabytes of RAm that are flying around these days, I have finally catched on to the fact that I am whizzing around on an 8.1cc motorcycle with fairing.
I suspect linux is out at the moment Legend. I use things like Paint shop pro you see, and winamp for music, etc..
I see there are towers on offer for cheap prices on ebay, but for attachments such as Xp, and the CD etc.....that's extra, obviously. So basically they make it sound cheap to sucker you in, and then slap down the big ol' cheque. (Or check for Americanos $)
I have downloaded a RAM program for speeding up that half a horespower hiding deep down there in the carbon-fouled baffles somewhere.

  
iano
Member (Idle past 1941 days)
Posts: 6165
From: Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
Joined: 07-27-2005


Message 28 of 34 (483492)
09-22-2008 6:36 PM
Reply to: Message 16 by mike the wiz
09-18-2008 5:56 PM


Re: Thanks anyway guys, 'preciate your time
quote:
In motoring terminology, my PC is an old banger, but beggars can't be choosers.
A bit like my car. It threw a cambelt recently and bent some valves. 100 + 6 hours later and she's as good as ever. Don't knock old bangers!
Perhaps you could post details so that folk could better guess as to your problem. Assuming you can;
click Start
click Run
type dxdiag into the textbox and type ok
if asked "would you like" ...in relation to WHQL signatures say no thanks.
Your computer spec will come up as a multipage list which you can "save all information" as a text file. Post the first section of it (it'll look like the quoted bit below). It might be that your computer spec isn't the problem
quote:
------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 9/22/2008, 23:29:21
Machine name: YOUR-447023AE6B
Operating System: Windows XP Z Edition (6.1, Build Z2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpzsp.080413-2111)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Compaq Presario 061
System Model: EG762AA-ABU SR1629UK GB540
BIOS: BIOS Date: 10/27/05 10:42:48 Ver: 08.00.12
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.06GHz
Memory: 1024MB RAM
Page File: 409MB used, 2051MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode

This message is a reply to:
 Message 16 by mike the wiz, posted 09-18-2008 5:56 PM mike the wiz has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 29 by mike the wiz, posted 09-23-2008 2:20 PM iano has not replied

  
mike the wiz
Member
Posts: 4752
From: u.k
Joined: 05-24-2003


Message 29 of 34 (483614)
09-23-2008 2:20 PM
Reply to: Message 28 by iano
09-22-2008 6:36 PM


Re: Thanks anyway guys, 'preciate your time
Cheers. Computer doing relatively ok of late.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 28 by iano, posted 09-22-2008 6:36 PM iano has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 30 by NosyNed, posted 09-23-2008 9:35 PM mike the wiz has not replied

  
NosyNed
Member
Posts: 8996
From: Canada
Joined: 04-04-2003


Message 30 of 34 (483718)
09-23-2008 9:35 PM
Reply to: Message 29 by mike the wiz
09-23-2008 2:20 PM


PC Configuration
Mike! I am astonished that XP runs at all on that machine.
I hope you can find some money to get something better. But don't try to upgrade what you have. Start with a whole new box (well you might save the case).

This message is a reply to:
 Message 29 by mike the wiz, posted 09-23-2008 2:20 PM mike the wiz has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 31 by iano, posted 09-24-2008 8:04 AM NosyNed has not replied

  
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