Computer help?

Said with all the panache of a faith+works adherant. With the same urgency as I would address one of them. Bail out! Leave it rest as much as you can until the solution comes along.

Faiths computer sounds like its old and going belly up. No point in throwing good money after bad. Got a link (US-side) to cheap new systems complete. She sounds like she doesn't need anything fancy or of the type whose going to go in brandishing a soldering iron (sorry sis). A bit of word/excel/explorer sounds the extent of it.

What Jazzns did was free up some RAM for you. Your computer isn't running all those startup programmes now so RAM is available to do the work you want. XP is heavy on RAM and if your computer is old then it might be a bit light in this area. I worked on a mates computer which ran either slow or stop. The advice I got included removing startup stuff but there was more you can do to free RAM. This you've done although I question what virus programme your running if nothing gets started automatically. I left his McAfee checked in the startup box. You said you ran a virus checker but have you nothing on all the time to prevent stuff coming in in the first place? This gets rid of unnecesary detail in your XP display (sexy shadowing and highlights and stuff). It will look very much the same whilst releasing some RAM for important use I did these things an his computer came back to life. No speedy gonzalez but it runs reliably.Furthermore...I used CCleaner (a piece of freeware recommended IIRC by Asgara). It does a general cleanout of old files but it has a registry cleaner too. The registary cleaner ("Issues" on the side bar) seems to work well enough and might find something wrong. You can run it and it will scan and give you a list of issues in the registry. It takes no action with them unless you decide to "fix issues".I've heard the odd story that if you don't know what you are resolving by way of issue you might cause problems. I've run it on 3 or 4 computers ( by just pressing 'fix issues' and haven't had any problem with it. Depends on if your a risk taker or not CCleaner Makes Your Computer Faster & More Secure | Official WebsiteTheres a download link on the home page - a little ways down the pageEdited by iano, : No reason given.Edited by iano, : No reason given.

I think the level of trouble-shooting will have to drop a notch or two guys and gals.Why don't you just buy a new computer. They can't be that expensive stateside. The one you have sounds like a right dog and it also sounds like your not using it for mega-complex stuff (unlike crash who seems to have installed and industrial refrigeration unit to keep his supercharged processor (read brains) cool.Spending money on an old car is a fools errand and if your not sure what you are doing you could pour money in an old dog of a computer. Even the most basic computer will likely be far better than what you have.

Do you think someone is telling us something?

Blessed are the poor in bandwidth for they shall inherity the earth. I take my hat off sis.Yup, dialup is your problem. Your trying to get highway volumes of traffic down a country lane.

How about this one (the Dimension B110 on the extreme left -see link at bottom)?Faith usage seems light enough and she doesn't sound like she's going to go deep in but just wants a computer to do what she needs it to do.Taking what folk have said, this basic model can be upgraded to:1024 Ram
basic speakers
include installation discs
DVD burner (instead of just CD burner)...for $548. Which falls within budgetSpec in total in case I missed something shortened linkEdited by iano, : No reason given.Edited by AdminJar, : No reason given.

This one seems a good option too: main difference is that the processor is meant to compare in performance to the Penthium4. RAM stays at 512mb to keep within budget but is only $50 to upgrade to 1024mb which runs to the end of the budget but seems a smart thing to do now. The optical drive loses DVD write facility (CD write facility only)$549 (or $600 with 1024 RAM) Why do they put Award Winning Service and Support last?

Also Faith,Girl 2 doors up works at Microsoft so I can get whatever you need that end cheap and send it across. I got MSOffice (in order to get Word) for about $40 IIRC. MSworks which comes with the above deals has a word processing package which is much like Word-lite. It also has spreadsheets (But not excel) It might suffice - I imagine its documents/spreadsheets and Word/Excel stuff are interchangeable. Could check it out with the neighbour

I wasn't so much my intention that you figure out the details yourself but that the more gifted in this area could throw an eye over the suggestions (msg 91 and 92 top this page) and comment on suitablility. I'm sure there are better deals but I just put these up as they seem to meet your needs and the spec is open to be examined. If there are no objections then you would have a ready solution within budget should you decide to go down the new path. I think they have all the bits you need but I might be overlooking something - hence others opinion welcomeThe main difference between the two is that the one has a Celeron processor and some more by way of peripheral stuff (1024 RAM and a DVD burner). The other has a Penthium-equivilent processor and only CD burner and 512 RAM. Both cost about $550.You have to decide whether you want to burn DvDs. If you don't the spend elsewhere (maybe look at going for a 19" screen or more RAM or better speakers or whatever. The Dell site makes it easy to chop and change and they run a total current cost as you change thingsI note they say the Celeron unit is MS Vista ready though how ready I cannot say. Although its not said of the second option, the Penthium-equivilent processor (or chip) would be MSVista ready I'm sureFor the rest:Someone should comment on whether existing software CD's would load up - I imagine it would.I'd go with Doc Jones and forget the zip. Transfer stuff over through it via a plug in memory like he says and leave it at that.What about security? You sound like you have little and its only $50 a year or so for Norton or McAfee which both provide a suite of items to barrier you from the big bad world. Norton can be a bit glitchy - although I run it myself without much problem. Don't know about McAfee. There is stuff you can get for free but if its fit and forget you want with just a bill to pay every year then that is the way to goEdited by iano, : No reason given.

Good advice Crash.Which option of the two (msg 91 and 92) would you pick? And does it sound like good value for money? Is the Amd chip the equivilent to a Penthium4

I saw your blog and trembled...Good advice on choice. I know this stuff is about how ingredients mix and your suggesting one mix over the helps steer things. I'm in the mode of taking your word for it: single core? dual core? - frick!(Apologies Faith for sticking the oar in but I reckon its better to get some potential pcs up there to work on. Perhaps now someone can recommend a better spec for the money - or perhaps a lower spec for less that will suffice for your needs. You might be able to add other stuff like a 19" screen or a second CD drive or more RAM or something. The Celeron which Crash recommends might be the minimum though.

You betcha. But its good for picking up on ideas for me anyways. I'm itching to open my own computer to have a poke aroundDo you want to comment on the deal in post 91/92. Perhaps chose one or other and why or maybe post a better one if you come across it.Or do you prefer to keep Faith at arms length knowing she can't risk too much activity here in case the pc goes belly up? Edited by iano, : No reason given.

Give me 2 seconds and I'll do the same

Not really. I could do the same with a PC. It involves use of a phenomenon called 'the effect of impact on electronic componants'. Used (in more gentle fashion) on old style tvs to get them to work right