Need Help for Donated PC (Fire Victims)

H

Hilary

I have knocked myself out this past week trying to get a Dell Optiplex
running XP to "go faster." The boot time for everything is so bad that
I'm ashamed to give it to a family who lost everything in a fire--two
school age kids, single parent to boot (so I need to get this up and
running).

I deleted everything that could be deleted. Installed the free AVG
anti-virus (family lives below poverty level). Did a defrag, a couple
of registry-cleaner clean-ups, an error check--the whole nine yards,
as far as a computer layperson is concerned.

Is it that a single chip processor is incompatible with software
programs that connect to the internet? I'm sure this PC could be used
successfully as a word processor or to play CDs; I installed a new
modem and a new USB 2.0 port. Sorry for the language, but it still
sucks.

If anyone can suggest any final band-aid, I'd really appreciate
hearing from you. I absolutely can't give this family a new computer
but now feel that the few bucks I invested in the peripherals would
have been better spent as a gift card for a new system. If there's
anyone who'd look at the start menu and tell me what I could and can't
delete, maybe that would help?

Thanks.
 
B

Big_Al

Hilary said this on 12/7/2009 1:48 PM:
I have knocked myself out this past week trying to get a Dell Optiplex
running XP to "go faster." The boot time for everything is so bad that
I'm ashamed to give it to a family who lost everything in a fire--two
school age kids, single parent to boot (so I need to get this up and
running).

I deleted everything that could be deleted. Installed the free AVG
anti-virus (family lives below poverty level). Did a defrag, a couple
of registry-cleaner clean-ups, an error check--the whole nine yards,
as far as a computer layperson is concerned.

Is it that a single chip processor is incompatible with software
programs that connect to the internet? I'm sure this PC could be used
successfully as a word processor or to play CDs; I installed a new
modem and a new USB 2.0 port. Sorry for the language, but it still
sucks.

If anyone can suggest any final band-aid, I'd really appreciate
hearing from you. I absolutely can't give this family a new computer
but now feel that the few bucks I invested in the peripherals would
have been better spent as a gift card for a new system. If there's
anyone who'd look at the start menu and tell me what I could and can't
delete, maybe that would help?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

You would be better off just formatting the machine and reloading
Windows from the CD or doing a factor restore if that is the only
option. Virgin windows allows browsing and playing CD's and music out
of the box. This way you're sure you have a clean system. Yes, add
AVG if you like it. (I do).
 
H

Hilary

You would be better off just formatting the machine and reloading
Windows from the CD or doing a factor restore if that is the only
option.   Virgin windows allows browsing and playing CD's and music out
of the box.   This way you're sure you have a clean system.   Yes, add
AVG if you like it.   (I do).
Click to expand...

If I installed a Linux OS, would that make things run even slightly
faster? This is a P3, but it's acting like a 386.
 
D

Daave

Hilary said:
If I installed a Linux OS, would that make things run even slightly
faster? This is a P3, but it's acting like a 386.
Click to expand...

It might. (It really depends on how much RAM is installed.) Then again,
are you willing to provide free support for the Linux installation?

If this PC is going to fire victims, unless they are familiar with
Linux, it would be logical to perform a Clean Install of the OS it came
with (presumably Windows XP Home).

Also, although I have been a big fan of AVG for many years, the new
version (9.0) is a disaster on older PCs (I recently learned this a week
ago). Do yourself and them a favor and go with Avira AntiVir (which is
*far* less of a resource hog) instead.
 
S

Shel

It might. (It really depends on how much RAM is installed.) Then again,
are you willing to provide free support for the Linux installation?

If this PC is going to fire victims, unless they are familiar with
Linux, it would be logical to perform a Clean Install of the OS it came
with (presumably Windows XP Home).

Also, although I have been a big fan of AVG for many years, the new
version (9.0) is a disaster on older PCs (I recently learned this a week
ago). Do yourself and them a favor and go with Avira AntiVir (which is
*far* less of a resource hog) instead.
Click to expand...

Better yet, why not use the free Microsoft Security Essentials.
 
K

Ken Blake, MVP

Better yet, why not use the free Microsoft Security Essentials.
Click to expand...


Avira Antivir is also free.

Which is better? As far as I'm concerned, Microsoft Security
Essentials is too new to answer that question for sure. But Avira
Antivir is an excellent product, and until Microsoft Security
Essentials has been around long enough to prove itself, I would choose
Avira.
 
H

Hilary

Which is better?  As far as I'm concerned, Microsoft Security
Essentials is too new to answer that question for sure. But Avira
Antivir is an excellent product, and until Microsoft Security
Essentials has been around long enough to prove itself, I would choose
Avira.
Click to expand...

Thanks, very much, to all of you. The computer ran excruciatingly
slower after installing AVG 9.0 with the "rumble/ticking" of an old
processor downloading--and this was after I installed every
conceivable XP update. If AVG is downloading 24/7, the family I want
to give this to will consider it an insult. I'll uninstall AVG (which
is perfect on my Vista running on dual core) and try Avira.

(BTW, if anyone reading this is involved in public relations for tech
companies at Christmas time, seriously consider copying the "One
Laptop Per Child" to homeless children or children who have been
devastated by fires in this country. Fires almost always occur in
poorly maintained homes, and poorly maintained homes are almost always
rental units. Sorry for the pitch, but is a minority single parent
family with two phenom preteens, and I am so afraid of what so much
loss is going to do to them. But God bless Usenet, and THANKS!)
 
D

Daave

Hilary said:
Thanks, very much, to all of you. The computer ran excruciatingly
slower after installing AVG 9.0 with the "rumble/ticking" of an old
processor downloading--and this was after I installed every
conceivable XP update. If AVG is downloading 24/7, the family I want
to give this to will consider it an insult. I'll uninstall AVG (which
is perfect on my Vista running on dual core) and try Avira.
Click to expand...

You should also run the special AVG remover from this page:

http://www.avg.com/ca-en/download-tools

I am very pleased with Avira. That's a good move.
(BTW, if anyone reading this is involved in public relations for tech
companies at Christmas time, seriously consider copying the "One
Laptop Per Child" to homeless children or children who have been
devastated by fires in this country. Fires almost always occur in
poorly maintained homes, and poorly maintained homes are almost always
rental units. Sorry for the pitch, but is a minority single parent
family with two phenom preteens, and I am so afraid of what so much
loss is going to do to them. But God bless Usenet, and THANKS!)
Click to expand...

That's great you are involved in this. I'll pass the word along as well.
 
D

Daave

Hilary said:
What about AVG would require a special removal tool (just curious,
since I have it installed on my computer too)?
Click to expand...

Like Norton and McAfee, it has become über-bloated, and the uninstaller
is not thorough, leaving behind many remnants which could feasibily
cause conflicts. I don't know the specifics, but I'm sure this is
discussed in their user forums.
 
H

Hilary

Like Norton and McAfee, it has become über-bloated, and the uninstaller
is not thorough, leaving behind many remnants which could feasibily
cause conflicts. I don't know the specifics, but I'm sure this is
discussed in their user forums.
Click to expand...

I just read about something called Bootvis. It's supposed to make XP
boot faster. Does anyone know about this program (which I found on
Majorgeeks.com)?
 
H

Hilary

Like Norton and McAfee, it has become über-bloated, and the uninstaller
is not thorough, leaving behind many remnants which could feasibily
cause conflicts. I don't know the specifics, but I'm sure this is
discussed in their user forums.
Click to expand...

I installed Avira last night and can't believe the difference. It
literally saved this old PC. Thank you all very much!
 

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