Slow Computer Response:

[Robert]

Robert

Adding Memory:http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim8200/replace.htm#110...

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim8200/specs.htm#1102365

You should contact Dell in the first instance for additional memory or
as mentioned Crucial if Dell cannot help. The site above is the US site
but you should contact Dell in the country where you are if it is not
the US. You may not find additional memory is expensive. You have 4
memory slots so the maximum you can have is 4 x 512 mb. You need to get
the specific RAM for the machine. i.e. PC800 RDRAM.

Until you have added RAM you should minimise multi-tasking as this will
push the system into using the pagefile. This is why you are getting
applications hanging. If the machine becomes non-responsive the best
thing to do is to leave the machine alone as given time it will usually
resolve itself. Intervention can create new problems.

To increase your pagefile settings select Start, Control Panel, System,
Advanced, Performance Settings, Advanced, Virtual Memory, Change. You
can select System Managed Size (commonly recommended) or Custom Size. If
you select Custom Size set a Minumum and a Maximum of 2,000 mb. When you
have made your selection click on Set, OK and exit. You will need to
restart your computer for the new settings to take effect.http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm

What do you use ImageX for? Research suggests this is a Graphics
converter and therefore may need more memory than text based programmes.
Is there any correlation between it's use and response times.

You have included iexplore- twice in the list of processes! Is this
correct?

Download and install the User Profile Hive Cleanup Service
Download details: User Profile Hive Cleanup Servicehttp://snipurl.com/5b61

UPHClean v1.5e readme.txthttp://snipurl.com/ko8m

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~






- Show quoted text -

Hi Gerry,
I'll contact Dell about getting new RAM, I usually only have 1 or 2
browsers open and my Dell Imaging software running and toggle between
them but I didn't think this was too much multi-tasking but what you
say makes sense.

I've increased the size of my pagefile

I did a search on ImageX and it seems to be part of my Dell Imaging
software. I have quite a number of jpg files on my Dell Imagining and
I think I will copy all of those to disc and free up the space.

Yes, you saw (2) iexpore process's because I had two browsers open at
the time. Sorry for the duplication.

I downloaded the Hive cleanup service but after it closed I didn't see
it in new programs added and it didn't put an icon on the desktop.



Robert

 

[Robert]

Hi Gerry,
I'll contact Dell about getting new RAM,  I usually only have 1 or 2
browsers open and my Dell Imaging software running and toggle between
them but I didn't think this was too much multi-tasking but what you
say makes sense.

I've increased the size of my pagefile

I did a search on ImageX and it seems to be part of my Dell Imaging
software. I have quite a number of jpg files on my Dell Imagining and
I think I will copy all of those to disc and free up the space.

Yes, you saw (2) iexpore process's because I had two browsers open at
the time. Sorry for the duplication.

I downloaded the Hive cleanup service but after it closed I didn't see
it in new programs added and it didn't put an icon on the desktop.

Robert- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I have a question; I thought by upgrading my hard drive from 40G to
160G that I shouldn't have a problem with all my jpg files but I'm
seeing that my computer 'seems' to run faster when I don't open up my
Dell Imaging software. If I removed all the files and put them on disc
would it make a difference or is it the Dell Imagining software
(ImageX) itself that might be part of slowing it down? I realize by
increasing RAM that it would speed up the system but I'm just curious
about this.


Robert

 

[Gerry]

Robert

It's the competing claims for RAM that is causing the slow response.
Files sitting on your hard drive have no effect on system performance
unless the file is opened and loaded into memory. I would leave the
files where they are at least until your free disk space goes below 25%
of the size of the disk.

Installing the User Profile Hive Cleanup Service helps speed up the time
the computer takes to shutdown. The programme runs automatically without
user intervention.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Robert]

The link I gave you *is* to the free version of Avast! Maybe this link
will work better:

http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

Have you tried any online scans?  Try:

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

http://security.symantec.com/

http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner

I went back and installed and ran Trend Micro, Kaspersky, and Avast.
As I mentioned I use to have Norton products and wasn't happy with
them so I decided not to do that.

Trend Micro found a Http Cookie, which I deleted and then re-ran at
its suggestion and came out clean

Kapersky found Malware Exploit.JS.XMLcore.b, which I deleted

Avast came out clean

I want to thank you for your advice and suggestions. In regards to
'tinkering' or buying another computer I really don't have a choice
since I'm disabled and can't afford a new computer. I'm trying to do
what I can to make this one last a bit longer. I've increased my page
file size and have contacted Dell about additional RAM. I realize that
at some point I will need a new computer but I just have to work with
what I have for the present and hope for the best.

Robert

 

[Robert]

Robert

It's the competing claims for RAM that is causing the slow response.
Files sitting on your hard drive have no effect on system performance
unless the file is opened and loaded into memory. I would leave the
files where they are at least until your free disk space goes below 25%
of the size of the disk.

Installing the User Profile Hive Cleanup Service helps speed up the time
the computer takes to shutdown. The programme runs automatically without
user intervention.

--

Hope  this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~






- Show quoted text -

I've contacted Dell about getting RAM but I have a question regarding
that. Since I have 256 RAM now, can I buy 4x 512 RAM for a total of
2048 or 4x 256 RAM for a total of 1024? and plug each module into
RIMM1-4?


Robert

 

[Daave]

I went back and installed and ran Trend Micro, Kaspersky, and Avast.
As I mentioned I use to have Norton products and wasn't happy with
them so I decided not to do that.

Sounds thorough!

Just for clarification, I assume you did the following:

- installed and ran Avast
- ran the Trend Micro and Kaspersky *online* scans

(I don't blame you for staying away from Symantec. However, the online
scan is not the same thing.)

Trend Micro found a Http Cookie, which I deleted and then re-ran at
its suggestion and came out clean

Sounds good. Tracking cookies won't slow you down, by the way. Some
folks don't like to keep them because of privacy issues.

Kapersky found Malware Exploit.JS.XMLcore.b, which I deleted

Actually, that sounds serious! I did a brief search and couldn't find a
lot on that exploit. Do you have all the necessary patches post SP2?

Avast came out clean
Good.

I want to thank you for your advice and suggestions. In regards to
'tinkering' or buying another computer I really don't have a choice
since I'm disabled and can't afford a new computer. I'm trying to do
what I can to make this one last a bit longer. I've increased my page
file size and have contacted Dell about additional RAM. I realize that
at some point I will need a new computer but I just have to work with
what I have for the present and hope for the best.

I understand, Robert.

If buying another PC is out of the question, then tinkering is your only
recourse. Your bottleneck (assuming you are 100% malware-free) is a low
amount of RAM. Unfortunately, your PC, I believe, takes a rare and
expensive type of RAM:

http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=DC738DFBA5CA7304

(that link should work better than the last one I posted)

That's $264.99 a pop, and you will need to buy two of them because "your
system requires that you install memory in pairs." That's why I had
suggested purchasing a new PC!

Perhaps there are other RAM sticks available; you'll need to dig deeper,
or perhaps someone else here could post that information.

If you absolutely need to stay with your current setup with the 256 MB
of RAM, you need to be very careful as to what programs you run (there
are probably some running you aren't even aware of and don't even need).
It is possible to run efficiently with that little RAM. But that entails
not multitasking and not using memory-intensive apps such as photo or
video editing.

I will repeat the information from my other post for your convenience:

If you'd like to tinker instead with what you currently have (in order
to make the most of your 256 MB of RAM and rely on your pagefile less
than you currently are), then use msconfig to see which
programs/processes your PC automatically loads at startup. Then use
these sites to research what you don't need:

http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#THE_PROGRAMS

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/

This one is good to have bookmarked, too:

http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

----------------------------------------------------------------

Are you familiar with msconfig? It's easy, if you're not:

Start | Run | msconfig [enter] and look at the Startup tab.

Autoruns is along the same lines, but it is *much* more thorough:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

I also noted in another post you are running something called ImageX.
Why don't you experiment and quit using it for a while and see if your
performance improves? You should be also be able to configure it to not
run at startup.

Once you're running as lean as possible, try Gerry's method again
(noting the Total, Limit, and Peak values for Commit Charge). If you can
get your Total and Peak numbers as low as 262,144 (not easy!), you'll be
golden.

 

[Robert]

Sounds thorough!

Just for clarification, I assume you did the following:

- installed and ran Avast
- ran the Trend Micro and Kaspersky *online* scans

Yes, I did all of the above.

(I don't blame you for staying away from Symantec. However, the online
scan is not the same thing.)

I understand this, but Symantec just left a bad taste in my mouth and
I didn;t like how they presented the free version so I backed away
from it. I figure with Spybot, A-Squared, Avast, AVG, Trend Micro,
Kapersky and Comodo that if something indeed gets through it almost
deserves to! *L*

Sounds good. Tracking cookies won't slow you down, by the way. Some
folks don't like to keep them because of privacy issues.


Actually, that sounds serious! I did a brief search and couldn't find a
lot on that exploit. Do you have all the necessary patches post SP2?

I recently checked yesterday if there were any service patches and it
said that my computer was current and didn't need any.

I understand, Robert.

If buying another PC is out of the question, then tinkering is your only
recourse. Your bottleneck (assuming you are 100% malware-free) is a low
amount of RAM. Unfortunately, your PC, I believe, takes a rare and
expensive type of RAM:

http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=DC738DFBA5CA7304

(that link should work better than the last one I posted)

That's $264.99 a pop, and you will need to buy two of them because "your
system requires that you install memory in pairs." That's why I had
suggested purchasing a new PC!

Yikes! I had no idea they would be that expensive, but why do I need
to buy two? If I already have (1) 256 RAM chip can't I just buy (1)
more to give me 512 RAM? I guess I should have thought ahead at the
time of purchase and increased the RAM size then.

Perhaps there are other RAM sticks available; you'll need to dig deeper,
or perhaps someone else here could post that information.

Do I absolutely need to buy the sticks from Dell or can I get them
from anywhere? I believe Gerry stated I needed PC800 RDRAM sticks?

If you absolutely need to stay with your current setup with the 256 MB
of RAM, you need to be very careful as to what programs you run (there
are probably some running you aren't even aware of and don't even need).
It is possible to run efficiently with that little RAM. But that entails
not multitasking and not using memory-intensive apps such as photo or
video editing.

I will repeat the information from my other post for your convenience:

If you'd like to tinker instead with what you currently have (in order
to make the most of your 256 MB of RAM and rely on your pagefile less
than you currently are), then use msconfig to see which
programs/processes your PC automatically loads at startup. Then use
these sites to research what you don't need:

http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#THE_PROGRAMS

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/

This one is good to have bookmarked, too:

http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

----------------------------------------------------------------

I already have Startup but the thing is I don;t know what I need and
don't need and Startup was just confusing to me. However I will take a
look at the links and see if I can figure them out.

Are you familiar with msconfig? It's easy, if you're not:

Start | Run | msconfig [enter] and look at the Startup tab.

I've heard the term but never done it and it seems you can really mess
your system up if you don;t know what your doing.

Autoruns is along the same lines, but it is *much* more thorough:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

I also noted in another post you are running something called ImageX.
Why don't you experiment and quit using it for a while and see if your
performance improves? You should be also be able to configure it to not
run at startup.

ImageX is part of my Dell Imaging software and I have quite a few jpg
file/folders on there but according to Gerry this shouldn't affect its
performance. As you both pointed out its my RAM that bottlenecking
everything. I still think it's kind of strange that this just started
happening.

Once you're running as lean as possible, try Gerry's method again
(noting the Total, Limit, and Peak values for Commit Charge). If you can
get your Total and Peak numbers as low as 262,144 (not easy!), you'll be
golden.- Hide quoted text -

I would like to lean out my computer very much but I'm afraid of
getting rid of something and messing things up and making things even
worst than they presently are. It's alot like using CCleaner which I
understand is good but you sure can do some harm if you don't know
what your doing so I stay away from using it.

- Show quoted text -

I'll checked the links you gave me and see if I can loose some
programs or come back with some questions.

I would appreciate it if you would take a look at my other post O.T.
Nero DVD/RW Question.


Thanks,

Robert

 

[Gerry]

Robert

You do not have to buy 4 sticks. You can buy 2 retaining the 2 existing
sticks. You presently have 2 x 128 mb.

If you remove your original memory modules from the computer during a
memory upgrade, keep them separate from any new modules that you may
have, even if the new modules were purchased from Dell. Your original
memory modules must be installed as a pair in either connectors RIMM1
and RIMM 2 or RIMM 3 and RIMM4. Do not pair one original memory module
with one new memory module in connectors RIMM1 and RIMM2 or RIMM3 and
RIMM4. Otherwise, your computer may not start properly.
The only two valid memory configurations are: A pair of matched memory
modules installed in connectors RIMM1 and RIMM2 with continuity modules
installed in connectors RIMM3 and RIMM4 or A pair of matched memory
modules installed in connectors RIMM1 and RIMM2 and another matched pair
installed in connectors RIMM3 and RIMM4
Source:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim8200/replace.htm#1101964

Regarding price I would not be put off by others suggesting it will be
expensive. The price will be what you are asked to pay today not what it
has been in the past. I recommended Dell because they supply replacement
parts for their computers. Crucial are a general supplier of memory who
can often help. Remember this is a part for a 5 year old computer and
eventually Dell will wish to clear their stocks if they have not already
done so.

What loads at StartUp. Instead of using msconfig use Autoruns.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/ProcessesAndThreads/Autoruns.mspx

With Autoruns you can uncheck an item, which disables it from starting,
or you can can right click an item and then delete it. If you uncheck
you can recheck to re-enable the item. It is a much safer approach than
editing the Registry. Another useful feature of the programme is that
you can right click an item and select Search Online to get information
about the item selected.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Harlan]

I had a very similar expierence lately with my wife's Dell laptop.

I ran all kinds of virus, spyware, adware, detection programs ....NOTHING
found
I reformatted the hard drive and re-installed XP.......STILL slow as
molasses in winter.
Ran the Dell diagnostics from the service cd....... EVERYTHING checked out
ok.

Finally, saw the fan air inlet holes "lightly" covered with dust. Used my
shop vac to suck the dust out....... and THAT WAS MY PROBLEM all along......
seems the processor was running hot and slowing itself down???????

 

[Robert]

I had a very similar expierence lately with my wife's Dell laptop.

I ran all kinds of virus, spyware, adware, detection programs ....NOTHING
found
I reformatted the hard drive and re-installed XP.......STILL slow as
molasses in winter.
Ran the Dell diagnostics from the service cd....... EVERYTHING checked out
ok.

Finally, saw the fan air inlet holes "lightly" covered with dust.  Used my
shop vac to suck the dust out....... and THAT WAS MY PROBLEM all along.......
seems the processor was running hot and slowing itself down???????

When I upgraded my hard drive and DVD/RW drive I thoroughly cleaned
the inside and outside of my computer so that isn't the problem, but
thank you for the input.

Robert

 

[Robert]

Robert

You do not have to buy 4 sticks. You can buy 2 retaining the 2 existing
sticks. You presently have 2 x 128 mb.

If you remove your original memory modules from the computer during a
memory upgrade, keep them separate from any new modules that you may
have, even if the new modules were purchased from Dell. Your original
memory modules must be installed as a pair in either connectors RIMM1
and RIMM 2 or RIMM 3 and RIMM4. Do not pair one original memory module
with one new memory module in connectors RIMM1 and RIMM2 or RIMM3 and
RIMM4. Otherwise, your computer may not start properly.
The only two valid memory configurations are: A pair of matched memory
modules installed in connectors RIMM1 and RIMM2 with continuity modules
installed in connectors RIMM3 and RIMM4 or A pair of matched memory
modules installed in connectors RIMM1 and RIMM2 and another matched pair
installed in connectors RIMM3 and RIMM4
Source:http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim8200/replace.htm#110...

Regarding price I would not be put off by others suggesting it will be
expensive. The price will be what you are asked to pay today not what it
has been in the past. I recommended Dell because they supply replacement
parts for their computers. Crucial are a general supplier of memory who
can often help. Remember this is a part for a 5 year old computer and
eventually Dell will wish to clear their stocks if they have not already
done so.

What loads at StartUp. Instead of using msconfig use Autoruns.http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/ProcessesAndThreads/Aut...

With Autoruns you can uncheck an item, which disables it from starting,
or you can can right click an item and then delete it. If you uncheck
you can recheck to re-enable the item. It is a much safer approach than
editing the Registry. Another useful feature of the programme is that
you can right click an item and select Search Online to get information
about the item selected.

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello Gerry,
Yes I understand the concept of having continous memory modules side
by side e,g, Rimm1&2 and having continuity modules in Rimm 3&4 and to
keep the originals seprate if I remove them but if I already have (2)
128 modules I shouldn't need to remove them but only remove the (2)
continuity modules and replace them with (2) 128 modules. Is this
correct? I just hope that given the age of my computer that I can find
some memory sticks.

I went into Autorun and before I uncheck anything this is my list:

Language Shortcut,Language Application (Cyberlink)

iTunesHelper Module (I don't use MP3 or download any music)

LGODDFU (LG DVD/RW drive updates, tried updating once to digitally
sign my drive but no updates available)

Acronis Scheduler Helper (backups?)

Mmtask TODO: (Music Match jukebox, I use Windows Media player)

Money StartUp (never use this)

Quicktime (never use this)

RemoteControl-Power DVDRC Service

SunJavaUpdate Java(tm) Platform SE binary

MoneyAgent Microsoft Money Express Microsoft (never use this)

Display Pannin File not found :deskpan.dll
HKCR\CLSID\{42071714-76d4-11d1-8b24-00a0c9068ff3}

iTunes iTunes Mini Player DLL (I don't use iTunes for anything I
don't think, I don't use a MP3 player and don't download music)

AcroEHIprObj AcroHelper Module (seems to be a part of Adobe
Acrobat which I don't think I ever use)

AcrSch2Svc Provide task scheduling for Acronis applications

ewido security ewido control ewido networks
(apparently this is another malware removal tool I downloaded but
never use)

basic2 NTRksample driver Conexant Systems c:\windows
\system32\drive...
System32\DRIVERS\basic2.sys

Changer file not found (not sure what this
does)

dac2w2k Mylex Disk Array Controller Mylex Corporation (not
sure what this is)

dac960nt Mylex Disk Array Controller Mylex Corporation
(not sure what this is)

DM9102 NDIS 5.0 driver CNet Teachnology Inc

Fallback Fallback driver Conexant Systems

GEARAspiWDM CDRom Class Filter Driver Gear Software

giveio

Gpc Generic Pack Classifier

hHpt3xx HPT3xx Minipoint Driver

hsf_msft file not found :System 32\D
System32\DRIVERS\HSF_MSFT.sys

MxlW2k Music Match Access Layer (I don't think I use music
match I use Window's media Player)

Speaker phone (In don't use this unless of course its referring to
speakers which I do use)

Speedfan

symlcbrd Symantec (it seems I keep running into Symantec
even though I've deleted and uninstalled it)


Thoughts/
Suggestions,

Robert

 

[Gerry]

Robert

You can add a pair of 128 mb, 256 mb sticks or 512 mb sticks. Get the
largest pair you can afford.

If you were using Adobe Acrobat Reader for reading pdf files replace it
with Foxit. unless you edit pdf files.
Foxit Reader (freeware) a more satisfactory programme:
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

Don't forget with Autoruns you can just disable startups. I am not
conviced disabling startup will make a great deal of difference. If you
can add more memory it could probably be unecessary. If you have
programmes you no longer need remember you can uninstall through Add/
Remove Programmes.



--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Daave]

Yikes! I had no idea they would be that expensive, but why do I need
to buy two? If I already have (1) 256 RAM chip can't I just buy (1)
more to give me 512 RAM? I guess I should have thought ahead at the
time of purchase and increased the RAM size then.

Your motherboard only accepts matching pairs.

And according to your Everest report in another post, you currently have
two sticks of 128MB PC800 RDRAM. So, basically, your choices are to get
two more (if you can find them) for Slots 3 and 4 (for a total of 512
MB), get two sticks of 256MB PC800 RDRAM, or two sticks of 512MB PC800
RDRAM. Sure, you *could* remove your current two sticks and get *four*
sticks of the 512MB RAM, but it's probably overkill and the cost would
be more than a new PC! Actually, what I had found (see the link above)
would cost you more than a new PC!

Do I absolutely need to buy the sticks from Dell or can I get them
from anywhere? I believe Gerry stated I needed PC800 RDRAM sticks?

Gerry was correct. But you don't need to buy them from Dell. The link I
gave is to crucial.com. I had also looked at kingston.com but came up
empty-handed. However, you may want to look at memoryx.net:

http://www.memoryx.net/deldim82ser.html

I just turned them up in a Google search, so I know nothing about them.
Also, I wasn't sure how fast your FSB is, so I chose 400 MHz. A bit more
affordable than the other one!

Finally, you may want to communicate with other Dell owners:

http://www.dellcommunity.com/

ImageX is part of my Dell Imaging software and I have quite a few jpg
file/folders on there but according to Gerry this shouldn't affect its
performance. As you both pointed out its my RAM that bottlenecking
everything. I still think it's kind of strange that this just started
happening.

Gerry said that the amount of *data* (including .jpg files) on your hard
drive won't slow you down. (But you should always have at least 20% of
your hard drive free, as a rule). However, if ImageX isn't essential,
you certainly don't need to use it. I'm not familiar with this program;
what do you do with it? Whatever it is, I imagine you might be happier
with Irfanview, which is free:

http://www.irfanview.com/

I would like to lean out my computer very much but I'm afraid of
getting rid of something and messing things up and making things even
worst than they presently are. It's alot like using CCleaner which I
understand is good but you sure can do some harm if you don't know
what your doing so I stay away from using it.

Ccleaner is good for deleting different types of temp files, and you
should certainly use it. However, you are wise to avoid the
"Issues"/registry cleaning function. But that's not what I was referring
to. I was talking about configuring your PC not to automatically run
unneeded programs and processes, especially since you hardly have any
RAM. There shouldn't be any harm at all in disabling startup items (you
can always re-enable them). Then again, you should always be making
backups anyway *just in case*.

 

[Robert]

.

Your motherboard only accepts matching pairs.

And according to your Everest report in another post, you currently have
two sticks of 128MB PC800 RDRAM. So, basically, your choices are to get
two more (if you can find them) for Slots 3 and 4 (for a total of 512
MB), get two sticks of 256MB PC800 RDRAM, or two sticks of 512MB PC800
RDRAM. Sure, you *could* remove your current two sticks and get *four*
sticks of the 512MB RAM, but it's probably overkill and the cost would
be more than a new PC! Actually, what I had found (see the link above)
would cost you more than a new PC!

I still haven't heard back from Dell so I guess I will have to try and
see if I can find these sticks on my own.

Gerry was correct. But you don't need to buy them from Dell. The link I
gave is to crucial.com. I had also looked at kingston.com but came up
empty-handed. However, you may want to look at memoryx.net:

http://www.memoryx.net/deldim82ser.html

I just turned them up in a Google search, so I know nothing about them.
Also, I wasn't sure how fast your FSB is, so I chose 400 MHz. A bit more
affordable than the other one!

I have no idea what FSB is or what your referring to.

Finally, you may want to communicate with other Dell owners:

http://www.dellcommunity.com/

I think from what you and Gerry have said the problem isn't buying the
matched pair but finding them for my computer.

Gerry said that the amount of *data* (including .jpg files) on your hard
drive won't slow you down. (But you should always have at least 20% of
your hard drive free, as a rule). However, if ImageX isn't essential,
you certainly don't need to use it. I'm not familiar with this program;
what do you do with it? Whatever it is, I imagine you might be happier
with Irfanview, which is free:

ImageX is Dell's Imaging software program and I'm very happy with it
and use it quite a bit to store my jpg files, and offers many features
to enhance the images. It's a program I would rather keep than loose.
However I am transferring all the jpg's to disc more as a backup
precaution than anything else, but I may just delete those files off
the hard drive once done and free up more space.

As far as disk space I have 127GB out of 148GB free so that isn't too
bad.

http://www.irfanview.com/



Ccleaner is good for deleting different types of temp files, and you
should certainly use it. However, you are wise to avoid the
"Issues"/registry cleaning function. But that's not what I was referring
to. I was talking about  configuring your PC not to automatically run
unneeded programs and processes, especially since you hardly have any
RAM. There shouldn't be any harm at all in disabling startup items (you
can always re-enable them). Then again, you should always be making
backups anyway *just in case*.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I have run Ccleaner once with only a few of the items checked but I
was so leary of it and the damage it may cause I've refrained from
using a second time but I may give it another try.

As far as making back-ups as opposed to System Restore points I was
planning on getting an external hard drive after I upgraded my
internal hard drive when all this happened. Being on a fixed and very
limited income doesn't help matters either. I suppose I could use my
DVD/RW drive for backups but that would only be data and not a true
System Image like Casper or Norton Ghost, correct?



Robert

 

[Daave]

I have no idea what FSB is or what your referring to.

Front Side Bus. For more info, see:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-front-side-bus.htm

Your PC seems to be the older of the two mentioned here:

http://www.lyberty.com/tech/sysspecs/dell_8200.html

Scroll down to Memory. (I'm glad I found this page!) The RAM that
shipped with the PC is non-ECC (different from the other links I gave
you!).

For memory choices, see:

http://www.memoryx.net/dimension.html

Lots of choices!

But there are only two for Dimension 8200 (400MHz FSB):

ECC:
http://www.memoryx.net/deldim82ser.html

And non-ECC:
http://www.memoryx.net/dimension8200.html

I would definitely post to the Dell forum first to determine which would
be better for you. I'm a bit confused; since you have PC800, it looks
like the ECC is the way to go (at least on the memoryx web site). But it
seems that the non-ECC is what shipped with it originally. So ask an
expert!

UPDATE:

Quote from ebay auction: "I recently purchased this RAM for my Dell
Dimension 8200, but my Dell requires Non-ECC RAM. The RAM was never
installed, I found the mistake too late "



Hmmm. Looks like non-ECC, then. So........

SimpleTech STD2552/256 256MB PC800 Non-ECC RDRAM 184pin RIMM

http://www.amazon.com/SimpleTech-STD2552-256-Non-ECC-184pin/dp/B00006HUGP

That should be the one! (But, again, I'd research it more, first...)

$140 + shipping

If you can't afford that just yet, you may find you may not need more
RAM after all if you're able to run very lean as I mentioned earlier
(not easy, but still possible). Those Web sites I mentioned have a
wealth of information.

As far as making back-ups as opposed to System Restore points I was
planning on getting an external hard drive after I upgraded my
internal hard drive when all this happened. Being on a fixed and very
limited income doesn't help matters either. I suppose I could use my
DVD/RW drive for backups but that would only be data and not a true
System Image like Casper or Norton Ghost, correct?

Although imaging to an external hard drive is a more pleasant
experience, you should be able to image your hard drive to a series of
CDs or DVDs with the proper software. I've never used Casper or Ghost,
but I'd like to think the answer is yes. I personally like Acronis True
Image. So, you may use your DVD/RW drive for both data and imaging your
entire drive.

 

[Robert]

Front Side Bus. For more info, see:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-front-side-bus.htm

Your PC seems to be the older of the two mentioned here:

http://www.lyberty.com/tech/sysspecs/dell_8200.html

Scroll down to Memory. (I'm glad I found this page!) The RAM that
shipped with the PC is non-ECC (different from the other links I gave
you!).

For memory choices, see:

http://www.memoryx.net/dimension.html

Lots of choices!

But there are only two for Dimension 8200 (400MHz FSB):

ECC:http://www.memoryx.net/deldim82ser.html

And non-ECC:http://www.memoryx.net/dimension8200.html

I would definitely post to the Dell forum first to determine which would
be better for you. I'm a bit confused; since you have PC800, it looks
like the ECC is the way to go (at least on the memoryx web site). But it
seems that the non-ECC is what shipped with it originally. So ask an
expert!

UPDATE:

Quote from ebay auction: "I recently purchased this RAM for my Dell
Dimension 8200, but my Dell requires Non-ECC RAM. The RAM was never
installed, I found the mistake too late "

Hmmm. Looks like non-ECC, then. So........

SimpleTech STD2552/256 256MB PC800 Non-ECC RDRAM 184pin RIMM

http://www.amazon.com/SimpleTech-STD2552-256-Non-ECC-184pin/dp/B00006...

That should be the one! (But, again, I'd research it more, first...)

$140 + shipping

If you can't afford that just yet, you may find you may not need more
RAM after all if you're able to run very lean as I mentioned earlier
(not easy, but still possible). Those Web sites I mentioned have a
wealth of information.


Although imaging to an external hard drive is a more pleasant
experience, you should be able to image your hard drive to a series of
CDs or DVDs with the proper software. I've never used Casper or Ghost,
but I'd like to think the answer is yes. I personally like Acronis True
Image. So, you may use your DVD/RW drive for both data and imaging your
entire drive.

Thank you so much for all the effort for researching the memory for me
as I would have no idea what to look for! I appreciate it very much! I
should be able to afford the sticks with my next check (hopefully).

I did delete a few programs such as iTunes and Microsoft Money 2002
both of which I never use. I also checked several of the startup
programs(Outlook, Symantec(I can't believe I still have pieces of that
on my system after I removed it) and some that said 'file not found'

The weird thing was after I did so and had to restart the computer it
came up saying new hardware found namely my DVD/RW drive! So I went
into the add/remove program and deleted all the programs associated
with it and then loaded them back on my system. I didn't get any
digitally not signed errors this time but it still says CD-ROM; I
guess it really doesn't matter because I've already burned some disc's
so it seems fine.

One last question if I may, aside from getting the sticks and an
external memory is there anything else I can do to upgrade the
computer to make it last longer, or improve its performance? In
regards to the external hard drive I was going to buy a case and get
another Seagate 160GB hard drive and put it together along with a PCI
card to upgrade me from SB1 to SB2, and use Casper IV or Acronis does
this sound correct or is there a better way?

Many thanks to you and Gerry for all your good help and advise.


Robert

 

[Robert]

Thank you so much for all the effort for researching the memory for me
as I would have no idea what to look for! I appreciate it very much! I
should be able to afford the sticks with my next check (hopefully).

I did delete a few programs such as iTunes and Microsoft Money 2002
both of which I never use. I also checked several of the startup
programs(Outlook, Symantec(I can't believe I still have pieces of that
on my system after I removed it) and some that said 'file not found'

The weird thing was after I did so and had to restart the computer it
came up saying new hardware found namely my DVD/RW drive! So I went
into the add/remove program and deleted all the programs associated
with it and then loaded them back on my system. I didn't get any
digitally not signed errors this time but it still says CD-ROM; I
guess it really doesn't matter because I've already burned some disc's
so it seems fine.

One last question if I may, aside from getting the sticks and an
external memory is there anything else I can do to upgrade the
computer to make it last longer, or improve its performance? In
regards to the external hard drive I was going to buy a case and get
another Seagate 160GB hard drive and put it together along with a PCI
card to upgrade me from SB1 to SB2, and use Casper IV or Acronis does
this sound correct or is there a better way?

Many thanks to you and Gerry for all your good help and advise.

Robert- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I just realized that those sticks are going to be gone by the time I
recieve my check at the end of the month. So do I just put in a search
for
SimpleTech STD2552/256 256MB PC800 Non-ECC RDRAM 184pin RIMM
on Google, Amazon or Dogpile?

Robert

 

[Daave]

I did delete a few programs such as iTunes and Microsoft Money 2002
both of which I never use. I also checked several of the startup
programs(Outlook, Symantec(I can't believe I still have pieces of that
on my system after I removed it) and some that said 'file not found'

Symantec and McAfee are notorious for sticking around! This page may be
helpful for you:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2005092709200113?Open&src=symsug_us

One last question if I may, aside from getting the sticks and an
external memory is there anything else I can do to upgrade the
computer to make it last longer, or improve its performance?

1. Keep it clean on the inside; blow out dust bunnies with a can of
compressed air.

2. Turn off indexing:
Double-click My Computer
Right-click on your hard drive icon, select Properties
Uncheck "Allow indexing service....
Click Apply button for C and subfolders
Click OK button.

3. Either turn off the eye candy or keep it and tweak it. See:
http://www.terryscomputertips.com/computers/speeding-up-windows-xp-fine-tuning-visual-effects.php

4. Run with the absolute minimum of startup programs. Definitely don't
run Quick Time or Adobe startup programs (and this doesn't mean
uninstalling them).

5. Regularly clear out your temp files with either Disk Cleanup or
Ccleaner.

6. Practice "safe hex" and don't get malware. If you do, remove it!

7. Refrain from multi-tasking.

8. Periodically reboot to prevent memory leakage.

There may be other tips, but that's all I can think of for now. Whatever
you do, don't run registry cleaners; they won't increase your speed and
*could* cause problems.

In regards to the external hard drive I was going to buy a case and get
another Seagate 160GB hard drive and put it together along with a PCI
card to upgrade me from SB1 to SB2, and use Casper IV or Acronis does
this sound correct or is there a better way?

What are SB1 and SB2? What kind of PCI card? Sorry, not following you
here. Acronis is very good for both imagining and cloning. Although it
won't speed up performance, it can get you out of a jam and is mush
easier than reinstalling XP from scratch, downloading and installing all
the updates, reinstalling all the latest drivers, reinstalling all your
apps and configuring them to your satisfaction, etc.

Many thanks to you and Gerry for all your good help and advise.

You're welcome.

 

[Daave]

UPDATE:

Quote from ebay auction: "I recently purchased this RAM for my Dell
Dimension 8200, but my Dell requires Non-ECC RAM. The RAM was never
installed, I found the mistake too late "



Hmmm. Looks like non-ECC, then. So........

SimpleTech STD2552/256 256MB PC800 Non-ECC RDRAM 184pin RIMM

http://www.amazon.com/SimpleTech-STD2552-256-Non-ECC-184pin/dp/B00006HUGP

That should be the one! (But, again, I'd research it more, first...)

$140 + shipping

Also, can't hurt to search on eBay.

Home> Buy> Computers & Networking> Desktop & Laptop Components> Memory
for Desktop PC> RDRAM> Search Results for 'pc800 2x256mb non-ecc'

http://search.ebay.com/search/searc...ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=1&fsoo=1

Good deals here. Make sure you pick a seller with a high rating! And I
still would post to one of the Dell forums first just to make absolutely
sure.

And you should also be able to leave your current RAM in for a total of
768 MB RAM.

 

[Robert]

Symantec and McAfee are notorious for sticking around! This page may be
helpful for you:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/20050927092...


1. Keep it clean on the inside; blow out dust bunnies with a can of
compressed air.

2. Turn off indexing:
Double-click My Computer
Right-click on your hard drive icon, select Properties
Uncheck "Allow indexing service....
Click Apply button for C and subfolders
Click OK button.

3. Either turn off the eye candy or keep it and tweak it. See:http://www.terryscomputertips.com/computers/speeding-up-windows-xp-fi...

4. Run with the absolute minimum of startup programs. Definitely don't
run Quick Time or Adobe startup programs (and this doesn't mean
uninstalling them).

5. Regularly clear out your temp files with either Disk Cleanup or
Ccleaner.

6. Practice "safe hex" and don't get malware. If you do, remove it!

7. Refrain from multi-tasking.

8. Periodically reboot to prevent memory leakage.

There may be other tips, but that's all I can think of for now. Whatever
you do, don't run registry cleaners; they won't increase your speed and
*could* cause problems.




What are SB1 and SB2? What kind of PCI card? Sorry, not following you
here. Acronis is very good for both imagining and cloning. Although it
won't speed up performance, it can get you out of a jam and is mush
easier than reinstalling XP from scratch, downloading and installing all
the updates, reinstalling all the latest drivers,  reinstalling all your
apps and configuring them to your satisfaction, etc.


You're welcome.

Hi Daave,
I made the changes as you suggested and went to the link you gave and
implemented those changes. In regards to the external hard drive I'm
sorry, I meant upgrading from USB1 to USB2 so that I have a faster
transfer rate and buying a Airnet/ Azio 4+1 Ports High-Speed USB 2.0
PCI Card, Model: AUD041 so that it will accept the USB2 connection. I
have heard of Acronis and used a version of it to clone my hard drive
when upgraded. I've also heard of Casper IV, both are supposed to be
good.

Robert