Slow computer boot and screen redraw - solved

[N1LAF]

When I was visiting my friend, I noticed her computer boots up really slow, and when the screen redraws, it takes seconds. Thought must be a virus or spyware, and offered to help. It is a Dell DIM4600C, it has a 2.6 Ghz processor, and on-board graphics, but didn't think the video interface was the problem. Hard drive looked fine, but defragged it anyways. It had XP with service pack 3, and removed the non-functioning McAfee anti virus that plagued her with all kinds of annoying popup messages and replaced it with free AVG.

What the heck?

Looking at the hardware profile, and there it was, right in front of me all this time...

The computer only had 256 MB of RAM - it was RAM starved.

Why would Dell sell a computer with XP that will be RAM starved and have such poor performance??

Friday night, after dinner, we stopped in at Staples, and bought two 512 MB DDR SDRAM, for $60 for the pair. Five minutes to replace the memory, most time spent on getting the new memory out of the plastic tombs..

Now the computer boots within the minute, and the screen redraw is near instant.

If you have a XP computer that boots slowly and slow screen redraw, check the system memory.

[n2ize]

Whenever I see a computer that runs like that, i.e. slow screen redraw, or as I call it "paint peeling effect" immediately suspect either defective RAM or not enough RAM. Especially if the hard drive seems to be thrashing while all that is going on often indicates the system is really depending on disc swap.

And it affect almost all computers. Same thing happens on a Linux or Unix machine if the RAM's too low. My computer will do it occasionally but not all the time. I need to add more RAM to this machine but, at around 60 bucks a pop I am considering buying a new machine. Why feed a 2.8 Ghz single processor 32 bit dinosaur when I can get a 64 bit dual core box cheap these days/

[N1LAF]

This computer is used exclusively for internet browsing. Its not my computer, and for $60, it was a quick and easy upgrade.

[W4RLR]

My sister has the same computer. She had the same problem. I used the same solution. She was thinking she would have to spend $$$ for a new computer. $60 worth of RAM from Best Buy solved the problem. She used the money she saved over buying a computer for a new flat screen monitor, and she thinks her brother (me) hung the moon.

[HUGH]

My aunt and uncle are always buying new PCs from a retail outfit I wouldn't go near. Whenever the PC runs slow or inherits any virus or Trojan they scrap the old PC and it's off to the big store to meet another "slick" salesman.

If I lived closer I could have saved them a fortune.

[WØTKX]

And I find those ailin' orphans and use 'em at home. Many times for free.

There has been a long tradition of "marketecture" from MS about the minimum memory required. The real minimum is double that, and double again is better...

Swap file churning sucks... it's delightful to move a jerky mouse pointer and watch the hard drive activity go nuts. :snooty

[n2ize]

And I find those ailin' orphans and use 'em at home. Many times for free.

There has been a long tradition of "marketecture" from MS about the minimum memory required. The real minimum is double that, and double again is better...

Swap file churning sucks... it's delightful to move a jerky mouse pointer and watch the hard drive activity go nuts. :snooty

Or click on a menu bar and patiently sit and wait...and wait........and wait...until the app responds. :lol: :lol:

[WØTKX]

Or filling up the "event queue" with extra mouse clicks, just to speed things up... :clap:

[KA9VQF]

I was having the same problems. I added all the ram this MB will support. Now I have two gig’s of ram. I wish I could put in another two gig’s but it would do no good. IIRC there is only enough room for two sticks, and the CPU would actually run slower with additional ram.

My ‘lil sis just bought a dual core box with 8 gig of ram, 1 terabyte of HD, running windows 7 for OS.

She got into watching online movies on her old one and just got tired of having buffering problems.

Now her movies are seamless.

[PA5COR]

Minimum ram i put in when xp arrived was 512, soon i went to 1 gig.

Lappie here has 2 gig dualcore, 512 videocard internal.
( Acer 7720G since 18 months)
Will upgrade to 4 gig ( also running W7)

:snicker:

[KC2UGV]

Linux is the answer. Minimum RAM: 512MB + Damn Small Linux. 1GB + Ubuntu Karmic.

Lean. Fast. Powerful.