PC performance with XP

[fernando]

Hello anyone who knows they know what they're talking about !

I'm in the process (again) of reformating my hard drive (NTFS) and reinstalling XP from disc, adding hardware driver updates, then working through the endless XP updates.

My question is, is there anything I can do during or after this process to make my pc less sluggish?

When I first load a 'clean' XP install on from disc, the pc seems to react quite swiftly and cleanly, but then gradually gets a bit 'klutzy' as I add on the other stuff. I'm very careful to research and load what I believe are the correct latest hardware drivers before doing any XP updates, but that's where I'm currently at and already I can tell things are heading towards the usual slowdown.

For example, when I close a window it sometimes 'scrolls down' to a close rather than just cleanly disappearing. Meanwhile the hard drive can be heard quietly but surely grinding away in what sounds like a semi-silent protest.

The hard disc is quite old, yes, so that may well be the crux of the problem, but I've chosen to use this pc because the hard disc on my other one is even worse !

However I'm wondering about disc space and memory, and how they relate to performance. So, not being very up on such things, can anyone please ask me for some 'key stats' about my pc and I'll then report back for your opinions?
You can then tell me (for example) 'your xxx capacity is tiny so that's the best you can expect' ....

I'm also thinking loosely about 'space saving' ideas such as not installing XP Service Pack 2, but I don't know if ideas like that are a very bad idea.

Anyway, I hope you get the idea and can ask me some pertinent questions.

thanks a lot.

[Neil Jones]

Download and run this:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/EVEREST_Free_ ... d4181.html

This will tell you lots of things and then some more about your computer.

Click on Computer and then Summary.

Right-click on anything in that section and select "Copy all", then paste it here as a new response.

Once we know exactly what you have inside your computer then one can suggest where to go from there.

[fernando]

thanks Neil,
I'll do that shortly.

In the meantime, here are a few facts and figures I've just found myself :


Processor
Intel Pentium III processor
Speed: 730 MHz

Memory (RAM)
Capacity: 128 MB

C drive :
Capacity 9.53 GB
Free Space 6.62 GB
% Free Space 69 %

I don't know if that data can trigger any thoughts or further ideas ....
that's after all XP SP1 updates but no SP2 or any applications / software loaded.

[fernando]

here's what the Everest program says;
Can you see any shortfalls or lacking factors here, which would impact on pc performance ? :

Field Value
Computer
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
OS Service Pack Service Pack 1
DirectX 4.09.00.0904 (DirectX 9.0c)
Computer Name MYPCSNAME
User Name lee

Motherboard
CPU Type Intel Pentium IIIE, 733 MHz (5.5 x 133)
Motherboard Name Intel Easton D815EEA (5 PCI, 1 AGP, 3 DIMM, Audio, Video)
Motherboard Chipset Intel Solano i815E
System Memory 128 MB (PC100 SDRAM)
BIOS Type AMI (06/19/01)
Communication Port Communications Port (COM1)
Communication Port Communications Port (COM2)
Communication Port Printer Port (LPT1)

Display
Video Adapter Intel(R) 82815 Graphics Controller (32 MB)
3D Accelerator Intel i752
Monitor Plug and Play Monitor [NoDB] (000000000000)

Multimedia
Audio Adapter Ensoniq ES1371 AudioPCI-97 Sound Card

Storage
IDE Controller Intel(r) 82801BA Bus Master IDE Controller
Floppy Drive Floppy disk drive
Disk Drive FUJITSU MPF3102AT (10 GB, 5400 RPM, Ultra-ATA/66)
Optical Drive LG CD-ROM CRD-8481B (48x CD-ROM)
SMART Hard Disks Status OK

Partitions
C: (NTFS) 9758 MB (6829 MB free)

Input
Keyboard Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
Mouse Microsoft PS/2 Mouse

Network
Modem Creative Modem Blaster V.92 DI5733

Peripherals
Printer Fax
USB1 Controller Intel 82801BA ICH2 - USB Controller 1 [B-0]
USB1 Controller Intel 82801BA ICH2 - USB Controller 2 [B-0]
USB Device SpeedTouch 330 ADSL Modem

[marksi]

Ta for that link Neil, that's an excellent little program.

[Neil Jones]

Can you see any shortfalls or lacking factors here, which would impact on pc performance ? :

Quite a few here. Let's go down the list.

Motherboard
CPU Type Intel Pentium IIIE, 733 MHz (5.5 x 133)
Motherboard Name Intel Easton D815EEA (5 PCI, 1 AGP, 3 DIMM, Audio, Video)
Motherboard Chipset Intel Solano i815E
System Memory 128 MB (PC100 SDRAM)
BIOS Type AMI (06/19/01)
Communication Port Communications Port (COM1)
Communication Port Communications Port (COM2)
Communication Port Printer Port (LPT1)

The Pentium 733 is more than enough, but you badly need more system memory, preferably 512Mb but at least 256Mb. The problem you have with these older boards is finding a stick of memory that it likes.

The other issue you face is, is it worth upgrading this machine? On eBuyer at the moment, you can have a new board, processor and memory for under £100 and get something that will wipe the floor with your Pentium 733.

Display
Video Adapter Intel(R) 82815 Graphics Controller (32 MB)
3D Accelerator Intel i752
Monitor Plug and Play Monitor [NoDB] (000000000000)

Is this onboard graphics or is it a separate card? That is, does your monitor plug in horizontally or vertically? If its vertical, this 32Mb is coming OUT of the 128Mb from above!

Storage
IDE Controller Intel(r) 82801BA Bus Master IDE Controller
Floppy Drive Floppy disk drive
Disk Drive FUJITSU MPF3102AT (10 GB, 5400 RPM, Ultra-ATA/66)
Optical Drive LG CD-ROM CRD-8481B (48x CD-ROM)
SMART Hard Disks Status OK

Hmm, the 48x CD unit won't be able to perform all that fast as the speed is limited by the rest of the system.

Partitions
C: (NTFS) 9758 MB (6829 MB free)

Hmm, one third full already. XP tends to slow down a lot when the hard drive is getting on for half full.

Peripherals
Printer Fax
USB1 Controller Intel 82801BA ICH2 - USB Controller 1 [B-0]
USB1 Controller Intel 82801BA ICH2 - USB Controller 2 [B-0]
USB Device SpeedTouch 330 ADSL Modem

And again, USB1 devices when your modem can quite happily chug along at USB2.

As I said above, it may not be worth your while upgrading this machine with new graphics, cards, USB 2, memory, etc. Having just looked that motherboard up at Crucial.com, to take it up to 512Mb alone is £60, whereas for another £40 or so more you can replace the entire board and hard drive with something from eBuyer and get far better performance out of it.

Put it this way: Any new motherboard you buy will have USB 2, maybe onboard graphics, networking capabilities (for router purposes, maybe), better sound and, at this time, more upgrade capability. For about £40. To add a network card, better sound, better graphics, etc to your current machine is going to be at least twice as much.

But at the end of the day, upgrade the memory if nothing else:
http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/listpar ... &submit=Go

[fernando]

thanks a lot for all that;

If I'm understanding your question correctly about how the monitor plugs in, it plugs in horizontally.

So for right now, is it worth me trying any means I can to save disc space?
ie not install XP SP2?
Don't install things like Sun's Java Runtime Environment ?

thanks a lot,
lee

[fernando]

oh, a final (?) question ...

seeing as my RAM seems to be the big problem here;
I recall I bought a new DIMM RAM (?) for my other pc a while ago; presumably I can't take that out and try to stick it in somewhere in this pc?
Or are there a whole load of issues I need to look into, before even trying that?

My other pc is an AMD Athlon (I think) with different hardware to this one.

[Neil Jones]

You can pass on SP2 for the time being but as its a crucial Windows update and will eventually be required in order to get any updates from Microsoft at all...

As for the memory - take it out of the other machine and look at the gold connectors on the bottom. If there are three notches in the bottom, you can try putting it in and seeing if your computer likes it. If not, it'll just beep at you. Otherwise, see what it comes up with.

If there are two notches, it won't fit so don't try putting it in.

[DJGM]

I would strongly recommend installing Service Pack 2 as soon as you can. If anything, SP2 plugs quite a lot of holes in
the operating system, and also shuts off the Windows Messenger Service. And before you ask, that's nothing with
any of Microsoft's instant messaging apps like MSN Messenger or Windows Live Messenger, and everything with
little grey popup dialogs that randomly appear containing spam about how to turn stop them appearing!

And if you need to free up some HDD space without having to transfer stuff you want to keep to another HDD,
then I recommend a program called Window Washer. This will clear away temporary files in Windows, and
commonly used internet programs like IE, Firefox and Yahoo Messenger, to name but three.

AFAIK, Window Washer isn't free ... but what do I know? I got mine from *cough* BitTorrent *cough* !


Another thing about SP2 ... when you install it, take a note of where it says it going to back up your existing system
files. Once you've installed the service pack, and made sure your system is working fine with it installed, and there
are no conflicts or any other problems, you can delete the folders containing the backups of your pre-SP2 files.
These files would only be needed if SP2 causes problems, and you need to uninstall it roll your system back.

As long as you've made perfectly sure that SP2 isn't causing any grief with your system, it won't do any harm to
delete the folder, and you should be able to claw back at least a few hundred megabytes of HDD real estate!

[MarkN]

...and also shuts off the Windows Messenger Service.

For older versions:
Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services, Messenger (double click), change from Automatic to Disabled, click Stop, click OK.

(of course SP2 does contain lots of Polyfilla to fill in all those cracks Microsoft left in, so it's probably a good idea to get it eventually)