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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/9/2009 11:58:09 PM | My Dell Inspiron laptop is so slow, I don't know whether to retire it-its 4-5 years old, and so slow, its ridiculous. I get the hourglass. error pages on IE, just plain nothing or frozen screens/sites way too much....Is it time for the office supply store tune up or time to save for/buy a new pc? Its really frustrating me...I need something electronic to edit videos, in addition to email social sites and other info. I already clear the caches and do disk cleanup... | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/10/2009 12:21:30 AM | I would try reinstalling XP. I'm not sure about Dell, but my old Gateway laptop had a one button restore feature. Unfortunately, with that route the system still needs to be purged of all the useless junk that PCs come packaged with.
Either way, just save your stuff onto a USB stick or external HD, and reinstall. It's definitely worth it to do so from time to time.
If it's still slow after that, I guess it's time to start shopping around. | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 3 | |
| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/10/2009 3:18:32 AM | ^^^Good Info^^^
Also, check into Ubuntu Linux.
If your PC is only 5yrs old, Ubuntu should run fast & you can get whatever software you want for free
(Including video editing software)
_____________________________________________
>If you wanna try to keep it limping along, check these out:
-defraggler
http://www.piriform.com/defraggler
-ccleaner
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/10/2009 7:48:43 AM |
Ubuntu should run fast
I'll vouch for that! 
aside from Ubuntu, you might want to consider a Linux "distro" specifically geared for video. I think "Slax" has a version tailored for video, so you might want to check it out too.
I'm into retrocomputing because I love playing around with old machines to see what they can still do (if you let them). I've run DSL (Damn Small Linux) on 300MHZ machines with as little as 32 megs of Ram (It should run in as little as 24 megs). In a machine less than ten years old it just FLIES; you'd think you just bought a new one!
So DSL Linux should be on your shopping list (it's free of course) too (like slax, it runs off a CD or pendrive. Unlike Slax, it runs entirely in RAM so it's FAST!) | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/10/2009 9:24:21 AM |
Posted By: floridian407
My Dell Inspiron laptop is so slow, I don't know whether to retire it-its 4-5 years old, and so slow, its ridiculous. I get the hourglass. error pages on IE, just plain nothing or frozen screens/sites way too much.
info. I already clear the caches and do disk cleanup..
What do you mean by disk cleanup ?
Do you mean you have used the Disk Clean Up utility or the Defrag Utility ?
If you have only done a Disk Clean Up , then you should do a hard drive Defrag to consolidate all the data into contigious blocks.
Before you do a defrag , remove all old unwanted files , empty the Recycle bin , clear all browser and email caches , run a spyware utility like AdaWare / Spybot Search & Destroy and then disable your screen saver and your anti virus program.
Also once you do a defrag . , in the Run box type msconfig.exe and then open up the program and click on the Start Up tab and uncheck any obvious programs that you don't want to run on start up , this will stop a lot of useless/unwanted programs running in the background and slowing your machine down.
If those steps don't fix the problem , then you may need to have a look at your internet connection and your internet system settings.
If you are doing a lot of photo/video editing , then I would suggest upgrading to a new computer that has a lot of memory ( 3 Gb ) and a Quad core CPU. | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/10/2009 10:37:42 AM | If you haven't done a clean up of the registry in 5 years no wonder it is almost grinding to a halt.
For someone that knows a little about their laptop/pc I like to suggest a few free downloads to people.
‘Glary utilities’ can clean up the registry and defrag the registry for you, it’s got a nice simple user interface. It also has lots of other windows tools but it is all in one place with this utility.
‘Spybot’ is a must
‘malware bytes’ will get rid of any adware and hidden crap lying around.
If you think you have a virus get ‘avg’.
All this will take quite a bit of time but you will notice the difference and it’s all free.
Doing video editing is going to be difficult as you will need to digitise the videos, best just get a dvd recorder with a built in hard-drive and connect the video player to this. Unless you meant movie editing in which case pop into a good pc store and ask what RAM upgrades you can do to the laptop. RAM is what is important in movie editing.
If you’re going to go for the reformat option/pc store tune up, ask or partition the disk and stick your documents folder on the new D drive, this way if you need to do a clean later you are less likely to accidently lose your music/pictures etc. Actually thinking about it if your dell is 5 years old it's probably only got a 40 gig hard drive at most, get a new one 100 gig or more, not that expencive and easy to change.
There are loads of other free downloads online some of which have already been suggested but I find these ones give good results for people with some but not expert knowledge. | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/10/2009 11:04:44 AM |
My Dell Inspiron laptop is so slow, I don't know whether to retire it-its 4-5 years old, and so slow, its ridiculous.
It sounds like a memory issue. Check the Dell website to see the type and maximum amount of RAM your model can have and install that, buy it from the usual suspects(Best Buy, CompUSA, MicroCenter, etc.) rather than Dell - it will be cheaper.
Do a full cleanup, remove startup programs that are not needed, delete unused applications, empty the caches and temp directory(should be c:\documents and settings\ \local settings\temp - I think that is correct, going from memory as I type this on a Mac). Perform a disk defrag(start menu, accessories, system tools, disk defragment). You should also convert the file system to NTFS, which is better than FAT and enable file compression. RAM operations are faster than disk operations so loading a smaller file from disk and de-compressing in memory is faster than loading a larger file from disk(in most cases).
Worst case, save all important data and do a reinstall with a disk reformat.
Is it time for the office supply store tune up
Never, they will only do what the knowledgeable people on this forum will tell you to do but for FREE!
I need something electronic to edit videos
If your main use is video editing and you need to replace your current computer then I would suggest a MacBook Pro, iMac or a Mac Mini. Any of those are far superior to a Windows PC for video, The Mac Mini can use the same mouse/keyboard/monitor as a PC, the mouse and keyboard need to be USB(it only costs a few bucks to buy a PS2 to USB converter) the Mini comes with a converter that allows the use of a VGA monitor. | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 8 | |
| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/10/2009 12:36:26 PM |
I've run DSL (Damn Small Linux) on 300MHZ machines with as little as 32 megs of Ram (It should run in as little as 24 megs)
Damn...That is small,
I've got the business card live cd but never tried it on 32mb ram.
Gotta Love Linux  | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/12/2009 8:08:49 PM | :yawn:
Let us start with the basics before suggesting random things such as reinstalling windows xp, or installing linux, or god forbid, installing AVG.
The post right above mine has it correct, although it is in geek speak.
Lets start with a few questions...
What is the model number of your dell inspiron?
What anti-virus software, if any, do you currently have installed?
What anti-malware software, if any, do you currently have installed?
-----
Hour glass and error pages usually signal the computer is doing too much work, which can be caused by a number of things from too many programs starting up, to some sort of malware (trojan, spyware, virus, etc..) being on there, to even hardware failure.
The first step would be to disable everything on startup and see if your problem goes away, if it does, you know one of those programs is the problem and then you can start to narrow down which one.
To do so, click on START, then click RUN
Type: msconfig
Go to the last tab, named STARTUP
Select DISABLE ALL
and then restart your computer.
Please note any anti-virus or anti-malware applications you might have will be disabled, so be careful not to just leave it all disabled and forget about it.
If you need additional assistance, please respond this post or message me. | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/13/2009 4:56:14 PM | Disable: system restore
Adjust for best performance in Performance options
Do a chkdsk c: in a dos windows to sheck for corrupt MFT
Clear the prefetch folder
Scan your system with combofix
Defrag your hard drive
start with that..
btw what anti virus do you have? | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/16/2009 5:47:51 AM | Here is a few things I would try:
Reformat the hard drive and re-install the operating system
once the OS is installed, defragment your hard drive with the defrag tool that comes with windows or look around for another defrag software.. use a cleaner such as CCleaner which is a free crap cleaner software that removes all the junk from your system. Also run a virus scanner on a regular basis and some kind of spyware killer. I have found www.superantispyware.com free version to work wonders for me, even if other software fails. I have actually recommended it to a friend of mine who happens to be a teacher and saved her from losing LOTS of student marking information. | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/16/2009 6:19:42 AM | For starters, I thought everyone knew by now that MSConfig disabling boot up apps doesn't always work. I can disable every app on startup from MSConfig and half of them STILL load during boot. It's an option that just doesn't work anymore, too many programs know how it works and detect when it's disabled stuff.
That said..
It's likely your PC mostly needs reformatting at this point. Even without trying a system can get crammed with so many browser addons and various browser junk that nothing can help it, you'd spend longer trying to clean out than reinstall. If you're going to a lot of social networking sites, then you can bet that half the ads displayed are installing crap in to your PC.
The other thing to consider is the amount of RAM your computer has. For some reason 4 or 5 years ago our demands for Windows XP just weren't that huge...but the OS did get a bit bloated over time. Always at least a gig for XP...the more, the better. Sure, XP will run in 256 or 512MB, but it will be laggy and slow and then when you get spyware and browser junk on it...wow. | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/16/2009 8:55:10 AM | Having been a Dell and HP tech I can tell you that all the advise you've been given so far is totally wrong or incomplete. If your system wasn't like this when you got it then it makes no difference how much memory you have on it since the problem has been caused by whatever has been installed or downloaded onto your system. I also don't reccomend installing anymore crap or re-installing XP on top of itself to fix this situation. Now I'm going to copy and paste the instructions here from computerhope.com which you can go to for most help with your pc. The guy who suggested formatting your hard drive and re-installing XP was correct but if you don't know why you have this problem I'm sure you don't know how to do it. ****Warning*** this is going to wipe out everything on your computer so put whatever you want to save on a disc or flash drive (ie documents, pictures,music) before doing this. After saving what you want you have to make sure that the computer is booting to your cd rom first so follow the instructions from this site on how to do that with your Dell.
http://www.hiren.info/pages/bios-boot-cdrom
Good luck
Question:
How do I install Microsoft Windows XP.
Answer:
Below are the steps required to installing the standard version of Microsoft Windows XP. It is important to realize that some computer manufacturers have their own proprietary install of Windows XP on a Recovery or Restore disc. Therefore the below steps may not all apply to how Windows XP is installed on your computer. If the below steps do not apply it is recommended you contact your computer manufacturer for additional help, Computer Hope will not know how to install Windows using your manufacturers CD.
If you're still able to get into Windows before following the below steps see document CH000186 for a checklist of things to consider before erasing the computer and starting over.
The standard Microsoft Windows XP CD is bootable. Therefore start by placing the Windows XP CD in your computer and reboot.
As computer boots you will be prompted to press any key to boot from CD, at this time press any key. If you do not get this prompt or are unable to boot from the CD please refer to document CH000217 for information on how to boot from a CD.
When the Windows XP setup menu appears press ENTER to continue the setup.
Next, the Windows XP licensing agreement will open, if you agree to this agreement press F8.
Next, Windows will give you the option to repair Windows XP or to install a fresh copy if Windows XP is already installed on the computer. If you're wanting to install a new copy of Windows XP press ESC.
Next, the partition setup will appear, it is recommended that if a partition already exists and you do not plan on having multiple operating systems on the computer that you delete the existing partition before continuing the setup. You will know if a partition exists if you see anything other than Unpartitioned space. Note: When deleting a partition ALL information will be lost.
To delete the partition:
on the drive press D and ENTER then press L to delete the partition and then press ENTER and then if you are aware that this will delete all information on the partition.
Note: If you have multiple partitions, we suggest deleting all partitions unless you plan on using these partitions. Deleting each of the other partitions can be done using the same above steps.
To create the partition:
Select the unpartitioned space you wish to create a partition on and press C, specify the size of the partition in MB, by default this will have the full amount of the drive and press ENTER.
Once you have a partition ready to have Windows XP installed on it press ENTER to install.
Next you will need to select whether the drive will use FAT or NTFS. We suggest NTFS for users who are not sure which file system they wish to use.
After selecting the file system and pressing enter the computer will start formatting the drive. Depending on how big the partition is will determine the length of time the format will take.
After the format Windows will begin installing the files and then take you through a wizard to continue with the remainder of the setup. | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/16/2009 9:16:46 AM | Perform this "ROUTINE MAINTENANCE" (about once a month or just before you install any new software.)
STEP 1: Click on Start/Settings/Control Panel/Set Automatic Windows Updates to run at a day/time when you know your PC will be on.
STEP 2: Perform all Windows updates, Express and Custom, too.
Start Internet Explorer/Click on Tools/Click Windows Updates/Express
Do this as many times as necessary until zero Express updates are available. Restart your PC whenever instructed to do so.
Start Internet Explorer/Click on Tools/Windows Updates/Custom
Do this as many times as necessary until zero Custom updates are available. Restart your PC whenever instructed to do so.
STEP 3: If you are running any anti-virus program, make sure it is also be up-to-date.
STEP 4: Next, we want to run what is called Disk Cleanup. This Windows program deletes all the little, no-longer-necessary files that were created by various other programs as they do their thing.
Click on Start/All Programs (or Programs)/Accessories/System Tools/Disk Cleanup/
OK.
Let the program “look” at your hard drive and determine what all it has to do. Make sure everything is checked EXCEPT "Office Setup files" (if present) and "Compress old files."
Click OK/Yes. When the Disk Cleanup is done, it closes itself and leaves you at the Desktop.
STEP 5: We now want to run Windows Error Checking, aka ScanDisk. (NOTE: This is different from Virus Scan.)
Right click on Start/Click on Explore/In the left column, towards the top, right click on the (C:)/Click on Properties/In the upper left, click on the Tools tab/Click on the Check Now button/Click on Automatically fix file system errors/Start/Yes/OK/
Close the Start Menu window.
Left click on Start and Restart your PC. (You may need to Log Off first.) If you watch closely, you will see ScanDisk do its thing from a pretty blue screen. DO NOT HIT ANY KEY. Let the system boot into Windows, and log in again.
STEP 6: We want to remove any/all old files which load into the system’s memory and can cause frustrating issues.
Start Internet Explorer and click on Tools/Internet Options/Under Browsing History, hit the Delete button/At the bottom of this window, hit the Delete All button/Put a check in the option “Also delete files and settings stored by Add-Ons.”/Yes/OK/Close Internet Explorer.
Click on Start/Run/then type in the open field %temp% (If you get a message asking about “hidden files,” open Control Panel/Folder Options/View/Put a dot next to Show hidden files and folders/OK.)
Hit Enter/Ctrl+A/Wait until everything is highlighted then hit the Delete key/Click on Yes/Close the Temp Window
STEP 7: The final step of Routine Maintenance is called Disk Defragmenter. This program rearranges all files on the hard drive for best (quickest) access, and also checks for other simple errors that can cause strange/bizarre issues if not corrected.
If a Screen Saver is active, right click anywhere on the Desktop except over an icon; click Properties; click the Screen Saver tab; set “None” as your Screen saver; click OK.
Click on Start/All Programs (or Programs)Accessories/System Tools/Disk Defragmenter. In the lower left, click on the Defragment button. Depending on when this was last run, this may take a while. When it is complete, click on Close. Right click on Disk Defragmenter in your Taskbar, and select Close again.
HOPE THIS HELPS. | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 16 | |
| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/16/2009 2:26:50 PM |
Having been a Dell and HP tech I can tell you that all the advise you've been given so far is totally wrong or incomplete.
plentyofhumping,
Having been Computer Tech & having a degree in Computer Networks, I can tell you that you're information is also incomplete.
& There is more than one way to fix a computer.
About Re-installing Windows....
If you're going to criticize missing info, here is some you have missed:
> Backup Paid Software License Keys (No one wants to re-buy Microsoft Office & Expensive Software)
>After she has a fresh install of XP,
>Service Packs/Updates?
>Drivers?
>Antivirus/AntiMalware
(OEM Software gives just a trial of shitty protection) ?
>Backing Up after Computer is Fixed?
(over time, as you probably know, Windows slows down due to bloat, fragmentation, infections, ect. Wouldn't it be nice to have a good backup?)
&
That's a lot for the average person to have to go through just to surf the Internet, use email & edit videos.
The OP's Post:
My Dell Inspiron laptop is so slow, I don't know whether to retire it-its 4-5 years old, and so slow, its ridiculous. I get the hourglass. error pages on IE, just plain nothing or frozen screens/sites way too much....Is it time for the office supply store tune up or time to save for/buy a new pc? Its really frustrating me...I need something electronic to edit videos, in addition to email social sites and other info. I already clear the caches and do disk cleanup...
Installing Linux Ubuntu would be an easy, long-term fix for free.
*Request a Free CD* https://shipit.ubuntu.com/
Microsoft Products are necessary for businesses, not the average user.
I don't think people want to spend money every year on expensive software and spend half of the time that they are on their computer running spyware/virus scans, cleaning MS junk files, defragmenting, etc.
With Ubuntu,
you put the CD in, click 'Next' a few times, enter your name & password,
and then you have a complete operating system with all the commonly used software already installed For Free & Additional software can be added with a few clicks of the mouse (also free)
Benefits:
>Totally Free (maybe just the cost of shipping for the install CD)
>No Virus & Spyware Scans
>Defragmenting is not necessary
>The updates actually update Everything(OS & Apps), not just the OS like Windows
>Many more at http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/
Edit: To boot from a CD on most Dells:
1) Insert the CD
2) Reboot & press [F12] for a one-time boot menu
3) Then select: Boot from CD/DVD | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/16/2009 10:09:23 PM |
For starters, I thought everyone knew by now that MSConfig disabling boot up apps doesn't always work. I can disable every app on startup from MSConfig and half of them STILL load during boot. It's an option that just doesn't work anymore, too many programs know how it works and detect when it's disabled stuff.
The Startup tab lists items loading at startup from the Startup group, Win.ini load= and run=, and the registry. - Information directly from Microsoft.
This method is the easiest way to start to diagnose a computer impacting very little compared to automatically formatting when a problem occurs, as most programs do not install a system service to run their program or infuse themselves to startup when explorer.exe is launched, and it eliminates legit programs from being the issue if it is still on going. Anyone in the IT field knows the kiss method, and that if you are having problems with getting to the internet, you disable all and restart, that identifies to someone doing remote support that the problem exists within one of the startup programs. Typically you can narrow it down from there as 95% of all legit programs, and malware creators are lazy and they install their application to startup using the registry.
Saying it doesn't work is like saying I want a car, but I don't know how to build it. You need to identify the problem, and as I have said before, and as it has worked with thousands of people I have helped over the years, it is the least impact troubleshooting you can do to have maximum results and resolve a lot of issues without putting a lot of time into it compared to installing or reinstalling an operating system and your applications again. | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 18 | |
| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/16/2009 10:17:07 PM | Ah Ha!
Maybe that's why everything runs flawlessly on every machine I own,
I always kiss my computers but I didn't know there was a method behind it.
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/16/2009 10:40:13 PM |
Having been a Dell and HP tech I can tell you that all the advise you've been given so far is totally wrong or incomplete
Congratulations, you can follow a flow chart. Just because you claim to have been a Dell / HP Tech doesn't automatically qualify you to be the judge of wrong or incomplete information, especially when you haven't quoted or pointed out which one(s) is(are) wrong. After all, if we are to believe that because you are a former Dell / HP, that you know more than any of the above posters, how is the OP suppose to determine what is totally wrong or incomplete about the posts?
Now I'm going to copy and paste the instructions here from computerhope.com which you can go to for most help with your pc
And you can browse the internet and find instructions, cool! Problem with the instructions Mr. Dell/HP Tech. Do we even know if the OP has a Windows XP or Restore CD? Nope. Not to mention, since this is a branded computer, it most likely has restore disks if anything, which makes these instructions almost completely useless since most restore disks use Symantec ghost or in-house imaging software to restore the drive to factory default.
If your system wasn't like this when you got it then it makes no difference how much memory you have on it since the problem has been caused by whatever has been installed or downloaded onto your system
Incorrect. The problem COULD have been caused by downloading / installing new software (malware). But you forget that with many programs, they request, by default, to startup with the computer. If the end-user's equipment does not have enough memory, this can eventually lead to a slow computer. Don't be so quick to dismiss things because you're not used to them, it is ok, your supervisor is here, just transfer the call to him or her and it will be alright.
I also don't reccomend installing anymore crap or re-installing XP on top of itself to fix this situation.
I don't reCommend ignoring the fact that if it is in fact a form of malware, programs such as spybot or malwarebytes can remove the problem without having to go to the drastic measure of formatting.
The guy who suggested formatting your hard drive and re-installing XP was correct but if you don't know why you have this problem I'm sure you don't know how to do it.
If that is true, WHY ARE YOU reCCommending it? The end result can be any of the following if they have never done it before.
- Loss of data / due to not backing up their files after following incomplete instructions.
- Loss of usability / due to not knowing what drivers to install or having the driver disk.
- Loss of work / If being used to run a business, they're down! Game over!
- Loss of money / having to pay someone like myself and others to fix it for them.
Everything aside, the information you have provided is totally incorrect or incomplete, as QUOTED above!
Thank you, drive through. | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/16/2009 10:44:19 PM |
I always kiss my computers but I didn't know there was a method behind it
My computers and I have a Slave & Master Relationship. I own them and they do EXACTLY what I want or I replace them  | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/17/2009 9:07:36 AM | | Yeah I knew I was going to open myself up to a bunch of geneuses. But since you and the others have had so much experience walking 80 yr. old's who don't have a clue where the start button on their "modem" is, how to tear their computer apart and put it back together over the phone. I thought I might actually show her how to fix her problem rather then offering a bunch of guesses with no instructions. | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/17/2009 10:12:47 AM | The thing is MSG 21 did you actually read the OP and what is wrong with her computer...lets go back and have a look...
I get the hourglass. error pages on IE, just plain nothing or frozen screens/sites way too much....
So she gets slow response from Internet explorer...
What is most peoples reply to someone who uses internet explorer?
mmmm Yes
Why would a browser be slow...Show an Error page...freeze
Registry doing unexpected things...Malware...Virus...
Let's address those issues before we dive in shall we.
Also there's a second part to the question...
I need something electronic to edit videos
Although vague, they probably want to do some movie editing, can this be done effectively on a 5yr old dell, probably sitting on 256 RAM, 1.6ghz processor and 40gig hard drive, the processors probably not up to it in the frst place. The laptop may not even have a DVD drive let alone a DVD recorder, what's the point of doing movie editing if you can't get it off their harddrive?
What's your advice here...
Most pc stores (here in the UK) charge £50 to look at your laptop, £20 for replacing the RAM probably the same for the HDD then there's buying them now the RAM for a 5yr old Dell's not cheap anymore, not brand new from a pc store. You will be luck if they still have and IDE drive in stock, both will probably be special order.
When you can get a reasonably good laptop for £400... | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 23 | |
| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/17/2009 10:43:06 AM | plentyofhumping,
Yeah I knew I was going to open myself up to a bunch of geneuses.
Not sure how many geniuses are here but yeah, ...you opened yourself up for criticism because you
--claimed to have the only 'complete' & 'correct' information, discounting all posts previous to yours.
&
--gave incomplete information yourself.
But since you and the others have had so much experience walking 80 yr. old's who don't have a clue where the start button on their "modem" is, how to tear their computer apart and put it back together over the phone.
Yes, some of us have a lot of frustrating experience with giving tech support over the phone.
I thought I might actually show her how to fix her problem rather then offering a bunch of guesses with no instructions.
I know you had good intentions by taking the time to post but you should consider that you are not the only I.T. Guy here who knows what he is talking about.
Some of the posts are way off,
some took the 'start small' approach (msconfig, defrag, cleanup, malware scans, etc.) ,
some posted a 'sure fix' (format & reinstall),
and some offered an alternative method that would be a 'sure fix, long-term' solution (Linux)
I personally noticed that that the OP is an intelligent woman because I checked her profile and she has a Bachelors degree & runs video editing software so I assumed she can read and ask questions and she isn't a technotard.
So...
I mentioned Linux and referenced the reinstall Windows post as potential solutions assuming she would ask or read for more for more info. if she was interested.
(I used to give detailed, step-by-step instructions for solutions that people didn't care to do, so now I save time by mentioning a solution and if they are interested, I elaborate)
I appreciate a smartass sense of humor and intelligent people (which I can tell are two qualities you have)
but before criticizing an entire tech forum community & saying you are the only person who has the complete & correct solution, you may want to make sure you are right. | |
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| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/17/2009 10:57:04 AM |
I thought I might actually show her how to fix her problem rather then offering a bunch of guesses with no instructions.
LOL, what did you show her? Your ability to copy and paste instructions? W00t!
While your attempts are honorable, your opening remarks and rudeness is not.
You still forget that they are incomplete instructions, one pet peeve which you seem to have, and which can cause the user to end up with a brick computer if they don't know how to, or what drivers to reinstall. Let alone we still don't know if they even have the restore disks for this laptop considering it is so old, so if they don't have them, your incomplete instructions become completely useless.
But since you and the others have had so much experience walking 80 yr. old's who don't have a clue where the start button on their "modem" is, how to tear their computer apart and put it back together over the phone.
I help anyone who asks for it free or paid, they can be anywhere from 15 years old to 80, and they still might not know where the start button on their "modem" is. This has to deal with the level of skill with the user being dealt with. I have my degree, certifications, and work experience to assist me thank you very much, and I know there are more ways to fix a computer than automatically formatting it, or god forbid, trying to get a user who does know how to, or is uncomfortable doing so. Being a former dell/hp tech you should KNOW that you need to gauge the end-user's ability to do something starting off and that repairing a computer comes in stages with dialog back and forth. You can't expect to solve someone's problem with one side of dialog from the start in a situation like this.
I thought I might actually show her how to fix her problem rather then offering a bunch of guesses with no instructions.
There are the possibility of multiple problems and multiple ways to fix a computer genius. Offering a quick and what you think is an easy fix of formatting will just enable the end user to get into the same problem a week or two down the road if they don't know what happened so they can learn from their mistakes if there were any. That is providing the format goes well and that they can get everything back the way it was (drivers, applications, etc..) oh, and a more IMPORTANT issue: DO THEY EVEN HAVE THE RESTORE DISKS TO DO SO?
After all, if they don't have the restore disks, since it is so old, what would you suggest next? That they go out, buy a new copy? Or better yet, go out, find someone with an OEM copy, use the key on the back? Or are you going to tell me the key on the back doesn't work? (LOL) Either way, if they don't have the drivers or know what to do to get those drivers, you have just screwed them from using that computer and if it was their only computer, you just sent them packing to a local repair shop, or worse, Best Buy's G$$kSquad which means they are out hundreds of dollars in repairs.
Thank you, drive through.
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 25 | |
| What DoI Do Next?WinXP Issues
Posted: 7/17/2009 11:24:52 AM | On Windows,
I found that it slows down a lot after about 6 months to a year (depending on what you do with it)
and the best way to keep it running smoothly (in my opinion) is to backup, format, and reinstall about every 6 months.
(windows self destructs over time even without malware problems and since at least 90% of Windows Desktops are infected with spyware
>External hard drive -or- flash drive (depending on how much data you want to back up)
>Windows Backup software -or- something like cobain backup -or- copy & paste
>SIW (system info, saves license keys/serial #'s, etc.) http://www.gtopala.com/
>GParted Live CD (---optional---, helps partition disk, format drive etc.) http://gparted.sourceforge.net/
>download drivers for your system from manufacturers website
>Service Pack Download:
--------------------XP-----------------------
http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?familyid=2FCDE6CE-B5FB-4488-8C50-FE22559D164E&displaylang=en
------------------Vista----------------------
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=B0C7136D-5EBB-413B-89C9-CB3D06D12674&displaylang=en
*** And Remember antivirus/antimalware software ***
ANTIVIRUS-Only Use 1-
>Avast Home is good for systems with 1GB+ Memory(Free)
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html
>And AVG or PC-Tools AV (free) for less than 1GB Memory
ANTIMALWARE (use multiple for best results & scan weekly)
>Malwarebytes- MBAM
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
&
>Spybot, SuperAntispyware are both good
&&&
>OpenOffice is a great free alternative to MS Office
http://www.openoffice.org/
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*With a Fresh Installed System, its a good idea to get it to how you like it then do a FULL BACKUP | |
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