Key Post: Memory low - can anything be done?

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sherib

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I'd be very grateful for any advice about how to increase/boost memory on my P.C. At the last check - available Memory 34MB, total 127 MB. I've purchased software to clean the registry and also a program called PCDoc Pro which found and removed a lot of problems.

Because I downloaded too many programs (virus and adware removal tools) and thought that was the cause, I've removed a lot of them. There's a small improvement now but memory is still very low. It was much lower than 34MB hitting zero often before using PCDoc Pro. Hard Disc is 18GB with half used. Problems include hanging and programs not responding with frequent error reports being sent to Microsoft

I'd prefer not have to have to get the hard disc erased with a reinstall of XP Pro but I don't know what else an amateur can do. Has anyone else had this problem and what did you do?
 
Re: Memory low - can anything be done?

sherib said:
At the last check - available Memory 34MB, total 127 MB.
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Do you mean that you have a total of 128MB of RAM installed? Even though I would consider 128MB insufficient for most tasks and would generally start with at least 256MB of physical RAM and preferably a lot more.

[broken link removed] is a good Windows Task Manager replacement which tells you what processes/tasks are running and perhaps identify those that are not necessary.

On Windows XP (and other Windows versions) you can do Start -> Run -> msconfig.exe to run the System Configuration Utility and tweak what services and applications are started up at boot/login time but you would want to be sure that you know what you're doing here.

There are loads of sites out there with tips about tuning Windows to get rid of unnecessary applications or services that run by default. [broken link removed] for example.
 
Re: Memory low - can anything be done?

Yes - only 128MB RAM. My PC is old, Dec 01, came with Windows Me and had a lot of problems. A friend in the US formatted the hard drive over the phone with me using an XP disc he had sent me. So not MS's fault in this case. XP was available then but the Dell salesman talked me into Me so I do not feel guilty about that.

Thanks very much for all that advice. I'm implementing as many of the recommendations as I can - but with limited knowledge have to be careful. Systernals is probably beyond me. Intuitively I have thought I needed more RAM and that's what you advise. Can I buy physical RAM in a tech shop and does it involve hauling the PC there? Don't think the problems will go away until I do that.
 
Re: Memory low - can anything be done?

sherib said:
Can I buy physical RAM in a tech shop and does it involve hauling the PC there? Don't think the problems will go away until I do that.
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You should be able to buy memory over the counter and install it yourself. It's generally no hassle. Check the system manual for your make/model of PC and check how many memory slots it has, how many are full now and what sort of memory it takes (e.g. PC100, PC133 etc.). The Kingston memory search is a useful tool for determining what sort of memory your PC takes. Once you know what sort of memory you need and how much you can add in you can just buy it from any parts vendor either local or online. Post the make and model of your PC if you like.
 
Re: Memory low - can anything be done?

Thanks to everyone. No manual so went to crucial.com and got all the info needed. Took ages. 168-pin DIMM modules are compatible with my system and 512MB is recommended. The amount of total memory slots in my Dell is 2 (2 banks of 1). Belarc confirmed Slot 'DIMM_B' is empty. (This is like Mandarin to me). It seems that I need:

512MB —CT236434 SDRAM, PC133 CL = 2 Non-parity. Does that sound right? That I buy one upgrade, fitting it into the vacant slot - if I can find it, ending up with 128 + 512MB ram? It can be shipped from UK or Europe so I suppose it's best to buy from the UK if not here. Cost is £65.33 or €95.58.

ClubMan did say it could be bought here - has anyone names of shops in Dublin? I could end up having to get someone to fit it for me since I'm mechanically challenged. At least I know now what the problem is, so thanks again.
 
Re: Memory low - can anything be done?

Basically any PC133 168 pin DIMM will most likely do you. The existing 128MB in one slot plus whatever you install in the second slot will certainly increase your available memory. Don't worry about all the other details. You can buy memory DIMMs in lots of stores locally - from the likes of Dixons and Maplin to smaller vendors like [broken link removed]. Shop around though - both locally and online (see [broken link removed] for some tips). If you're not happy installing it yourself (it's simple though as long as you make sure to protect against static) then just get somebody with a bit more technical expertise with PCs to do it.
 
Re: Memory low - and then a crash!

After all that effort and advice, my PC crashed. I used a program called PCDoc Pro and everything seemed OK when I turn off. Next day when I turned on, nothing worked. Dead as a 'Do Do'. Tried a reboot with floppies to no effect. No choice but to go to a tec shop.

Result: The OS was corrupted and had to be reinstalled and the hard drive formatted. Also had 512MB of RAM installed and the difference is amazing. Total cost €180!

The owners of PCDoc Pro said they would refund if the purchaser wasn't satisfied. I emailed them, told them what happened and the reply said "Something else must have happened". Doesn't look as if there'll be any refund. Of course I can't be certain that that program caused the crash but can it be a co-incidence?
 
Re: Memory low - and then a crash!

sherib said:
Tried a reboot with floppies to no effect. No choice but to go to a tec shop.

Result: The OS was corrupted and had to be reinstalled and the hard drive formatted.
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This does not make sense unless there is more to it than meets the eye. If the OS was corrupted then the PC would still switch on (i.e. would not be quite as dead as a Dodo) and you would still be able to boot from bootable floppies or a bootable CD.

The owners of PCDoc Pro said they would refund if the purchaser wasn't satisfied. I emailed them, told them what happened and the reply said "Something else must have happened". Doesn't look as if there'll be any refund. Of course I can't be certain that that program caused the crash but can it be a co-incidence?
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If it was a no strings attached money back guarantee then you should be entitled to a refund. If the refund was only if you had specific problems with the application then you might need some evidence of these.

You mentioned earlier than a friend gave you a copy of XP and now the PC has been reinstalled again. You should make sure that you are using a licensed copy of Windows to make sure that you don't encounter further problems (e.g. with Windows Update rejecting unlicensed copies thus preventing you from getting updates) in the future. €180 would definitely not cover the cost of a memory upgrade, machine reinstall and a licensed copy of Windows.
 
Re: Memory low - can anything be done?

OK - it did switch on but was otherwise totally unresponsive.

The technician said the OS was corrupted. ProDoc Pro replied and said I "was badly served" by the tech man and I should have contacted them! How could I? I didn't have a working PC. He also wrote that it should have been possible to recover My Docs which weren't recovered; neither were most emails. Who should I believe? I didn't expect to get a refund from ProDoc Pro anyway.

Regarding the comment about the OS being given to me by a friend. I still have the Me installation CD. Useless as far as I'm concerned because of all the problems with it. I was persuaded to buy Windows Me when XP was readily available on the market if only I'd known the difference then.

With hindsight, it would have been better to have purchased a licensed copy of XP in view of the waste of time and money since being sold out-of-date Me. At almost £2,000 in 2001 it wasn't exactly a snip.
 
Re: Memory low - can anything be done?

FYI, I have found that very frequently technicians 'fix' home PC issues by re-installing the OS - it is the quickest way to a working PC and can blind the unsuspecting customer with BS about the OS being corrupt or whatever. There is certainly no reason why most/all your data could not have been retained. This is a service that my business provides, but we give the customers the choice of spending time fixing the issues (could be many hours depending on what is wrong) or blindly reinstalling (which is a fixed cost that they know about in advance). At least the customer gets to make the decision on the value of their data.

BTW, did you provide your license key information to them? If not you're potentially running some pirate software...
 
Re: Memory low - can anything be done?

sherib said:
Regarding the comment about the OS being given to me by a friend. I still have the Me installation CD. Useless as far as I'm concerned because of all the problems with it. I was persuaded to buy Windows Me when XP was readily available on the market if only I'd known the difference then.

With hindsight, it would have been better to have purchased a licensed copy of XP in view of the waste of time and money since being sold out-of-date Me. At almost £2,000 in 2001 it wasn't exactly a snip.
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All I'm saying is what Dearg Doom is saying - you may be running illegal software so and this could have implications in the future if you get into more problems with your setup. Personally, it's neither here nor there to me if you do this but I'm just flagging it as a potential issue in relation to keeping your PC running smoothly. It's also neither here nor there that you originally bought Me while XP was available or that you thought that XP was/is too dear. If cost is an issue then there are lots of free OSs available that could do an equally good job.
 
Re: Memory low - fully legal and registered OS!

FYI just thought I'd post that my XP OS was fully legal and registered. You had me worried!

Cost was never an issue. An out of date OS (Me) was off-loaded on me by a less than honest salesman and I will not be shopping there again.

I've discovered it's quite easy to purchase multiple copies at a reduced price as my friend did since he's in that business. And even second had ones on Amazon. When ?Longhorn is released I'll be upgrading.

To confirm the legitimacy of my OS I entered my original license number on the Microsoft site and it was fine which wasn't the case when I put in the registered number since the reinstal. I think I'll have to go back and ask why.

Dearg Doom is quite right about the easy option. No choice was given about retrieving my docs or emails - he just phoned and said he couldn't get them back and I accepted what he said. How does one find a tech business that will do the job properly? Are they listed in Golden Pages? That would be very helpful for more than me I'd imagine. Having extra memory has solved all the problems - it's like a new PC. Thanks again to CM and DD for that advice.
 
Re: Memory low - fully legal and registered OS!

sherib said:
Dearg Doom is quite right about the easy option. No choice was given about retrieving my docs or emails - he just phoned and said he couldn't get them back and I accepted what he said. How does one find a tech business that will do the job properly? Are they listed in Golden Pages?
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With a little technical know how ... where a PC will not boot from the Windows installation on the hard drive but will still boot from CD you could always boot from a GNU/Linux "live" CD distribution such as [broken link removed], Knoppix or Ubuntu and retrieve any files on the Windows drive that are still readable. Alternatively something like BartPE might also work although I've only ever used Kanotix in practice.
 
Re: Memory low - can anything be done?

sherib said:
512MB —CT236434 SDRAM, PC133 CL = 2 Non-parity. Does that sound right? That I buy one upgrade, fitting it into the vacant slot - if I can find it, ending up with 128 + 512MB ram?
Click to expand...

As I understand it, putting anything over 512 in a machine running W98 or WME, is not a good idea. I have been told that firstly, this memory cannot be used by the o/s and secondly, it can have very messy side effects, not entirely obvious.
 
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