Clean Up or Buy New PC?

[tw]

Originally Posted by Juniper

Crucial.com says to put in two 1GB memory cards. Bingo.

Crucial confirms a 256 and and 512 combination is legal? Again, my experience with eMachine. Whereas more responsible computer manufacturers permitted using different size memories, sometimes the 'cost controlled' BIOSes and chipsets only permitted matched memories.

Sometimes is gets worse. Some 'lesser designed' machines would only permit Simms with eight chips on it - not the same size memory Simms that only used two chips.

Every memory has a serial port that describes its hardware to the BIOS. Whereas there may be five almost identical memory Simms of same bit size and configuration, some crappier machines will only permit using one or two of otherwise identical memories. A good memory scanner will know this.

Well, if those numbers are from the crucial scanner (or something equivalent), then it says the 512mb memory is being used as 512; not as 256; and not being completely ignored. It says the BIOS does permit unmatched memory combinations. Task Manager could confirm that Windows agrees.

Moving on - if I read your description correctly of how graphics were loading in IE and Firefox, then this computer has some other problem. Task Manger being a first place to look for that reason for slowness.

Also relevant are error messages in system (event) logs and from Device manager. I don't remember if you posted them before.

Also may be relevant are setting in the BIOS involving wait states and other hardware configuration issues. Best is to first record all relevant values. Then find an option to reset all values to a default settings. Then reboot.

Task Manager still contains some of the most important facts. What processes are consuming maximum CPU time or CPU percentage. As standard in Windows, click on that column to order it, then see what is consuming so much time. Repeat for Memory Delta. What process is consuming too much resources or have become a bottleneck?

Also helpful is to list each topmost processes by exact name. Again, exact names will typically mean nothing to you - and everything to me.

[Juniper]

How's this:

[tw]

Originally Posted by Juniper

How's this:

Good. That is the information page. According to those numbers, at that time the machine was screaming fast. I still don't see numbers that are most imporant. For example CPU time (not memory usage) should be ordered so that the process consuming most of the CPU is topmost.

Also do same for Mem Delta (not Memory usage).

It looks like McAfee is loaded. Also are somethings called WPwizard, SEPCsuite, and SZserver that I am not familiar with. More important is a list reordered to see what is consuming CPU time AND to see the same list when some task is executing painfully slow. Same also repeated for Memory Deltas.

Another useful statistic may be Page Fault or PF Delta.

Now to learn a useful tool. Click on and then left click on WPwizard. Then end the process tree. This to learn what that process is attached to AND to see what happens when the process is no longer loaded. This same technique can be used on processes that are consuming excessive CPU or Memory Deltas to discover what is or where that process came from. SZServer may refuse to terminate. Not too important. But doing same to processes consuming resource or creating bottlenecks is informative.

A minor point - it appears that 64K is missing from the physical memory. Not significant and not enough to cause a major slowness. Curious; maybe relevant; but currently not significant.

[Juniper]

It's new - was purchased this past summer. All it had was a pop clip.

[Juniper]

I FIGURED IT OUT. I DID IT! WAHOOOO!

1.) slow scrolling problem = video driver issue

My 17" LCD monitor croaked. I replaced it temporarily with a 14" CRT monitor, but at the same time was having other issues with the PC's memory AND the Firefox graphics. So I figured it was a memory problem and went down that road. Turns out I just needed to update my display driver for the new monitor. I have since found an old 17" CRT monitor, so I'm using that instead with an updated driver. Bingo, no more scrolling problems.

And since I ran various diagnostics and got rid of stuff I didn't need, my PC does run faster. Bonus!

2.) Firefox graphics issue -- update "Walnut." I updated Firefox to the latest version but didn't bother updating the "Walnut" add-on, figuring it was just something extra to bog down my already burdened memory. I thought all it did was put a wood-grain frame around the window. Wrong! Suddenly everything is once again displaying as it should.

Good grief, I feel stupid.

[Flint]

Is topmost even a word? . . .

[Juniper]

The Oxford English Dictionary says yes, actually.

topmost, a.

Uppermost, highest. Also absol., highest part.

1697 DRYDEN Æneid VII. 99 A swarm of bees..Upon the topmost branch in clouds alight. 1768 TUCKER Lt. Nat. (1834) I. 668 An ambition of..gaining the topmost summit of it. 1807 CRABBE Par. Reg. I. 442 Susan..had some pride Among our topmost people to preside. 1827-35 WILLIS Scholar of Thebet Ben Khorat 228 Wisdom sits alone, Topmost in heaven. 1875 MORRIS Æn. XII. 493 The eager-driven spear Smote on his helm, and shore away the topmost of his crest. 1899 E. J. CHAPMAN Drama of Two Lives 17 The topmost peaks were still aflame With the red sunset's dying glow.

[lookout123]

I think he does it to steal their pron.

[Pie]

Way to go, Juni! Want to come over and help me diagnose the very nice / POS vista machine I inherited this summer?

[tw]

Originally Posted by Pie

the very nice / POS vista machine

... often called a cash register?

[Juniper]

Um...that's piece of shit, not point of sale.

At least I think so...right? :shrug:

[Pie]

Originally Posted by Juniper

Um...that's piece of shit, not point of sale.

Yep. I was trying (somewhat incoherently) to say that the machine itself is pretty nice, but it's running vista, so it blue-screens every 15 minutes or so. I have a lead that it's a driver problem, but I haven't had the time/energy/inclination to chase it down. I just curse it, mutter darkly about Ballmer, and go back to my XP/Ubuntu box.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Pie

... , so it blue-screens every 15 minutes or so. I have a lead that it's a driver problem, but I haven't had the time/energy/inclination to chase it down.

Those numbers and statements on the BSOD suggest where the problem is. Some just don't understand them; therefore assume the numbers and words mean nothing. BSOD screen is a useful indication of where a solution lies.

[Pie]

Hey tw, do me a favor and go sod off. I know that. I just haven't bothered.

Spare me your sanctimonious lecture.

[dar512]

Originally Posted by Pie

Spare me your sanctimonious lecture.

Love it.

Reverend TW. The Polonius of Technology.