Clean Up or Buy New PC?

[tw]

Originally Posted by classicman

I would venture a guess that some, if not a vast majority of people would fix things because they were broken.

If true, then everyone take everything to the shop. The shop always (if economically viable in a free market) solves problems faster, cheaper, and better. Why do we fix things? First to learn. If we only wanted to fix things, then we take everything to the shop.

Why, for example, do I have a grasp of automobile technology or some grasp of a management technique sometimes called quality? How to think - how to zero in on the problem - comes from the training obtained from - for example - fixing a sewing machine when I was 11 or fixing TVs when I was 13.

Posted previously is a concept that so many never grasp. Too many want to fix things immediately - and therefore make things worse. Too many don't learn how to identify the suspect long before trying to fix anything. A lesson I learned, for example, by making that mistake on household electric wiring. First and foremost - we fix things to learn how to think. The concept also called 'learning by doing'.

Why graduate everyone from military academies with engineering knowledge? They need people who know how to think logically - to grasp reality - not someone who knows how to invent fiction. Anybody can invent fiction. Lying (being politically correct - telling someone what they want to hear) comes too naturally to some. But zeroing in on an irrefutible fact is extremely difficult - often best achieved by the few such as Greene of IT&T or Jack Welch of GE.

Learning how to think through a problem is tempered by how reality works ... well we still have Juniper's hot computer problem. Why? Bad temper?

[Juniper]

Oh, okay, fine. Never let it be said that I am not forthcoming with facts. (sigh)

Currently installed memory:


256MB
DDR PC3200
512MB
DDR PC3200



Each memory slot can hold DDR PC3200 with a maximum of 1GB per slot.*

# Maximum Memory Capacity: 2048MB
# Currently Installed Memory: 768MB
# Available Memory Slots: 0
# Number of Banks: 2
# Dual Channel Support: No
# CPU Manufacturer: AuthenticAMD
# CPU Family: AMD Sempron(tm) Processor 3100+ Model 12, Stepping 0
# CPU Speed: 1800 MHz

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

[Juniper]

Originally Posted by tw

If true, then everyone take everything to the shop. The shop always (if economically viable in a free market) solves problems faster, cheaper, and better. Why do we fix things? First to learn. If we only wanted to fix things, then we take everything to the shop.

Not true. As I posted elsewhere, I recently got a quote of $117 to fix my daughter's cell phone. I fixed it myself with a $14 part. Most people DIY because it is cheaper. Do I really care about learning how to fix cell phones? Not really, unless it saves me money to fix one again.

[dar512]

Originally Posted by tw

What did I learn? Best written material required three to five readings. The stuff that is easily read the first time - that results in nothing new the second time - is some of the greatest trash.

Well that's just total BS. I've read some very well written programming books and articles that did not require multiple readings to understand. I, for one, appreciate clear and straightforward prose.

Reread your posts, tw. If you can't hear how pompous they sound, then there's your problem.

[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.

[tw]

Originally Posted by dar512

Reread your posts, tw. If you can't hear how pompous they sound, then there's your problem.

If you hear anything pompous, then you are entertaining your emotions. I don't care how they sound. I only care what the technical facts are. If you are reading what I am writing, you only see those facts. Pompous is an emotional perception - how you perceive something. If I wanted to be pompous or did not want to sound pompous, then I would worry about being politically correct. I don't. I am only posting facts with complete disregard for something irrelevant - how your emotions react to the sentence structure.

This is a technical discussion. A list of thing to do and to not do – how to solve a technical problem. “You” and “I” have no dog in this fight. “You” and “I” are irrelevant to the subject. If you perceive some hidden meaning in my post, that is you adding what I never stated or even intended.

“It sounds like” is the technical equivalent of wild speculation. Does it specifically state something pompous? Where does that post state a pompous intent? Only way something ‘sounds like’ is if you apply your perceptions – emotions.

I don't care how it sounds. Sounds have nothing to do with technical facts and numbers. A failed computer is the topic here. How to fix it. What is and is not known. What is needed to glean new facts. Pompous has no relevance, is not intended, is (by your own admission) what you perceive.

Worse, you say it 'sounds pompous' without example. In a technical discussion, a fact stated without the underlying whys has no merit. You don't even provide example meaning I can only wildly speculate why you achieved that conclusion. Not that it is relevant. The subject is Juniper's computer; not perceptions due to implied assumptions.

So, where is are your technical facts and objectives that contribute to a solution or the ultimate objective?

[Juniper]

How's this:

[tw]

Originally Posted by Juniper

Not true. As I posted elsewhere, I recently got a quote of $117 to fix my daughter's cell phone. I fixed it myself with a $14 part. Most people DIY because it is cheaper. Do I really care about learning how to fix cell phones?

No. What you learned was more than just about cell phones. Or you learned that by fixing something else. Now what you learned has been expanded to include how cell phones work. Necessary details to prove your point are missing. However, if a shop charged an outrageous $100+ to fix a $14 problem, you have learned there is a problem with cell phone shops, or that cell phone dealer, or ... well you tell me.

So how long did it take to discover that a $14 part was required? You knew immediately? Or did you have to go shopping at your time worth how many dollars per hour? Insufficient facts are provided to confirm or deny your conclusion. Your conclusion does not provide the always necessary supporting details. So your conclusion goes into another box labeled 'unknown and unverified'. I cannot give your claim any credence (or respect or whatever it might be called) because it arrives without the necessary supporting details - the required reasons why.

I periodically fix other's computers for peanuts or nothing. Why? Many times to simply learn that what I knew still applies to current technology. That is the only reason I fix their machines. In a few cases, (due to my mistake) I paid $40 or $80 to correct my mistake. I didn't charge. I learned an expensive lesson - or in one case learned that hardware weakness still exists.

[Juniper]

Originally Posted by tw

No. What you learned was more than just about cell phones. Or you learned that by fixing something else. Now what you learned has been expanded to include how cell phones work. Necessary details to prove your point are missing. However, if a shop charged an outrageous $100+ to fix a $14 problem, you have learned there is a problem with cell phone shops, or that cell phone dealer, or ... well you tell me.

So how long did it take to discover that a $14 part was required? You knew immediately? Or did you have to go shopping at your time worth how many dollars per hour? Insufficient facts are provided to confirm or deny your conclusion. Your conclusion does not provide the always necessary supporting details. So your conclusion goes into another box labeled 'unknown and unverified'. I cannot give your claim any credence (or respect or whatever it might be called) because it arrives without the necessary supporting details - the required reasons why.

It was fairly obvious that the only problem was the LCD screen, because the phone was otherwise operational. I googled "cell phone repair" and asked for a quote from a shop. Then I figured, well, repair shops have to get their parts somewhere, right? I googled "LCD Screen Sony Ericsson W580i" and found it for $4 on eBay. Ta-da! It's just like replacing a memory card in the computer.

The repair shop - any shop - has to pay its employees. That is why you pay $100 for a repair that just needs a $10 part - the other $90 is labor. Same goes with car repair. I don't know how to put on new brake pads, so I have to pay someone who does, even though those pads might only cost $20. I could learn, if I was so inclined.

Granted the knowledge gained does translate to other areas -- if I learned how to fix the cell phone, or how to find out how to fix the cell phone, by putting memory in my PC through the years, I guess that would go along with your point. But I can't agree with the cause and effect here. I didn't put memory cards in my PC so I would know how to fix other things in the future, like the cell phone. I did it so I could have a faster PC without paying someone else to do it.

[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.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Juniper

It was fairly obvious that the only problem was the LCD screen, because the phone was otherwise operational.

LCD screens I had seen had speciality screws or other unique hardware. For example, one scree was a 'three star' equivalent to the standard four star phillips. Did not know LCD screens were that easily replaced or cost so little now. What vintage (year) phone?

[Juniper]

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

[tw]

Originally Posted by Juniper

I didn't put memory cards in my PC so I would know how to fix other things in the future, like the cell phone. I did it so I could have a faster PC without paying someone else to do it.

But now you are walking away with knowledge about how simple memory installation is, concepts such as number of pins, speed, voltage, ... basically the repair shop no longer has a fool to take to the cleaners. Or that knowledge carries over into getting a TV fixed, buying household appliances, etc.- generally becoming a more informed consumer.

Or having learned about upping memory, you now have a better grasp of how much faster a machine becomes - or when it is faster.

Of course, since the memory upgrade went OK, you did not learn even more. We tend to learn more from our destructive mistakes. Either about how easily we do stupid things, or how reliable or consistent we really are. Why did they have everyone climb that rope in gym class? There really are adults who had to be taught how to screw in a screw. They never fixed anything. They never learned by doing. Simply climbing that rope is a lesson that we actually can do more than we had thought.

[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? . . .