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Old PC that had windows ME on it, now XP, p3, 40 gig HD RUNNING SLOW

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ok well if i install that hard drive, that means i lose all the info i currently have right or could i just get an external hard drive with 80 gigs to make a total of 120 gigs on the comp?
 
How much memory do you have now? To find out either right click on My Computer and select properties or go to Control panel and open System. After you tell us, we can give you an idea how much improvement you'll get.

You have only two memory slots, and you want to end up with 256 MB in each. They could be 32, 64, 128 or 256 MB sticks each now. When you change this memory you will not lose information. If we can raise your current memory amount, your "virtual memory" problem may disappear as well.

Since you already have 21 GB free space, I'd hold off on the hard drive questions until we get the memory settled and see how much it can help. If you currently have 128 MB or less more memory will help greatly.


Jim


 
EDIT- OK I FOUND IT, I HAVE A PENTIUM 3 PROCESSOR, IT SAYS 863 MHZ, AND IT SAYS 128 MB OF RAM, UNSURE IF THATS LIKE 64 AND 64 OR JUST ONE 128 MB. NO MATTER WHAT I WANT TO FILL BOTH SLOTS WITH THE MAX (256 MB) FOR A MAX OF 512 MB
 
The positive change when going from 128 MB to 512 MB will be dramatic for surfing, light duty, word, printing, and minor photo editing.

I don't use Photoshop since I'm on a 700Mhz Athlon right now (and the $) , but I understand in general that if you use it to it's fullest, you need as much machine as you can get. For minor photo editing I get by with Picasa (free at Google) for the most part, and Photoshop elements when necessary with no problems.

What will you be using Indesign CS2 and Photoshop to do? Others will have to answer the question as to how appropriate this 860 Mhz machine will be for those purposes.


Jim
 
well i am on the school newspaper, so i have at most 3 pages open on idesign, just messing with it, placing stories, messing around with it, while on the other hand photoshop will be used very litely.
 
Originally posted by: bigben2wardpitt
ok well if i install that hard drive, that means i lose all the info i currently have right or could i just get an external hard drive with 80 gigs to make a total of 120 gigs on the comp?
Click to expand...


there software that will copy over the info from the old drive to the new drive. just set the new drive as master and the old one as a slave.
 
Originally posted by: bigben2wardpitt
well i am on the school newspaper, so i have at most 3 pages open on idesign, just messing with it, placing stories, messing around with it, while on the other hand photoshop will be used very litely.
Click to expand...


If that is what you were using the machine for before upgrading the ram, you will see a decided improvement after installing 512 MB in everything from startup to editing. The machine will still be a 860Mhz machine, but will no longer be crippled by limited memory and constant swapping.

IMHO that is as far as you should go upgrading the machine if the memory (I would buy this because that Dell uses PC 133 low density mem) isn't too much money. Post in the newsletter for a harddrive and installation if you need one since most drives from 40 GB to 120 GB are likely to work. Don't forget that any $500 retail machine with 512 MB will run circles around your current one once the bloatware is cleared out.


Jim
 
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