I am currently using a laptop with a 4GB RAM DDR3 memory unit and 2.2 Ghz processor. Would this work with Fruity Loops Studio and Reason or would it be essential to have a desktop PC. If so, What sort of specifications should I look for?
Not essential to have a desktop but I found it far better to use a desktop for music.
Netbooks have become a must today. Netbooks have become a must today. You have your precious files like music, videos and documents everywhere with you. Used netbooks are seen as a viable option to own a netbook at a very affordable price. These are the netbooks that have been used by a person for some time and sold for some reasons. Even if the netbook is used for a single day, it is called as a used netbook.
Why buy a used mini computer
The reasons for buying used netbooks are many. The most important motive is that, it is available at a cheaper rate than the retail price of any new netbook. The availability of used netbooks has increased owing to the recycling legislation that makes discarding of old PCs very expensive. Also used monitors are used for photo editing as the CRT monitors provides ultimate color purity than the LCD monitors for editing colors.
When buying a second hand netbook it should both serve functionally and at the same time save money. Doing some research by comparing and weighing various options from various kinds of sources will help in achieving the aim to buy used minicomputer at the best possible price. The price of the used netbook should coincide with the features. Internet serves as a useful source for searching used netbooks. Try auction sites and big resellers.
The working condition of the second hand netbook is of greatest importance. Normally it is not recommended to buy a netbook, which is more than two years old, for the reasons that either the system would have become outdated, or the user may not be able to run the newest applications and soft on it.
The features on the used netbooks are the next important point to be taken into consideration. The speed of the second hand netbook needs to be checked as used netbooks run at a lower speed than the normal desktops with the same processor. Used netbook with less than 512 MB memory is not at all recommended for buying. The screen size, resolution and definition are other important factors in a netbook. Portability of used netbooks is also taken into consideration in these days minicomputers are getting slimmer and lighter. The weight of the backpack and, accessories should be kept in mind along with the weight of the used netbook to see if it is comfortable to transport. It is wise to pay for an additional battery while buying used netbooks as the battery life of any portable computer can be only for two years time.
While buying used netbooks, checking should be done if it has a wireless connectivity, if not at least should have an external wireless card, since connectivity to the internet and intranet is very common these days. Select the one with a longer range and greater speed.
Check for a USB ports: The more the USB ports the more convenient it is. Also the hard drive of the used netbook needs to be bigger than 40 GB. The higher hard drive space of the used netbook purchased depends on the financial plan of the buyer. These days, songs and movies are stored in the netbooks requiring larger hard disk space.
Dan Ionescu
http://www.articlesbase.com/laptops-articles/second-hand-netbooks-the-buyers-guide-1201200.html
RAM is also used to store instructions about currently running applications.
For example, when you start a computer game, a large set of the game’s instructions
(for example, how it works, how the screen should look, which sounds must be
generated) is loaded into memory. The processor can retrieve these instructions
much faster from RAM than it can from the hard drive, where the game normally
resides until you start it. Within certain limits, the more information that’s stored
in memory, the faster the computer will run. In fact, one of the most common
computer upgrades is to increase the amount of RAM.
The information in RAM is continually being read, changed, and removed. It is
also volatile, meaning that it cannot work without a steady power supply. When a
computer is turned off, the information in RAM is lost.
Recall that when a user makes a request, it is intercepted by the processor, which then
organizes the request into component-specific tasks. Many of these tasks must occur in
a specific order, with each component reporting its results back to the processor before
the next task can be completed. The processor uses RAM to store these results until
they can be compiled into the final result(s).
Many desktop components, such as the processor, power supply, and RAM, are installed
through simple physical attachment to the computer. That is, physical installation is
all that is required to make the component functional. Other devices, such as hard
drives and keyboards, require the additional assignment of system resources. This section
focuses on the physical installation of common components; resource assignment is
discussed in the next section, “IRQs, DMAs, and I/O Addresses.” Special hardware
configurations are discussed in Chapter 2.
Memory
The first RAM chips were dual inline packages (DIP) that attached directly into sockets
on the system board. However, their design made them prone to loosening due to the
alternating heating and cooling of the system board. Newer memory modules are actually
small cards with DIP chips on one or both sides. These cards fit upright into slots on the
system board and are held in place by clips that prevent “chip creep” (loosening).
RAM is automatically detected and counted on startup, so its installation is limited
to physical placement in the computer. That is, once RAM is physically installed,
no additional configuration is required. When installing memory in a motherboard,
verify the types and amounts of memory that the motherboard can accept.
SIMM Memory Single inline memory module (SIMM) memory is available
in 30- and 72-connector configurations. Most 80386, 80486, and Pentium
computers include slots for both SIMM types. Follow the steps in Exercise 1-5
to install SIMM.
However, newer drives are able to access RAM
directly using a protocol called Ultra DMA (UDMA). UDMA is a protocol used only
by hard drives and is not functionally associated with a computer’s standard DMA
channels.
As you know Memory, one function of RAM is to provide the processor with faster access to the
information it needs. Within limits, the more memory a computer has, the faster it will
run. One of the most common computer upgrades is the installation of more RAM.
Recall that most computers can use another type of RAM, called cache memory.
Cache memory chips can be accessed even faster than regular RAM, so their presence
can help speed up the computer. Generally, the more cache a computer has, the faster
it will run. The type of cache that can be added to the computer is called Level 2 (L2)
cache, and it can be installed in available slots on the motherboard.
Additional RAM Memory can be added to a portable system in a number of ways. Some systems
include extra RAM slots within the chassis. This type requires you to open the
computer’s case and place the RAM module in an available slot (see Figure 2-14).
Because RAM modules for portables are proprietary, you cannot use them in desktop
computers or in other portables.
An easier way to add more RAM to your portable is to use a memory PC Card.
PC Cards were described earlier as being small cards that can be easily inserted in a
portable to enhance or expand its abilities. In fact, PC Cards originated as PCMCIA
cards specifically for the purpose of adding more memory. PCMCIA stands for Personal
Computer Memory Card International Association, a bit of a misnomer because these
cards are usually used in laptops, not in PCs (desktops).
Processor and Memory Symptoms
In most cases, processor and memory problems are fatal, meaning that when there is
such a problem, the computer will not boot at all. However, you should be aware of
some nonfatal error indicators. As described, 1** error codes are typical of processor
problems, and 2** error codes are typical of memory problems.
If you turn on the computer and it does not even complete the POST or it does
nothing at all, and you have eliminated power problems, there might be a problem
with the processor or memory. The solution to a processor or memory problem is to
remove the offending component and replace it with a new one. If the error persists,
there might be a problem with the slot or socket that the memory or processor uses
to connect to the motherboard. In this case, the motherboard needs to be replaced.
On a final note: Some RAM errors are not reported by the computer at all. That
is, if an entire memory module does not work, the computer might just ignore it and
continue to function normally without it.Watch as the RAM is counted on the screen
at startup to ensure that the total amount matches the capacity installed in the
machine. If this amount comes up significantly short, you probably have to replace
the memory module.
Memory failures may not cause a system to appear to malfunction at all.
Most modern systems will simply ignore a memory card that has malfunctioned
and normal operations will continue. The user may note performance loss,
which is a key symptom of a memory card failure.
Random Access Memory
The primary function of RAM is to provide a temporary storage place for information
about devices and applications. However, there are many types of RAM with which
you should be familiar. This section discusses the many incarnations of RAM as it has
been developed and refined over time. This section also discusses important factors
to consider when installing or upgrading the RAM in a computer system: there are
guidelines you must follow about the type of RAM, the type of package, and the amounts
of RAM that you install in a particular system.
Types of RAM
RAM is not all the same. Over time, RAM technology has improved, changed form, and
been used for specialized components. The most common types of RAM are discussed here.
SRAM
Static RAM (SRAM) was the first type of RAM available. SRAM can be accessed at
approximately 10 nanoseconds (ns), meaning that it takes about 10ns for the processor
to receive requested information from SRAM. The structure of SRAM chips limits
them to a maximum data capacity of 256KB. Although SRAM is very fast compared
with DRAM, it is also very expensive. For this reason, SRAM is typically used only for
system cache.
DRAM
Dynamic RAM (DRAM) was developed to combat the restrictive expense of using
SRAM. DRAM chips provide much slower access than SRAM chips but can store
several megabytes of data on a single chip (or hundreds of megabytes if they are packaged
together on a module). Every “cell” in a DRAM chip contains one transistor and one
capacitor to store a single bit of information. This design makes it necessary for the
DRAM chip to receive a constant power refresh from the computer to prevent the
capacitors from losing their charge. This constant refresh can make access even slower
and causes the DRAM chip to draw more power from the computer than an SRAM
chip. Because of its low cost and high capacity, DRAM is used as “main” memory in
the computer.
The term DRAM is typically used to describe any type of memory that uses the
technology just described. However, the first DRAM chips were very slow (~80–90ns),
so faster variants have been developed. The list is quite large and includes fast-paged
RAM, EDO RAM, SDRAM, RDRAM, SDLRAM, and BEDO RAM. As computer
systems improve, the list of DRAM technologies continues to grow. However, EDO,
SDRAM, RDRAM, and DDR RAM are currently the most common, so they are
described here.
EDO RAM
Extended data out (EDO) RAM improves on traditional DRAM by performing more
than one task at a time. When one piece of data is being sent to the processor, another
is being retrieved from the RAM module. While that piece of data is being transferred,
the EDO RAM is looking for the next piece to retrieve for the processor. This process
enables the chip’s data to be accessed at about 60ns. EDO RAM chips can be used
only in a computer system whose processor and motherboard support its use.
SDRAM
Synchronous dynamic RAM, or SDRAM, is about twice as fast as EDO RAM because it
is able to run at the speed of the system bus (up to 100–133MHz). However, as faster
system bus speeds are developed, EDO and SDRAM are being replaced with other,
faster types of DRAM, such as RDRAM and DDR RAM. Like EDO RAM, SDRAM
can be used only in systems that support it.
RDRAM
RDRAM (Rambus Dynamic RAM) gets its name from the company that developed
it, Rambus, Inc. RDRAM uses a special Rambus channel that has a data transfer
rate of 800MHz. The channel width can be doubled, resulting in a 1.6GHz data
transfer! RDRAM can be used only in computers with special RDRAM channels
and slots. RDRAM is fairly new, so don’t expect to see it in computers that were
manufactured before 1999.
DDR RAM
Double-data rate (DDR) RAM doubles the rate of speed at which standard SDRAM
can process data. That means DDR is roughly twice as fast as standard RAM.
The standards available for DDR RAM are PC 1600, PC 2100, and PC2700. This
new labeling refers to the total bandwidth of the memory, as opposed to the old
standard, which listed the speed rating (in MHz) of the SDRAM memory—in this
case, the PC66, PC100, and the PC133. The numeric value in the PC66, PC100,
and PC133 refers to the MHz speed that the memory operates at.
VRAM
Video RAM (VRAM) is a specialized type of memory that is used only with video
adapters. The video adapter is one of the computer’s busiest components, so to keep up
with video requirements, many adapters have an on-board micro-microprocessor and
special video RAM. The adapter can process requests independently of the CPU, then
store its results in the VRAM until the CPU retrieves it. VRAM is much faster than
EDO RAM and is capable of being read from and written to at the same time. The
result is better and faster video performance. Because VRAM includes more circuitry
than regular DRAM, VRAM modules are slightly larger.
The term Video RAM refers to both a specific type of memory and a generic term
for all RAM used by the video adapter (much like the term DRAM, which is often
used to denote all types of memory that are dynamic). Faster versions of video memory
have been introduced, including WRAM.
WRAM
Window RAM (WRAM) is another type of video RAM but it provides faster access
than VRAM. It uses the same dual-ported technology that allows devices to read and
write data to the video memory at the same time. The term “window” refers to its
Physical Characteristics
The RAM types discussed so far can have many different physical forms. Your system
must support both the technology and form of a memory module. The system must
also support the data width of the memory as well as its method of error correction.
The following subsections describe some common physical forms of memory modules
and other characteristics that distinguish one module from another.
Single Inline Memory Modules
The first memory chips were dual inline package (DIP) chips, which were inserted
directly onto the motherboard. However, as discussed in Chapter 1, their structure
made them prone to chip creep. Single inline memory modules (SIMMs) were
developed to combat this loosening of memory chips and to recover space on the
motherboard.
SIMMs are available in 30-pin and 72-pin forms. Thirty-pin SIMMs are 8-bit,
meaning that data can be transferred into or out of the module 8 bits at a time.
Seventy-two-pin SIMMs are 32-bit. Because SIMMs are older technology, they are
typically used for fast-paged and EDO RAM. You are not as likely to find a SIMM
with SDRAM, since dual inline memory modules (DIMMs) were the prevalent form
when SDRAM was introduced.
Dual Inline Memory Modules
Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) modules look similar to SIMMs but are slightly
longer and are installed into a different type of slot. DIMMs have two rows of connectors,
168 connectors in all, and are 64 bits. DIMMs are likely to contain either EDO RAM
or SDRAM because those technologies were common when DIMMs were introduced.
Rambus Inline Memory Module
The Rambus Inline Memory Module (RIMM) is designed specifically for use with
Rambus memory. RIMMs look just like DIMMs but have 184 connectors. They are
also more proprietary and less common than SIMMs and DIMMs. RIMMs are 16-bit.
Small Outline DIMM
Small Outline DIMM (SoDIMM) is a memory module frequently used in laptop computers.
The physical size is much smaller than DIMM memory. The most common pin
configurations are 72- and 144-pin modules.
Parity and Nonparity Chips
One type of memory error checking is called parity. In parity, every byte of data is
accompanied by a ninth bit (the parity bit), which is used by the receiving device to
determine the presence of errors in the data. There are two types of parity: odd and
even. In odd parity, the parity bit is used to ensure the total number of 1s in the data
stream is odd. For example, suppose a byte consists of the following data: 11010010.
The number of 1s in this data is 4, an even number. The ninth bit will be a 1, to
ensure that the total number of 1s is odd: 110100101.
Even parity is the opposite of odd parity; it ensures that the total number of 1s is
even. For example, suppose a byte consists of the following data: 11001011 the ninth
bit would be a 1 to ensure that the total number of 1s is 6, an even number.
Parity is not failure-proof. Suppose the preceding data stream contained two
errors: 101100101. If the computer was using odd parity, the error would slip through
(try it; count the 1s). However, parity is a quick routine and does not inhibit the
access time of memory the way a more sophisticated error-checking routine would.
Some memory modules also use parity. These modules include an extra bit for
parity for every 8 bits of data. Therefore, a 30-pin SIMM without parity is 8 bits;
with parity it’s 9 bits. A DIMM without parity is 64 bits; with parity, the DIMM has
8 extra bits (1 parity bit for every 8 data bits). Therefore, a DIMM with parity has
64 + 8 = 72 bits. If your system supports parity, you must use parity memory modules.
You cannot use memory with parity if your system does not support it.
If there is more than one printer port on the computer (LPT1 & 2 or multiple
USB ports), try the printer in another port or with another computer. Look at the
printer settings in the OS to ensure that the attached printer matches the type
selected in the printer settings area. Finally, this problem could be the result of
insufficient printer memory. You can test this hypothesis by trying to print a very
small document. If it works, there is a good chance that the original document was
too large for the printer’s memory. You can add more RAM to the printer using the
same modules that the computer uses (SIMMs or DIMMs).
Conventional Memory The first 640KB of RAM have traditionally been used
for running applications and the OS itself (DOS). This memory area was originally
called system memory. The term system memory now refers to all the memory
available in the system.
Upper Memory The remaining 384KB of memory were set aside (reserved) for
ROM BIOS, and the RAM and ROM that was installed on devices. Applications
could not access this memory space even if it wasn’t being entirely used by the system.
This memory space was initially termed reserved memory. It was very common for
devices such as video adapters to use a portion of this memory for its purposes.
Extended and High Memory When the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet application
was released, users often found that it required more than 640KB of memory. To
resolve the 1MB memory barrier problem, Lotus, Intel, and Microsoft joined forces
and developed the LIM memory specification. In this specification, system memory
was renamed conventional memory and reserved memory was renamed upper memory.
More important, however, was the development of a memory manager that allowed
applications to use memory over 1MB (called extended memory). This manager, a file
called HIMEM.SYS, could also load the OS into the first 64KB of extended memory,
an area called the high memory area (HMA).
To use the extended memory specification (XMS), HIMEM.SYS must be referenced
in the CONFIG.SYS file, as shown here:
DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS
DOS=HIGH
The first line instructs the computer to locate and initialize the HIMEM.SYS file,
thus enabling the extended memory area. The second line loads DOS into the high
memory area (HMA).
Expanded Memory At the time of the LIM specification release, many users
still had older Intel 8088 and 80286 computers, which, because of the small memory
address bus, could not be made to access memory over 1MB. For these individuals,
the LIM specification included an expanded memory manager that could “trick” the
processor into using extended memory. In the 80386 processor, a file called EMM386
.EXE is able to swap pages of memory between extended memory and upper memory.
Now you can buy your RAM MEMORY TEST PRO software and pay by PAYPAL.
Jose Roberto Simoes
Jose Roberto Simoes
http://www.articlesbase.com/hardware-articles/how-computer-ram-memory-works-716360.html
Notebooks are becoming an essential mobile accessory thanks to their easy portability and connectivity facility. Imagine the joy of surfing net from the comfort of wi-fi enabled pool side hotel area or the cafe without notebooks? With the rapid changing technology, conventional notebooks are no longer fashionable.
With powerful and advanced technology wrapped in a sleekly contoured compact manner, currently mini notebooks or ultra-mobile PCs as they are called have captured the attention of techno geeks. Even the smaller in size, the functionality of all other parts have not been compromised on mini notebooks. Fast hard disk drive, equivalent processor, high-speed DRAM , reasonable-sized keyboard for real typing and even intuitive Touch Panel pointing device that can be used with either its stylus or even a finger; all features are available in mini notebooks.
Mini notebooks can do what any other laptop or desktop can do. Rapid response time and ease of program modification are important advantages of mini notebooks. No doubt notebooks provide better visual experience, but at close to seven pounds, it could also be the cause of a bad back. Mini notebooks lower the heavy load strain common to conventional notebooks. Weighing around 2.6 pounds, these mini notebooks can still easily fit in a backpack or large handbag. Mini notebooks consume less power and as a result the heat generated is also low as compared to desktops or big notebooks. The radiation generated is also considerably lower. This is another advantage of mini notebooks.
However, mini notebooks do have its share of deficiency. The small screen might be a problem for some people. Others may be concerned because some model of mini notebooks store less data and sometimes run out of battery power faster than larger notebooks. The shrunken keyboards on the mini notebooks can also be difficult for the sausage-fingered. Mini-notebooks lack the raw power of their larger counterpart. It`s difficult to find discrete graphics in these categories. But without paying the hefty prices of traditional ultraportables, true portability is available in mini notebooks.
Mini notebooks have occupied only a small niche because of its expensive price and the shortcomings. Notebook manufactures have worked upon these shortcomings and as a result mini notebooks have advanced features to make up for earlier shortcoming. Manufactures are optimists that the consumers of this pocket pc will grow in coming period. With widespread use of broadband and online transactions, more and more people will prefer to use mini notebooks.
The advanced features available in some recently launched mini notebooks include flash memory storage of 4-8 gigabytes, larger Keyboard Pitch (16.8mm), has mobile computing feature, New fingerprint technology that allows users to bypass multiple password entry with one swipe of the finger, built-in wireless functionality, built-in wireless functionality, camera, biometric fingerprint security, long lasting battery up to 5hours and Battery charging state available in the Power-on Mode, not just in the Power-off Mode .
Some upcoming models also have screen size varying 8.9-inch to 10-inch and advanced features such as data encryption, multiple print storage, Bios fingerprint authentication, individual fingerprint application assignment, fingerprint website access and single touch boot features. Considering all the advanced features available, mini notebook can be really considered as cost effective.
Mini notebooks are a great information and communication companion, anytime and anywhere. However, before buying mini notebook, it`s advisable to do thorough research on it. Make a list of the features you are looking for in mini notebook. Go for genuine brands and pay attention to its after sales service and reliability aspect. Even after you decide which model you want to buy, it`s a good idea to get hands-on experience on your choice of model so that you can be rest assured of its performance.
Roberto Sedycias
I have two Desktop PCs that I want to share one internet connection and Im using windows vista on both PCs
Buy a router. Or set up a network so that one computer can use the internet over the other, by using one computer as a ‘hub’. But the router will give you better internet quality and be more reliable.
Rephrase: How much RAM does the average computer (PC, desktop or laptop, I doubt it matters which) these days come with pre-installed?
Windows 7 should have a min of 2gbs. but 4gbs should be the reccomended… But most will come with 2gbs.
a Mac should have 4gbs.
a Vista should have a min of 1gb
WinXp only should have a min of 512mbs.
Times are Uncertain – do you really need that upgrade or new PC?
Our customers and prospective customers frequently come to us and ask that we suggest either upgrades or whole new PC’s that will solve their current non-performance nightmare with an aging PC. It’s quite amazing how sometimes as the conversation and understanding of requirements and problems experienced proceeds we discover that actually the PC they already have may just still have a few laps around the circuit left in its tired chassis. In this article we will explain how you can diagnose your performance woes, streamline and tune them up. You’d be surprised just how much more you can get out of what you have.
Tip! Before making any serious system changes such as some of these are its wise to take a backup or restore point of your system before each change. Then should you subsequently find something is ‘broken’ you can restore back to a previous working configuration.
Analyse the problem before implementing the solution…
Use monitoring tools regularly – get in the habit of watching Task Manager and lookout for tasks and processes that are hogging your system memory or CPU. Task manager displays both in the process view as you can see below, you can also sort by clicking on the column headings. Even if you only use the Internet and eMail both these applications are renowned for memory leaks and processor bound loops (see an explanation of these problems in the next section).
Monitor Free Disk Space – ensure you have at least 20% disk space, preferably 30% or more should be free. If you don’t the file system struggles to operate as it needs some space in order to allocate and deallocate files the operating system and applications require while in use. Imagine walking into a hall full of boxes and you need to order them all by colour, in a room 70% full you’ve got 30% free space to temporarily put things in while you move other stuff around, in a room 99% full you may have no room at all to use as a temporary store. Use our earlier tip for reducing disk space consumption by eliminating unused installed programs or disk space is cheap these days with 1TB at under £100, upgrade your disk.
New Software invariably uses more Memory – finally, if you need an upgrade the one that makes the biggest difference in 80% of cases is simply adding more memory. RAM is now fairly cheap and you should consider 2GB to be the minimum of practical RAM to have installed. Every time you upgrade it try to double it or you’re unlikely to really notice the difference. On 32-bit systems there is little advantage to having more than 3GB of memory but usually it makes sense to upgrade to 4GB due to the size of memory kits available. If you need more than 4GB you will also need to upgrade to a 64-bit operating system. You can see your memory utilisation by consulting the Task Manager, ctrl-alt-del presents you an option to start the task manager.
In a typical example 2GB of physical memory is installed, of which roughly 1GB is available, although windows is misleading us a bit here as it will always make sure some memory remains available or it will simply cease to function. So don’t look for 0 available free memory as an indicator that you need more, it never will be allowed to reach 0 as windows will swap a process out into the page file to free more memory up. There is 1.11GB of memory currently consumed (in the page file ‘PF Usage’, Commit Charge – Total). The page file is actually virtual memory on disk as tasks become active and inactive they may be swapped into and out of memory into the page file, hence that pause sometimes when you switch to another task as the disk is accessed to bring it back out of the page file. Activity in the page file and virtual memory is complex and I won’t go into any more of that here as it doesn’t help you with performance issues. The key point to remember is if Windows is swapping memory out to the page file on disk then your system will be going a lot slower as you can be sure however fast your disk is it’s an awful lot slower than physical memory.
What we care most about is activity in real physical memory and the point at which we might run out of it and the page file becomes more active hence slowing down the system. Crucially the Commit Charge Peak should balance the physical memory available otherwise it means an awful lot of page file swapping is going on (known as ‘Page Faults’). If it was the yellow line in Page File Usage history would be bouncing around, or worse just steadily increasing.
Adjust Total Page File size – following on from the point above if your system page file size is too small your system will slow down or even fail to start tasks (usually with a system message to tell you the computer is out of memory). You can check this by looking at the Page File Total versus Peak size. If they are close to each other then you need to increase your page file size. With most windows default configurations this will happen automatically.
The exotic world of Deadlocks, Infinite Loops and Cartesian products – are all programming jargon that essentially describe bugs (though not always). The programmer of an application or product you’re using (and that includes the ones you take for granted like Windows and Device drivers) has likely made an error in designing or implementing the code such that logically it can never get past a certain point in its execution. The consequence of this poorly designed code can be that the processor cycles used in this ‘loop’ consume all the available resources of your PC (check your task manager, which process is using 99-100% of the processor!? Or just ‘not responding’). You will notice this as your machine will suddenly lock-up, go dead slow, or the application in question will just hang. Thankfully with multi-core PC’s hanging is less of a problem as the other free cores can be used to KILL the task off and bring your PC back to life…
Run concurrently as few tasks as you need – each time you open up a task remember each one is using up a little more memory. If your memory or processing power is limited try to keep open only what you regularly need and close what you don’t it doesn’t take so long to reopen, and if it does it probably means you have too many open already! Also bear in mind just because you can’t see an application doesn’t mean it’s not using up any processing cycles, it will be. All applications process events which might be system activity, emails being sent/received, diary alarms going off, keyboard or mouse movements, activity from external devices like printers and USB drives. They also monitor activity in the background even when you aren’t doing anything with them. This consumes more of those valuable clock cycles…
Typical solutions to try or consider
De-install and delete any unused software – take a look at your control panel Add/Remove Software icon and go through the list of installed applications line by line. If you don’t need or use it remove it. It may be taking up valuable space or cycles on your machine.
Disable Windows Defender – For Vista users there are a number of new Windows ‘features’ that if you are an experienced PC User who understands how to roam the internet or email and download files safely you do not need. Windows Defender and Firewall are such services, if you have a third party or router firewall you more than likely just don’t need this services enabled. To disable windows defender, go to control panel->administrative tools -> services -> windows defender and stop the service, setting it to disabled or manual so that it does not restart on reboot.
Disable UAC (User Access Control) – To experienced Windows XP users this feature has won a thousand polls as the most annoying new feature. Whenever you execute anything which affects system configuration or the filesystem (which is just about everything you might want to do that’s useful!), a modal popup asks whether you want the operation to proceed. Again use your judgement on your experience and competency with Windows, inexperienced users should probably leave it as is otherwise you will want to disable it. To disable user access control, go to control panel->user account->turn user account control off. You can also disable it using the msconfig.exe utility on the Tools tab, or directly in the registry.
Optmise the Windows GUI – Windows Vista Premium and above has by default the Aero user interface enabled, this uses the 3D capabilities of your graphics card and will use up some precious CPU cycles. Unless you love the new look interface feel free to reduce load on your processor and memory and turn it off. To optimise system configuration for maximum performance, go to control panel->performance information and tools-> advanced tools-> adjust the appearance and performance of windows-> Select Adjust for best performance radio button and hit Apply.
Remove Startup programs – A lot of applications helpfully install themselves on your machine to startup and drop into the System Tools tray as your machine boots or, or as you log in depending on how they are configured. Almost none of these programs will actually be required and they are only installed this way to save on the time taken for their first execution (as they are already in memory, in theory). Our recommendations are you remove all programs to reduce startup time, reduce memory overhead and to improve overall system performance. You can change startup programs using msconfig.exe or directly in the registry with the regedit command (alter the registry with caution!). Our recommendation is that you use msconfig.exe (pictured below, Windows XP version) and scroll through the list of startup programs unchecking anything you know you don’t use or need to startup on boot/login. In the registry find the startup programs under Computer-> HKEY_CURRENT_USER->Software-> Microsoft-> Windows-> CurrentVersion-> Run. In Windows XP you can safely remove ALL startup programs without it being terminal, you need to be a bit more careful with Vista.
AntiVirus (AV) – programs are notorious for reducing system performance and increasing hard disk load. Take a long and careful look at the configuration of your AV product and turn off any scanning or intervention that is unnecessary, turning off any supplementary tools, and any duplication of tools such as double spam checking etc. Typically you should treat AV as your second line of defence behind the firewall. You are only really likely to get a virus from outside the secure zone that is ‘Your PC’, unless you’re in the habit of writing your own. So a viral attack is only likely to come from a software download, a rogue floppy or CD install, or a malicious Browser add on from the Internet. Some scare mongers have led us to believe that the viruses crawl down the wires and install themselves on your PC, they don’t, they only get installed from outside and only then if you allow it.
For this protection all you need virus scanned is inbound email, inbound software installs from removable media (CD, DVD, USB, eSATA, Firewire, Blu-Ray, Floppy etc.). We recommend turning off automated and scheduled scans, these are real system hogs and should be totally unnecessary if all inbound scans are working as they should be. Instead manually choose for yourself when you would like a total system scan just in case something was missed as it came in. We like minimalist AV tools that just do the simple jobs well and no more. A good AntiVirus should be like good children, nice to know you have it, but invisible and unobtrusive.
Disable unnecessary services – Your system might have a lot of services which you may not need. But identifying them may not be very easy. Open up control panel-> administrative tools-> services and stop/disable services. Some of the services which should be disabled are Windows Search, Windows Defender, Windows Cardspace, and usually a number of third party tools such as HP print managers, Adobe tools, Real player, MSN, Google toolbar, Antivirus control panels etc.
Windows Search Indexing – A tricky one as it sometimes speeds things up, but at other times can slow things down. In theory it only runs when your machine is idle, but we’ve found that is not always the case and it can also consume shared network bandwidth. We suggest you disable Windows Search indexing as it may improve performance substantially, especially if you have a new system as it will expend a considerable amount of system resources building indexes. However, once the indexes are built it will reduce the time to find files with a file search (if you do that much?) considerably. So, if this something you do a lot you should turn it off while you are using the PC then turn it on again when you’re done and just leave it running. Windows Search will then just happily build indexes in the background while the PC is idle. Eventually you will have a fully populated index and you can just leave it on so that the index is automatically maintained.
Defragment hard drive – perhaps one of the oldest tricks in the book. As you install, deinstall, and move files around on your PC clusters of files and parts of files get distributed all over the disks surface. Over time this gets worse and worse, more and more fragmented. Every time you read a file of the disk the disk head has to reposition to pickup all these different fragments which slows down file access radically. The ideal scenario is to have all files contiguous, no fragmentation, and have the most frequently used files around the centre of the disk to minimise average head movement time (seek time). The defragmentation tool analyses and then defragments the disk for you and is available on the tools tab of the disk properties option (right click on your disk, select properties). You need to defragment roughly every two to three months, more often if you install and reinstall a lot of programs and files. It’s a good idea to run Error Check (also on the tools tab) and close all tasks and as many services as you can before defragmenting. Files currently open or in use cannot be moved…
Check for BIOS updates – For an experienced overclocker BIOS updates are a no brainer as they usually fix performance holes or issues with the motherboard. For most users we recommend if you have no known BIOS issues then do not update it. Either way close all programs before flashing an update to the BIOS, should the BIOS flash fail, be interrupted, or get corrupted (and you would be surprised how easily this can happen!) then your PC will be dead and you will need a new BIOS chip.
Check for chipset and operating system updates – Often new drivers or windows updates can speed things up a little or a lot. Windows Update is a blessing and a curse. With Vista you are now able to do ALL updates with the Windows update tool, including many third party drivers. Our usual recommendation is to leave it on Automatic, however, sometimes a new update can introduce instability or worse. If this happens revert to the last Restore point. If you are an experienced power user we recommend you manually run Windows Update and carefully select updates you know are comfortable with or know you need.
Easy performance boost – Vista’s ReadyBoost feature allows you to plug in a USB flash drive or a flash memory card and use its available capacity to cache frequently used files, augmenting the system file cache in main memory. Though slower than main memory Flash memory is an awful lot faster than the hard disk and will speed up general file access markedly. Even quite large Flash drives are now very inexpensive.
Restart regularly – Even large Enterprises and Government datacentres have a regular restart regime to clear down processes that have been executing memory for some time and refresh the operating systems own memory and programming state. Any problems with stale resources or processes is compounded by possible memory leaks and memory fragmentation occurring over time (which happens in the same way as disks can get fragmented). If you find your PC is getting slower the longer its left on you probably have some runaway process or processes eating up memory or cycles and you can either kill the processes or restart the whole machine. If you are monitoring your process and memory utilisation as we discussed earlier you will have noticed this happening. If it’s a problem deep in Windows that’s causing a performance problem over time then it’s unlikely you will be able to diagnose it and only a restart will fix it. Generally you should be looking to restart your PC at least once a week. We restart non critical desktops and servers daily, our long term benchmark tests can run for up to a month non-stop without a restart. In the latter case we use a stripped down Windows build that we have tested as stable for at least a month. Remember Hibernate or Standy shutdowns are NOT a reboot, only Shutdown or Restart. Preferably do a cold reboot by shutting down and switching off completely and leaving for 10 minutes before powering on. This will also reinitialise your BIOS and all PC hardware.
Alan Johnson
Hi all,
I am in the process of buying a new Desktop and would like a bit of advice please.
The first ones specs are
Intel® Pentium® Dual Core E5500(2.80GHz,800MHz,2MB)
4096MB Dual Channel DDR3 [4x1024] Memory
Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X4500 Graphics
and the second:
Intel® Core™ i3-540 Processor (3.06 GHz, 2.5 GT/s DMI, 4 MB Smart Cache)
3GB DDR3
Integrated Intel HD Graphics
Both are about £370 pound.
some internet reading as lead me to belivbelieve the intel i3 is better than the dual core but the dual core one does have that extra gig of RAM?
Any advice would be appriappreciated. If you know of a better PC for £400 please feel free to mention it 
2nd option is the best.
More upto date and also more future proof.
1st one has a fairly old processor, the i3 isnt the greatest but better than the E5500.
Only downside is that neither PC has a graphic card. i suggest getting one if u intend to play games.
As for the difference in the 4GB and 3GB memory…. you really wont tell the difference unless your using the pc to do alot of photo or video editing. General day to day usage will not make any difference, you wont tell.
I’m specifically looking for devices that "lock" desktops to the desk.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=computer+anti+theft&fr=ush-ans
I have 5 Pcs Desktop:
3 Using Windows 7
2 Using Windows XP
The problem is the pcs with Windows 7 Can’t see to Windows Xp pcs. All Pcs has the same name of work group.
Which will be the possible solutions? I tryed find the solution on the web but I can’t get find it. I need your help.
I’ll be waiting for your answers.
Thanks.
Hi there,
Try this tutorial: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Networking-home-computers-running-different-versions-of-Windows
Cheers,
Walker
Windows Outreach Team
