I have a really old laptop and it runs really slow. Is there any way to make it faster.?

Question

On my Toshiba Satellite A15-S127 laptop, and it runs slow as heck. If anyone knows how to fix it, plz tell me. I really need to fix it. I think that if I restore it back to the factory default settings, it might run faster. If i am wrong plz tell me. I also do not know how to set it to the defauly factory settings. Some one plx help me in this dilema of mine. Thank you.

Answer 1

Restoring it back to factory settings is definitely going to make a difference. Another thing that is easy, and relatively inexpensive, to do is add more memory.

Memory (RAM) sticks are pieces of storage space where your operating system (Windows) puts things while they are in use. The more RAM you have, the more you can run at once. This memory does not affect how much data you can store.

All computer require a certain type of RAM and have a maximum limit. If you go to www.crucial.com and put in the brand and model of your laptop, it will tell you exactly what kind of memory you need. (Examples: PC133 SDRAM, PC2700 DDR, etc). You can buy online or in a store like Best Buy. I recommend buying in a store and having one of their technicians install it. RAM has exposed circuitry and you run the risk of damaging it with static electricity if you don't handle it properly.

If you do decide to go to a store, bring the laptop and they could even look up what memory you need for you if you do not want to do it or have trouble locating your specific model.

Answer 2

There are two solutions to your problem. The first being the most obvious...GET A NEW LAPTOP...lol. I recently had the same problem with my laptop and i fixed it. Setting it back to the default factory settings will help temporarily but after awhile the computer will be as slow as it is now simply because it is a very old computer. But, i did not personally fix my laptop, i had it fixed at a electronics kind of store. It worked for awhile but i would not recommend wasting your money because it will eventually slow down again anyway. For a temporary fix take it to a shop, for a permanent fix buy a new one.

Answer 3

It sound like you have not been doing maintence on the computer. Start by running the defragmentation utility. You might have to run it several times and then run it at least monthly. If you don't have an AntiVirus Program that you keep updated download AVG. It is free and is an excellent program. You should also download Adaware to eliminate any spyware on your laptop.

Toshiba Satellite A15-S127 is a 2GHz Celeron with 256MB of RAM, so once you have done the above it should run fine.

Answer 4

There are a number of ways to improve your notebook performance - just like new. Restoring your notebook to its original factory settings will restore performance but it involves reinstalling Windows, which is no small feat. I recommend you remove obsolete files and try some tweaks to improve performance before having to resort to reinstalling Windows. There are a number of articles which I strongly recommend you read:

1. "10 Simple Ways to Speed Up Windows XP" -- written by connectedinternet.com (http://www.connectedinternet.co.uk/2005/12/03/645/)

2. "A faster Windows XP? Here’s how!" (http://ephemblog.com/blog/2006/09/19/faster-windows-xp/)

3. " Langa Letter: XP's No-Reformat, Nondestructive Total-Rebuild Option " -- written by Fred Langa, informationweek.com (http://www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=189400897)


Here is an excerpt from ConnectedInternet.com:

I’ve just finished setting up a new PC for a friend and I think some of you will be interested in some of the tweaks I make to all of my PCs to make them quicker. I’ve focused here on the ones which are simple to do and won’t cause problems if you get it wrong, rather than listing registry tweaks etc.

1. Disable Indexing Services

Indexing Services is a small little program that uses large amounts of RAM and can often make a computer endlessly loud and noisy. This system process indexes and updates lists of all the files that are on your computer. It does this so that when you do a search for something on your computer, it will search faster by scanning the index lists. If you don’t search your computer often, or even if you do search often, this system service is completely unnecessary. To disable do the following:

* Go to Start
* Click Settings
* Click Control Panel
* Double-click Add/Remove Programs
* Click the Add/Remove Window Components
* Uncheck the Indexing services
* Click Next

2. Optimise Display Settings

Windows XP can look sexy but displaying all the visual items can waste system resources. To optimise:

* Go to Start
* Click Settings
* Click Control Panel
* Click System
* Click Advanced tab
* In the Performance tab click Settings
* Leave only the following ticked:

* Show shadows under menus
* Show shadows under mouse pointer
* Show translucent selection rectangle
* Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop
* Use visual styles on windows and buttons

3. Speedup Folder Browsing

You may have noticed that everytime you open my computer to browse folders that there is a slight delay. This is because Windows XP automatically searches for network files and printers everytime you open Windows Explorer. To fix this and to increase browsing significantly:

* Open My Computer
* Click on Tools menu
* Click on Folder Options
* Click on the View tab.
* Uncheck the Automatically search for network folders and printers check box
* Click Apply
* Click Ok
* Reboot your computer

Answer 5

When my laptop ran really slow, my brother installed more memory. Talk to a computer repair service and see if this is an option for your computer.

Answer 6

very easy but u have to spend about 100-200 $$$ get a duo processor then buy a 1gb RAM BAM u have the fastest pc