my computer speed is tooo slow. will inserting another RAM card work?

Question

i have tried defragmentation and cleaning up of unnessary files..but no luck!

Answer 1

The answer is not just that simple.Adding RAM may help, but there could be other factors in why your computer is slow.


First, check the freespace available on your hard drive. If your HD is over 2/3's full, this is slowing you down. Also, make sure you scan for spyware.

Second, Look at your systray. Many apps will default to start up when your computer starts. This hogs resourses. Any program that is not part of windows, for your pc's hardware or your anti virus software, get it out of the systray either by changing the programs options to not start when windows starts, or by running MSCONFIG and unchecking programs un-needed at startup if they cannot be removed by their own options.

Thirdly, Additional RAM will help if you run :

Win98/ME and have 128mb of ram or less.
WinXP and have 512mb or less.
WinVista and have 1gb or less.

I hope this helps you :-)

Answer 2

you could make a few registry edits to speed things up. I will list them here, but don't worry, I have used them on many computers and they work well and never yet had any problems from doing it.

To get to registry editor, go to Start ---> Run ---> type regedit and then press Enter. Now edit the following ...

Menu Speed
When XP first appeared, there was a lot of conversation about the new interface,
both good and bad. In spite of the initial complaints, most users stick
with the default settings rather than reverting to the Classic interface found
in previous Windows versions. But you might want to change the delay you
notice when you click the Start menu. I see no reason for there to be any
delay when I click the Start menu. Effects are pretty, but I wouldn’t click it if
I didn’t have business inside, so let’s get it open and get moving. The default
speed can be adjusted with a quick Registry hack.
Go to the Registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\
MenuShowDelay. The default value is 400. Set it to 0 to remove the delay
completely, but if you do that it will be nearly impossible to move the
mouse fast enough not to activate All Programs if you mouse over it en
route to your final selection. Pick a number that suits your style, make the
change, and then test it until you find a good compromise between speed
and usability.

Place Windows Kernel into RAM
It’s a given that anything that runs in RAM will be faster than an item that
has to access the hard drive and virtual memory. Rather than have the kernel
that is the foundation of XP using the slower Paging Executive functions,
use this hack to create and set the DisablePagingExecutive DWORD to a
value of 1.
Perform this hack only if the system has 256MB or more of
installed RAM!
Edit the Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Curr...
Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\DisablePagingExecut... to 1 to
disable paging and have the kernel run in RAM (set the value to 0 to undo
this hack). Exit the Registry and reboot.
Alter Prefetch Parameters
Prefetching (the reading of system boot files into a cache for faster loading) is
a commonly overlooked component that can have a significant impact on
system boot time. This tweak allows you to select which components will
make use of the prefetch parameters. To see which files are gathered using
each setting, clear the prefetch cache located at C:\Windows\Prefetch and
then enable one of the settings listed in this hack. Clear the cache and repeat
for each setting.
Set the Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Curr...
Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters\...
to 0 to disable prefetching, 1 to prefetch application launch files, 2 to
prefetch boot files, or 3 to prefetch as many files as possible.
Disable 8.3 Name Creation in NTFS
Files that use the 8.3 naming convention can degrade NTFS drive performance.
Unless you have a good reason for keeping the 8.3 naming convention
intact (such as if you’re using 16-bit programs), a performance gain can
be achieved by disabling it.
Set the Registry DWORD key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Curr...
Control\FileSystem\NtfsDisable... to 1. Exit the Registry
and reboot.

Have fun and enjoy the new found speed. Realistically the best thing you can do is back up, reformat and reinstall Windows. Add more ram and a faster processor will most certainly help as other answerers here have already pointed out.

Answer 3

Open your Start file and check to see how many programs are running and what they are, if any. IF you have programs in the Start file, try unloading them first. Programs in that file will get system resources before others. They will run in the background and steal resources.

Since you have defragged and tossed out the junk files, you might want to take a look at the number of processes running at any given time. Shut down processes that are not needed for your current work. If you run messengers, cams, use more than one windown while browsing, etc. . . turn them off one at a time until you notice an increase in speed. You can find which programs and hardware may be resouce hogs.

As a aid to trouble shooting your problem, you may want to download and run BELARC ADVISOR. It will give you an extremely well developed report as to what is on your system including both hardware and software.

You should also consider Karen's Power Tools, COMPUTER PROFILER. It is also a great tool to see inside your case.

Answer 4

Depends On Your Current Ram, CPU,Hard Drive, ETC. Could Be Just Spyware Also. Might Need To Wipe Hard Drive And Start Over A New.

Good Luck !

Answer 5

If you only have 256mb or even less, adding RAM will do wonders to your PC. BUT if you already have 1Gb there, there's little to gain. Check in Task Manager if there is an unwanted process that is always running in the background. It is stealing the processor's attention, thus slowing you down. If it is not a system process, end it and observe the effect.

Answer 6

Obviously, that would work; therefore, allowing your computer to start up faster. In addition, you may consider deleting some of that old junk such as files and programs that you are no longer using or interested!!!! I hope this solves your computer problems; therefore, good luck!!!!!

Answer 7

CCleaner is the best tool on the market to clean up your pc. Download here http://bit.ly/1sW1JoV
It's a must have program.

Answer 8

probably will, but it wont fix it completely. also you might already have really good RAM. there are lots of factors that could make a comp slow

Answer 9

ram always does a good job on speeding up your pc.

Answer 10

YES u absolutely right.. add more RAM.
defrag is change nothing.
speed is about RAM n PROCCESSOR