Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

I recently put windowsme on my old laptop as I wanted it to run some new
software. Unfortunately the laptop is old and the RAM is only 64MB, so the
laptop runs very slowly. What is the minimum RAM that I should have?

How easy is it to upgrade a Dell laptop? I have no computer knowledge, but
can i just buy extra memory on laptop and just plug it in?

Peter

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

Peter Brown wrote:
> I recently put windowsme on my old laptop as I wanted it to run some new
> software. Unfortunately the laptop is old and the RAM is only 64MB, so the
> laptop runs very slowly. What is the minimum RAM that I should have?

I'd say 128 minimum 256-384 much better (sweet spot), 512 a bit of overkill.

>
> How easy is it to upgrade a Dell laptop? I have no computer knowledge, but
> can i just buy extra memory on laptop and just plug it in?

no idea, you tried Dell's website?


Rick

>
> Peter
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

64MB should run Win ME reasonably well - if not terribly fast.
What's the rest of the spec?

You need to research the RAM addition carefully - Dell have a nasty
reputation for using proprietary hardware, and you may have to pay
exorbitant prices for RAM from them.



--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

"Peter Brown" <peter@brown9322.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Ue4me.1571$CF.42780@news-1.opaltelecom.net...
>I recently put windowsme on my old laptop as I wanted it to run some new
> software. Unfortunately the laptop is old and the RAM is only 64MB, so the
> laptop runs very slowly. What is the minimum RAM that I should have?
>
> How easy is it to upgrade a Dell laptop? I have no computer knowledge, but
> can i just buy extra memory on laptop and just plug it in?
>
> Peter
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

Rick T <plinnane3REMOVE@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote:

>Peter Brown wrote:
>> I recently put windowsme on my old laptop as I wanted it to run some new
>> software. Unfortunately the laptop is old and the RAM is only 64MB, so the
>> laptop runs very slowly. What is the minimum RAM that I should have?
>
>I'd say 128 minimum 256-384 much better (sweet spot), 512 a bit of overkill.
>

No such thing as a "sweet spot" amount of RAM for Windows.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

"Peter Brown" <peter@brown9322.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

>I recently put windowsme on my old laptop as I wanted it to run some new
>software. Unfortunately the laptop is old and the RAM is only 64MB, so the
>laptop runs very slowly. What is the minimum RAM that I should have?
>
>How easy is it to upgrade a Dell laptop? I have no computer knowledge, but
>can i just buy extra memory on laptop and just plug it in?
>
>Peter
>

Go to www.crucial.com and check out the memory upgrades for your
specific Dell laptop model. If Crucial does not list memory for your
machine (they have dropped some of the older, less popular, RAM
modules) then try www.kingston.com

Before installing more RAM use the System Monitor utility that comes
with Windows and use Edit - Add to set it to track "Memory manager:
Swap file in use" for several days of normal to heavy usage. If "Swap
file in use" regularly shows as 20 mb or more then the swap file is
being used extensively and more memory would result in improved
performance. Otherwise it is not likely to make any noticeable
difference.

This applies regardless of how much or how little RAM is currently
installed in the computer.

There is a configuration setting that needs to be entered if you are
going above 512 mb of RAM with Windows 95/98/Me and there are possible
hardware related problems that can occur with more than 1 gb of RAM
with these Windows versions.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

"Noel Paton" <NoelDPspamless@btopenworld.com> wrote in message
news:%231VnSJ8YFHA.1368@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> 64MB should run Win ME reasonably well - if not terribly fast.
> What's the rest of the spec?
>
> You need to research the RAM addition carefully - Dell have a nasty
> reputation for using proprietary hardware, and you may have to pay
> exorbitant prices for RAM from them.
>
You are so right, Noel, about Dell and its proprietary innards. Four years
ago I bought a large (at the time) Dell desktop with 512 MB RDRAM. Since
then I have learned that although there are supposed to be significant
advantages to the Rambus DRAM, nobody apparently makes them any more and
nothing else can be satisfactorily substituted.

Ken Bland

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

But once i find this memory, just how hard is it for a novice to fit the
extra memory in?


"Ron Martell" <ron.martell@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:8clh91ddv1p3634vefql0rpj34hr6805r0@4ax.com...
> "Peter Brown" <peter@brown9322.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >I recently put windowsme on my old laptop as I wanted it to run some new
> >software. Unfortunately the laptop is old and the RAM is only 64MB, so
the
> >laptop runs very slowly. What is the minimum RAM that I should have?
> >
> >How easy is it to upgrade a Dell laptop? I have no computer knowledge,
but
> >can i just buy extra memory on laptop and just plug it in?
> >
> >Peter
> >
>
> Go to www.crucial.com and check out the memory upgrades for your
> specific Dell laptop model. If Crucial does not list memory for your
> machine (they have dropped some of the older, less popular, RAM
> modules) then try www.kingston.com
>
> Before installing more RAM use the System Monitor utility that comes
> with Windows and use Edit - Add to set it to track "Memory manager:
> Swap file in use" for several days of normal to heavy usage. If "Swap
> file in use" regularly shows as 20 mb or more then the swap file is
> being used extensively and more memory would result in improved
> performance. Otherwise it is not likely to make any noticeable
> difference.
>
> This applies regardless of how much or how little RAM is currently
> installed in the computer.
>
> There is a configuration setting that needs to be entered if you are
> going above 512 mb of RAM with Windows 95/98/Me and there are possible
> hardware related problems that can occur with more than 1 gb of RAM
> with these Windows versions.
>
> Good luck
>
>
> Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
> --
> Microsoft MVP
> On-Line Help Computer Service
> http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
>
> In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
> http://aumha.org/alex.htm

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

It shouldn't take more than about 5 minutes - and a small screwdriver.


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

"Peter Brown" <peter@brown9322.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:HX4me.1573$CF.42947@news-1.opaltelecom.net...
> But once i find this memory, just how hard is it for a novice to fit the
> extra memory in?
>
>
> "Ron Martell" <ron.martell@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:8clh91ddv1p3634vefql0rpj34hr6805r0@4ax.com...
>> "Peter Brown" <peter@brown9322.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> >I recently put windowsme on my old laptop as I wanted it to run some new
>> >software. Unfortunately the laptop is old and the RAM is only 64MB, so
> the
>> >laptop runs very slowly. What is the minimum RAM that I should have?
>> >
>> >How easy is it to upgrade a Dell laptop? I have no computer knowledge,
> but
>> >can i just buy extra memory on laptop and just plug it in?
>> >
>> >Peter
>> >
>>
>> Go to www.crucial.com and check out the memory upgrades for your
>> specific Dell laptop model. If Crucial does not list memory for your
>> machine (they have dropped some of the older, less popular, RAM
>> modules) then try www.kingston.com
>>
>> Before installing more RAM use the System Monitor utility that comes
>> with Windows and use Edit - Add to set it to track "Memory manager:
>> Swap file in use" for several days of normal to heavy usage. If "Swap
>> file in use" regularly shows as 20 mb or more then the swap file is
>> being used extensively and more memory would result in improved
>> performance. Otherwise it is not likely to make any noticeable
>> difference.
>>
>> This applies regardless of how much or how little RAM is currently
>> installed in the computer.
>>
>> There is a configuration setting that needs to be entered if you are
>> going above 512 mb of RAM with Windows 95/98/Me and there are possible
>> hardware related problems that can occur with more than 1 gb of RAM
>> with these Windows versions.
>>
>> Good luck
>>
>>
>> Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
>> --
>> Microsoft MVP
>> On-Line Help Computer Service
>> http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
>>
>> In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
>> http://aumha.org/alex.htm
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

Ron Martell wrote:
> Rick T <plinnane3REMOVE@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Peter Brown wrote:
>>
>>>I recently put windowsme on my old laptop as I wanted it to run some new
>>>software. Unfortunately the laptop is old and the RAM is only 64MB, so the
>>>laptop runs very slowly. What is the minimum RAM that I should have?
>>
>>I'd say 128 minimum 256-384 much better (sweet spot), 512 a bit of overkill.
>>
>
>
> No such thing as a "sweet spot" amount of RAM for Windows.

A couple different tests on independent websites (too lazy to look them
up now); upshot is vast improvements up to 256MB, some improvement
between 256-384MB, very little/none between 384-512MB


Rick

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

Justin Thyme wrote:
> "Noel Paton" <NoelDPspamless@btopenworld.com> wrote in message
> news:%231VnSJ8YFHA.1368@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>
>>64MB should run Win ME reasonably well - if not terribly fast.
>>What's the rest of the spec?
>>
>>You need to research the RAM addition carefully - Dell have a nasty
>>reputation for using proprietary hardware, and you may have to pay
>>exorbitant prices for RAM from them.
>>
>
> You are so right, Noel, about Dell and its proprietary innards. Four years
> ago I bought a large (at the time) Dell desktop with 512 MB RDRAM. Since
> then I have learned that although there are supposed to be significant
> advantages to the Rambus DRAM, nobody apparently makes them any more and
> nothing else can be satisfactorily substituted.
>
> Ken Bland
>
>

Rambus was(/is) a much better memory system, but politics and royalties
intervened and the industry went to DDRAM


Rick

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

32mb is the minimum but it will run very slowly as you've found out.

Yes, more or less it is just a matter of opening the right 'panel' on the
bottom of the notebook and putting the (probably) SODIMM in the slot.

You can wander over to www.crucial.com where it will tell you exactly what
memory your notebook takes and how to install it.
--
Cari
(MS-MVP Printing & Imaging)

"Peter Brown" <peter@brown9322.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Ue4me.1571$CF.42780@news-1.opaltelecom.net...
>I recently put windowsme on my old laptop as I wanted it to run some new
> software. Unfortunately the laptop is old and the RAM is only 64MB, so the
> laptop runs very slowly. What is the minimum RAM that I should have?
>
> How easy is it to upgrade a Dell laptop? I have no computer knowledge, but
> can i just buy extra memory on laptop and just plug it in?
>
> Peter
>
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

Rick T <plinnane3REMOVE@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote:

>A couple different tests on independent websites (too lazy to look them
>up now); upshot is vast improvements up to 256MB, some improvement
>between 256-384MB, very little/none between 384-512MB
>
>
>Rick

A "sweet spot" traditionally refers to a situation where performance
or results *decrease* when you move away from it in any direction.

Therefore in order for there to be a "sweet spot" amount of RAM it
would be necessary for performance to *decrease* if you added more
than that amount of RAM. And that just plainly doesn't happen.

It can be that adding more RAM beyond a certain point (and that
certain point will be different for every user as it depends on just
how many programs are loaded and what those programs are) will not
result in further improvements. But with the additional RAM the
performance will still be the same, and therefore will still qualify
as being within the "sweet spot".


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

Sweet spot as in "best bang for the buck"... "before the law of
diminishing returns takes hold", etc.

But I think there *is* a spot where performance would decrease, maybe at
1 gig, depends on how WinME memory management works <shrug> just a thought.

*Regardless*, at around 256-384, WinME has pretty well all the room it's
set up to take advantage of for the OS and major components; anything
above that is just for mega-memory hog programs.


Rick


Ron Martell wrote:
> Rick T <plinnane3REMOVE@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>>A couple different tests on independent websites (too lazy to look them
>>up now); upshot is vast improvements up to 256MB, some improvement
>>between 256-384MB, very little/none between 384-512MB
>>
>>
>>Rick
>
>
> A "sweet spot" traditionally refers to a situation where performance
> or results *decrease* when you move away from it in any direction.
>
> Therefore in order for there to be a "sweet spot" amount of RAM it
> would be necessary for performance to *decrease* if you added more
> than that amount of RAM. And that just plainly doesn't happen.
>
> It can be that adding more RAM beyond a certain point (and that
> certain point will be different for every user as it depends on just
> how many programs are loaded and what those programs are) will not
> result in further improvements. But with the additional RAM the
> performance will still be the same, and therefore will still qualify
> as being within the "sweet spot".
>
>
> Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada