Laptop RAM problem

[mitzi]

Hi guys,

I've got a Dell Inspiron 1000. I know it's not the greatest laptop in the world but I don't use it for much so it suits me. Anyway, it's windows XP and it came with 256MB RAM built on board. I noticed for watching DVD's and the like that this wasn't enough as the videos would drag and the sound would get out of sync. Aswell as other programs being incredibly slow.

I added another 256mb to it. It turned out that the max amount I can actually add to it is 512 because there's only one spare slot and that's the max it can take.

Haven't really noticed any performance changes since this. Watching a DVD or a video clip on the internet is still the same and even at times just IE alone uses up almost 100% of the CPU usage. My home PC only has 256 and it plays DVD's fine and I've never really had these types of issues with it, maybe it's because this is a laptop?

I am also very concious about what's running in the backround and I do try to have as little as possible, only things I need.

Any ideas?

[saltynay]

fresh install of windows clean out the whole thing I do that about once a month have an external that I use to back up all software I install takes about 40mins to reinstall windows and get all the software running again

[decibaL]

click start -> run -> msconfig

then click on the startup tab and deselect everything that you do not need (or everything that is not a windows common startup)

next click on the services tab and select the "hide all windows services" and deselect everything

finally restart your computer, this should help lower your boot time and rid your computer of programs you do not want running in the background

HII SALTYNAY!!!

[saltynay]

oh god you have moved on to me now have you

[jorsoft03]

What processor do you use? I'm assuming celeron or something like that. You might be ablet o upgrade that, some Dell laptops are surprisingly good about it, though it'll certainly void whatever remains of your warranty.
Do what Decibal says, too, that should free up a lot of ram. Dell computers (like most big manufacturers) typically have a lot of extra crap installed on them and it will eat up your free ram.