Help for a know-nothing please

[MalcolmShore]

I am not a 'geek' by any measure, the laptop is just a tool for me, so if you respond please keep it simple. My wife has a Dell Ispiron 1501 with AMD64 Athion X2 sticker on the case. It seems slow to respond at times. Is it poss/simple to upgrade/update/up-something this machine? What is required? I'd rather not replace it as I have just purchased a new Gateway i5 4GB of my own.

 

[anasfeelgood]

Can you please say which operating system it is using and when it was installed ? and which anti virus, firewalls you (I mean she ) are using ?
Can you tell when does it get slower ? I mean are there specific programs that makes it slower ?

The easiest way to go is to reinstall the machine, or to factory reset it. You can also remove some programs from start up, change your anti virus ... depending on the situation.
I always advice my friends to avoid those automatic "one click improvement" softwares such us tune up or clean up, those softwares slows up your computer by working on background doing some "improvement tasks" that you don't really need : Adding things to the computer is not the good way to go to make the machine run faster

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

On a laptop that old you will NEED to increase the memory... laptop repair shop can do it in minutes...it WILL speed up drastically...

All the best Brett

 

[neodymium]

I would suggest possibly a hybrid ssd (if you can get an IDE to SATA converter) upgrade. This you can do yourself at home. Since you say you aren't a 'geek', go to ehow or just google "How to upgrade a computer hard drive". It is pretty simple, as long as you have a Philips screwdriver. Also, I would recommend a re-installation of what ever operating system you are using (probably Windows Vista) through the recovery disk that came with the machine. Unfortunately, you are not going to be able to upgrade the ram because its max capacity is the 2 GB that came with the computer. You could probably upgrade the cpu to a Phenom II N930, but an issue would be installing the chip (you would have to take apart the computer). Other than these two components, it is impossible to upgrade anything else.

 

[Brett928S2]

I would suggest possibly a hybrid ssd (if you can get an IDE to SATA converter) upgrade. This you can do yourself at home. Since you say you aren't a 'geek', go to ehow or just google "How to upgrade a computer hard drive". It is pretty simple, as long as you have a Philips screwdriver. Also, I would recommend a re-installation of what ever operating system you are using (probably Windows Vista) through the recovery disk that came with the machine. Unfortunately, you are not going to be able to upgrade the ram because its max capacity is the 2 GB that came with the computer. You could probably upgrade the cpu to a Phenom II N930, but an issue would be installing the chip (you would have to take apart the computer). Other than these two components, it is impossible to upgrade anything else.

Hi

Sorry but you are wrong.... it will run up to 4 gb of ram and he has probably only got 512 or 1 gb... its the same mobo type as the 6000 series, and will run 4gb...

Oh and an IDE/SATA converter wont fit...


All the best Brett

 

[neodymium]

I would suggest possibly a hybrid ssd (if you can get an IDE to SATA converter) upgrade. This you can do yourself at home. Since you say you aren't a 'geek', go to ehow or just google "How to upgrade a computer hard drive". It is pretty simple, as long as you have a Philips screwdriver. Also, I would recommend a re-installation of what ever operating system you are using (probably Windows Vista) through the recovery disk that came with the machine. Unfortunately, you are not going to be able to upgrade the ram because its max capacity is the 2 GB that came with the computer. You could probably upgrade the cpu to a Phenom II N930, but an issue would be installing the chip (you would have to take apart the computer). Other than these two components, it is impossible to upgrade anything else.

Hi

Sorry but you are wrong.... it will run up to 4 gb of ram and he has probably only got 512 or 1 gb... its the same mobo type as the 6000 series, and will run 4gb...

Oh and an IDE/SATA converter wont fit...


All the best Brett

Actually, according to here, the max that the chipset can handle is 2 Gb.

http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Inspiron%201501

And I am also pretty sure that I was wrong about the computer being an IDE and is actually a SATA II (3 Gbps), so you can get an SSD or a hybrid.

 

[Brett928S2]

I would suggest possibly a hybrid ssd (if you can get an IDE to SATA converter) upgrade. This you can do yourself at home. Since you say you aren't a 'geek', go to ehow or just google "How to upgrade a computer hard drive". It is pretty simple, as long as you have a Philips screwdriver. Also, I would recommend a re-installation of what ever operating system you are using (probably Windows Vista) through the recovery disk that came with the machine. Unfortunately, you are not going to be able to upgrade the ram because its max capacity is the 2 GB that came with the computer. You could probably upgrade the cpu to a Phenom II N930, but an issue would be installing the chip (you would have to take apart the computer). Other than these two components, it is impossible to upgrade anything else.

Hi

Sorry but you are wrong.... it will run up to 4 gb of ram and he has probably only got 512 or 1 gb... its the same mobo type as the 6000 series, and will run 4gb...

Oh and an IDE/SATA converter wont fit...


All the best Brett

Actually, according to here, the max that the chipset can handle is 2 Gb.

http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Inspiron%201501

And I am also pretty sure that I was wrong about the computer being an IDE and is actually a SATA II (3 Gbps), so you can get an SSD or a hybrid.

Hi

Hehe...we NEVER believe ANYTHING that memory manufacturers sites, say about ram capability lol

We learned long ago, that they are mostly wrong...

All the best Brett

 

[MalcolmShore]

Thank you gentlemen - I think I shall 'clean up' and reinstall everything first - that is least troublesome I think. As to what seems to slow things up I can't say, I have not tracked events that closely. BUT - I notice it most when in a forum or some other type of discussion format. Thanks you again - and tally-ho! Into the wild I go!