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Running EVERYTHING from an external hard drive??
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Member
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23. September 2007 @ 17:25 |
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Hey i was wondering my PC these days is running a lil slow and i was thinking if i reformatted it and then in future ran all programs from a separate external hard drive would it run faster and basically stay that way??? thanks for any help
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ddp
Moderator
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23. September 2007 @ 19:40 |
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internal is faster then external. edit your sig to conform to forum specs ASAP. yours is 100,101 bytes not 50k.
2. An image-only signature should be less than 50kb in size, and be at most 500 pixels wide and 200 pixels tall.
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Member
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24. September 2007 @ 03:57 |
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So if i ran programs like FireFox n essential programs from my PC hard drive and others that i would use once in a while like Nero off a external hard drive would it improve speed?
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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24. September 2007 @ 04:44 |
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Not really, your PC will only run marginally faster, and the programs you put on the external will take longer. Just clean out old files, defragment your drives and empty the recycle bin on a regular basis.
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AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
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24. September 2007 @ 05:20 |
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External drives should only be for storing data. You should use them for Music, Videos etc. Install your OS and other programs on your internal drive.
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Auslander
AfterDawn Addict
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24. September 2007 @ 06:01 |
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Originally posted by abuzar1:
External drives should only be for storing data. You should use them for Music, Videos etc. Install your OS and other programs on your internal drive.
aye, summarized excellently.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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24. September 2007 @ 06:18 |
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This is what I do:
Windows OS, Messenger apps, word processing: Internal drive 1
Software applications, some music & video: Internal drive 2
Games, HD films, Music, Video, Misc: External drives
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Member
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24. September 2007 @ 11:18 |
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ok then its just i currently store all games, video, music n that stuff on an external but its a year since i had this comp and now its gone really slow i was gonna do a reformat and onli install firefox etc to it and other less used stuff dvd rippers etc to the external im guessing thats not the way to go though now
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Auslander
AfterDawn Addict
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24. September 2007 @ 11:32 |
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besides regular maintenance, the only things that will speed your computer up without a complete overhaul would be overclocking (as well as better cooling), the largest possible amount of the fastest ram your pc can handle, and using the best SATA drives you can afford.
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Member
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24. September 2007 @ 11:37 |
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Ok thanks for the help ill read a lil bit about the methods u said if not then i think im jus gonna reformat but i cant be arsed to set up the internet all over again oh well supposed it might just have to be done
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Auslander
AfterDawn Addict
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24. September 2007 @ 11:40 |
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unless your know your stuff or have a spare pc incase you mess your current one up for a bit of time, i'd recommend leaving overclocking out of the equation, mate.
however, more and/or faster ram and better SATA hard drives will do ye much good.
*edit*
sata drives will only make a noticeable difference in scant few situation unless the rest of your pc is pretty much brand new. older hardware won't show you much of a change.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 24. September 2007 @ 11:41
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Member
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24. September 2007 @ 11:43 |
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well i kno enough about computers but before reformatting i think i will try getting more ram and SATA drives jus gotta persuade the mother that the comp needs it reformatting is just a last resort
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Auslander
AfterDawn Addict
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24. September 2007 @ 11:47 |
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suggestion: get one sata drive to use as your windows OS drive (nothing on it but windows) and then install all your programs to another internal drive, being either one of your current ATA drives or a SATA drive (doesn't matter as much). store your media on a separate partition on the second internal drive and/or on an external drive (keep redundant backups!)
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Member
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24. September 2007 @ 11:51 |
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k then how much am i looking to pay for these new drives do u think??
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Auslander
AfterDawn Addict
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24. September 2007 @ 11:53 |
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where are you located?
do your computer have SATA ports?
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Member
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24. September 2007 @ 11:54 |
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im located in birmingham england and im not sure if it has SATA drives my PC is a dell dimension 5200 if that helps
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Auslander
AfterDawn Addict
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24. September 2007 @ 12:02 |
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you're already running a SATA-2 drive, the best your mobo supports. you only have 512 mb of DDR2 ram, however. jack that up to 2 gigs. that's about all you can do without an overhaul.
and it's not worth it to overhaul a dell. just build a new one.
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Member
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24. September 2007 @ 12:04 |
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so do you think goin to 2 gigs of ram will make a big enough difference?? and is all ram the same or do i need to look for something specific for a dell? thanks for all the help
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Auslander
AfterDawn Addict
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24. September 2007 @ 12:07 |
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it will significantly decrease your startup and loading times. definitely worth the upgrade.
you need to consult your motherboard's manual or dell and see what the fastest ram you can run is. i'm guessing the most you can run is 2 gigs, but i can't be sure. with windows xp, you'd never need more than that. i hope you aren't running vista (can't remember). the most important thing is to buy DDR2. what you have in there is 667 MHz. hopefully, you'll be able to run faster.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 24. September 2007 @ 12:08
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Member
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24. September 2007 @ 12:18 |
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im running XP thankfully and start up and loading times are a joke on my computer now never used to be but as i said over the year its just got slower im gonna try find the user manual now and see if it says how much ram i can run
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Auslander
AfterDawn Addict
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24. September 2007 @ 12:20 |
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minimal programs at startup: your firewall, antivirus, whatever programs you use with active protection...you really don't need much more than that.
minimal programs running at any time. 50 processes is usually far more than absolutely necessary (just to give you an idea).
keep the drives cleaned up and defragged.
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Member
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24. September 2007 @ 12:22 |
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yh the only things other than anti virus on startup are my nokia phone browser and windows live
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Auslander
AfterDawn Addict
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24. September 2007 @ 12:25 |
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*shrugs* i can't explain the slowdown beyond what i've already said, then. a reformat would be extremely healthy, i bet. do a low-level format several times, just to clean out anything that might be trying to survive.
is the system running cool enough? what are the temps?
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scott2k7
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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24. September 2007 @ 12:26 |
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yes i formmated my pc the other month and now i cannot connect to my internet wired as i need it for my xbox 360 standbying. its quicker though but i downloaded limewire now just because its etting formatted again so i dont really care about viruses im just gunna get good stuff then formmat it
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Member
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24. September 2007 @ 12:29 |
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is a low level format a disk cleanup? (sorry for whats probably a stupid question) and im not sure what the temps are it makes plenty of noise though at times is there a way i can check the temps?
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