I have a question for a computer person...

[Jennifer5]

Disk Defragment... good or back? Is that something you want to run from time to time??? If anyone has any idea please let me know, because I kind of used to be surrounded by computer people that I would normally ask, but a lot of things have changed over the past couple years and I no longer have easy access to good information. Thanks

[tpdncr4christ]

as far as I know there is nothing wrong with it... it just takes a long time. Its like reorganizing the books on a bookcase, (programs on your hard disk) The librarain takes the books and reorders and organizes them so she can get to them faster, just like the computer optimizes its ability to gain access to the program. Make sense?

I defrag every month or so... but you don't have to do it anymore than once every six months.:D

[Daniel]

Yes. I would do it. If you have something like TechTool, I would run that, to make sure the bugs are worked out of the system. That is what I use on my ibook (MAC). TechTool has a defragmentation program.

What is does is 'gather' the information on the harddrive so that it works faster and more efficiently.

I do it every month.

Now that's all I know on the matter! :lol:

[Jennifer5]

Yes. I would do it. If you have something like TechTool, I would run that, to make sure the bugs are worked out of the system. That is what I use on my ibook (MAC). TechTool has a defragmentation program.

What is does is 'gather' the information on the harddrive so that it works faster and more efficiently.

I do it every month.

Now that's all I know on the matter! :lol:

Alright thanks :lol:


Ok, so here's the deal, I'm trying to figure out if there is anyway that I can restore my mom's old laptop, I'm dealing with a '98 Toshiba... other people have kind of tried things in the past, but I'm not really sure what they did, or I could possibly do anything different to get it running better... I know that one of my next steps will be getting the internet connection back so I can maybe downloads certain updates (but that one will have to wait 'til tomorrow evening because I have to figure out our IP address)... any ideas of what I can do.. because right now I'm just mindlessly doing what-ever I can think of becuase otherwise the computer is just trash

[andrewlittle]

What is the computer doing or not doing, at this point?

Can you tell me what operating system it has (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME [he shudders])?

What kind of processor, RAM and size of hard drive? Space left on hard drive?

The chances are good that it is running Windows 95 or 98 (unless upgraded), and has a relatively small hard drive and RAM. The programs that have been coming out in the last few years require much more resources to run on, so the machine may be incapable, without substantial changes, to deal with much other than circa 1998-2002 software. Anything with a lot of graphic bells and whistles may bog it down.

If you can give me the information, we'll see what can be done.

[Jennifer5]

...umm, to many questions... >>here's all the information....> http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_outFrm.jsp?moid=1073769707&ct=DS&soid=638148&BV_SessionID=@@@@1162437512.1169019474@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccjaddjljkdeddcgfkceghdgngdgnj.0

It's a '98 Toshiba Satelite, and it's running Windows 2000

...It's not really doing anything, it's not really running... I currently don't have an internet connection.. it's always slow... all the things that could be wrong with a computer... but it may not be worth the trouble, after all I don't know much, but by looking at the information it looks to me like it has hardly any memory at all... I mean at least compared to newer computers

[andrewlittle]

The specs, from the webpage you provided, appear to be okay, with the possible exception of RAM.

It originally came loaded with Windows 98. I can only assume, then, that it was upgraded to Windows 2000, either by the store selling it or by someone at a later time.

If the memory has not been upgraded, the 64MB it came with is the rock bottom minimum for Windows 2000. It would work, but be quite slow, since it would do a lot of swapping between RAM and the virtual RAM (space on hard disk). If software has been upgraded along the way, or just more programs added over time, it would really bog down.

You said:
...It's not really doing anything, it's not really running... I currently don't have an internet connection.. it's always slow... all the things that could be wrong with a computer... but it may not be worth the trouble, after all I don't know much, but by looking at the information it looks to me like it has hardly any memory at all... I mean at least compared to newer computers

Could you be a little more specific? When you turn it on, what does it do? Does Windows start? If it does, at what point does it seem like it stops doing anything? Is it when you start another program? When you try to access internet? Give us a "play by play" of the basic start-up and stuff.

Is there a better way to do this? E-mail or PM, perhaps? You pick. At least this way, you get multiple opinions.

[BruceChris]

This is somewhat amateur advice, from someone running Windows 98SE, but it has almost always worked for me.

As a general rule, ALL of Windows maintenance programs only do good, never harm. When I Click on System Tools, I have the option of choosing from Disc Cleanup, Disk Defrag, Maintenance Wizard, or Scan Disc. The ONLY thing that any of these programs take from you is your time.

You may simply have filled up most of your Temporary Internet Files memory. Your Computer automatically stores this stuff from EVERY site you visit. (Has this computer even been online, to pick up this stuff?)) On your Toolbar, which should be across the top of your screen. click on Tools, Scroll down to Internet Options, click on that, and then find Temporary Internet Files, click on Delete Files, and then click on O.K., at the bottom. This may help a Lot. And the files automatically replace themselves, as you travel the net.

If you go to Disc Cleanup, it will tell you how much unnecessary stuff you have in your Temporary Internet files.

I'll go along with Andrew, you may need more RAM, but if you don't want to do that, you Could always go back to Windows 98.

Thoughts, Comments, From anyone who knows more about this than I Do?

Peace and Love, Bruce Chris

[Jennifer5]

Thank you both... Andrew you sound like you're going to be the one able to answer these questions for me...so I'll PM you like you suggested.. thanks