memory 4gb (2×2 paired)

[oldtimer]

Last week upgraded wife’s pc to w10 (it went like a train under W7 but needs must)

Now it runs like a geriatric snail, frequently stopping for a rest, or even stopping completely.  I have stripped everything and it goes only a little better, but I noticed it only has one stick of RAM, albeit 4GB.  All my other machines have 2 sticks of 2GB.  could this be the problem?

I have searched the net for 2x 2gb  memory but no-one seems to do it any more.  I suppose I could try 2X4gb and lt W10 ignore most of it.  Would that work?

Its easy when you know how

[Boris]

What speed of RAM is it ?

Replacing 1 x 4GB with 2 x GB sticks should make only a marginal improvement, taking it into dual-channel mode. 2 x 4GB should improve things more.

You do not say if it is 32 or 64 bit Win 10 ?

If it doesn’t have an SSD for the boot C drive, then fitting one would make a lot of difference.

Never trust an atom - they make up everything !

[Ed P]

On initial installation Windows 10 has the vile habit of spending the next couple of days snooping through all your files and categorising the results into a search database for Cortana. If you have any network attached storage it will also trawl through that as well if given a chance.

There are nuclear options to disable Cortana link, but you may want to grin and bear it for a week before deciding what to do.

M$ is aware that most people hate Cortana on the desktop and has promised future ways of removing it.

[oldtimer]

Many thanks for the replies

The Mobo is a gigabyte Z77DS3H which might not be state of the art but is younger than the other PCs running W10 acceptably.

All PCs are 32 Bit and all have 4GB memory, although as I said this is the only one with one stick.

All PCs have SSDs for the OS with ample room on them.

The CPU is IIRC an i3 but I know not what sub-breed

The problem one also suffers from having 2 old IDE HDDs for data

So step one is to order 2 new SATA drives which should speed things up a bit if I can transfer the data across.

Step two is to try and persuade my wife to remove the oodles of software she has accumulated but that might be a bit difficult.

Step three is to continue the search for a pair of suitable 2GB memory sticks

Hope that helps

Its easy when you know how

[Ed P]

I would suggest a clean install, but I note that swmbo has a lot of software installed. That factor makes me suspect Cortana even more!

[JayCeeDee]

W10 ( 32 bit ) on an SSD with an i3 should fly, mine’s a 3 y/o Zoostorm with an i5 and W10 ( 64 bit ) on an SSD, 1Tb SATA Data drive with a single 8Gb ram stick – it really flies.

Maybe your IDE drives are somehow causing confusion. The plan to upgrade to SATA seems wise. Ensure these will be data only – no remnants of any previous OS.

What is your boot time to a usable browser screen like?? I’ll re-boot and post my time for comparison.

 

 

[oldtimer]

Hi Ed

what can I do to strangle Cortana

Also, if I do a clean instal can I use the existing key?  Will Jellybean find it?

Its easy when you know how

[JayCeeDee]

JayCeeDee wrote:

What is your boot time to a usable browser screen like?? I’ll re-boot and post my time for comparison.

 

Booted to desktop ( including MS password ) in 35 seconds, browser screen in 57. HTH.

[keith with the teef]

Now you have upgraded W7 to 10 the pc will now have a W10 licence attached to the mobo.

Do a clean install of W10 and completley remove W7 for ever.

 

[oldtimer]

To get to a “useable” takes at least 65 seconds, but much longer before the spinners stop.

To get to a browser is variable but takes from a couple of minutes to never!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its easy when you know how

[Boris]

oldtimer wrote:

Step three is to continue the search for a pair of suitable 2GB memory sticks Hope that helps

https://uk.crucial.com/gbr/en/ct2k25664bd160bj – if you really want to do this ?

Never trust an atom - they make up everything !

[Boris]

keith with the teef wrote:

Now you have upgraded W7 to 10 the pc will now have a W10 licence attached to the mobo.

Do a clean install of W10 and completley remove W7 for ever.

+1

Never trust an atom - they make up everything !

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

If you are going to do a fresh install of W10 then I would strongly recommend switching to the 64bit version unless you are still using some ancient 16bit software.

Your key will still be valid and now your motherboard is registered for W10 its best to skip over entering it during an install, let Windows activate its self later (usually in a minute or two).

Only trying to go from one version to another, say home to pro, requires a new key.

[oldtimer]

Hi Boris

Thanks for the link, but I have been there and it says “out of stock”  and “no sellers found”.  I guess it will have to be 2X4GB in the final attempt, but I am sure I read somehere that Windows does not like excess memory, so that means 64 bit.

But before that, I will try a fresh instal.  Thanks to Graham, but I am on Home now so to go to Pro which I believe is 64bit would need a new licence.

The first job is to transfer all the data to the new drives when they arrive (hopefully tomorrow) but at current speeds that might take a week.  I must find out what happens if I clone a multi-partitioned disk to a new disk.  Will it keep the partitions intact?  Perhaps I can do a bit of tidying up of the IDE drives first.

But could I remove the IDE drives, do a clean instal, and then plug the ide drives back in again ready to transfer the data. Now it is all about tactics.

Eeh lad, ain’t life grand? At least the sun is not beckoning me into the garden!

Its easy when you know how

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

Home and Pro both come in 64 and 32 bit versions so you can install home 64 bit without any extra cost. You can then enjoy all of your extra memory 😁

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

Oh yeh, missed the drives bit. If you only have data on your IDE drives then it will still appear just fine after the new install, even the drive letters will probably remain the same, but if you have any apps on there then they will need to be reinstalled

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

You get another memory bonus if you switch to 64bit windows.

Under 32bit Windows all apps are limited to 2GB of address space but most recent 32bit apps are compiled as LARGE address space aware so 64bit windows will give them a full 4GB instead.

[oldtimer]

A very sincere thanks to you all for your patience.

First the good news.  Having executed something akin to a clean instal courtesy of W10 things are now moving at a reasonable speed, but I now have to reinstal so much software. More good news – it has rather forced things with regards to the oodles of software that had accumulated. Bad news I did it by accident and now lost the password for my wife’s email account.

Since we are both on BTInternet, would it be the same as mine?

 

Its easy when you know how

[Ed P]

The password is independent of yours – it could be anything. Instructions for password resetting are here: BT Link

Obviously use your wife’s details for email address etc.

Iirc the main holder of the BT email account (you?) may have other reset options.

[oldtimer]

Thanks Ed.  I will remember that if there is a next time.

However this time despite all the modern electronic wizardry the good old fashioned way won out and so did SWIMBO.  Whilst I was searching for some electronic IT angel to guide me, she had her head in a box of dusty crumpled manuscripts.  From which she emerged triumphant.

One up to the old ways of doing things 😀

It does make me think (and not for the first time) what good is my “password vault” on my PC if that goes belly up.  Of course I can re-load a backup but that is  time consuming and not as much fun and nostalgic as rummaging through old files. 😁

Its easy when you know how

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