slow pc on internet

[hawkeye8179]

if I increased my pc memory from 256k to 512 would my pc be faster

[vehelpfulguy]

Yes.

[vehelpfulguy]

Just read your title where you say "slow PC on internet"

If you increase your memory from 256 to 512 you PC would be faster, but it wold not increase the speed of the internet.

This is defined by your download speed over the dial up line or broadband line you are using.

[hawkeye8179]

I should be able to get upto 8mbps with BT but I have had a maximum of 2mbps. I am running XP, so if I increase my memory from 256 to 512, I should see a big difference in my internet speed.

[vehelpfulguy]

>I am running XP, so if I increase my memory from 256 to >512, I should see a big difference in my internet speed.

Well if you are running XP you should be on at least 512Mb anyway.

But as I said in my second append, more memory will probably not increase your download speed.

Your download speed is controlled by a number of network things (broadband speed, how busy the internet is, your network card etc) but will not change much even if you increase your PC memory.

But you should do it anyway, to speed XP up.

[blah!]

I second that, increasing memeory will not increase the download speed of the internet.

[ACtheTROLL]

Not strictly true
with only 256Mb (I assume it is Mb ... not Kb!!!!). your machine must be using the page file quite a lot - as well as writing to the temp internet folders

all this "disc thrashing will slow down an already slow machine even more

By fitting an extra 256Mb you should indeed speed up both your PC and your surfing. and reduce thrashing

except
A side issue however is ... how much spare disc space you have ...
if you only have 256Mb ram ... I'm guessing your hard disc will be quite small also!

increasing your system's ram will increase the pagefile size by about 768Mb .... if you haven't got much free disc space adding more memory will in fact reduce the space further and so will slow the machine even more.
(you need at least 1Gb spare)

[boobesque]

pagefile should be 1.5 times the ram so you need at least 768mb free hard disk space, not 1gb. plus your current pagefile will be expanded so you dont really need an EXTRA 768mb you just need to top that space up. if your current page file is 1.5 times 256mb (384mb) then you just need an extra 384mb hard disk space.

[ACtheTROLL]

Boob
I think you made a boob

read the books ... microsoft recommend a min if 1Gb free space for XP to work in (actually optimum is 25% - but 1Gb is ok) .... the page file isn't the only consideration .... downloading a file requires double the space .... ntfs requires parity info until it's written, media centre uses a running read ahead cache, prefetch.... etc etc

download a file manager such as a43 or ExplorerXP and use it to browse the system folders to see the files that windows won't show - you might learn something

[boobesque]

"download a file manager such as a43 or ExplorerXP and use it to browse the system folders to see the files that windows won't show - you might learn something"

Such as?

[ACtheTROLL]

boob

forget it old love

there is obviously nothing you can learn

[hawkeye8179]

I would like to thank you all for the answers you have given. I have a 40gb hdd in my system and I will increase my memory by another 56mb but you all seem to be talking about things which go over my head but thank you all again,
hawkeye8179