Updating windows XP takes forever! Please help

**NaughtyDog** · 10-07-2003, 08:37 PM

I just clean installed XP on my friends laptop for the first time. Installation went fine but I run into a problem when I try installing updates from microsoft's website. The updates download fine but it takes forever to install them. I've had to abort installation twice after waiting hours. He has a Presario 1200 with 500mhz cpu, 88mb ram, 6gig hard drive. I'm thinking the slowdown is the small amount of ram he has but according to Microsoft 64mb is minimum, 128mb is recommended. So do you the problem is the ram? If so, how can I get around this. I know you are going to suggest installing more ram or a different OS but he would really like to avoid doing either one. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

**Bytewiz** · 10-07-2003, 09:24 PM

I would have to say RAM is the biggest problem. But a close second would be the CPU speed! Thats a pretty old machine to be putting XP on. I would say go back to Windows 98 or even Windows 2000 would probably be better then XP. XP = Resource Hoggggggggggggggggggg.

Hope this helps

**gkline** · 10-07-2003, 09:47 PM

Those are minimum specs for a desktop. A laptop with those specs would be slower as the laptop components are generally slower. I would definitely run 98SE with that CPU/Ram combo. Maybe 2000 if 256megs of ram.

**iantaylor** · 10-08-2003, 07:05 AM

What do u expect with a 500mhz and 88mb of ram, the laptops at my work take ages which are 800mhz and 128mb and they take ages.

**Mechanic** · 10-08-2003, 07:09 AM

I think a slow CPU and insufficient ram are the problems here. You will greatly improve the system operation with 256mb of ram.

**richardginn** · 10-08-2003, 09:19 AM

I would upgrade both the CPU and ram if possible.

That will speed things up.

**Mechanic** · 10-08-2003, 10:50 AM

Originally posted by richardginn
I would upgrade both the CPU and ram if possible.

That will speed things up.

Can you upgrade the CPU in a laptop?

**iantaylor** · 10-08-2003, 11:18 AM

You can in most cases but you would have to send the laptop back to the manufacturer to do that

**Colossus** · 10-08-2003, 11:26 AM

Just to give you a hint....

With my 2.8c at 3.4Ghz and 1GB of ram...

I just reinstalled Windows XP and the CD I have already has SP1 installed.. So when I downloaded the 53MB of updates from Microsoft 2 days ago.. The download was fast, but the updates taken about 40 minutes..

So if my system above takes 40 minutes.. Then you just need to wait

But 88mb for Windows XP is crazy! I wouldnt install it on anything less then 128MB...

EDIT:
You can upgrade the CPU yourself.. Like my IBM 600e, it had a CPU card that I just replaced with another and works without a hitch.. But it does void any warranty you might have...

But sine that laptop was about 5 years old, any warranty is long gone

**NaughtyDog** · 10-08-2003, 01:47 PM

Well I finnally got all the updates installed(took several hours) and talked my friend into upgrading his ram to 160mb(thats the max his laptop supports). Thank you for the help.

**ewitte** · 10-08-2003, 05:03 PM

Originally posted by Colossus
Just to give you a hint....
But 88mb for Windows XP is crazy! I wouldnt install it on anything less then 128MB...

256MB here for non power users. I usually see memory usage around 128MB without having to go in and disable services and do regestry hacks. So if your not doing much more than 128MB is fine. In his case 160MB should be no problem. For power users I go with 512MB-1GB. The only equipment I touch that needs more than that sometimes is servers. The "commit charge" on the one I'm on now is at 2.39GB. No wonder it gets slow every now and then!

Eric

**Colossus** · 10-08-2003, 05:33 PM

Originally posted by ewitte
256MB here for non power users. I usually see memory usage around 128MB without having to go in and disable services and do regestry hacks. So if your not doing much more than 128MB is fine. In his case 160MB should be no problem. For power users I go with 512MB-1GB. The only equipment I touch that needs more than that sometimes is servers. The "commit charge" on the one I'm on now is at 2.39GB. No wonder it gets slow every now and then!

Eric

My resources without hacks and disabled services and complete driver install are less then 90mb including mouseware and keyboard drivers/applications and other items running in the background from various hardware...

**ewitte** · 10-08-2003, 07:28 PM

Originally posted by Colossus
My resources without hacks and disabled services and complete driver install are less then 90mb including mouseware and keyboard drivers/applications and other items running in the background from various hardware...

XP or 2000? Pro or Home? On a domain? Oddly I believe I usually see Pro using less resources by default.

Eric

**Colossus** · 10-08-2003, 07:37 PM

I was talking about XP Pro.. I dont use Home

And no not part of a domain

**ewitte** · 10-08-2003, 09:12 PM

Originally posted by Colossus
I was talking about XP Pro.. I dont use Home And no not part of a domain

Even with pro it is not *that hard*. I just closed out of everything except for my virus software and the commit charge was still 134MB. Although I did a few tweaks to cache more than normal. Just opening two web sessions and logging into yahoo (strangely that took 10MB itself) it jumped to about 160MB.

Eric

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