Re: XP Pro in 128 MB
- From: Bruce Chambers <bchambers@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 05 Sep 2005 08:49:04 -0600
Sleepless in New Jersey wrote:
Someone kindly donated an older PC to our disabled veterans group. It has a 500 mhz AMD CPU (slow but barely acceptable), a 12.3 GB hard drive (which is ok) and only 128 MB of RAM. Windows XP Professional is installed! It does run. (I wouldn't have believed it.)
Acceptable performance is, of course, a matter of personal opinion and depends entirely upon what *you* expect to do with your computer. If all you want to do is play WinXP's built-in games, send and receive simple emails, browse the Internet (while avoiding the more "ornamental" web sites) etc., such a machine will easily meet your needs. If, however, you plan to take advantage of WinXP's multimedia capabilities, play graphic-intensive games, or do advanced word or data processing, such a machine would probably be woefully inadequate.
"Glacial" is the term that comes to my mind, I'm afraid, if your computer doesn't have a CPU of at least 500 MHz along with at least 256 Mb of RAM. If you turn off all of WinXP GUI eye-candy, it will still be very slow, but it might usable for simple word processing, email, web-browsing, etc. It won't be any good for graphics-intensive applications, and most newer games. (During the public preview period, I tested WinXP on a 500 MHz machine with 256 Mb of RAM, and it was much slower than I like.)
To help improve WinXP's performance on older machines:
1) Right-click the Task Bar > Properties > Start Menu, ensure "Classic Start menu" is selected.
2) Right-click an empty spot on the Desktop > Properties > Themes > select "Windows Classic."
3) Right-click My Computer > Properties > Performance > Settings > Visual Effects, ensure "Adjust for best performance" is selected.
Obviously there has to be more memory. Memory slots are available; however, the PC has 72 pin SIMMs. It's old and I don't know if I could find the right kind of RAM to purchase and install. I don't even know if it is FPM or EDO. (Is there a way to find out?)
It is absolutely essential that any new RAM module(s) be fully compatible with both the motherboard and/or any other RAM module(s) already in the system. Additionally, there are sometimes jumper switches on older motherboards that need to be reset for new RAM configurations. Consult your motherboard's manual or the manufacturer's web site for specific instructions and compatibility requirements.
If you cannot lay your hands upon the computer's manual and the manufacturer doesn't provide a support web site, you can use these utilities to help determine the correct type of RAM needed:
SiSoft's Sandra http://www.sisoftware.co.uk/index.php?dir=&location=sware_dl&lang=en
Belarc Advisor http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
Unlimited Possibilities' AIDA32 http://forum.aumha.org/overflow/aida32.zip
Lavalys' Everest Home http://www.lavalys.com/products/overview.php?pid=1&lang=en
Also, Crucial Memory's web site (www.crucial.com) has a database to help to find the right RAM for your specific make and model computer and/or motherboard.
If I were to install this hard drive in another PC with a faster CPU and more installed RAM, would it boot into Win XP Pro? Or would Windows be tied to the computer it was first installed in?
Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM installations are BIOS-locked to a specific chipset and therefore not transferable to a new motherboard - check yours before starting), unless the new motherboard is virtually identical (same chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.) to the one on which the WinXP installation was originally performed, you'll need to perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation, at the very least:
How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q315341
The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this point. You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the OS. (If you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as picking up a Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch style foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K before it, is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to accepting any old hardware configuration you throw at it. On installation it "tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This is one of the reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much more stable than the Win9x group.
As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any important data before starting.
This will also probably require re-activation, unless you have a Volume Licensed version of WinXP Pro installed. If it's been more than 120 days since you last activated that specific Product Key, you'll most likely be able to activate via the Internet without problem. If it's been less, you might have to make a 5 minute phone call.
--
Bruce Chambers
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