Re: Very old Copmuter / Removing Programs

if the o.p. has an old computer
then running todays applications
require modern resources,

-----------------

why are you and ken second
guessing the o.p.'s "Need" to
uninstall incompatiable programs!

I believe both of you should stop
dictating what the o.p. should or
should not do

and simply comply and assist
with the issue at hand, ie the o.,p.'s
hand, and not your own.



--
db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- @Hotmail.com
- nntp Postologist
~ "share the nirvana" - dbZen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



"Shenan Stanley" <newshelper@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:#s1Z6a6PKHA.4244@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Robert wrote:
I have old slow computer that I would like to remove programs with
by control panel from add and remove. From control panel When I try to remove programs I don't get the entire program out of the
computers system.
To remove programs would anyone know of a free safe piece of
software that I could download to remove programs with in the
future? Not programs that I have tried to remove unsuccessfully. But programs that will be removed soon?

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
If your expectations are that removing programs will make your
computer faster, that is *not* correct. What you run affects your
speed, not what you have installed.

Two questions for you:

1. What programs are not being removed entirely?
2. Exactly what parts of them are not removed?

db wrote:
I disagree.

if the system only has windows
running and if that system has
minimal memory requirements.

the system will run faster with
the above configuration.

Shenan Stanley wrote:
In your response, one would gather that you are assuming everything
that the OP wishes to uninstall is running during the operation of
the machine. One can install 7-ZIP and it will not influence the
performance of the machine unless started up and left running. Same goes for Firefox. Similarly for Photoshop. Practically any
game (of any type) would be the same.
Now - if the hard disk drive space is low (extremely) and the
installed memory is insufficient (not enough to even start up
Windows and the 'always-running applications' without dipping into
the virtual memory pool) - then your supposition is correct -
uninstalling applications to free up disk space for use in virtual
memory could speed up the system if the space had been so tight
it could not provide sufficient space for the virtual memory it needed.
IMHO, assuming the OP is only wanting to uninstall applications that
run at all times and/or their disk space is so tight it could be
causing the issue I presented is a pretty extreme jump, IMO.

In the end - being an 'old slow computer' that the OP obviously
wants to improve the performance of and given their desire to
uninstall several things they are obviously having trouble getting
rid of - I would suggest that the biggest benefit (if
plausible/possible for the OP to do) would come from a clean
installation of Windows (XP we assume from location of the posting
only) and minimal resident (running actively at all times)
applications. Windows XP with Service Pack 3 and most post-SP3
updates (all critical/security at least - IMO IE8, Windows/Office
Live stuff could safely be ignored on this machine) and a
simple/small AntiVirus application with the latest hardware drivers
available would do nicely. Maybe flash the BIOS and throw a little
extra memory (RAM) at the computer if it is really that short on
resources (being old, it may be - could have less than 512MB memory
- and although it can be argued that is enough for some - it can be
argued that having 'extraneous' memory, unused at a given point in
time, may not necessarily be a waste - as it is possible every so
often one might benefit from the extra (maybe 512MB-1GB for Windows
XP - especially in this case.))
However - I believe the answer was given to the OP directly for
what they asked elsewhere. I will not repeat the answer, as it is
easily found and I don't want to imply that I believe it may be
right for this poster. In truth - I don't know - as I would need
more information (some idea of the hardware specs of the machine -
processor speed, amount of memory, amount of HDD space (total/free)
- some of the applications trying to be removed from the machine
(the ones that have failed to be fully removed, in particular), the
OS actually installed, the OPs ability (or inability) to cleanly
install the OS/needed applications back on the machine in question
if needed/desired, etc.)

db wrote:
you are correct "if" the computer is optimal.
therefore I don't completely agree with your
rationale.

--------------------------------

the o.p.s isn't optimal, thus the reason for uninstalling
programs.

if the o.p's computer was running fine, then there
would be no bother with uninstalling programs and
the inversly the o.p. would install even more programs.

therefore, because my conclusion is that o.p.'s computer
is below par I provided an argument to ken's observation
based on my rationale for "baseline performance"

baseline performance dictates, that if "1" program
is running on a computer,

the computer will be logically faster than having
two or more programs and their processes running.

thus, there is correlation to the amount of processes
running and the amount of resources available.

Optimal, eh?

Actually - the op could have a computer that was running horribly and uninstalling 7-Zip, FireFox, etc (anything that did not have an active component running at all times) would have no effect (good or bad) on the total performance of the machine (except in the case of space - like I had pointed out.) If the program is not running, it is not affecting performance beyond the use of space. If the machine has sufficient space (which was my other point - we need more information to properly assist the OP) - a non-running installed application has the same impact on the system performance as a non-opened text file sitting on the desktop.

Uninstalling applications that do not run unless you call upon them to do so will not assist in improving the performance of the machine unless space is the issue.

Ken's original statement,

"If your expectations are that removing programs will make your
computer faster, that is *not* correct. What you run affects your
speed, not what you have installed."

Matches with what you have said in *this* response.

Ken was speaking of the same difference I am. An installed application (not running) will not affect your performance (unless you are low on space) and that is *exactly* what you seem to be saying as well.

The OP (and you) have to understand the difference between an installed application (a bunch of static, unused files) versus an installed and running application (what you deem "amount of processes running"). Unless the appllication is running 0 it is not affecting the performance of the machine. Not all applications have parts that run at all times - it seems to me that Ken may have just been letting the OP know that uninstalling random software packages is not the solution to a performance issue - especially if said applications are never run.

Now - having said that it is *always* my suggestion for people to properly uninstall any applications they do not plan to use - not because of performance issues but for two simple reasons:

1) Cleanliness and organization - the less stuff on their hard drive, the less time some maintenenace tasks (like backups and defragmentations and the likes) will take. That is not a measure of performance. Your vehicle may perform perfectly, be perfectly tuned - but if you take the crowded/long route to work (even though the speed limit is the same as the shorter/less crowded route) - then the performance of your car is not the problem - it still had the same perfectly running engine, nicely tuned, with the same amount of weight - it's just a bad-decision on your part - not a reflection of a flaw in the machine.

2) Future compatibility issue elimination - the less things you have installed, the less the chance something else you install in the future might break either the original application or be broken by the current installed application. Some applications want to share DLLs, etc - and some will replace these DLLs with their version the one they need) upon installation. This is not a performance issue - but a incompatibility between two applications issue.


In other words, your response to Ken was *not* a disagreement at all. You agreed. You said you disagreed, and *that* I disagree with.

Ken said,

"If your expectations are that removing programs will make your
computer faster, that is *not* correct. What you run affects your
speed, not what you have installed."

You said,

"if the system only has windows
running and if that system has
minimal memory requirements.

the system will run faster with
the above configuration."

Same thing.

What is affecting the speed of the computer is what is running/open processes - not what is installed. If it is not running - it is not affecting the speed of the computer. Uninstalling something that does not run unless told to will not increase the speed of the computer.


Technically - nothing short of new hardware and/or modification of the hardware timing will actually increase the speed - it is merely increasing the resultant use of the maximum speed - the observation the user has when using the computer. A 1.0GHz single core processor is still a 1.0GHz single core processor - but it can finish one thing with a given processor utilization need level faster than two things of same given processor utilization need level at the same time - if that processor utilization need level is above 50% of the processor's time (say 75%).

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Setup.exe stopped working
    ... I probably can't help with uninstalling those programs, ... Its philosophy is that "unused memory is wasted memory". ... My advice is to stop worrying about how much RAM is being used; just let Vista manage it. ... I thought you were trying to install one. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.vista.general)
  • Re: Very old Copmuter / Removing Programs
    ... minimal memory requirements. ... One can install 7-ZIP and it will not influence the ... Windows and the 'always-running applications' without dipping into ... uninstalling applications to free up disk space for use in virtual ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Is WM5 worth trying on a Dell Axim x50v?
    ... My point with that was that no applications are installed in that 64MB. ... and chew up all your available memory. ... You can chose to install ... >> I'll probably stick it out, and hope for the next ROM upgrade from Dell ...
    (microsoft.public.pocketpc)
  • Re: Very old Copmuter / Removing Programs
    ... thus the reason for uninstalling ... One can install 7-ZIP and it will not influence the performance of the machine unless started up and left running. ... Now - if the hard disk drive space is low and the installed memory is insufficient (not enough to even start up Windows and the 'always-running applications' without dipping into the virtual memory pool) - then your supposition is correct - uninstalling applications to free up disk space for use in virtual memory could speed up the system if the space had been so tight it could not provide sufficient space for the virtual memory it needed. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Very old Copmuter / Removing Programs
    ... minimal memory requirements. ... pool) - then your supposition is correct - uninstalling applications to free ... the OS actually installed, the OPs ability to cleanly install ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
Loading