Betsy, My Computer, is elderly and is getting very poorly,

[Petrena]

I will be honest, like most folks, here, I'm struggling to manage a little, and I know that my computer needs updating, and Betsy, My computer, is struggling a little to keep up with the modern pace of technology, as she seems to be coughing a spluttering at the moment and she feels faint at times, and she just stalls a little.

She seems to get very full very fast, however, she doesn't look like she has a cold or virus, try as I might to give her TLC, but trying to go out surfing, as well as getting a movie ready for us to watch later on, seems to just really make her just want to give up, and even just tickling her on the keyboard just seems to really hurt her, and she refuses to move and she gets very depressed about the things that the other computers can do but she has to stay behind because she finds it difficult to keep up with the pace. She doesn't complain very much but its hard to see her in such a state, when she has been such a good little soul and in her time of life, she does need a little luxury and comfort.

However, I looked towards taking her to the computer doctors, or even having a home visit, but unfortunately the pennies, won't stretch to the consultation fees, let alone the long treatment that they may prescribe which does make me feel bad when she has given so much effort in her short life. I think what she needs is a makeover to cheer her up and let her run free like the other, but its knowing where to start, and not to get carried away, as I don't want to hurt her too much.

I think she needs more room for her to spread her wings a little, and have a extra room to store all her memories if you understand, however, I don't want her to overcome with a lot of heat. I also thought that she may need a bigger heart CPU, and I don't know what else I can do to make her more comfortable, and I wondered if there was a kind computer doctor here with a big heart, who consider her valuable history and friendship to me, and suggest of where I should begin, in order Betsy can make a full recovery.

Thank you so much, Betsy and I will be so please if you could manage a bit of advice for us, so that we may get the makeover, she really needs. Oh I wonder if there are any operating books with pictures, so that I can take care and do the operation myself carefully, so not to hurt her in the process.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Betsy, and Petrena.

 

[BG-0]

I really don't know how to put this... If the relationship of you two hurts you both that much.. It's really not worth it anymore. It will take more to fix things between you two, than it will ever give back again... Also making her feel better and increase her overall condition can most propably prove to be quite a torture for both of you two. What is the most special thing about her? What makes you want to cling to her despite all the trouble? Tell us, maybe we can help, and advice on deciding the most cost-wise way to deal with this...

 

[Petrena]

Hi BGO, well, I really love her to bits really, because she has done everything I have asked of her in the end, however, she is getting a little slow in her old age, and she is freezing a little, maybe I ask to much of her, however she is a plucky little machine. She came from good the good computer stock, of Sony Vaio, and she is a Pentium 4, and she is a 2.8 ghz and I gave her a little boost about a year ago with a larger hard drive, so she does have 260gigs spare room also, she has got 1024gigs of ram, however, she is a little overcrowded because she does insist on picking up the odd movie for us to watch, and we need to help her find more room to store those fravorate movies she really likes.

The next thing she could do with is maybe upgrading to the posh model of a core proccessor (but I don't know if she will need a fan to keep her cool for when she is in the heat of the moment, if you know what I mean wink, wink), I think, in order she can keep up with the bigger kids on the block. However, to use she has been a wonderful companion and friend, and I would hate to let her go and have a stranger, that wouldn't have half the character she has if you understand. I don't want a new computer, with horrible vista, I love my my Windows Xp system, that is at her heart. I just think she needs a couple of tweaks, and she would be a right as rain. She can do almost anything that the big kids can, its just she needs a little more speed, and space, however, I was going to take her to the PC doctors at PC World, however, when I went to get her fix of dvd r disks, you should of heared the other machines, screaming at their treatment of such rough hands, so I have anxiously looked for a support forum for her and what I have read of what those guys have done, it makes you want to weep. This is when I came here, across the perfect where the people love their computers and want to see them make the most of their possibilities, where there are kind and gentle guys that will help her.

So come on guys, please help this plucky little computer get the most out of her remaining days. If anyone has a heart, you do, so I have been told.

Keeping my fingers crossed that someone, somewhere will come through for little Betsy as she is a most deserving case.

 

[BG-0]

Okay, first we would need to find out which motherboard she is built on. I'm not hitting anything by using the model number in your specs box.. You will have to make her lend a hand here. Install SIW, run it and check if you can find out her motherboard/chipset.

 

[Petrena]

Thank you Mr BGO, Betsy says that she will help as much as she can, I have installed the SIW, and this is what she told me to tell you. That the motherboard was made by
ASUSTeK Computer INC.
Model P4S533VL
Version REV 1.xx

North Bridge SiS 651 Revision 02
South Bridge SiS 962 Revision 02

CPU Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz
Cpu Socket Socket 478 mPGA

System Slots 3 PCI

Memory Summary
Maximum Capacity 1024 MBytes
Maximum Memory Module Size 1024 MBytes
Memory Slots 3
Error Correction None

She also told me to tell you about her CPU

Property Value
Number of CPU(s) One Physical Processor / One Core / One Logical Processor / 32 bits
CPU Full Name Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz
Vendor GenuineIntel
CPU Name Intel Pentium 4
CPU Code Name Northwood
Platform Name Socket 478 mPGA
Revision C1
Technology 0.13 µm
Instructions MMX, SSE, SSE2
Original Clock 2800 MHz
Original System Clock 133 MHz
Original Multiplier 21.1
CPU Clock 2800 MHz
System Clock 133.0 MHz
FSB 532.0 MHz
L1 Data Cache 8 KBytes
L1 Trace Cache 12 Kuops
L2 Cache 512 KBytes


Betsy says if there is anything else she will be only to happy to let Mr BGO know.

Thank you again for your time and patience in helping us.

Take care
Petrena

 

[BG-0]

Okay... Bit of a bad news.. She won't be taking a new PCU faster than this: http://www.compuvest.com/Description.jsp;jsessionid=anYTh0cWHh-7RO0jWY?iid=842306. And she won't get the performance that price should give her... If you happen to find that for about 30 $, or less, then it's worth the little nice things she will get out of that.
Could you ask her which kind of RAM does she currently have? And how many modules of which capacity.. Oh, yeah, I forgot, you know it yourself. If she's packing DDR266 or DDR200 stick(s), then she could take these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820141217
Actually, she should drop her old modules and replace them with these two: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134177 (BUT, I'm not 100% sure she would like these. Someone suggested that she "Supports Up to 2 un-buffer DIMM DDR333 or up to 3 un-buffered Double-sided DIMM DDR266/200" And I'm guessing those 333 ones I linked are Double-sided, and it on says dbl-sided in the 266/200 part of it... )

If she wants more room for your favorite movies, she could also want the hard drive to be faster. (Don't let her hear this, she could be shocked if she knew you're going to brainwash her: YoucouldreinstallWindowstoanewSATAharddrivetogeta10-25%speedboostinmanytasks) She would need a SATA card like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124022. Then she would need a SATA connector cable, and a molex to SATA power adapter. And of course a SATA hard drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...50014 1035915133 103530113&name=400GB - 750GB (Pick your favorite one together, I'd recommend the Samsungs, or after that WD or Seagate.)

But now I don't know... I wonder if Betsy (I hope she won't be maddened if I call her by her name) has enough power to push these things to life. They aren't really much, but the next suggestion would take a lot of stamina from a lady who's not too young anymore...

A new video card, that would help quite much with movie-watching. I wonder what kind of a visualization part does she have at this moment? Could you ask her?

Feel free to ask more.

 

[Classics]

She might also like her disks defragmented (I'm not sure if she's into the kinky stuff though)
This might give her a little boost with opening files and programs.

 

[Petrena]

Hi BGO,

I'm sorry I didn't get back to you last night, however, I got a phonecall, and it didn't end while late last night, when I got back to Betsy, she looked at me and told me to go to bed because we had a very long day together playing. I will get the information you need in a few minutes, thank you for helping us, stay together.

Hello Mr Classic,

Oh thank you for your suggestion, I haven't thought that Betsy, could do with a little defragmenting, she is a naughty girl, as tidied up her room in ages, so yes, I will make her do that today. Thank you so much for the suggestion.

Will see you later this evening, I really do appreciate everyone's help in trying to save Betsy.

Take care for now
Petrena and Betsy.

 

[Classics]

It probably won't do to much for her, but its free
All of BG-0's suggestions are great and I don't have anything else to add to them. Let me know how the defrag helps.