Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

"Making AOL more efficient"?

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
  • #1

    "Making AOL more efficient"?

    I have something of a client from hell (backstory forthcoming) that uses the AOL suite/portal for everything and wants to make it run more efficiently. The only problem with it that I can see is that's it's sedated-snail-slow at certain times (which could be AOL and/or her internet connection). Her laptop is a few years old, and could probably do with some more RAM but I need to be able to suss out how much additional (if any) it can take. She likes hovering while I'm working, which is a bit odd as some of the tools I use are on the command line and she doesn't like that because she doesn't know what I'm doing (even though she's admitted she doesn't understand any of it, she also doesn't like not knowing what I'm doing ).

    I don't know much of anything about said web portal; the only other person I know who used to use it ditched AOL entirely. I'm pretty sure the client has a gmail address, but she's probably the least tech-savvy person I know and very anxious in general so I don't want to overwhelm her too much.

    Any ideas? As far as I know it's been updated to the newest version, so it would seem the problem lies either with the laptop, AOL itself, or some of both.
    "I am quite confident that I do exist."
    "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor
    Tags: None
  • #2
    If it's that slow at certain times, may be due to peak time activity in the local neighbourhood, in which case not much can be done

    Unless there's some background task scheduled that slows the whole machine at the time...

    Comment

    • #3
      She owns a single-family house, so there's no connection-splitting between units. She does have a router and a number of devices connected and I have tracked down the slowdown to a (general) specific timeframe. I have yet to convince her to let me run any real connection diagnostics...

      Having something in the background is a high possibility; I was fighting with her McAfee Total Security (poorly designed firewall) last time and found that it had blocked a number of things it shouldn't...and it wasn't really intuitive how to get them to work. The program list has about a dozen AOL-related entries and I'm not sure which ones need to get out (email definitely, no idea what any of the other ones are for).

      My personal feeling is to tell her to ditch the portal and set up Thunderbird, but that might cause her head to explode.
      "I am quite confident that I do exist."
      "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

      Comment

      • #4
        Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...

        People still have AOL!?!?
        Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

        Comment

        • #5
          mjr -- As of about mid-2015, over two million people still used it, yeah. I couldn't tell you WHY...They just do.

          Getting the computer specs should be easy enough if you can get the model number. If it's a Dell, you can get the list of parts for that specific unit with the Express Service Code (usually on the underside). This will also let you know how much extra RAM can be added, and in what configurations; this may or may not help -- Check Task Manager to see memory usage. Also, the usual 32-bit caveat (Windows can't "see" more than 3.4 GB RAM or so unless it's 64-bit OS on a 64-bit-capable CPU). Laptop RAM is often quite expensive and, on some, a pain in the ASS to get to.

          Beyond that -- The usual -- AV and virus scans; It could simply be a really really old HD or a very full one (under 30% free space on C: means "slowdown;" below 20% means "slow to a crawl"). Her connection -- it varies. Just as long as she's not on dialup Also, clean out the TEMP and %TEMP% folders (Type one of those into "Run..." and delete everything in there it will let you delete; then do the other) and empty the recycle bin to free up disk space. Setting up a permanent swapfile can help with startup and shutdown times. Check the Startup folder and MSCONFIG to clear out unneeded TSRs/Apps.
          Last edited by EricKei; 01-17-2017, 12:18 AM.
          "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
          "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
          "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
          "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
          "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
          "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
          Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
          "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

          Comment

          • #6
            Quoth Dreamstalker View Post
            She owns a single-family house, so there's no connection-splitting between units. She does have a router and a number of devices connected and I have tracked down the slowdown to a (general) specific timeframe. I have yet to convince her to let me run any real connection diagnostics...
            Any chance of someone connecting to her wifi in that timeframe? She might not have it password protected.
            "I don't have to be petty. The Universe does that for me."

            Comment

            • #7
              Quoth mjr View Post
              People still have AOL!?!?
              My guess is that those people don't have sound systems in their cars - because the Edison cylinder recorder is not compatible with the Model T.

              Quoth EricKei View Post
              Just as long as she's not on dialup
              What's wrong with dialup? Works fine for me on a P2/400 running 98SE.
              Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

              Comment

              • #8
                At least it's SE
                "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
                "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
                "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
                "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
                "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
                "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
                Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
                "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

                Comment

                • #9
                  An outside connection is possible...not likely, but possible. I know Comcast has their equipment broadcasting public hotspots, but that's supposed to be segregated from internal networks. I'll check the router password; she said her late husband set a password, but she did tell me she 'resets' the router whenever AOL gets slow so she may have blown away security settings.

                  What I need is a good chunk of time uninterrupted with the computer(s), which isn't really an option. I do have a 'triage' list of stuff to be done, but typically that goes out the window every time I go over there.
                  "I am quite confident that I do exist."
                  "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Quoth wolfie View Post
                    My guess is that those people don't have sound systems in their cars - because the Edison cylinder recorder is not compatible with the Model T.
                    LMAO!!

                    The first part of your sentence (before the hyphen) made me think you were gonna go the 8-track route, but the payoff made it funnier...

                    What's wrong with dialup? Works fine for me on a P2/400 running 98SE.
                    Sometimes I feel like my DSL at home is at dial-up speeds.
                    Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Quoth mjr View Post
                      People still have AOL!?!?
                      I know someone who works at AOL!!

                      (Also someone who works at SGI, but that is generally meaningless to anyone outside of Silicon Valley.)
                      “There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged.
                      One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world.
                      The other, of course, involves orcs." -- John Rogers

                      Comment

                      Previous template Next
                      Working...