Adding memory to my laptop

[Eireann]

Since my desktop is currently out of action, I've been using my old laptop. And when I say "old", I mean, "it doesn't allow me to play video or read my messages in Facebook".

When I got it, it was used (a kind relative who works in IT gave it to me), and had the basics installed. The thing is now one of the slowest computers imaginable. It works, and it seems to appreciate my current Internet connection, but DAMN is it SLOW!

I've just been reading about how to install more memory in a laptop. Does this work for one that's about ten years old? The hard drive is removable, as I discovered last night. Just about everything in it is removable. It's an HP, if that helps. I have no idea what to buy, being fairly low-tech.

Ideas?

[Broomjockey]

Off-hand? I'd say your likelyhood of finding compatible memory for a ten year old lappy would be slim at best. But we'd need way more information. Like, way more. At least a model number so we can try and find out ourselves what memory it can even take, and what its limits are. We'd also need to know how much is in there, and in what configuration. Also we'd need what OS, since at 10 years, you're probably running Windows 98, unless it was upgraded after it was made, since XP is only 8 years old.

[RichS]

It still can be difficult to install memory in a laptop - for example, my emachines M6805.

It has 2 memory slots. One is easily accessible by a cover underneath. The other, well, isn't - it's under the memory card reader and keyboard, only accessible by disassembling the top portion of the machine.

Let's just say I'm now an expert at taking my laptop apart.

[Eireann]

My laptop is an HP OmniBook 900. It has Windows 2000, and not a hell of a lot else. Sometimes I think it's running on about 1GB total memory. But it works! Which is more than I can say for my desktop.

Is it feasible to add memory?

[Broomjockey]

If it's a 900B, which will be shown on the serial number, then yes, you can upgrade. But I highly doubt you're running 1GB already. Please confirm that amount. If you ARE running 1GB, that's the best you're going to get. You need PC-100 RAM, and that only comes in up to 512MB sticks, and very few laptops have 4 DIMM slots. That means you could only get 1GB at the highest.

And from reading the manual, it really looks like you've only got one slot available, which means you'd be stuck at 512MB tops, if you can find one. They're not easy.

The manuals for the system are available here:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...SeriesId=31640

One of them shows you how to install the RAM on page 62. It also reiterates what type of RAM you need.

[Eireann]

Nope, no 900B. That's right, it's REALLY low on memory, even more than I had remembered. Any other choices here?

[Broomjockey]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&c...ed=0CDcQ1QIoAQ

The first link is a pdf version of the manual, section 2-5 is replacing RAM. It lists the highest you can put in as 128MB. So again, double check what you actually have in the machine already. You assuredly do not have 1GB. In fact, you should do the dissassembly steps, and there should be a label with the parts number on it. Then you can compare it to what's in the manual, and see what you've got, and where you can go.

[otakuneko]

Win 2k should be fine on 512-1GB. What else are you running that might be slowing it down?

Nevermind, I think I found the manual for the 900... http://search.hp.com/redirect.html?t...002_USEN&pos=7

Specs on page 128. Stock configuration is 32MB RAM with one expansion slot supporting up to a 128MB stick for a max of 160MB.
CPU is a Pentium II 450 or 500.

otakuneko's recommendation: Hit up ebay or used parts shops for some memory for it, upgrade to the full 160MB.

I had a Celeron 400 running 2k Server on 160MB before. Worked alright.

Failing that, take stock of what you're running on it. Check out the BlackViper service configuration guide. Skip antivirus and run as a non-admin. Use Sandboxie. Run K-Meleon or Opera instead of Firefox. (Better yet skip networking at all and ditch security software entirely.) Use an older version of Office. If you feel ambitious, try using nlite to create a stripped-down version of Win 2k. If Windows 2000 is not required for any software you use, lighten the load by replacing it with 98SE, or even damnsmalllinux.

I often use a Sony Picturebook with a 600MHz Crusoe CPU, 128MB RAM, running Win 2k. Sucker's pretty slow, especially when the power management software is clocking the CPU down to half-speed for battery life (which is AWESOME for a machine with a battery that old: 5 hours! Eat your heart out, Aspire1, let's see YOU do that at 5 years old!). Still good for note-taking, and even recording lectures with Audacity. Takes about half an hour to encode them to mp3 later though, even at full speed. It runs Office 2000...sort of. However, it's also "good enough" for reading sites like CS.

Bottom line: it's going to be slow no matter what, but the more you lighten the load the less painful it'll be.

[Eric the Grey]

An easier suggestion would be to hit the Crucial.com website and run their automated scanner. It should work with Win 2000.

http://www.crucial.com/

They can not only tell you how many slots you have, but what kind of memory it takes, and of course, if they can sell it to you.

You'll need to run the scanner through IE though. It doesn't like Firefox.



Eric the Grey