Slow internet connection.

[AstralFire]

Not sure how to deal with this one; my parents' computer is experiencing slow internet (and it's not the ISP; other computers on the network work fine.)

The computer itself has been going through a slow and systematic failure of alacrity in the two years since my dad nuked it with spyware and paid Best Buy to nuke the thing clean rather than waiting for me to get home to do a format. It's slowed to a crawl with little discernable spyware on there and basically only a quarter of its drive space freed up - and now it basically cannot navigate the web. I'm not even sure how to begin troubleshooting this - help?

[Generic Archer]

Reininstall the OS. Start from scratch again...
The other option is to do a restore if you have the disks.

[AstralFire]

My parents have lost their OS disk, so that's not an option. I have my OS disks, but I bought Vista. Their computer semi-chokes on XP, I don't think that's a good idea. Also I'm running x64.

[AstralFire]

It's the cable. I am not looking forward to replacing it - it's strewn very intimately through a labyrinth constructed just to protect it from damage.

How much do a decent wireless/ethernet combo router and a wireless PCI card cost?

[KuReshtin]

Depending on where you are, and where you look, the prices can vary quite a bit.

I bought a Buffalo Ethernet/wireless router with ADSL modem for about £35 which is a pretty decent price.
It's lasted about three years or so, and now, the ethernet part of it seems to have stopped working (or my desktop is causing it to not want to connect to anything else through ethernet, which doesn't seem likely) and I decided to buy a Wireless USB adapter to plug into my desktop instead. That set me back £16.09 (bought it yesteday).

With regards to the OS cds, it's worth having a look to see if the machine came with a recovery partition on the HDD, which means you'd be able to reinstall the system without the need for CDs. I know a lot of computers nowadays doesn't come with CDs at all, just for the reason that people misplaced them. If it's a branded computer, the likelyhood of there being a recovery partition is pretty high.

[Crispy Dave]

www.newegg.com

this is all you need.

[RS14]

How much do a decent wireless/ethernet combo router and a wireless PCI card cost?

What does this have to do with it? If the OS is running slowly, switching the connection type shouldn't change anything.


My parents have lost their OS disk, so that's not an option. I have my OS disks, but I bought Vista. Their computer semi-chokes on XP, I don't think that's a good idea. Also I'm running x64.

Well tell them they shouldn't have lost the disks. If they want it to work again, they're going to need to spend the money to replace them.

Alternatively, offer to set up Linux.

If they just want to leave it as it is, get a Linux live CD for yourself and use that when you need to do anything on their computer.

[valadil]

If your parents are anything like my parents, linux may be the answer. Just give them a shortcut to firefox and openoffice. That's all most people ever use their computers for anyway.

Otherwise it's time for a reinstall.

[AstralFire]

What does this have to do with it? If the OS is running slowly, switching the connection type shouldn't change anything.

I thought the speed issues might be linked, but it wasn't a definite; my suspicion is actually that the RAM's being damaged by the cheap power supply they have since they bought a low-end Compaq against my wishes several years ago. I regularly defrag and spybot/antivirus that computer and they have around 20% HDD usage, so I really can't see what else could be causing it (...well, they do have MacAfee installed, again against my wishes, but even that shouldn't be causing as much slowdown as it has). The internet speed issue I have pin-pointed as being the ethernet cable; the ethernet cable is snaked through the wall in this really hard-to-get setup so that we keep the wires off the floor, and I'd really rather just set up Wi-Fi than go through that again.


Well tell them they shouldn't have lost the disks. If they want it to work again, they're going to need to spend the money to replace them.

Alternatively, offer to set up Linux.

If they just want to leave it as it is, get a Linux live CD for yourself and use that when you need to do anything on their computer.

Ahahaha no ahahahaha no.

Aside from the fact that I'm not a fan of Linux, my parents use a bunch of stuff like tax software, dozens of those cheap little games my mom collected from somewhere, and some other things. I'm not inclined to set those back up. I really don't need to use their computer for anything anyway, I'm just trying to help them out.

[RS14]

I thought the speed issues might be linked, but it wasn't a definite; my suspicion is actually that the RAM's being damaged by the cheap power supply they have since they bought a low-end Compaq against my wishes several years ago. The internet speed issue I have pin-pointed as being the ethernet cable; the ethernet cable is snaked through the wall in this really hard-to-get setup so that we keep the wires off the floor, and I'd really rather just set up Wi-Fi than go through that again.


The Ubuntu install CDs I know have a memory test utility. I'm certain that there are other ways to accomplish this. I suggest running such a diagnostic tool.




Ahahaha no ahahahaha no.

Aside from the fact that I'm not a fan of Linux, my parents use a bunch of stuff like tax software, dozens of those cheap little games my mom collected from somewhere, and some other things. I'm not inclined to set those back up.

Well, it's not for everyone of course. But if it's not an option, you may to need to explain to your parents why the need to buy a new copy of XP.

[KuReshtin]

... a low-end Compaq ...

Should have the recovery partition on the HDD in a hidden partition, then.
You should consult the user's manual and see what the correct procedure is to get into that partition to be able to reinstall the system.

[AstralFire]

Thanks, I'll check that out tomorrow. :)

[Kcalehc]

Log in as Admin. Start -> Run. type cmd.

At the command prompt: "ipconfig /flushdns"; then "ipconfig /renew". (without the ", return/enter between each).

Uninstall your web browser, uninstall and 'toolbars' or web add-ins that are installed; then reinstall your web browser. May get rid of some of the junk that can clutter it up.