[localareamitten]

(I hope I have posted this in the right forum)

I have a Samsung x15 running XP and at the moment I feel like throwing it out of the window.

It's capacity 1.95 GB (1.80GB used, 146MB free) So i constantly get Low memory warnings and there's not enough space for downloading files.

This wouldn't bother me so much if i actually had anything on this damned computer but i don't. no image files except those associated with windows/themes, no music files, no word documents etc. I don't even have microsoft works on here any more as I had to delete it.

The computer is literally empty but for BT voyager modem application for the internet.

I don't know loads about computers, in fact I know very little but I am keen to learn and I thought that i would like the challenge fixing this problem but I simply cannot figure it out. I have scanned for adware and there was only one which i removed but still: LOW MEMORY.

argh! lol. Please somone help me, I am thoroughly stuck. :heartlove

 

[8210GUY]

Well assuming your drive capacity's you quoted are correct it's no wonder, TBH I'm surprised you've managed to get xp on it, you certainly couldn't of got the updates on as well so you will be full of security holes, 5 gig will even be a tight squeeze with all the updates etc, and the only thing you can do about that is to get a new hard drive, but if your drives are that small you may want to look at getting a new system, another thing you can do is use 98se, odds on you would of had some version of 98 on there given it's probable age, but your hands are really tied with those spec's.

 

[MunkyPhil]

Seen as you only have a few things installed I personally think the best way forward for you would be to format your hard drive and start again. Booting from the windows disk will give you the option to do this. Computers are efficient collectors of 'stuff', especially when connected to the internet and it is advisable to do a format and reinstall once a year to clean everything up and get everything runnung how it should again.

Other than that, you should get a new hard drive or you could check that your virtual memory paging file isn't set too high. This sets aside hard drive space for use as memory and should be set to 2.5 times the total physical memory you have (for some unknown reason). You can set it lower as follows:

To change the size of the virtual memory paging file
Click the right mouse button on My Computer (either in the start menu or on your desktop) and click 'Properties'.
On the Advanced tab, click Performance Options, and under Virtual memory, click Change.
In the Drive list, click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change.
Under Paging file size for selected drive, type a new paging file size in megabytes in the Initial Size (MB) or Maximum Size (MB) box, and then click Set.
If you decrease the size of either the minimum or maximum page file settings, you must restart your computer to see the effects of those changes. Increases generally do not require a restart.

 

[localareamitten]

Well assuming your drive capacity's you quoted are correct it's no wonder, TBH I'm surprised you've managed to get xp on it, you certainly couldn't of got the updates on as well so you will be full of security holes, 5 gig will even be a tight squeeze with all the updates etc, and the only thing you can do about that is to get a new hard drive, but if your drives are that small you may want to look at getting a new system, another thing you can do is use 98se, odds on you would of had some version of 98 on there given it's probable age, but your hands are really tied with those spec's.

thanks for responding. Do you think that if it took it to a computer repair person then they'd be able to put it right? I literally cannot comprehend how this has happened as the computer was new in 2004 and hardly used, certainly not for anything advanced.

 

[Deleted090308]

Are you sure the HDD capacity is only 1.95 GB? How old is that computer?

 

[localareamitten]

Seen as you only have a few things installed I personally think the best way forward for you would be to format your hard drive and start again. Booting from the windows disk will give you the option to do this. Computers are efficient collectors of 'stuff', especially when connected to the internet and it is advisable to do a format and reinstall once a year to clean everything up and get everything runnung how it should again.

Other than that, you should get a new hard drive or you could check that your virtual memory paging file isn't set too high. This sets aside hard drive space for use as memory and should be set to 2.5 times the total physical memory you have (for some unknown reason). You can set it lower as follows:

To change the size of the virtual memory paging file
Click the right mouse button on My Computer (either in the start menu or on your desktop) and click 'Properties'.
On the Advanced tab, click Performance Options, and under Virtual memory, click Change.
In the Drive list, click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change.
Under Paging file size for selected drive, type a new paging file size in megabytes in the Initial Size (MB) or Maximum Size (MB) box, and then click Set.
If you decrease the size of either the minimum or maximum page file settings, you must restart your computer to see the effects of those changes. Increases generally do not require a restart.

thanks for responding I had already tried changing the size of the virtual memory and it did free up some space but still not enough.
Regarding formatting my hard drive, i was thinking about doing this but have been kind of nervous that i will do something wrong which will ruin things further.

 

[localareamitten]

Are you sure the HDD capacity is only 1.95 GB? How old is that computer?

i bought it in 2004

 

[localareamitten]

If i bought an external hard drive would that be a good thing to do?

 

[Deleted090308]

Since the computer's from 2004 I can't believe the HDD is that small. If you double-click My computer (desktop) and then click the hard drive, you should be able to see how big it is.

 

[MunkyPhil]

There is no way a new 2004 computer had a 1.95Gb hard drive, I had a new 6.4Gb hard drive in 1998. Look in Control panel -> Administrative Tools -> computer management and click on disk management in the tree on the left to see your hard drives and partitions, post back with what you see because it sounds like you're just using a boot partition. I think you might have to use Fdisk from the windows installation recovery console to set up new partitions. You need to back up any important data first because it formats your hard drive.

 

[8210GUY]

I think it would really help us if you could tell us your system spec's (model numbers etc), as to an external drive, no, it would be better to replace the internal drive initially, but hold fire and give us your full system details (use Everest in sig if needed) and then when we see what your working with we will be able to advise you much more as to your best options.

 

[Kalim]

Yes check your HDD space. It seems your quoting the RAM value unless the drive isn't being picked up correctly, or is a manually purchased older drive.

 

[speedster123]

Also, would you tell us what virus protection is installed on your hard drive?

 

[localareamitten]

There is no way a new 2004 computer had a 1.95Gb hard drive, I had a new 6.4Gb hard drive in 1998. Look in Control panel -> Administrative Tools -> computer management and click on disk management in the tree on the left to see your hard drives and partitions, post back with what you see because it sounds like you're just using a boot partition. I think you might have to use Fdisk from the windows installation recovery console to set up new partitions. You need to back up any important data first because it formats your hard drive.

thanks for responding to this problem

it actually says:
C partition basic ntfs healthy (system) 1.95GB
D partition basic ntfs healthy (boot) 35.30 GB

So is D: where all the memory is? how has that happened?

xx

 

[localareamitten]

Also, would you tell us what virus protection is installed on your hard drive?

It's Norton i use but i have even had to diable goback due to lack of memory :sigh:

 

[localareamitten]

I think it would really help us if you could tell us your system spec's (model numbers etc), as to an external drive, no, it would be better to replace the internal drive initially, but hold fire and give us your full system details (use Everest in sig if needed) and then when we see what your working with we will be able to advise you much more as to your best options.

Thanks for responding to this absurd problem of mine, much appreciated.
It's Samsung X15 and that's all i know really. Sorry i don't know much about the physical side of computers lol.

 

[MaverickUK]

Lol i think we found where all your space has gone! You have two partitions for some reason, you should really only need one. It may be an idea to format and do one partition (this is basically an area on the drive for your data - you can also name that partition).

 

[Kalim]

Someone who created the primary C: partition did it all wrong. Its should be at least 8GB on the minimal side.

No wonder it's too low. I think one of the partitions needs to be deleted now.

 

[localareamitten]

it's really weird isn't it. I have no idea how that happened to my computer but at least now i know roughly what is going on.

I have very little idea/confidence about putting this problem right. Do you guys think i should just take the computer to PC world or something?

At least there's hope of fixing it, i don't have to chuck the damned thing out of the upstairs window just yet, lol.

 

[Kalim]

Oh no, not PC World. :sayno: They were found to be abysmal in service and actual technological departments. There's surveys online recently carried out confirming this. Everyone learns, and its best to know what you do yourself so you have control of it and knowledge about it either way. There's no magic cure, we all have to learn the only way. :smile:

You can do it very easily by yourself and it just takes testing and practice.

You can use the diskpart command in Recovery Console which lets you create and delete partitions i.e. diskpart /delete D: command deletes D: partition. You can also use Partition Magic to combine partitions etc or better UBCD will allow you to do all the necessary resizing/adding/deleting.