I've got a Dell PC I bought way back in '07 which came with Vista. Still works. I bought another in '14 running W8.1 (still used every day). And, I intend to buy a new Dell any day. But, I wish I could keep that old Dell from '07 still working. It's not connected to my home network. I'd like to keep it as an emergency system- just in case my others stopped working. When new, it was a hot system with the best of everything- yuh, like 4G of RAM! Now what happens is that it's slower than molasses. It works but at about 5% the speed- especially trying to get any response if clicking on a program or a file on the desktop. Once it finally brings up, say, a Word file, Word will function almost normally. It's trying to get the desktop to work at something better than turtle speed. I assume the problem is that it only has 4G of RAM (I think it's a Pentium 4 CPU). Just wondering if there's any way to speed it up I don't think the system has any malware. I was always practiced "save computing" with AV software. I notice that the CPU is almost always cranking the max-50-100% at all times.
Question salvage old Dell with 4G RAM?
- Thread starter JoeZorzin
- Start date
- Apr 6, 2009
- 54,098
- 3,384
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Yes, there was a 64-bit version of Vista. It wasn't awful when all updates/service packs were applied. Your Dell likely has a 64-bit compatible CPU (these CPUs were common in those rigs).
To change from a 32-bit to 64-bit OS means a full clean installation, you can't just upgrade. Your existing product key should also work with the same hardware.
However, if you are going to re-install an obsolete Windows OS, you might be better served by Windows 7. Windows 10 would also run on that rig, especially if you increased your memory to 8GB.
Last edited:
Good suggestions. I never thought of upgrading the OS. I wonder if I could get W7 at all and cheap? I've bought RAM in the past, ususally at Micron. They might not have it but I'll check. It was a good machine- hate to dump it. My several much older Dell's with XP and heavy monitors- dump all of them.
thanks!
thanks!
- Apr 6, 2009
- 54,098
- 3,384
- 179,340
I'm sure you can find "grey market" Win 7 product keys, but you need to be very careful with those sites. I do not recommend them. Same for Win 10 for that matter.
If it was my rig, I would lean toward Linux. Try something like this:
https://linuxmint.com/rel_vera_xfce_whatsnew.php
If it was my rig, I would lean toward Linux. Try something like this:
https://linuxmint.com/rel_vera_xfce_whatsnew.php
- Jun 19, 2011
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OK, I see on that site it's 64 bit. By the way, strange, but for the past few years- the high quality monitor that I got with that system- since I wasn't using this "Vista Box"- I let my wife take the monitor and I got a cheap not very good monitor at Staples. Then after a while I started to notice the system going slower and slower. But today I put the good monitor (Dell 24" 2407FPW) back on it and, now it's running better- much better. I wonder if that cheap monitor (I used a VGA to DVI adaptor) could have slowed it way down?
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