Late arrival into topic, but hey...better late than never, right?
For some reason, lately the computer has been acting real slow to open programs or explorer windows, and seems to give me the 'Program not responding' message every so often. If I do see the 'Not responding' message, how do I end the application or t ask (CTRL-ALT-DEL doesnt do anything), because once the 'Not responding' message shows up, the computer stops responding to keyboard input while the mouse still works.
Above all, why is this happening and how to fix it
You have Vista and 1 GB of RAM. That's reason enough. Running Vista with less than 2 GB of RAM is the number one cause of computer cancer.
Three options here:
1) Get more RAM.
Benefits:
+: No need to go through the hassle of formatting (although backing up your data is always a good idea, regardless).
+: It's usually a 5 minute fix if you know how to do it.
Drawbacks:
-: Costs money.
-: Possibility of buying the wrong RAM if you don't do your homework (
http://www.crucial.com makes this easy 99% of the time).
2) Use a USB flash drive as ReadyBoost.
Benefits:
+: Quick fix if you have a flash drive with nothing on it.
Drawbacks:
-: 1 GB + Readyboost is faster than 1 GB alone, but still a lot slower than having 2 GB of RAM or more with Vista
-: It's a band-aid solution--like boarding up a broken window instead of getting a new one.
3) Downgrade to XP.
Benefits:
+: XP runs just fine on 1 GB of RAM.
Drawbacks:
-: There is no "in-place downgrade" from Vista to XP. You will have to back up your data, format, and install XP.
-: You'll have to find XP drivers for all your stuff. Your computer probably only came with Vista drivers.
-: You'll also have to get a Windows XP installation disc and product key. You'll have to contact Microsoft or the manufacturer of your PC for information on getting an XP disc and key to exercise downgrade rights.
Honestly, I would recommend #1 to you. RAM is extremely cheap these days.
