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Browsing with XP

shermans
Pro
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Registered: ‎07-09-2007

Browsing with XP

I have been having real problems using Internet Explorer 8 with XP lately because many sites are no longer designed for it.  I do plan to move to Windows 10 eventually but it means buying three new computers, and three new printers, and goodness knows how much new software for which I don't have the budget at present.  I also do not want more spaghetti code by upgrading a Windows 7 or 8 machine to Windows 10 which I know will be the case, despite what anyone tries to say to the contrary - upgrades never can compete with new installs.  So I will wait until Windows 10  is available and bedded-in.
So while I am waiting, I have to find a faster way to browse.  I have tried Firefox for XP but it is no better than IE.  I have now downloaded Chrome which certainly works fine but is desperately slow, especially when first loading.  Am I missing something and is there any way to speed this up ?  Once loaded, for instance, can I get it to stay in memory rather than re-staring every time I want to browse something new ?  Is there any way to strip out, perhaps, unused / unwanted features which carry an overhead ?
I may be sentimental, but I really do long for the reliable old days of IE and XP, even of Windows 98, when life was so much simpler and things therefore worked faster.  Nowadays, there seems to be so much garbage being processed in the background that my dear old computer often overheats ! Meantime, I wait and wait and wait ...
Any suggestions gratefully received.
42 REPLIES 42
picbits
Rising Star
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Registered: ‎18-01-2013

Re: Browsing with XP

What are the specs of the machine you are running it on ?
Many older machines simply do not have enough memory or processor power to keep up with some of the newer software, especially when websites have flash animation on.
w23
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Re: Browsing with XP

Palemoon (a Firefox 'offshoot') have a version for XP (optomised for Intel Atom netbooks and similar but works well on most XP systems): http://www.palemoon.org/palemoon-atom.shtml
[Edit - spelling]
Call me 'w23'
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jelv
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Browsing with XP

How much memory do you have in your PC? When you are browsing is there a lot of disk activity?
It's quite likely that £20 or so on extra memory could dramatically speed it up.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
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twocvbloke
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Re: Browsing with XP

My old Pentium4 desktop runs XP Pro and uses the XP-specific version of PaleMoon quite happily, I haven't intentionally used Internet Explorer for many years as it's level of security is very lax...
shermans
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Re: Browsing with XP

Quote from: DomS
What are the specs of the machine you are running it on ?
Many older machines simply do not have enough memory or processor power to keep up with some of the newer software, especially when websites have flash animation on.

Of course; how stupid of me.  I have just checked and there is only 760 Mb of memory.  The machine is a desktop with Celeron 2.66 GHz processor and is ten years old now.  Despite the low memory, I work on it all day using mainly heritage software, and it has always been reliable and adequately fast, until latterly.  I have no doubt whatsoever that memory is the cause and I will get some more - I can blow out all the dust and cobwebs while I am about it !  My laptop has 1Gb and on reflection works a bit better than the desktop.  It is only one year younger and I have already had to take it apart to clean out the cooling system, but have noticed it too has occasionally started to overheat lately.  I thought it was more dust but I suspect again even at 1Gb, it needs more memory these days.  I don't think it is prrogress; we are going backwards.  The third desktop is similar to my main one and is also very low on memory therefore.
What I am also worrying about when it comes to upgrades is replacing three printers - one of which is an old HP Laserjet which is still brilliant and you can get heritage cartridges for next to nothing on eBay still (!).
sjptd
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Registered: ‎01-09-2014

Re: Browsing with XP

Good luck with the memory upgrade, should improve things a lot.
What I am also worrying about when it comes to upgrades is replacing three printers I guess you could keep one XP machine around just to drive the printer and use it as a remote printer from any new machines; bit inconvenient though.
shermans
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Re: Browsing with XP

How much memory would you recommend ?
Thanks
Oldjim
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Re: Browsing with XP

If you can fit it in 2GB
Note that it is possible that you don't have any spare slots so you would need to replace your existing memory but if there is a slot free just add 1GB
However one thing to watch is the type of memory your motherboard supports
I upgraded a friends XP PC where the motherboard only supported a really old specification and I had to get a 1GB stick from Offtek
shermans
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Re: Browsing with XP

OldJim
Thanks.  The spec is :
Memory Installed          256 MB (2 x 128)
Maximum allowed        1 GB* (2 x 512) requires the replacement of the installed 256 MB DIMMs.
Speed supported          PC2100 and PC2700
Type                            184 pin, DDR RAM

I fear that means all I can do is to upgrade to 1 Gb.  I suspect that I must have 1 x 512 and 1 x 256, which means buying another 512.  Or could I get 2 x 1Gb ?
PowerLee
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Re: Browsing with XP

Your best getting a matched pair of memory.
It looks like from the specs posted you can only have a total of 1Gb installed, so that's 2 x 512 Mb sticks.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
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Re: Browsing with XP

Nope
The maximum allowed is only 1GB
However the memory installed doesn't match your previous post where you said you have 760MB - did the previous number include the swap file
What is the actual model of PC or the motherboard would be better
picbits
Rising Star
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Registered: ‎18-01-2013

Re: Browsing with XP

I'm guessing you have 768Mb which would be 1x512Mb module and 1x256Mb module less 8Mb for shared video.
To be honest with you, unless you can scrounge some memory at a cheap / free price, I wouldn't throw money at that machine.
shermans
Pro
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Re: Browsing with XP

It is a HP Pavilion a610.uk with Serial number CZB524ZZ2F.  It would be difficult to get the number of the motherboard because the box is hidden away (an old Dorset cottage) and would need a lot of deconstruction !
As for the memory installed, that came from the original specification.  I added more memory just after I bought it, when 768 Mb was a lot of memory !  Remember those days when everything was far simpler ?
Oldjim
Resting Legend
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Re: Browsing with XP

According to the spec for that computer it will accept a maximum of 2GB of Ram and from Crucial that is about £23 for 1GB
You could replace the initial 256MB with 1GB giving 1.5GB