How to speedup Acer Aspire One

Recently purchased an Acer Aspire One with the following specs:
1.6Ghz Intel Atom
1Gig ram
Windows XP Home ed SP3
160gig hd

All I gotta say, after my thinkpad r50p this thing is slow as balls.. I mean I figured it would be somewhat slower but specs are very close to the thinkpad and it was WAY faster without the lag I'm seeing with the Aspire One.

I want to upgrade the ram to the full 2gig, will it make a significant difference?

I've already deleted a few useless pre-installed progs, is there anything else I can do to speed up this netbook?

advice is appreciated :idea:

 

It may not help. Upgrading the RAM doesn't speed up the computer per se. It will only help for those times when your memory is insufficient for a given task (for example, if you're running running multiple programs at once or working with really humongous files). Adding more RAM will stop the computer from swapping whatever's in the memory to the hard disk when the memory fills up. It won't, for example, make the computer start up any faster.

The speed you're looking for comes from the processor. But the Intel Atom wasn't really designed for speed. It was made for netbooks with the goal of saving space and conserving energy. It's a Honda Civic and you're looking for a Ford Mustang.

Having said that, 1GB of memory is kind of minimal for Windows, so adding that other gigabyte will probably help stop the occasional swapping. Just don't expect it to make your computer fly.

 

Somebody else on this forum has suggested this fix and others found it worked for them (you can probably search to find it):

"right click on my computer, and go to properties. select hardware and then select device manager. click the + next to IDE controllers. Right click primary IDE channel and select uninstall. You will be asked to reboot. Reboot and the system will reinstall this for you. Reboot again and it should all be working."

Never had the problem so never did it. I also routinely use CCleaner file and registry modes which gets rid of an amazing amount of system clog, as well as a defrag utility, and empty out the c:\\Windows\Prefetch folder to auto rebuild itself every few months.

I have your identical system and it's very snappy except for a few online video feeds that get a little choppy.

 

Great info, thanks guys

I figured as much about the memory, I do happen to multitask a bit and think any upgrade in that area should help at least some.
Hmm, so next step how do I actually do it? LOL sorry for the newbiness, but I can't seem to find any netbook memory on newegg?

Forone, can you please explain a bit more what this procedure will do?
"right click on my computer, and go to properties. select hardware and then select device manager. click the + next to IDE controllers. Right click primary IDE channel and select uninstall. You will be asked to reboot. Reboot and the system will reinstall this for you. Reboot again and it should all be working."

Also I'd like to note that I have yet to use the netbook as a "netbook", funny as it sounds
Instead, it is docked at home to a 23in Samsung flatscreen monitor. Could that be causing some of the lag I'm noticing?

As always, replies are much appreciated

 

Sorry I didn't check this for a few days. That controller uninstall/reboot is for problems viewing DVDs etc. on external drives, might not be your problem. I'll reiterate recommendation to use CCleaner periodically, especially since large application removals usually leave a lot of system-clogging registry entries and files, and try deleting and letting XP rebuild the Windows\Prefetch folder, because entries will remain there for all the uninstalled items. I've adopted a lot of system tweaks, having used XP since 2002, but can recall being impressed that the AA1 ran fast out of the box and should be good for ordinary tasks. I'd try to identify the current problem before doing a lot of other things.

More RAM is great but I've been reluctant to go into this little box, and have a better machine for heavy duty. (I'm also running a 23" Samsung monitor off an old Dell 8100, 866MHz and 512 RAM, and it's fine.)

 

awesome Forone, thank you for your response

also finally using it as a true netbook for first time and I must say, she is very speedy! doin good at multi tasking too, loading and alternating between 5 tabs using google chrome, good stuff :mrgreen:

 

I just finished uninstalling the IDE controller and reinstalling it and to my surprise this work perfect. I am running windows 7 and I was experiencing some lag in programs, and so far I can see the difference. I was also having the issue with my external DVD being recognized I have not tested that part extensively as of yet.

 

You didn't say exactly which model AA1 you have. The newer 10" screen models have an access panel on the bottom of the case which makes it easy to swap out RAM chips. The older 8.9" screens (like mine) require complete disassembly of the unit from the top down to upgrade the RAM chip. You will need a VERY steady hand, the correct tools, nerves of steel and a service manual to do it. A 512 RAM chip is soldered onto the motherboard and another is in the expansion slot. The chipset on the motherboard will only recognize a TOTAL of 2 gigs of RAM, so you can only physically add a 1gig chip which would give you a total of 1.5gig of memory. DO NOT BELIEVE ANY EBAY SELLER OR ANYONE ELSE THAT TELLS YOU THAT YOU CAN PUT IN A 2GIG CHIP INTO THE OLDER AA1. IT WON'T WORK!!! If you have one of the newer versions (10" screen) I believe that they will take a 2gig chip. The access door on the older Acer AA1 is for the addition of a 3G wireless card. If you open it, there will be nothing inside.