guanmother

Sorry in advance for sounding like a newbie as far as computer 'language' goes , but I have some facts / questions / dilemmas that I'm sure some of the 'experts' on this forum can help me with! I reeeeally neeeed advice BEFORE spending MOOORE money , I sure this is understood !

My current computer is Windows XP & has 14 GB memory (yeeeesh!)

No name brand as not bought at a store, got from a good friend who is WAAAY more computer saavy than me, but difficult to get an appt with as he is very good at what he does!

I've taken NUMEROUS pictures & downloaded to computer. Needless to say, the more is downloaded ... the slower it goes!!

I see TWO OBVIOUS OPTIONS!, which is where I neeeeeed advice & help.

1) - Would it be BETTER for me to ADD memory to my current computer, remember it's a whopping 14 GB (haha!)
2) - Or would it be PREFERRABLE for me to go with my instinct & purchase an external hard drive to download my photos to!

FACTS: I have QUITE a few photos (& short {30 seconds or less} movies) that I've downloaded to the computer. Of course, it has become VERY SLOW as a result of this.

Question: IF I purchase an external hard drive (I'm shopping in the 250 to 500 GB range), can I ALSO download PROGRAMS to it, or do I fuss around with the photos / movies on my computer THEN download the end result to the external hard drive?

Bob Jeffery

Ok...well however you got 14gb, a 32bit os(operating system)only recognizes 3.5gb...so unless you have a 64bit os more memory wont help. And adding more pics and movies shouldn't slow down the computer....It might boot time but do you mean just like using programs are slower or what???

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PohTayToez

He's talking about disk space, not RAM.

SirKenin

You go the external drive for numerous reasons:

a) you have a deadbeat computer that's living on borrowed time.

b) If a powersupply goes or something, it could easily take out the harddrive

c) If corruption occurs or the drive dies, you've lost all your porn.

d) If you have to reformat for any reason, you'll have to redownload it all (honestly, now, who has a backup strategy for porn? hehe)

e) When you replace your 'puter, hopefully sooner rather than later, the drive can transfer in seconds, along with your collection.

guanmother

Okay, I'm NOT in a financial position to buy a completely NEW computer.

I've NOT been having ANY problems with my current computer ... UNTIL ... I started downloading ALL of the photos that I've taken ... NOT PORNO, HAHAHA, just my guanchild Zilla's pics, my sweetie Tim's sons Navy bootcamp pics, AND his sons recent wedding pics!! There's just SO MANY OF THEM!! I've been advised that just a simple external drive would definitely help!!

It makes sense to me that -
- if I download pics to the main computer hard drive ... it slows down (duh!)

- if I download pics to an external hard drive ... it WON'T affect the MAIN computer & they are STILL saved

BACK TO MY ORIGINAL QUESTION ... -

Can I also download the program that I'm edited, cropping, fussing with the original photos ... onto the external hard drive??!!

I really think that purchasing an external hard drive WILL do the trick, BUT I NEEEEEED some SERIOUS advice!!!!!

SirKenin

I was teasin about the porn.. But not teasing about the drive itself. It still makes the most sense, for all the same reasons. Replace the word "porn" with "photos of post-natal unit".

guanmother

Hope I'm doin this right! Not even REEEAL good with forums yet, but gettin there!!
I like my computer, & have had NOOOO problems with it except it moves A LOT!!!!!! slower now that I've downloaded all the wedding / iguana pics off my digital camera.

I reeeeeally can't afford a new TOWER, but this was my ORIGINAL question?

Would it be better for me (AT THIS TIME) to add memory to my current computer, or just purchase an external hard drive to transfer the pictures to. I've been hunting on Amazon, Overstock & Ebay ... & it will be NO PROBLEM for me to get an external hard drive in the neighborhood of $100 give or take a bit ... as opposed to purchasing a completely NEW computer, when there is NOOOOOTHING wrong with what I already have, other than it got slower BECAUSE I PUT TOOOOOO MUCH STUFF on it!!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but .... it seems to me that it makes more sense to get an external hard drive JUST for photos (& the program for editing them) .... so ALL OF THIS would NOT slow down a computer that has been working without ANY problems or sluggishness ... until I added stuff it wasn't prepared to or had space to handle.

It would also seem like a GOOOOD thing to have the photos on a SEPARATE drive ... so they would NOT GET LOST OR DELETED due to whatever ISSUES my computer may come up with!

AM I NUTS??

Ok, yes I'm nuts, but I reeeeeally WANT to save ALL MY PHOTOS somewhere ELSE other than the MAIN computer, sooo whatdaya think of an external hard drive!!!!!!!

Vizy

A computer will not get slower because of stuff stored on your drives, Only searching for files will take afair bit of time. What you do is:
start-all prg-accesories-system tools- defrag. Defrag all you drives. Then go head and buy an external for you photos and stuff, u really dont wanna lose those, and delete them off your main hdd, if u want'. Do some antivirus and spyware scans, or post a HiJackThis Log in the Antivirus section of this form.Do now have hijack this fix these logs. Or if its real urgent , idk if they would appreddciarw it, but either PM GAmemaster or Ceewi w/ ur log. They're pros at this.

SirKenin

Actually it will. When you get down to the last couple of gb on your drive, Windows will start to struggle. I just ran into that a couple of days ago and an external drive is the solution we used.

guanmother

Thank you for ALL for your responses!!!