To increase the free yield

Undoubtedly the sleep of all of us. Do not think that I am going to give him magic formulae to turn free 486 into a flaming Pentium II, but perhaps obtain the maximum of potency of his machine, which is already something. If he could do other: does he believe that one would say it free?

Yes, already I know that this is not Know his Software, but it is worth putting us a little in this intricate forest. The following advices will allow him to increase (or not!!) the yield the hands not to get dirty and nor to touch a screwdriver:

The drivers are the controlers of devices hardware, small programs that handle them under a certain operating system. The most common are those of the videocard, which also influence very much the yield of graphic environments like Windows. I insist: they influence very much.

First make sure of if it is using a few special drivers for his card in particular or the standard of Windows 3.x, 95 or NT, which will be very probable if the resolution of screen that it uses is "miser" standard VGA (640x480 points with 16 ó 256 colors); for more on this, goes to the section How to change the screen resolution. Once done this, and especially if it discovers that it is using these so slack drivers, it will have to update them for the new some. If in the shop a few diskettes or a CD - ROM did not meet to him on they and the manual of the card, bad matter; complain.

To find drivers updated, the best thing is to get connected to Internet and to look for them, for which it can go to www.drivershq.com, or better to the page of the manufacturer of his videocard (S3, ATI, Number Nine, Trident, Matrox...); do not be wrong of type of card, they are not equal although only it changes a little the reference. Once it has them, install them according to the instructions (and or he knows English, or more it costs that it serves my page to him of How changing the screen resolution).

If something was failing, like for example an image like codified and illegible: extinguish the monitor, rapidly! And install again the previous drivers or more appropriate others. Was it sure that he was not wrong of card? Check if it has not passed as for the way of video and the refreshment of screen, which are explained on the pages:

• What is... the videocard?
• What is... the monitor?

For the users of Windows 95, I recommend to pulsate on having started to enter the Way mistakes test and to arrange the offense. For Windows 3.x, it is enough to TWO to go out and to repeat the original process.

Other important drivers are those of access to the hard disk, that especially in badges modern 486 can be necessary to use the ways PEEP, UltraDMA or the access of 32 bits in TWO and Windows 3.x. I send the manual of his motherboard, hard disk and/or disc checker, this area is too specific.

Or also drivers reviews for the CD - ROM, for the scanner, for units Zip... Check all, especially if it is differing with his functioning or speed.

If it has Windows 95 and 4 has installed the Internet Explorer with the option of Active Office (I activated Desktop), sometimes known also like "update of the office of Windows", it is very probable that, on having done it, it has noticed a bassoon in the general yield of Windows. That is due to the fact that this characteristic consumes big quantity of memory and not few resources of the system... enclosed if we do not use it by no means.

If he has not a moderately powerful computer (a Pentium 133 or Superior) and especially very well provided with memory RAM (32 MB or any more), the best thing is that it deactivates this option. After everything, his advantages (clic simple instead of double, folders personalized with code HTML and to throw programs from icons in the tasks bar) are not so important as to justify a descent in the general yield of the system.

For desinstalarlo, go to the Control panel, icon to Add or to remove programs, choose Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 and touch on the button to Add or to remove. Seguidamente will go out for him a screen in which he can choose to eliminate only this annoying "advance". Certainly, if you have Windows 98, bad luck: in this version it turns out to be an almost impossible desinstalar the Active Desktop, since it is part of the operating system in itself.

Many people happen months or years without knowing that his computer has problems, sometimes very serious. There are usually a conflicts consequence between devices that try to gain access to the same IRQ, for example, or due to how they are connected (a hard disk that is almost incompatible with the CD - ROM).

If it has Windows 95, there goes to the Control panel, icon System, eyelashes Manager of devices and Yield. If some error mark appears, it has a problem of this type (or a drivers conflict, for example). Read what it puts and act consequently; if it does not manage to repair it, he has left three solutions: to reinstall Windows just in case, the computer science shop or to call me (if he lives in Madrid, if he will not have to pay the trip to me).

Dangerous area for beginners, so he reads my page on the BIOS. In the BIOS he must verify that:

• Is all the memory detected? If he installed more but the BIOS does not find it, bad buy did; it is possible that his computer goes even worse. A few hundreds of Kb are always indicated less; nothing happens, it is not an error. But if more than one is missing "gentle"...
• Does the hard disk have the correct PIOUS way chosen? If there is selected route BIOS, which is the normal thing, at least it should be in way of automatic detection; if not, a way PIO-0 ("disconnected) is the normal thing for discs of less than 120 MB, PIO-3 for discs between 300 MB and 1 GB and a PIO-4 for discs of 1 GB or more. If he bought it it does very little, check the way Ultra-DMA, although this one sometimes needs software collaboration and one is usually able not to use in computers with one year or any more.
• And the ways of the parallel port? The modern printers and other devices of parallel port (Zip, escáners) usually need something more than the old standard; they prefer the ways EPP or ECP, and for more evil there are ways that are usually incompatible between themselves...

Even if his BIOS was well: it is sure that he has learned a heap!

Finally at home! Come, extract the screwdriver, read him Essentials of the update of computers and: there we go!

They are very bad partners, especially when the disc is more or less rapid (capable of UltraDMA or PIO-3 ó 4) and the more or less slow CD (2x, 4x, 6x). It is always convenient that they are separated, each one in a channel IDE. Often, being together makes impossible the use of UltraDMA or the access of 32 bits in Windows, what slows down very much the computer, especially if memory RAM does not remain us.

Not to repeat myself, I recommend to read him the paragraph to Install a hard disk, especially the table of the Appendix 2. Certainly, a slow hard disk is like a CD - ROM: the most rapid yield of another hard disk can be loaded, so treat him with the same "scorn". If the channels IDE finish him, connect the CD - ROM to the connector IDE of the sound card (and if it does not have, by 4.000 pesetas it is done by one very nice).

Abstain from horchata blood! HIS MICROPROCESSOR speaks about something CAPABLE OF BEING LOADED. Neither here I am going to refer to technical aspects; I send him to this paragraph. Only to say that it consists of using, for example, a Pentium 166 formed at more speed of face-value, never again of 10 ó 20 % (200 MHz super good would be already).

Yes, it is risked, but if it is right it usually works. Enclosed Intel has proved to be a Pentium II to 700 MHz, which was not but the normal one with a few fans and spendthrifts "of cryogenic effect", capable of cooling a mike under zero if it needs.

Since not at all more, at least free. By very little money interesting things can be done, but free... I will continue in it. If it has some money, I recommend:

• To install more memory RAM, is thrown of price, less than 300 pts / Mb.
• To change his aged hard disk if it has less than 500 MB.
• To change his videocard into one with 3D (very cheap, from 10.000 pts or less) or to install a Voodoo2 for games (only if it has a Pentium 133 minimal).
• To change the motherboard and the mike (if it can, only this one). It is quite expensive, but it does not fail hardly ever.