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Extreme RAM Usage and Resolution problems - Also some other little problems



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 1st 04, 09:26 PM
Mantis
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Extreme RAM Usage and Resolution problems - Also some other little problems

Alright, I need some serious help, so if any one could at
least point me in the rigth direction, that would be
great so here goes. A few days ago, I made the awful
mistake of installing Win XP Pro over my Home Edition on
my laptop when I was just trying to add it to my
network. Everything seems to be alright except for my
resolution, and what seems to be a lot of RAM usage.
This was never a problem until the install. I use to
have an ATI Control Panel running my taskbar, but now my
laptop says that I'm not using any type of ATI device. I
have the drivers for the ATI card my laptop was using,
but windows says that it can't install them, that I
should try installing standard VGA drivers before trying
the install. The biggest difference I see is that all my
icons are a lot bigger then they use to be, and I'm even
in the same resolution I was using before the install
which makes this whole thing seem even more odd, and my
Windows Task Manager suggests I'm using over half my RAM
even from boot up which I don't understand. I would
believe that would be the source of my slow response
scrolling through and changing documents, web pages, and
so forth. So what can I do perhaps get my resolution
back to the way it was?

Here are a couple of other little problems I'm having.
For some reason, after the install, My "My Documents"
folder is always opening at boot up. I thought I removed
it from my Start Up folder, but it still keeps popping
up. I'm thinking I did something wrong, so if someone
could tell me where to look for that start up process
folder, it would really help so I know if I was removing
it from the right place.

And the other problem is, since I installed Pro over my
Home Edition, I can't return to Home Edition because it
was just installed on there when the laptop was sent to
me. So now I'm getting that Activation Code message at
boot up. I do have the Product Key that the company
which built my laptop had installed on there, but XP Pro
won't accept it as my Product Key now. Can I use the
same Product Key I was using for Home Edition on the Pro
edition, or do I have end up buying another Product Key
from Microsoft?

Once again, any help is very much appreciated.

P.S. - The company that built my laptop does exist
anymore, so I can't contact them to help me. So that's
why I'm asking here. Thanks again.
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  #2  
Old August 1st 04, 09:38 PM
CHAUD
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Extreme RAM Usage and Resolution problems - Also some other little problems

You could always reformat and install pro again


"Mantis" wrote in message
...
Alright, I need some serious help, so if any one could at
least point me in the rigth direction, that would be
great so here goes. A few days ago, I made the awful
mistake of installing Win XP Pro over my Home Edition on
my laptop when I was just trying to add it to my
network. Everything seems to be alright except for my
resolution, and what seems to be a lot of RAM usage.
This was never a problem until the install. I use to
have an ATI Control Panel running my taskbar, but now my
laptop says that I'm not using any type of ATI device. I
have the drivers for the ATI card my laptop was using,
but windows says that it can't install them, that I
should try installing standard VGA drivers before trying
the install. The biggest difference I see is that all my
icons are a lot bigger then they use to be, and I'm even
in the same resolution I was using before the install
which makes this whole thing seem even more odd, and my
Windows Task Manager suggests I'm using over half my RAM
even from boot up which I don't understand. I would
believe that would be the source of my slow response
scrolling through and changing documents, web pages, and
so forth. So what can I do perhaps get my resolution
back to the way it was?

Here are a couple of other little problems I'm having.
For some reason, after the install, My "My Documents"
folder is always opening at boot up. I thought I removed
it from my Start Up folder, but it still keeps popping
up. I'm thinking I did something wrong, so if someone
could tell me where to look for that start up process
folder, it would really help so I know if I was removing
it from the right place.

And the other problem is, since I installed Pro over my
Home Edition, I can't return to Home Edition because it
was just installed on there when the laptop was sent to
me. So now I'm getting that Activation Code message at
boot up. I do have the Product Key that the company
which built my laptop had installed on there, but XP Pro
won't accept it as my Product Key now. Can I use the
same Product Key I was using for Home Edition on the Pro
edition, or do I have end up buying another Product Key
from Microsoft?

Once again, any help is very much appreciated.

P.S. - The company that built my laptop does exist
anymore, so I can't contact them to help me. So that's
why I'm asking here. Thanks again.



  #3  
Old August 2nd 04, 05:37 AM
Plato
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Extreme RAM Usage and Resolution problems - Also some other little problems

Mantis wrote:

have the drivers for the ATI card my laptop was using,
but windows says that it can't install them, that I
should try installing standard VGA drivers before trying
the install. The biggest difference I see is that all my


Try safe mode, remove the video card/drivers then reboot and try to load
your video drivers then. Your home drivers should work in pro but you
never know. Perhaps you need updated drivers. To help ID your video chip
you can use everest:

http://www.lavalys.com/products.php?lang=en

Windows Task Manager suggests I'm using over half my RAM
even from boot up which I don't understand. I would


If you had 128 ram pro would use all of it on bootup. It sounds like you
have 512 in which case using over half your ram would be normal.

believe that would be the source of my slow response
scrolling through and changing documents, web pages, and
so forth. So what can I do perhaps get my resolution
back to the way it was?


Thats not due to ram but if often due to video drivers so thus far until
you upgrade them it may be normal.

me. So now I'm getting that Activation Code message at
boot up. I do have the Product Key that the company
which built my laptop had installed on there, but XP Pro
won't accept it as my Product Key now. Can I use the


Call ms they will give you a new key.






--
http://www.bootdisk.com/


  #4  
Old August 2nd 04, 03:12 PM
Alex Nichol
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Extreme RAM Usage and Resolution problems - Also some other little problems

Mantis wrote:

The biggest difference I see is that all my
icons are a lot bigger then they use to be, and I'm even
in the same resolution I was using before the install
which makes this whole thing seem even more odd, and my
Windows Task Manager suggests I'm using over half my RAM
even from boot up which I don't understand.


That will be a red herring. Windows does its level best to find *some*
use for all of RAM all the time - if only to cache all files yet loaded,
just in case they should be needed again. It would need a very large
RAM not to have at least half finding some use after boot.

I would
believe that would be the source of my slow response
scrolling through and changing documents, web pages, and
so forth. So what can I do perhaps get my resolution
back to the way it was?


One reason might be a need to defragment. To adjust Icon size, go to
Display - Appearance page, click Advanced, in Item select Icon and
change the size (in pixels - normal default is 32)


And the other problem is, since I installed Pro over my
Home Edition, I can't return to Home Edition because it
was just installed on there when the laptop was sent to
me. So now I'm getting that Activation Code message at
boot up. I do have the Product Key that the company
which built my laptop had installed on there, but XP Pro
won't accept it as my Product Key now. Can I use the
same Product Key I was using for Home Edition on the Pro
edition, or do I have end up buying another Product Key
from Microsoft?


The Pro CD you used for the upgrade should have come with its own
Product Key. If it is was not 'borrowed' from another machine, you use
that key. If it was a retail one that has been removed from another
machine you can still use the key; may need to do activation by phoning
in. Otherwise you will need to buy a regular retail copy. Home edition
keys do not work with Pro,

--
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K. (remove the D8 bit)
 




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