# Do I really need more RAM? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322 "2002-12-12T20:46:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/1 "2002-12-12T20:46:28Z")
Here’s the problem: My computer freezes up every other day for no apparent reason and Netscape doesn’t work 90% of the time. I’ve got 128 MB RAM and Windows ME. I’ve deleted all the cookies and the tempory internet files. Netscape still isn’t working right. I called the computer place and they told me I need to buy more RAM. Do you think this would cure my problem? I’ve also heard that disabling programs running in the background will help. Are there any programs that automatically run that I don’t need? Is there any way to disable them permenently? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/2 "2002-12-12T20:53:37Z")
More RAM probably won’t help. To see what runs at startup click on START\>RUN and type MSCONFIG and hit \. There should be a bunch of tabs along the top. The one on the far right I believe says STARTUP…select that tab. You will see a list with a checkbox next to each item. Read down the list and uncheck anything you don’t want running when the PC starts. Should you change your mind on anything later just run MSCONFIG again and check the box of the item you want running. Also go to [http://windowsupdate.mictrosoft.com](http://windowsupdate.mictrosoft.com) and let your system get updated. This may cure some problems (or it might not but it generally doesn’t hurt so it’s worth a try). ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/3 "2002-12-12T20:53:57Z")
Windows ME will run quite happily on less than 128 MB of RAM. That’s not your problem. Possible problems (off the top of my head) - bad driver, some misbehaving program running in the background, some component overheating, bad power supply causing glitches, unseated component causing flakey operation… probably a lot more reasons but that should get you started. Certain versions of netscape and explorer just crash occasionally. You might try a different version. ---
**Author:** ![sweepkick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@sweepkick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweepkick)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/4 "2002-12-12T20:55:33Z")
128 MB of ram should be fine for a basic Windows ME setup. I’m curious what steps the computer place you called took to determine that it was a RAM issue. However, could you be a bit more specific in explaining what happens when Netscape does not work right? Also, when you say your computer “freezes”, do you mean locks up tight as you cannot move the mouse pointer, or hold down ctrl-alt-delete to get a task manager? What are you using for a virus checker? ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/5 "2002-12-12T21:01:38Z")
I suffer from a similar problem regarding the “freeze.” No mouse pointer movement, no ctrl-alt-delete to get a task manager. I have to physically turn the computer off and turn it on again. Same operating system, same amount of RAM. I, too, have been thinking about adding some memory (I’ve already removed quite a few programs from the Startup Menu). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/6 "2002-12-12T21:07:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Whack-a-Mole \* > \*\*Also go to [http://windowsupdate.mictrosoft.com](http://windowsupdate.mictrosoft.com) and let your system get updated. \*\* Oops…broken link. Sorry. Try this: [Windows Update](http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com) I suppose it is inappropriate for me to say in GQ that I think Windows ME blows chunks in its own right so I won’t (although it might be enough of a fact to rise to GQ requirements 😉 ). ---
**Author:** ![CaptEgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@CaptEgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptEgo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/7 "2002-12-12T21:14:48Z")
As stated, the odds are RAM will not help this kind of problem. More often then not (in my experience) system lock-ups and freezing are related to issues with A) Device drivers (the software that lets different bits of your computer talk to all the other bits) or B) Wonky DLL files (Dynamic Link Libraries) that have been loaded in inopportune locations by programs that you may have loaded. Generally speaking, mucking around with drivers and DLLs is probably something that joe home user should avoid but can pay off if you twiddle with them cautiously (like by limiting what you change or remove one step at a tme). E\_C\_Gs list is valid and more comprehensive but obviously something you don’t start getting at unless you are _really comfortable_ playing in the guts. The final thing that does occur to me is that ‘the’ RAM you have is buggered. So getting _more_ might actuallywork by replacing the stick (or sticks) that you have. I recently had a friend with very similar problems that went away as soon as the RAM was swapped. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/8 "2002-12-12T23:27:20Z")
Get XP! The same thing used to happen to me but hasn’t happened once since I upgraded to XP. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/9 "2002-12-12T23:44:30Z")
We talked about this the other day & I pointed to a web site that basically states that Windows 9x doesn’t get any faster after 128M. As a matter of fact, adding too much more, you start to slow down your machine. Sounds more like heat to me. The computer gets hot & it’ll just sit there. They might call it freezing, but its hot, not cold. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/10 "2002-12-12T23:59:29Z")
Netscape has a habit of freezing for about ~ 5 mins on some machines. Try waiting the freezes out and see if that fixes anything. Upgrade to Netscape 7/Mozilla/IE if that happens. ---
**Author:** ![Toddly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@Toddly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toddly)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/11 "2002-12-13T02:11:08Z")
I too do not think that it is a RAM issue although I would get some more anyway as SDRAM is dirt cheap right now. I had to rid myself of Netscape at version 6.0 because I thought it was bad and really slow. You might run a system file check on your machine. I am not sure how it is done in ME. I would recommend you try the Opera browser. It seems way faster to me than IE or Netscape and it has some real good features. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/12 "2002-12-13T02:15:23Z")
Netscap 6.0 was/is horrible. Go ahead a few points or back to ver 4.x and you should be fine. But remember that when your running netscape you are also running IE - having nothing to do w/ netscape really just the whole M$ monolopy bundeling everything together thing. So you are actually runnig 2 browsers. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/13 "2002-12-13T03:03:08Z")
You could always run MeLite (I think there’s an MeLite) to get rid of IE. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/14 "2002-12-13T03:06:13Z")
Ops, forgot to point out that you need to do that during installation. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/15 "2002-12-13T16:32:55Z")
Netscape 7 is unstable on ME, works fine with XP for me. ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/16 "2002-12-13T17:11:42Z")
**Whack-a-Mole** didn’t exactly express it kindly, but ME is definitely the worst of the 9x family and totally dreadful compared to the NT/2000/XP set. Avoid it if at all possible. ---
**Author:** ![Kendo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Kendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kendo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/17 "2002-12-13T17:19:56Z")
Again I’d add to the list of users who’ve recommended against getting more RAM. Or at least for this purpose. However, if you are going to upgrade to XP I probably would recommend you getting another 128Mb of RAM. And I’d only think about using XP on a PIII (or equiv.) 300MHz onwards. For all your browser needs, I’d definitely recommend Opera if you require a more stable surfing experience. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/18 "2002-12-13T19:51:56Z")
My computer has the same problem as **plnnr**. With Netscape what usually happens is that I’ll be able to access the home page of a web site but won’t be able to acess any of the links. I’ll usally get either a “Page cannot be displayed” or a “action cancelled” message. I guess I just have to switch permenantally over to IE. Since IE works just fine. I guess I’m more worried about why my computer is freezing up for no reason. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/19 "2002-12-13T21:25:20Z")
Sounds like you could use a good cleaning too. Download ADAWARE from [Lavasoft.com](http://Lavasoft.com). Then disconnect your system from the internet. Disable the startup items and restart again. Then run Adaware and follow the intructions to clean up the spyware on the machine. Now you can defrag. the machine. When you`ve got all your ducks in order restart and reconnect to the net. I`ve done this from time to time to speed it up and correct freeze-ups. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322/20 "2002-12-14T20:34:02Z")
How do I disable the startup items? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-really-need-more-ram/142322.md?page=2)