Windows XP SP2

[tah001]

I'm trying to help an older friend with her computer. She wanted to get off AOL and get her email through her ISP. Got that done but in the process discovered that she is still running Windows XP SP2 and her antivirus was a 2006 version that has long since expired. I installed Avast and let it do the quick scan and it found no viruses. Does the free version of Avast truly support Windows XP SP2? I want to get her to SP3 but have to convince her that a bump in memory would be worthwhile first.

[CraigB]

Yes avast runs on XP SP2.

[Eddy]

SP3, will not be using extra memory/system resources.
Almost everything is about fixing problems/adding more security.
If the system is running XP with SP2 fine it also will do so with XP SP3.

Since that system has being in use for a long time already, I strongly suggest to do a clean install.
It would not surprise me at all if it runs slower than needed because there are a lot of things on it that are not needed (any more).

- Disconnect from the Internet (pull out the cable)
- Install windows (format the drive ofcourse)
- Install ALL drivers for your system
- Install avast
- Connect to the Internet
- Install all updates security/drivers (especially the security updates/service pack)
- Install the applications you are normally using
- Make settings/configurations changes is you want/need
- Create a image of that drive

That last one will safe you a lot of time in case you need to/want to reinstall windows again.

[Para-Noid]

How much memory/RAM does she have now?
I would strongly urge her to have at the very least 2 GB. 

[tah001]

512mb

[CraigB]

512mb

For the price that extra ram costs it would be beneficial in your friends case, 2Gb would be nice but it depends on how much ram the system will accept.

I have an old XP system here with 2 ram slots in it but only one will work and accept a maximum of 1Gb.

[Para-Noid]

Anymore 512 MB is nowhere enough. Especially when you get more than one application running.
Check to see if more than 1 GB can be added. The more RAM you have the faster your machine will run.

[tah001]

The memory capacity of the PC is 2gb. 1gb of memory is $30. 2gb is $40. If it was my PC the 2gb memory upgrade would have been a done deal, but as I originally said, the person I am dealing with is older (retired) and is not very computer literate. She is thrilled with the performance gain from getting off AOL and still needs convincing that she needs antivirus software and to get up to SP3. I see no reason to revert to the factory image and start over at this point.

[CraigB]

One step at a time tah001 if you can talk her into extra ram then she'll be impressed with that and at least the system might be half bearable to work with without being a slug

[Eddy]

2x 1Gb in the system and a 8x 512Mb graphics card and she will think the system can really fly

[hake]

If it's an old laptop, 512MB might be the maximum possible.  I have a couple of such running XP SP3 and normally see 220MB physical memory available after system start has completed.  Google Chrome has become a bit bloated but Opera 12 and Firefox are not squeezed and have plenty for a more than adequate working set.