Thinkpads Forum

My 1998 Thinkpad 385XD is still running trouble-free, but getting very slow for web surfing and general file transfers even after I did a clean install with the original IBM factory Window 1998 CD.

The max RAM is limited to 96MB and cpu is 233 Mhz. Can someone tell me what is the role of the RAM battery, and would installing a new one speed up the laptop's performance? The price of the ram battery seems a pretty small price to pay if I can get it speed up performance; see this vendors:

http://www.dsmiller.com/html/Laptop-Not ... -446-I.htm

Any views appreciated.

Thanks.

The RAM battery allows the computer to store BIOS data as well as the time and aside from allowing you to boot without getting error codes, RAM battery doesn't have much affect on performance. IT's almost like asking how a car battery affects it's engine's performance; it's important for the first seocond or two while you are starting the thing up.

Wow - thanks for your prompt reply - I am thoroughly impressed by the Thinkpad community's spirit of co-operation.

My 385XD is built like a tank and too good to retire it in the attic. If anyone can suggest ways to speed up performance, even by ten percent, kindly let me know.

Many thanks.

Make sure you have some good adware scanning software (such as Ad-Aware) on your computer and that you run it regularly. You'd be shocked sometimes at what can wind up on your system from a day of web surfing. Also make sure you don't have too much software installed and that you don't have too much stuff running at once. Those are really the main aspects.

Reinstalling Windows with onto a clean hard drive about once a year almost guarantees minimal clutter and helps speed but at the same time consumes time, alot when factoring in updates and old files to restore. You'd have to weigh the pros and cons on that option.

-> first: check out every autostart software using msconfig or something like regcleaner (on win2k)

-> win2k with some tuning: no indexing, no background image, everything else you don't need deactivated

+

do everything as user only. runas is a very good thing... and you don't get to much trouble surfing around

-> faster hdd: try getting a 5400rpm with 30gb, i'll tell you how to use it with win2k

-> browser: k-meleon: very fast and safe (gekko engine without xul) -> low mem consumption, flash on demand and all the tab goodies...

-> antivirus: avast! with only standard scanner active (1 of 7...) -> low mem consumption

-> email client: tried many, but thunderbird is the only one to cope with more than 1 account and 1500 mails... deactivate junk, let gmx and co do that for you...


why so detailed?

i have a 380xd and a 560x (same hardware, but much thinner and lighter without drives and fans - ideal companion on the bike and on the beach...)

Thanks very much guys. These will form a checklist for my other Thinkpad too.

i forgot the hottest: turn off the shadow of the mousepointer. saves cpu-power (quite a bit actually..)

Sometimes defragging the hard drive speeds it up quite a bit.