Acer Extensa 5220 Upgrade memory?

mumof2 · 17-09-2015 3:59pm #1

Hi, my mums laptop (originally mine) is slow and she constantly gets messages saying no space available. It apparently has to drives (C and D). However nothing saves to drive D. I don't know enough as to how to move stuff from one partition to another, without wrecking it completely, but haven't got the cash as the moment to take it to someone to do it for me.

Will it help if I increase the memory? Can Drive C memory be increased or should I stay away?

Here are the specs:

Intel Celeron Processor 550
(2.0 GHz, 533 MHz FSB, 1 MB L2 Cache)
Up to 252 MB mobile intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
1 GB DDR2
80 GB HDD

The other specs are about the screen and wireless etc.

Appreciate any tips on how to speed up or free storage on this laptop.

Thanks.

mordeith · 17-09-2015 4:44pm

mumof2 wrote: »

Hi, my mums laptop (originally mine) is slow and she constantly gets messages saying no space available. It apparently has to drives (C and D). However nothing saves to drive D. I don't know enough as to how to move stuff from one partition to another, without wrecking it completely, but haven't got the cash as the moment to take it to someone to do it for me.

Will it help if I increase the memory? Can Drive C memory be increased or should I stay away?

Here are the specs:

Intel Celeron Processor 550
(2.0 GHz, 533 MHz FSB, 1 MB L2 Cache)
Up to 252 MB mobile intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
1 GB DDR2
80 GB HDD

The other specs are about the screen and wireless etc.

Appreciate any tips on how to speed up or free storage on this laptop.

Thanks.

D is most likely the recovery partition so leave that alone. You can download and run CCleaner which can free up space. Also deleting past restore points and disabling hibernation can free up a decent amount of space also.
Here's a guide:

Open Disk Cleanup by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button. In the search box, type Disk Cleanup, and then, in the list of results, click Disk Cleanup.

2. If prompted, select the drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.

3. In the Disk Cleanup for (drive letter) dialog box, click Clean up system files. Administrator permission required If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

4. If prompted, select the drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.

5. Click the More Options tab, under System Restore and Shadow Copies, click Clean up.

6. In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, click Delete.

7. Click Delete Files, and then click OK.

To make hibernation unavailable, follow these steps:
1.Click Start, and then type cmd in the Start Search box.
2.In the search results list, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as Administrator.
3.When you are prompted by User Account Control, click Continue.
4.At the command prompt, type powercfg.exe /hibernate off, and then press Enter.
5.Type exit, and then press Enter to close the Command Prompt window.

mumof2 · 17-09-2015 5:18pm

mordeith wrote: »

D is most likely the recovery partition so leave that alone. You can download and run CCleaner which can free up space. Also deleting past restore points and disabling hibernation can free up a decent amount of space also.
Here's a guide:

Open Disk Cleanup by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button. In the search box, type Disk Cleanup, and then, in the list of results, click Disk Cleanup.

2. If prompted, select the drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.

3. In the Disk Cleanup for (drive letter) dialog box, click Clean up system files. Administrator permission required If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

4. If prompted, select the drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.

5. Click the More Options tab, under System Restore and Shadow Copies, click Clean up.

6. In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, click Delete.

7. Click Delete Files, and then click OK.

To make hibernation unavailable, follow these steps:
1.Click Start, and then type cmd in the Start Search box.
2.In the search results list, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as Administrator.
3.When you are prompted by User Account Control, click Continue.
4.At the command prompt, type powercfg.exe /hibernate off, and then press Enter.
5.Type exit, and then press Enter to close the Command Prompt window.

Thanks, we run regular cleanups C Cleaner and disk defragment, disk cleaner etc, but I will do the above including hibernation to see if it frees up some space. Thanks EDIT: Job done, however drive C is still only on 1.83 GB free space out of 32.3 GB..... Will a memory upgrade help with freeing space?

FSL · 17-09-2015 5:54pm

You could move the pagefile to the D drive that would free up space.

If you are not saving anything to the D drive then you could delete the D drive and extend the C drive into the free space.

Unless you know what you are doing I would try and get a friend who does to do it for you.

Personally I would boot into a linux distro from a usb stick and use Gparted. It is very simple but equally simple to mess up.

mordeith · 17-09-2015 6:17pm

mumof2 wrote: »

Thanks, we run regular cleanups C Cleaner and disk defragment, disk cleaner etc, but I will do the above including hibernation to see if it frees up some space. Thanks EDIT: Job done, however drive C is still only on 1.83 GB free space out of 32.3 GB..... Will a memory upgrade help with freeing space?

What are you saving to C? You could by two external drives (one for backup) and transfer your stuff to those

mumof2 · 17-09-2015 6:28pm

FSL wrote: »

You could move the pagefile to the D drive that would free up space.

If you are not saving anything to the D drive then you could delete the D drive and extend the C drive into the free space.

Unless you know what you are doing I would try and get a friend who does to do it for you.

Personally I would boot into a linux distro from a usb stick and use Gparted. It is very simple but equally simple to mess up.

It automatically saves to Drive C, but I know how to save to Drive D. Explaining that to my mother could be different though. Lol

Is there any way to get a shot of the programmes or files that are on Drive C moved over to Drive D without disabling the computer from working properly?

mumof2 · 17-09-2015 6:36pm

mordeith wrote: »

What are you saving to C? You could by two external drives (one for backup) and transfer your stuff to those

It appears to be mostly file folders:

Acer File folder (2015)
Book File folder (2008)
elements file folder (2008)
PerfLogs file folder (2009)
Program files file folder (2015)
Users file folder (2015)
Windows file folder (2015)

Why would I transfer stuff to external drive? She doesn't have one, and has a whole drive sitting there with space.....
Thanks for tips

mordeith · 17-09-2015 8:09pm

mumof2 wrote: »

Why would I transfer stuff to external drive? She doesn't have one, and has a whole drive sitting there with space.....
Thanks for tips

How much space is available on D?
Download Treesize and it will tell you how much space each folder is taking up.

mumof2 · 17-09-2015 8:36pm

mordeith wrote: »

How much space is available on D?
Download Treesize and it will tell you how much space each folder is taking up.

Drive D (DATA): 27.8GB free of 32.3GB.....

mordeith · 17-09-2015 8:45pm

mumof2 wrote: »

Drive D (DATA): 27.8GB free of 32.3GB.....

Looks like the suggestion above to extend the partition into D looks like a good solution.

mumof2 · 17-09-2015 9:02pm

mordeith wrote: »

Looks like the suggestion above to extend the partition into D looks like a good solution.

Id like to try that, but how do I go about it?:o

EDIT: What about just increasing the size of drive C?? I think Drive D is the recovery partition??

FSL · 17-09-2015 9:40pm

To do it you need a partition manager.

First you would shrink drive D to say 10GB that would create free space after Drive D
Next you would move Drive D so there was no free space after it all the free space would then be between drive C and Drive D
Finally you would extend drive C into the free space i.e. extend C so there is no free space after it.

Acer Extensa 5220 Upgrade memory?

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