Why is my computer running slower after I just installed more RAM and a new HDD?

Why is my computer running slower after I just installed more RAM and a new HDD?

I just bought 4 GB of ram (2x2GB) and a 1TB hard drive and installed them, upgrading from my original 1GB RAM and 250GB HDD. I put the 2GB sticks in 1st and 3rd slots and the 1GB stick in 2nd. Now with my new ram and HDD my computer is running MUCH slower and I dont know why. I've tried restarting just to see what happens and I noticed that even the Windows XP starting music is lagging. If anyone could help that would be fantastic. It's hard even to type this out.

Asked by: Guest | Views: 350

Total answers/comments: 2

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Guest [Entry]

I have had this persistent problem with my PC and it is accompanied by choppy sound. It seems the HDD defaults to PIO mode if there are too many communications errors. I fix it by unistalling my ATA/IDE drivers under "Devices" but it is a temporary solution since after a while teh comm errors build up and the machine goes back to PIO mode.

Guest [Entry]

"Check, in Device Manager, to make sure that Windows is using UDMA moed to access the new drive, and not PIO - this would cause a massive reduction in apparent drive speed while simultaneously consuming extra CPU time for IO operations concerning that drive.

If Windows has dropped the access mode to a lower standard it may just be a ""random"" glitch due to the change of hardware between boots. It may also be because it has experienced IO errors communicating with the drive. In response to certain types of error it will drop the IO mode down a level and retry so you may not have had noticed of the condition. I suggest checking the SMART logs of the drive closely and performing a full test (drives can perform self-tests, which must SMART related utilities will be able to kick off, I also suggest a full surface scan)."