I've had bad luck with Crucial. Bought right memory, wouldn't work.

Kingston has been uniformly great.

Adding memory is about as difficult as changing a light bulb, BUT...last machine the slot where the new memory went was extremely tight. Ended up having to wrap a towel around a hammer and (carefully) pounding it into place. So just be prepared that there might be a bit more fussing than you'd think. And removing old memory may require a good deal of pulling.

Also...don't lose those screws when you remove them! :o

Well the Crucial is already ordered. I just clicked on the link provided, so will be getting 2 1GBs. I'm assuming I should pull the current 1Gb out when they arrive & just use the new pair?

And yup I'll still get a neighbor. You all don't know me. If there is truly a way to muck something up, even a 30-second swap fix, I'll find a way to do it. Remember, I had to have an engineer at Universal put the S key back on the keyboard ;)

Cheers.

Yep. You just have two slots, so you'll need to pull out whatever is in there (save it in case there's a need) and pop these two 1GB sticks in.

Sharon,

It is really easy to install the laptop memory. For those who know how to do it (or feel comfortable doing it), it's just a piece of cake. I needed to upgrade my Thinkpad a while ago and got the right Kingston memory on sale in Circuitcity. My Thinkpad was in the shop for some warranty work so I just took my Kingston to the service center. I asked the technician if that's the right one and how difficult to put it in. He simply told me: "I can do it for you for free." With a big smile, I handed him the memory and he installed it in 10 seconds! After watching him, I believe I can do it myself next time. :D

So if you have a confident neighbor, it shouldn't be a problem. Or just find another Computer Science/ EE college student who knows about computer. Good work with cheap (or free) labor, you know. :p;)

Sounds like how I am when it comes to cooking! Everyone says it's so easy, but they don't know the near-disasters I've created in my kitchen. :D

So I'll be the contrarian here: I have built entire PCs from parts for the past 2 decades, so I am well aware of what's involved in installing a memory module. No way would I recommend that somebody who isn't a computer geek try to install one himself. There are just too many things that can go wrong.

Yes, it can be a deceptively easy thing to do, IF everything goes smoothly. But there are a lot more IFs I can think of that can make the difference between a 10-second operation and a fried PC.

So I think you're doing the right thing by having a savvy neighbor do it for you. ^ I have seen the big box stores charge $30 to install a memory module, which is an incredible ripoff for such a simple (for experts) procedure.

You say the computer is running slow. Upgraded memory might not solve your problem. Have you made sure your virus software is up to date and run any recent scans for spyware? That might be what's slowing it down if you are only surfing and doing basic office programs.

Might need to start another thread. ;)

BTW, Crucial is fine. I've bought from them for years.

I've had small problems here and there with every memory manufacturer. One nice thing about Crucial is that they stand behind their product and will replace any defective modules with no questions asked.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned in this thread yet--be careful to avoid static when installing memory (or doing anything else inside the case.)

Touch case metal before touching any circuit.

I guess you just missed that part in post #2: (;))

OK, something else to beware of. Pay attention to the notch in the memory module. I've had a friend permanently disable a memory slot on a motherboard by inserting one in the wrong direction. ("Gee, I thought it seemed pretty hard to get it in.")

The good thing is you may be able to sell the old memory on ebay for more then you paid for the new ones. People are really silly like that.

Call if you need help if you do it yourself.

Thanks all. I'm either getting the tech-savvy neighbor to put the memory in, or paying the fee at Fry's to do it. My hardware skills are just below my cooking skills - and I have a recipe for boiling water magnet on my 'fridge. ;)

I've got the free AVG anti-virus software & it updates/runs each morning, although I'm thinking of switching to the NORD (think that's what some FTers mentioned; I have to find that thread again.) I also have AdAware which I run frequently, and I usually clear out cookies, history of websites browsed, etc, via IE each day.

Cheers.

Sounds like you're covered. AVG and NOD are both very good. If you go to a store to have them installed they'll already have an ESD workstation setup. But if you get your neighbor to do it, just remind him/her about electrostatic discharge. Ideally you or the neighbor would have a static strap but I've gotten away with touching a bit of bare mettal on the computer's innards and then install the memory while the computer was sitting on the kitchen tabletop.

Went to a friend's office & one of her tech guys installed the memory for me. It took him longer to get it out of the vacuum-sealed plastic packaging than it did to install it! I gave him a bottle of wine as a thank you.

Cheers.

Yeah Sharon!