I've no answers but a lot of sympathy. My wifes 1300 is about the same age and is unbelievably slow, taking 15 to 20 minutes just to boot up. The retailer told us there was nothing we could do to enhance its performance and after persevering for a few months it ended up in a cupboard and my wife reverted to the PC. Like you I look forward to some way of turning this runt of Dells range into a usable machine. I have an ancient Inspiron 5150 so I know how fast laptops can be. Good luck
Thanks for the reply and the sympathy! I think the fact that I have had no posts with solutions shows that age takes its toll on the humble 1300! The strange thing was that although the machine has never been fast it just suddenly got a lot slower a couple of weeks ago.
I feel sure that there must be something that can be done to speed it up but it looks like the guys at Dell have no suggestions to offer. This is a real pity as the friend the machine belongs to is very reluctant to buy another Dell as she is quite disappointed with this machine and the lack of support now it is out of gurantee.
Still the week-ends coming up and I might get lucky!
I also have an Inspiron 1300 that, like yours, used to crawl at a miserable pace. I upgraded the RAM to the 2 GB max and trashed the 1.4Ghz Celeron M processor and got a 2GHZ Pentium M. My 1300 now screams - for @ $100!
Thanks for the reply. I have already plugged in an extra Gb of RAM but it has only marginally speeded things up. Is it a fairly easy thing to fit a replacement processor? I have done it on desktops but never attempted it on a laptop.
This was my first brain surgery on a laptop, and, compared to a desktop unit, was exceptionally easy! The cpu cover is one next to the battery cover, with the single screw. One cover screw, four cooler screws and a cam-lock! Tools needed are: #1 (or large jeweler's) Phillips for the screws and a small, common screwdriver for the cam lock.
I tried uploading the corresponding pages from the Service Manual here (first attempt at this - if it doesn't work, please aim carefully ;) :
I got my cpu on ebay. My 1300 came with a 1.4G Celeron, so I was limited to a 400MHz FSB. I found a Pentium M 755 @ 2.0GHz, 2MB 400 FSB (SL7EM) for $69.00 / free shipping on ebay - aonecomputers.com. You can email them at sales@aonecomputers.com. The line of cpu's we can use is limited to the P M765 (775?) at 2.1GHz. I couldn't find one below $100 + shipping - to me 100MHz isn't worth $45+. If I recall correctly, yours has the same cpu mine had, so please keep in mind the 400MHZ FSB limitation. If I'm having cranial flatulence and yours came with a P, you can go up to 533MHZ.
Another thing that will drag it down fast is background programs - the first thing I did was to sh_tcan ALL Symantec programs, Norton, in particular.
I appreciate that it is a long time ago, but did you ever resolve the slow Inspiron 1300 problem? Perhaps you gave up in frustration, and consigned it to the Recycle Bin!! My wife's 1300 has always been slow, but I had not realised how slow until recently. I have decided to see if I can fix it, I am a retired (time on my hands!) electronics engineer, experienced more in telecommunications than computer technology, but with enough background to be able to trouble shoot etc.
First question would be - if I want to bring the RAM up to 2Gb, do I have to add another 1Gb, or must I change the existing card to one housing 2GB?
I have decided not to examine the 'static' machine but take a look at its 'dynamic' situation, i.e. why is it so slow whilst processing - what is it doing? Using the Task Manager, I notice that CPU usage regularly reaches the 'strangling' levels of 100%. I have another DELL pc the 1545, so I am able to do a side by side comparison, and the 1545 rarely exceeds 90% of CPU usage. The 2 processors are respectively 1.4GHz and 2GHz, but the 1545 is running 50 times faster than the 1300!! Respectively the RAM content is 1.24GB and 2.00GB. My knowledge runs out at what 'PF usage' (RAM?) is, but the 1300 regularly runs at over 1GB, as does the 1545, but if it is RAM, the latter has another 1GB in hand.
Finally looking under the 'Applications' tab of the Task Manager, the 1300 has an AOL Scheduler running continuously, which I have ended, noticing a small improvement in performance, the 1545 has no such Application running. Further when accessing Applications e.g. Internet Explorer and all others, the applicaions page regularly gives 'not reponding' messages, before eventually opening the application. The 1545 does not pass through this slow intermediate stage. Again what is the 1300 up to at this time? Both are connected to broadband over the same home wireless hub.
My old Dell laptop is still in use but doesn't get too much to do these days. It is an Inspiron 1525 so it's not quite the same as yours. The truth is that although I managed to speed it up somewhat I have never been able to get a decent speed out of it. I just wait 10-15 minutes for it to boot up and then it's not so bad - I think I have just got used to it.
I started by running CCleaner (www.filehippo.com/.../22dda6757e95bb79884f2e8df41e5a81) to get rid of any unused files and to clear out the registry with minimal effect. My hard drive is only about half-full so that wasn't the problem I then decided I would invest in extra RAM. My machine came with 2gb and Dell told me I could use up to 4 so, without checking what Dell had put in (I assumed it was one 2gb stick) I ordered a second 2gb stick. Inevitably, when I came to fit it I discovered that Dell had put two 1gb sticks in it! To be fair they were pretty good and allowed me to send the two one gb back and replaced them with a single 2gb one! This did increase allow several applications to be open without slowing down everything but only marginally increased the speed of processing overall.
I then (against advice from the geeks on the net) bought some software on-line called 'Driver Update'. (driverupdate.net/index_lp.php) It cost about £25 ($30) I think. There are lots of similar things on the market so I can't guarantee its the best one but I bought it for 1 year. It found a lot (I think about 20) of out-of-date drivers etc. on my machine and was pretty efficient at downloading the latest versions. It takes a time to run it and there is a lot of user intervention to confirm things but it did improve things a bit more.
Like you I often find that the processor is working flat out so my guess is that the motherboard's technology isn't as good as it would be these days due to its age. One of the things that did not help my machine at the time is that I was running a WD external back-up drive and the software constantly churched away as soon as I wasn't using the machine.
I forgot to say that I ran extensive tests on the hard drive and it passed each one 100%.
I am not sure what is involved in checking the power adapter but there are no (!) in Device Manager.
I welcome the information regarding the imaging software but as I only use the machine occasionally now it would be too much hard work and hassle to use but if I used it regularly I would give it a shot!
I don't know when Dell introduced its special power adapter system.At least laptops not older than 5 years old are designed to communicate with the power adapter via special control wire.It's actually a one-way conversation:The BIOS wants to know the data of the power adapter and gets the information by reading a tiny memory chip that is inside the power adapter
Pressing F2(might be different on your system) at powerup takes you to the BIOS screen which tells you about the status of the power adapter (known or unknown)
watch the video
Regarding backup software:
To me this is the most essential software on my system.I can backup/restore my system at any time within a couple of minutes if something goes wrong.I can only advice anyone to get familiar with such software
Performance appears to be reaching normality if the laptop is switched on, logged on, and then allowed 20 minutes to whir away. After that it seems fine. But when my 1300 is switched on first, the hard drive sounds as if it is hard at work every time for about 20 minutes.
Have considered this is terms of installing Windows 8 operating system. Windows 8 upgrade advisor (software available from Windows 8 webpage) advices that my 1300 just requires greater ram.
Now trying to find out which ram upgrade is suitable, looking for 1 gb or 2 gb.
The other possibility causing a slowdown is internet security software. I run norton internet security, latest edition. The software may need to trawl through everything that happens so that would certainly slow the system down considerably if there are other things happening too (for example in the first 20 minutes). Perhaps there is an internet security software that is better suited to a 1300.
Many thanks for your reply. My latest experience, it is my wife's pc, is that, as you say the pc speeds up after perhaps 30 minutes. At power up it is extremely slow taking many minutes to display the regular screen, and be able to take input. With the task manager running the CPU is continuously 100% busy, with no applications engaged. What the he.. is it doing? Like you I suspect it is fulfilling the whims of the security system, I use Macafee. As I said in the past the RAM seems, at times, fully engaged, I purchased from DELL an additional I Gb of RAM, imagining to be able to add it as memory expansion (in the past I have done this on another DELL pc), but was unable to find any expansion slot, I would imagine that I need to purchase instead a 2 Gb chipset and replace the existing 1 Gb board. As always the supporting literature is woefully inadequate, which costs us!
I would be interested in the outcome of your Windows 8 plan, as I currently run XP, and an upgrade could be useful, always assuming that it does not slow things down even more!!
Keep in touch, it's always helpful to share experiences, Bob.
Facetiously I thought the 3rd connection in the power adaptor was intended to lock us all in to Dell - supplied replacement parts - as we are aware Dell is famous for its criminally over priced single source printer cartridges!!
Recently I found the centre pin in the plug of the power adaptor for my Inspiron 1545, was broken. I could not understand why it needed a 3rd connection, after all it only has to power the pc and charge the battery, for which 2 pins (+ & -) are perfectly adequate. I also discovered that in its broken state, the power adaptor would not charge the battery, but would power the pc. The 'thot plickens', I thought!
From this I deduced, wrongly if what you say is true, that the third pin served merely, as a handshake, to ensure that only Dell replacements are being purchased and employed.
Hi Bob, I also have a 1300 that, at one time was also very slow before finally crashing Windows. I upgraded the RAM from 512 MB to 1 GB (single sticks at 2 GB weren't yet available, or I'd have done that...) and the tired Celeron 400MHz processor for a Pentium M at 2GHz. I installed the standard issue XP Pro (instead of Dell's XP Home Edition) and then went to Dell's support page and downloaded new drivers. I use AVG's free antivirus (Norton has always been a significant drain on performance on every system I've seen it on) and have enjoyed excellent performance since. I don't have Windows 8, though I hear it uses yet more resources...I won't be installing it on mine.
The 1300 had two 256 MB (0.256 GB) ram cards. One of these has been removed and the 1gb ram memory has been installed so ram now 1.256 GB.
The 1300 is immediately ok. So this is great.
Now done my Windows 8 upgrade assessment via Windows 8 webpage. Ram memory now fine, so this is great. But alas Office 2003 professional not supported by Windows 8. There's something else now then! Here it goes........!
bernie oastler
1 Message
0
June 12th, 2009 02:00
Hi,
I've no answers but a lot of sympathy. My wifes 1300 is about the same age and is unbelievably slow, taking 15 to 20 minutes just to boot up. The retailer told us there was nothing we could do to enhance its performance and after persevering for a few months it ended up in a cupboard and my wife reverted to the PC. Like you I look forward to some way of turning this runt of Dells range into a usable machine. I have an ancient Inspiron 5150 so I know how fast laptops can be. Good luck
2cleverbyhalf
23 Posts
0
June 12th, 2009 09:00
Thanks for the reply and the sympathy! I think the fact that I have had no posts with solutions shows that age takes its toll on the humble 1300! The strange thing was that although the machine has never been fast it just suddenly got a lot slower a couple of weeks ago.
I feel sure that there must be something that can be done to speed it up but it looks like the guys at Dell have no suggestions to offer. This is a real pity as the friend the machine belongs to is very reluctant to buy another Dell as she is quite disappointed with this machine and the lack of support now it is out of gurantee.
Still the week-ends coming up and I might get lucky!
Cheers,
Ken
Perry Thompson
6 Posts
0
June 21st, 2009 21:00
I also have an Inspiron 1300 that, like yours, used to crawl at a miserable pace. I upgraded the RAM to the 2 GB max and trashed the 1.4Ghz Celeron M processor and got a 2GHZ Pentium M. My 1300 now screams - for @ $100!
2cleverbyhalf
23 Posts
0
June 22nd, 2009 09:00
Thanks for the reply. I have already plugged in an extra Gb of RAM but it has only marginally speeded things up. Is it a fairly easy thing to fit a replacement processor? I have done it on desktops but never attempted it on a laptop.
Perry Thompson
6 Posts
0
June 24th, 2009 09:00
This was my first brain surgery on a laptop, and, compared to a desktop unit, was exceptionally easy! The cpu cover is one next to the battery cover, with the single screw. One cover screw, four cooler screws and a cam-lock! Tools needed are: #1 (or large jeweler's) Phillips for the screws and a small, common screwdriver for the cam lock.
I tried uploading the corresponding pages from the Service Manual here (first attempt at this - if it doesn't work, please aim carefully ;) :
http://en.community.dell.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Discussions.Components.Files/3518/0841.thermal.htm
http://en.community.dell.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Discussions.Components.Files/3518/7357.cpu.htm
I also put a link to Dell Support to download a PDF of the Owner's Manual and a downloadable htm of the Service Manual. ( I got both ;)
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1300/en/index.htm
I got my cpu on ebay. My 1300 came with a 1.4G Celeron, so I was limited to a 400MHz FSB. I found a Pentium M 755 @ 2.0GHz, 2MB 400 FSB (SL7EM) for $69.00 / free shipping on ebay - aonecomputers.com. You can email them at sales@aonecomputers.com. The line of cpu's we can use is limited to the P M765 (775?) at 2.1GHz. I couldn't find one below $100 + shipping - to me 100MHz isn't worth $45+. If I recall correctly, yours has the same cpu mine had, so please keep in mind the 400MHZ FSB limitation. If I'm having cranial flatulence and yours came with a P, you can go up to 533MHZ.
Another thing that will drag it down fast is background programs - the first thing I did was to sh_tcan ALL Symantec programs, Norton, in particular.
Hope this helps,
Perry
yelmottob
14 Posts
0
October 24th, 2012 04:00
I appreciate that it is a long time ago, but did you ever resolve the slow Inspiron 1300 problem? Perhaps you gave up in frustration, and consigned it to the Recycle Bin!! My wife's 1300 has always been slow, but I had not realised how slow until recently. I have decided to see if I can fix it, I am a retired (time on my hands!) electronics engineer, experienced more in telecommunications than computer technology, but with enough background to be able to trouble shoot etc.
First question would be - if I want to bring the RAM up to 2Gb, do I have to add another 1Gb, or must I change the existing card to one housing 2GB?
I have decided not to examine the 'static' machine but take a look at its 'dynamic' situation, i.e. why is it so slow whilst processing - what is it doing? Using the Task Manager, I notice that CPU usage regularly reaches the 'strangling' levels of 100%. I have another DELL pc the 1545, so I am able to do a side by side comparison, and the 1545 rarely exceeds 90% of CPU usage. The 2 processors are respectively 1.4GHz and 2GHz, but the 1545 is running 50 times faster than the 1300!! Respectively the RAM content is 1.24GB and 2.00GB. My knowledge runs out at what 'PF usage' (RAM?) is, but the 1300 regularly runs at over 1GB, as does the 1545, but if it is RAM, the latter has another 1GB in hand.
Finally looking under the 'Applications' tab of the Task Manager, the 1300 has an AOL Scheduler running continuously, which I have ended, noticing a small improvement in performance, the 1545 has no such Application running. Further when accessing Applications e.g. Internet Explorer and all others, the applicaions page regularly gives 'not reponding' messages, before eventually opening the application. The 1545 does not pass through this slow intermediate stage. Again what is the 1300 up to at this time? Both are connected to broadband over the same home wireless hub.
All ideas welcome,
Regards,
Bob Bottomley
2cleverbyhalf
23 Posts
1
October 25th, 2012 10:00
Hi Bob,
Sorry it has taken a while to get back to you.
My old Dell laptop is still in use but doesn't get too much to do these days. It is an Inspiron 1525 so it's not quite the same as yours. The truth is that although I managed to speed it up somewhat I have never been able to get a decent speed out of it. I just wait 10-15 minutes for it to boot up and then it's not so bad - I think I have just got used to it.
I started by running CCleaner (www.filehippo.com/.../22dda6757e95bb79884f2e8df41e5a81) to get rid of any unused files and to clear out the registry with minimal effect. My hard drive is only about half-full so that wasn't the problem I then decided I would invest in extra RAM. My machine came with 2gb and Dell told me I could use up to 4 so, without checking what Dell had put in (I assumed it was one 2gb stick) I ordered a second 2gb stick. Inevitably, when I came to fit it I discovered that Dell had put two 1gb sticks in it! To be fair they were pretty good and allowed me to send the two one gb back and replaced them with a single 2gb one! This did increase allow several applications to be open without slowing down everything but only marginally increased the speed of processing overall.
I then (against advice from the geeks on the net) bought some software on-line called 'Driver Update'. (driverupdate.net/index_lp.php) It cost about £25 ($30) I think. There are lots of similar things on the market so I can't guarantee its the best one but I bought it for 1 year. It found a lot (I think about 20) of out-of-date drivers etc. on my machine and was pretty efficient at downloading the latest versions. It takes a time to run it and there is a lot of user intervention to confirm things but it did improve things a bit more.
Like you I often find that the processor is working flat out so my guess is that the motherboard's technology isn't as good as it would be these days due to its age. One of the things that did not help my machine at the time is that I was running a WD external back-up drive and the software constantly churched away as soon as I wasn't using the machine.
I hope this is of some help and I wish you luck!
Ken Smith
MicroTest
3 Apprentice
•
934 Posts
0
October 25th, 2012 12:00
> check if the power adapter is properly recognized - otherwise the system speed will be dramatically reduced
> use extended diagnostic tests to verify that the hard drive is 100% OK !
> use a free backup software to create an backup image file of your hard drive and reinstall from scratch to see if it makes any difference
www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx
en.community.dell.com/.../20182221.aspx
2cleverbyhalf
23 Posts
0
October 26th, 2012 03:00
I forgot to say that I ran extensive tests on the hard drive and it passed each one 100%.
I am not sure what is involved in checking the power adapter but there are no (!) in Device Manager.
I welcome the information regarding the imaging software but as I only use the machine occasionally now it would be too much hard work and hassle to use but if I used it regularly I would give it a shot!
MicroTest
3 Apprentice
•
934 Posts
0
October 26th, 2012 09:00
I don't know when Dell introduced its special power adapter system.At least laptops not older than 5 years old are designed to communicate with the power adapter via special control wire.It's actually a one-way conversation:The BIOS wants to know the data of the power adapter and gets the information by reading a tiny memory chip that is inside the power adapter
Pressing F2(might be different on your system) at powerup takes you to the BIOS screen which tells you about the status of the power adapter (known or unknown)
watch the video
Regarding backup software:
To me this is the most essential software on my system.I can backup/restore my system at any time within a couple of minutes if something goes wrong.I can only advice anyone to get familiar with such software
PD2012
15 Posts
0
October 31st, 2012 05:00
Dear Bob,
Am considering this matter also at present.
Performance appears to be reaching normality if the laptop is switched on, logged on, and then allowed 20 minutes to whir away. After that it seems fine. But when my 1300 is switched on first, the hard drive sounds as if it is hard at work every time for about 20 minutes.
Have considered this is terms of installing Windows 8 operating system. Windows 8 upgrade advisor (software available from Windows 8 webpage) advices that my 1300 just requires greater ram.
Now trying to find out which ram upgrade is suitable, looking for 1 gb or 2 gb.
The other possibility causing a slowdown is internet security software. I run norton internet security, latest edition. The software may need to trawl through everything that happens so that would certainly slow the system down considerably if there are other things happening too (for example in the first 20 minutes). Perhaps there is an internet security software that is better suited to a 1300.
yelmottob
14 Posts
0
October 31st, 2012 05:00
Many thanks for your reply. My latest experience, it is my wife's pc, is that, as you say the pc speeds up after perhaps 30 minutes. At power up it is extremely slow taking many minutes to display the regular screen, and be able to take input. With the task manager running the CPU is continuously 100% busy, with no applications engaged. What the he.. is it doing? Like you I suspect it is fulfilling the whims of the security system, I use Macafee. As I said in the past the RAM seems, at times, fully engaged, I purchased from DELL an additional I Gb of RAM, imagining to be able to add it as memory expansion (in the past I have done this on another DELL pc), but was unable to find any expansion slot, I would imagine that I need to purchase instead a 2 Gb chipset and replace the existing 1 Gb board. As always the supporting literature is woefully inadequate, which costs us!
I would be interested in the outcome of your Windows 8 plan, as I currently run XP, and an upgrade could be useful, always assuming that it does not slow things down even more!!
Keep in touch, it's always helpful to share experiences, Bob.
yelmottob
14 Posts
0
October 31st, 2012 06:00
This is fascinating stuff.
Facetiously I thought the 3rd connection in the power adaptor was intended to lock us all in to Dell - supplied replacement parts - as we are aware Dell is famous for its criminally over priced single source printer cartridges!!
Recently I found the centre pin in the plug of the power adaptor for my Inspiron 1545, was broken. I could not understand why it needed a 3rd connection, after all it only has to power the pc and charge the battery, for which 2 pins (+ & -) are perfectly adequate. I also discovered that in its broken state, the power adaptor would not charge the battery, but would power the pc. The 'thot plickens', I thought!
From this I deduced, wrongly if what you say is true, that the third pin served merely, as a handshake, to ensure that only Dell replacements are being purchased and employed.
Bob Bottomley
Perry Thompson
6 Posts
0
November 2nd, 2012 20:00
Hi Bob,
I also have a 1300 that, at one time was also very slow before finally crashing Windows. I upgraded the RAM from 512 MB to 1 GB (single sticks at 2 GB weren't yet available, or I'd have done that...) and the tired Celeron 400MHz processor for a Pentium M at 2GHz. I installed the standard issue XP Pro (instead of Dell's XP Home Edition) and then went to Dell's support page and downloaded new drivers. I use AVG's free antivirus (Norton has always been a significant drain on performance on every system I've seen it on) and have enjoyed excellent performance since. I don't have Windows 8, though I hear it uses yet more resources...I won't be installing it on mine.
PD2012
15 Posts
0
November 3rd, 2012 15:00
Dear Bob, and dear other messagers,
My 1300 is now fine. I have installed a 1gb ram memory upgrade.
The information about installation is here :
<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>
The information about the ram upgrade product is here : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Memory-upgrade-Inspiron-laptops-E1405/dp/B004DPKWOM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351976960&sr=8-1 (Ram Memory upgrade 1GB PC2 5300 for Dell Inspiron laptops 13 , 1300 , 1501, 6000 ,630M , 6400 , 9300 , 9400 , 1318 , 1520 ,1521 ,1525 ,1526 ,1545 , 1720 , 1420 , 1721 , 640M , E1405 , B120 , B130 , E150 5, E1705 , XPS gen2) and is no doubt available too via the Dell 1300 product page.
The 1300 had two 256 MB (0.256 GB) ram cards. One of these has been removed and the 1gb ram memory has been installed so ram now 1.256 GB.
The 1300 is immediately ok. So this is great.
Now done my Windows 8 upgrade assessment via Windows 8 webpage. Ram memory now fine, so this is great. But alas Office 2003 professional not supported by Windows 8. There's something else now then! Here it goes........!
Thank you for looking.