AV on laptop w/ 256 MB RAM

[RegEdit]

Is running antivirus software on a laptop with only 256 MB RAM pretty much useless these days? Seems like AV software is the straw that breaks the camel's back on old laptops.

 

[Thedog]

Simpler solution: Insert more ram

?

 

[iptech]

I think most AV solutions require 512Mb RAM as a minimum. You'll probably get it to load, but it'll run like a dog by the time any web apps are open.

 

[joydivision]

Simpler solution: Insert more ram

?

If you've worked on a lot of laptops you will realise it is not always as simple as that. before my current netbook I ran a PIII mini laptop and the max ram it could support was 192MB of RAM. That was fun but it worked by using Chromium as the browser and stripping down all the services on XP. I ran it without any AV though.

 

[RegEdit]

I think most AV solutions require 512Mb RAM as a minimum.

Security Essentials says that it needs 256 MB of RAM, but I've messed with 2 machines that were brought down by AV software. One was a fresh installation of Windows. I tell customers who insist of fixing an old machine with 256 MB of RAM that it will grind to a halt if AV software is installed.

 

[trapped]

I have been using Avira on the machines that won't run MSE.

 

[MobileTechie]

Yes Microsoft do tend to be a little optimistic about minimum requirements. This is what you need to run XP Professional:

-PC with 233 MHz minimum required (single or dual processor system)
-128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features)
-1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available hard disk space*
-Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor
-CD-ROM or DVD drive
-Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device

Wow interesting - so it works with 64MB of RAM but it MIGHT limit performance...so maybe go for the 128MB then - just to be sure it runs nice and fast!

 

[MobileTechie]

If the machine wouldn't take more than 256MB of RAM I think I'd be tempted to eschew the AV and put something like GesWall or DefenseWall on it. Probably much more effective than AV anyway and very light. However they can cause other problems.

 

[IanField]

Easy: Clamwin.
http://www.clamwin.com/content/view/18/46/

My hierarchy accrording to power / available memory (assuming I can't upgrade) is MSE, Avira, Clamwin.
AVG dropped off the list when it 'did a Norton' at v9

Ian.

 

[iisjman07]

T'problem with Clamwin is it lacks real-time shield, and has 'sketchy' detection rates

 

[IanField]

Agreed.
Though there is, confusingly, ClamAV for Windows which does have a real-time scanner, and a footprint that's not much larger than ClamWin.
It's cloud-based, though.
http://www.clamav.net/lang/en/download/win32/

Ian.

 

[atlanticjim]

Security Essentials says that it needs 256 MB of RAM, but I've messed with 2 machines that were brought down by AV software. One was a fresh installation of Windows. I tell customers who insist of fixing an old machine with 256 MB of RAM that it will grind to a halt if AV software is installed.

I tell customers that if they have less than 1GB of RAM that it will grind to a halt with ANY program loaded. Remember that most clients have no idea that their Firefox addons or IE enhancements will effect performance. Let alone their proprietary photo programs, any of the piggy programs from HP for their devices, their iTunes (which was designed to run on Mac at blazing speed and on MS fairly slowly), etc.

Call me picky but if I am looking at a machine with XP SP3 or Vista with less than 1GB of RAM, I tell the customer that there is nothing that will make this perform better without increasing the RAM to at least 1GB. Even at that sometimes a max of 1GB with a slow FSB will be extremely slow.

 

[RegEdit]

I tell customers that if they have less than 1GB of RAM that it will grind to a halt with ANY program loaded.

I work on 512's that works decent enough. But it's always good (as a "disclaimer") to tell them in advance that they don't have enough RAM to run a lot of stuff. This way you don't get blamed. I also tell them that I guarantee nothing if they insist on using AOL's antiquated interface.

 

[atlanticjim]

i work on 512's that works decent enough. But it's always good (as a "disclaimer") to tell them in advance that they don't have enough ram to run a lot of stuff. This way you don't get blamed. I also tell them that i guarantee nothing if they insist on using aol's antiquated interface.

aol arrrrrrggggghhhhhh

 

[jscx93]

Hello its 2010 speaking here. Ram is cheap and Computers that can handle 2 GB total are cheap as well.

Upgrade the ram. If it is too old to do so, then point the client towards new/used machines. I never recommend anything pre-xp to anyone, its just a huge waste of time.

 

[RegEdit]

Computers that only have 256 MB of RAM are usually only worth about $100. So when someone comes in for a repair ($100) PLUS they need RAM it's not worth repairing.