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I wonder if there are any computer "geeks" out there who could help me with this question about my computer and why it has been running slow.

I have a PC that runs on Windows 7, and it has been freezing up a lot lately. I was on the phone with a computer technician for quite a while the other day, and I found out that my computer is running on just 2 GB of memory, which isn't nearly enough for all the things that I'm doing with it. So its resources are strained almost beyond its limits. In fact, when he was looking at something (while viewing my computer remotely) he said that my computer was so desperate for more memory that it had actually tried to create more. Wow.

So we found out what type of memory cards my computer needs (DDR2) and ordered 2 memory cards with 4 GB each. I'm hoping that when I get them and put them in (which I'll need some help with, being somewhat of an ignoramus when it comes to computers), my computer will run much better.

However, he said there was something else that might also be an issue, and this is what my question is about. A few years ago, I accidentally spilled a cup of water on my Toshiba laptop. I was pretty freaked out, as I had a lot of stuff saved on it. But my boyfriend managed to salvage the hard drive, though the motherboard was fried, and he put it into a tower for a desktop. So my laptop is now a desktop. But the desktop is a Dell. However, the technician I was on the phone with said that my computer still thinks it's a Toshiba and wants to run like one, though it has to use the motherboard and the memory of the Dell. So it would seem that my computer is having some sort of identity crisis. The technician was actually surprised that my boyfriend had been able to do that - take a Toshiba hard drive and put it into a Dell - and make it work.

So do you think that that will still be a problem, even after my computer has more memory on it? Or can a Toshiba hard drive function in a Dell computer without any problems, if it has enough memory?

I know this was a bit lengthy, but I thought you should know the whole story. The computer technician I talked with on the phone said that this was the most challenging troubleshooting session he had ever had, but he said he enjoyed the challenge and he was happy to help me. I would just like to know what any computer experts on here might think about this.
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SW-User
That technician is an idiot, a hard drive doesn't care what kind of brand it goes into. The computer will run smoother with more ram, so that is good, but it is slower ram. DDR2 is OLD.. It would be wise to update all around. Ram is now DDR4, but you can't just straight swap. You'll need a new CPU and motherboard to go along with it. But if you're trying to get by, you'll have to just install that RAM and I would suggest, if you don't have it yet.. an SSD hard-drive.
TeresaRudolph71 · 51-55, F
@SW-User A solid state hard drive may be the best way to go, if it's still slow after I've added memory. It is an old computer. I got it as a gift back in 2011. And I know that in computer years, that is ancient.
SW-User
@TeresaRudolph71 That is your best bet. Good luck, hope everything works out.
TeresaRudolph71 · 51-55, F
@SW-User Thanks.