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skwerlbaitbev
10-01-2006, 09:15 PM
Greetings, and Good Evening, PCGuide ...

This evening, I installed the free version of Google Earth. I have Windows XP Home, and my connection is via AtlanticBB, at 100.00Mbps, but I still use AOL as my browser (okay, so I'm lazy, and the 'blithering idiot' factor works well, for me (being a certifiable BI, where this PC stuff is concerned ...).

The GE programme downloaded w/o any evident problem, and if I open GE, the programme loads well, and quickly 'finds' the location I enter into its search engine. But, that's when the trouble starts. If I use my 'little hand' cursor to move the GE location image in any way, it does move -- but then, the entire PC 'freezes'. The only solution, so far, is to shut down manually, and then re-start. Nothing else is operative, at all, not even the 'esc' button works, nor does 'ctrl, alt, delete'. Nada. Only pushing the power button, to shut down completely, has been effective in freeing up the pc.

I really don't have a 'messload' of programmes on my PC -- and if I check the windows task manager, I find the:
CPU usage is running around 2 %, with the very occasional spike to 7%
PF Usage is 250 MB
Physical Memory:
total is 523248; available is 239900K+/-; system cache is 286170+/-;
Kernel Memory:
total is 33128 to 33400 +/-;paged = 24200+/-, and nonpaged = 8900+/-
Commit Charge:
total 256460 - 256620 =/-; limit 1277328; peak 277284
and 48 processes are running

(If I use system information for these figures, I show total physical memory at 512.0, and available pm at 221.94; virtual memory at 2.0 gb, and available at 1.96gb)

I don't know if any of the above is useful, in helping diagnosing the problem, but it's the only thing telling me anything about the PC's function, as far as I know. So I'm wondering, any ideas on why opening GE and using the programme results in a brain freeze, for my HP Pavilion notebook?

On a related note (at least, I think it's related ...), I have Microsoft Works, Office Standard Edition, and Money, and have never EVER used them for anything, at all. I'm wondering, would removing these programmes free up any space, and make things like GE, which I do actually find 'fun', work better? Together, these programmes are occupying about 770.00 MB of disc space. Or does having them on the PC not really affect the other programmes and their function?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions ... :~}

azzey
10-01-2006, 10:10 PM
What are you system specs?

Does your mouse move when the computer feezes?

skwerlbaitbev
10-01-2006, 10:51 PM
Mobile Intel Pentium 4
CPU 3.06 GHz
3.07 GHz 512 MB of RAM

Nope, mouse arrow won't even appear (thus won't move); 'little grippy hand' icon (seen on GE and also on Adobe, as the 'page up/down, image right or left' icon) won't move. Nothing works, at all, on the keyboard; only the power button functions as expected.

Don't know why ... open to suggestions! :~}

Paul Komski
10-02-2006, 04:29 AM
Perhaps its a graphics related issue?? http://earth.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=1149

skwerlbaitbev
10-05-2006, 09:21 PM
Greetings, PCGuide correspondents ...

As per suggestions, I visited HP, and downloaded the 'latest' graphiics card (ATI) available for this laptop. I then tried Google Earth, and once again, it froze this laptop, after loading, and beginning a location search for me. Chatting with an HP techie, they advised that GE is a 'heavy' user of resources, and they recommended buying additional memory for this pc. But, if I visit GE, this is what they advise:

Recommended configuration for PC
Operating System: Windows XP
CPU: Pentium 4 2.4GHz+ or AMD 2400xp+
System Memory (RAM): 512MB
Hard Disk: 2GB free space
Network Speed: 768 Kbits/sec
Graphics Card: 3D-capable with 32MB of VRAM
Screen: 1280x1024, "32-bit True Color"

When I review my laptop, this is what it advises:
Operating System
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Version 5.1.2600
Product Id 55277-OEM-0011903-00101
Service Pack 2.0
Language 1033

Processor
Mobile Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.06GHz
Version x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 9
Current Speed 3070 MHz
Cache Size 0 KB

Memory (RAM)
Total Capacity 512 MB
Bank 0 512 MB

Hard Drive
Total Capacity: 55.88 GB
Sum of Hard Disks ( C: )
Used: 11.47 GB
Free: 44.41 GB


System Information
BIOS version PTLTD - 6040000
Help and Support Version 3.03.02.05

My question is, doesn't this mean that the GE programme should work, without a problem, on my laptop? Or, do I really need to increase the RAM on my laptop? (I'm thinking it's just HP's way of selling extras ..)

Any opinions or suggestions are much appreciated. :~}