jpeg probs

[billyboy]

I have a friend who has a problem with Internet Explorer and jpg pictures. Gif and animated gifs are fine but the jpegs are just garbled even when they are set as a background. I can right click and save the picture, open it and it looks fine so why cant I see it on the web page.
She is running
K-6 233 processor
Win Me
24Mb ram

Any ideas would be welcome.

[Spider]

Hi billyboy,

Windows95 recommended 16 Mb RAM to operate
Windows98 recommended 32 Mb RAM to operate
WindowsME recommended 32 Mb RAM to operate

In real life users found out you had to double those RAM #'s
to get things to run better.

So your friend at 24Mb on WindowsME is really asking
a lot from the operating system(WindowsME) and the
general operation of the whole computer.

To add to that mix the K-233MHz CPU is a little antiquated
of a technology. AMD really came into there own after
those processors. Their new CPUs are some of the best
processors to run with.

In short. The computer is taxed(has no memory left) to the
point that when the graphics memory needs to load a
jpg it can not cache(store info) to display the jpg. The taxing
also makes the CPU run much hotter than it should and this
makes performance suffer.

The reason gifs and gif-anims show is that usually they are a
smaller size compared to jpegs and also the way the picture
is dealt with (as a gif) according to the way it is compressed
in the gif method. Many jpegs are made by graphic programs
that save them as 24bit images(high number of separate colors)
by default.

Your friend has two options.

1) add more RAM

2) consider buying a used gfx card

Open the computer up (it's unplugged of course) and look
for long skinny white slots (probably empty) and black slots.
The white are ISA slots and the black are PCI. PCI graphics
cards would be what your after for the better graphics. If
you only have white ones then you need an ISA graphics card.
I can think of twenty small computers stores that have at
least 5 or so PCI cards for sale in the $10.00 - $25.00 USD
range. RAM is about $25.00 for 128Mb.

If it were me I'd get both. The computer will operate much
faster with the RAM and the graphics will improve greatly.
If your not familiar with installing cards then get the shop
to do it. K-6s were pretty finicky with just about everything.


Edited out 3 words too many

[ 29 December 2001: Message edited by: Spider ]

[maxximilian]

It's possible your friend may have one of "bad" AMD K6 chips that AMD doesn't want to talk about. There were manufacturing flaws in some K6 chips that prevent proper display of JPG images. If all the other possibilites are elimated, I would say this is the likely culprit.

More info here... http://www.gordonfamily.com/AMD/

There is a test to determine if the chip is at fault there.

Also I agree with spider...those specs are pretty weak for running windowsME.

[Mr1drful]

spider -- question !

you said "long skinny white slots (probably empty) and black slots.
The white are ISA slots and the black are PCI. PCI graphics
cards would be what your after for the better graphics. If
you only have white ones then you need an ISA graphics card."

i may be wrong here (and please correct me if i am so i don't continue to give out bad information) but i always thought that the small white slots were PCI and the larger black ones were ISA
example

i know things are changing in newer computers (like AGP slots,extended PSI slots,ect.) and some no longer even contain ISA slots. is it possible your information is backwards?

wouldn't mention it but don't want to see billyboy buy the wrong card.

i could be wrong here -- it's hard for us "old dogs" to learn new tricks !

[Spider]

Originally posted by Mr1drful:
spider -- question !

you said "long skinny white slots (probably empty) and black slots.
The white are ISA slots and the black are PCI. PCI graphics
cards would be what your after for the better graphics. If
you only have white ones then you need an ISA graphics card."

i may be wrong here (and please correct me if i am so i don't continue to give out bad information) but i always thought that the small white slots were PCI and the larger black ones were ISA
wouldn't mention it but don't want to see billyboy buy the wrong card.

Nope, I was wrong.

The white are PCI
The black are ISA

I mixed up my colors but it's still a PCI graphics card that billyboy needs. PCI is faster than ISA.

Good thing you caught that. billyboy would have been getting into trouble talkin' white ISA in a comp store.

i could be wrong here -- it's hard for us "old dogs" to learn new tricks !

Heh, sometimes it's hard for us "old dogs" to remember the old tricks.

[Steven.Bentley]

Heh, sometimes it's hard for us "old dogs" to remember the old tricks

Can't argue with that

[maxximilian]

billyboy,

Hows it going out there? Lots of info in this thread. Would like to know where you stand on this problem. Thanks.

[Theoran]

A little FYI. In all honestly, MS is full of it if they think these minimums are legit.

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR WINDOWS ME

Processor - Pentium or equivalent, 150 MHz or higher
Memory - 32 mb of RAM
Hard Drive Space - 320 mb to 420 mb depending on configuration selected
Display - VGA or higher
Peripheral - Microsoft Mouse or compatible
Modem - Minimum supported 28.8 or higher baud rate.
For Movie Maker - 300 MHz processor, Pentium II or equivalent, 64 mb of RAM, 2 GB of free hard disk space for video.

[billyboy]

Sorry I never got back.

I've given my friend all the info and she is going to get more Memory and try that first.