Partial upgrade

Hi I have no understanding of what a Partial upgrade is and if I need it. I did the partial upgrade on a previous install of ubuntu that I had on my notebook but things got too slow. I am not sure if I was pushing it with the system specs...I dunno what a partial upgrade does? I went back to Ubuntu 7 because it was too slow and now after doing update/upgrade it is asking if I want to install the partial upgrade again. I tried via the terminal this time and this is what I am getting: carolyn@carolyn-laptop:~$ sudo bash [sudo] password for carolyn: root@carolyn-laptop:~# apt-get update Get:1 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security Release.gpg [189B] Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Translation-en_AU Get:2 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy Release.gpg [191B] Ign http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Translation-en_AU Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Translation-en_AU Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Translation-en_AU Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Translation-en_AU Ign http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Translation-en_AU Ign http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Translation-en_AU Ign http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Translation-en_AU Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security Release Get:3 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates Release.gpg [189B] Ign http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Translation-en_AU Ign http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Translation-en_AU Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy Release Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates Release Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Packages Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Packages Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Packages Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Sources Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Packages Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Sources Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Sources Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Sources Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Packages Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Sources Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Packages Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Sources Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Packages Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Packages Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Packages Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Sources Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Packages Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Sources Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Sources Hit http://au.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Sources Fetched 3B in 2s (1B/s) Reading package lists... Done root@carolyn-laptop:~# apt-get upgrade Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following packages have been kept back: compiz compiz-core compiz-gnome compiz-plugins cupsys ekiga evince f-spot gedit gedit-common gij gimp gimp-data gimp-print gimp-python gnome-app-install gnome-applets gnome-applets-data gnome-panel gnome-panel-data gnome-power-manager gnome-system-monitor gnupg gstreamer0.10-plugins-good gthumb human-theme iproute libgcj-bc libgimp2.0 libgphoto2-2 libgphoto2-port0 libhsqldb-java libpam-modules libsane libsndfile1 libwnck-common linux-headers-generic linux-image-generic linux-restricted-modules-generic nautilus nautilus-data notification-daemon openoffice.org openoffice.org-base openoffice.org-calc openoffice.org-common openoffice.org-core openoffice.org-draw openoffice.org-evolution openoffice.org-gnome openoffice.org-gtk openoffice.org-help-en-us openoffice.org-impress openoffice.org-l10n-en-gb openoffice.org-l10n-en-za openoffice.org-math openoffice.org-style-human openoffice.org-writer pidgin pidgin-data poppler-utils python-gnome2-desktop python-gnome2-extras python-uno python2.4 python2.4-minimal python2.5 python2.5-minimal restricted-manager rhythmbox rss-glx ssl-cert ttf-dejavu ttf-indic-fonts ubuntu-artwork ubuntu-desktop update-notifier wvdial xsane xsane-common xserver-xorg-video-all yelp 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 82 not upgraded. root@carolyn-laptop:~#

Ultimately I don't want things to slow down like they did before. The cpu on this machine is 660mhz and the ram is 256mb.

I did google this time and last time but really don't quite understand.

I keep getting a failed 'partial upgrade' in the updates too. Luckily it's not affecting performace as yet but is frustrating. Does anyone know what is going on? All the posts my search is bringing up are to do with upgrading to Intrepid, this is a partial update on Hardy.

Found this

http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-763874.html

currently trying out the last solution (mark all upgrades in 'synaptic package manager') and it's now downloading an hour-plus worth of packages.

Edited to add: Urgh, disaster. Packages broke, and my ham-fisted attempts to 'fix' things... well lets just say a clean install was called for.

Gee i can't get into the drive with Ubuntustudio to try this out since I changed the power supply. I have plain ubuntu on the primary drive which is what I am using now and ubuntustudio on the secondary drive. Something is haywire because also the keyboard doesn't work when loading. Like when you want to go into the bios or select in grub. I am not sure what to do.