Community Newsletter: Q&A: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced?
- 4/27/07 2:22 PM
How I knew...
by omalyn - 4/13/07 7:26 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I had read several articles telling me to format the hard drive every so often. I was running Windows 98 and accessing the internet with dial up. Windows XP came out and I was still plodding along. (My husband is one who says we didn't need to spend anymore money on computers.) Finally one day I told him we must up-grade. It was taking so long to get online, formatting the hard drive didn't make much difference and more and more software was being introduced that required an up-dated OS. When we finally did it it was well worth it. We have been using our desktop since 2004. We have 120g, hard drive,
but only 512mb (I'm thinking about installing more) and since we went to cable internet we think we have died and gone to heaven. I bought my own modem (gave the cable company their equipment back) and just upgraded my 11b wireless to a new N with speed booster. He has his own laptop now. Computers are just too much of everyone's life to be caught with a machine that won't perform. You want information and you want it now! I'm always going in and making a quick check of the finances before going shopping!
replace computer
by doshie2007 - 4/13/07 7:31 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I think that you should replace the dinasour, my computer is five years old. so far the only thing that has not been replaced is the floppy. Time to get a faster computer. Vista works on my computer but if I had it to do again I would have bought a new computer, as it is I spent more money than a new computer would have cost.
Ann B
When to "give it up"
by pwallace63 - 4/13/07 7:32 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I just had my computer rebuilt by an excellent computer tech that I just happened to find through, of all places, Computer Geeks! I knew it was approaching time to get it replaced because it had been 5 years, the programs were running slower and slower, none of the USB ports worked, and finally it quit wanting to turn off except by a "forced" close. I also have a laptop that I am running on a new Linksys H router. It had become impossible to "link" the two computers because my desktop was so tempermental. I had also lost connection with my printer from either computer. Since my desktop was built by my IT at work at few years ago, I reasoned that replacing the "innards" would be less costly than replacing the entire machine. I was right. I got the newly rebuilt computer, new motherboard, new CPU, firewire connection (which I didn't have), and access to my SDU card slots (which I had never had) for half of what I paid for the original computer. It works better, faster, and more accurately than I have had for a long time. I also have 9 working USB ports! Yay! My laptop works. My printer works (from both computers). My USB ports work. Color me happy!
Peg W.
When to retire a PC
by David Calder - 4/13/07 7:37 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
PCs can last a lot longer than most people think. I have been getting about 10 years out of mine. Just this week I am retiring a 10 year old Win98 system with a Cyrex CPU and, up until a recent Flash player update, it did fine for e-mail an web browsing and a few old games. Retirement really depends on how you use the computer and how much maintenance and care you take. If your documents are being corrupted, it is likely your hard drive has failed by now, but that shouldn't be the reason to dump the system. If you, or if you have friend that, really knows how to do a good rebuild and cleanup, and you practice safe e-mail/surfing, the lifespan can be extended quite a bit. I will say that Laptops probably wouldn't make it that long since there is little upgrading you can do, but 5 plus years is reasonable.
Watch out for paying for repair services, though. That adds up fast and good new generic use PCs are not that expensive.
Computers are still in the age where the consumer needs to learn how to fiddle with them on their own to really be economical. I'm old enough to remember cars that needed constant attention. To get long life out of them economically, you did a lot of your own maintenance and upgrades. Now some run years without a tuneup. At some point computers will mature enough that the consumer won't need to do that, but we are not there yet.
Warning Signs - Top 10
by jdkdomain - 4/13/07 7:38 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Top ten signs its time to get a new computer:
10. Computer references HAL 9000 or War Games in any way shape or form.
9. Your operating system (or computer) has a year attached to it. (ie - Windows 95, 98, Gateway 2000, Etc.)
8. You know and use something called DOS on a daily basis.
7. The computer weighs more than 25 Lbs. and/or actually sits on your desk.
7. The monitor is wider than your desk and sticks beyond the edge.
6. A flash USB memory stick has more memory on it than your computer.
5. The maker of the computer has been bought out by another computer maker (Compaq, DEC)
4. It takes less time to get and pour a cup of coffee than it does to start the computer.
3. You look on eBay and your model is considered a "legacy"
2. The model of your computer starts with PS/2.
1. You start a thread asking if it is time to repace your computer...
Does this give you some ideas???
Hi Janet
by hudgybear - 4/13/07 8:00 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
First let me say, Wow!! I sure hope all of these problems did not happen to you all at once. Any problem can be cause for concern but is it time to toss in the towel??
Well let's start by taking a deep breath... ah that's better. Now let's answer each question.
1)My computer says open in safe mode? Safe mode is just that a
safe way for your computer to start up.
Every Microsoft Windows operating system has a registry. Your system registry holds the keys to the information on your computer. How it starts, works and etc. When a flie or entry in your system registry gets corrupted. Your computer uses safe mode to start without causing itself any further harm. A registry file can get corrupted by many things the most common of which is installing software that has a problem whether it be files that are uncompatible, corrupted or contain a virus. Once you have started your computer in safe mode you can then correct the problem by using a registry program or remove the possible corrupted software or restoring it to a safe point.
2) The computer when started never gets to the desktop screen??
Here is where the safe mode comes in handy. Start your PC and immediately on startup start tapping your F8 key. You should see a black screen with white writing....This is the safe mode screen. Use your arrow keys to select Last Known Good Configuration and press Enter. You should be returned to your desktop screen.
3)The coputer won't print??
This could be many things I would try: a) Check all your cables make sure they are plugged in snuggly, check that you installed the printer software which contaings your printer driver and that the is up to date b) try turning both the computer and printer off. Then turn just the computer on and while it is loading turn on the printer. Sometimes the computer just needs to be reminded of its printer c)Try uninstalling your printer, remove the existing software and disconnect your priner, then reinstalling the printer hardware and software.
4) My computer corrupts my Microsoft documents when I save them??
The most common causes of corruption are bad sectors on storage media, lost clusters, crosslinked files, malfunctioning antivirus software, viruses, and system crashes, human error. Possible cures;
• Reboot the machine and try to open the file again. Simple, I know, but how often have you seen a reboot clear up a problem?
• Run Scandisk.
• Open the file on a different machine, to test your file and your means of saving.
• Copy the file locally if you're on a network; do the reverse if the file is local. In my experience, some files that for one reason or another failed to open on network drives opened fine after I copied them locally.
• Reboot in safe mode.
5) Can I give my computer CPR??
Well in a manner yes you can.
This is what your "system restore" is for. It is like CPR that brings your computer back to life or to its original state when everyting was running correctly. You can find "sytem restore" on your computer two ways;
Here are the two ways to access System Restore – through Help and Support or through your All Programs folder.
Through Help and Support:(This is also where you can learn more about this) Click Start, and then click Help and Support. Under Pick a Task, click Undo changes to your computer with System Restore. Follow the instructions on the wizard. or by the All Programs menu: Click Start. Point to All Programs. Point to Accessories. Point to System Tools. Click System Restore. Follow the instructions on the wizard.
6) Is it time to toss in the towel???
Well only you can truly be the judge of this. Ask yourself a couple questions. Is my computer repair beyond my capability? Is it to costly? Is my computer out of date?
Hope this helped. Good Luck
New PC ?
by fairplayca - 4/13/07 8:01 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Janet, you didn't give us the infomation we really need to answer your question. That is what exactly is your PC? what I mean by that what are the processor, memory, hard drive, video card. Also your operting system. The problems you listed could be caused by many things, and lots just software based. Although I will admit I upgrade my pc's fairly often I have kept older machines running until the bitter end.
Another consideration is what exactly you are doing with the machine. If it is web browsing, email and general word processing, spreadsheet operations, a robust machine is not needed. If you plan multi media then possibly an upgrade would be a good idea.
If you haven't done it already do a harddrive defragmentation. Have you opened the box lately and got rid of the dust bunnies? The heat caused by excessive dust can cause a multitude of problems. ( note to myself clean out machines :-))
Another approach is to download a registry cleaner. It is possible that if you are running XP your registry could be corrupted. Just be sure to create a restore point before taking action.
Good luck and I am sure you will receive manny good suggestions here. The last consideration for a new machine is the New Windows Vista operation system. This new windows iteration requires heavy duty computing muscle for the top tier of the program. However I would not recommend the upgrade just yet. Expierence with MS operating systems makes me very cautious about jumping in too quick.
When to Ditch a PC
by pcuser555 - 4/13/07 8:03 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
A Computer is made up of all different parts which all can be replaced in case of failure and my advise is that it's far cheaper to replace a part than to buy a new PC.
I do not advise replacing a PC that is so called 'failing' because it is usually one part that is failing such as memory or a hard drive which are very cheap to replace nowadays.
The ONLY thing that I feel should determine whether or not you should replace your PC is whether you want or need to use new technologies which are out and which your particular hardware cannot access. I only seriously consider changing my entire PC if the new technologies have enough enticement for me to want them badly enough to fork out the money. Currently I can surf, play all current games and use my PC for videos, music and as an office so unless there's something better I won't replace my PC but keep upgrading my current parts.
Windows Vista is not a good enough reason for me to buy a new PC as it's only for looks and I won't be able to do anymore with Vista that I can't already do with XP. I can play all games so I don't need PCI Express or Direct X 10 yet as there are no Direct X 10 games out yet & won't be for a while, except maybe one. Music, video. I can already watch and listen to high quality. High definition TV? Well that's not a priority for me yet and I have yet to want it badly enough to buy a new PC.
SO maybe in a few years when the benefits are irresistible then a change of PC might be in order but changing now won't get you any benefits you don't already have unless 4 or 5 of your parts are all failing (highly unlikely) then you should get a new PC. But it's usually much cheaper and practical to upgrade just the part which is defective. I have replaced my video card, monitor and hard drive but why anything else when all I'll get more is more payments to make?
Ready for the scrapheap - NOT
by dknapp - 4/13/07 8:08 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My company has hundreds of old Dell computers running Windows 2000 Professional. One can buy these jobs on the used market for $29, operating, with a Windows license. They still earn their keep on mundane jobs. None of the items you described sounds like something that cannot be fixed with a good tune up and perhaps a new power supply. I buy a new computer when the one I have cannot run the newer versions of the software I need. That means I do not get a new computer very often. The last one was about three years ago. If you do buy a new rig, get the top of the line. There is not any advantage in getting a mid-range then feeling it has wimped out on you just a year or so later. Upgrading the speed critical items like CPUs just do not make economic sense. Increasing disk space is easy, as is adding more ram. So, the main thing is what do you want to do with it? Edit video? Get a new, fast one. Surf the web? Tune up the old one and take a good vacation on the money you will save. New PCs can be had for a few hundred bucks these days, but they are not that fast. I have a new IBM T60 laptop with a dual core processor, 1GB ram, running XP Pro and, frankly, I am not impressed. It is OK, but I did not get the speed bump I expected on the move up from a T30. If your old rig is really old (greater than three years), get a new one, otherwise think hard about what you want to do with it.
Those do not sound like "Old Computer Problems"
by LionsMike - 4/13/07 8:22 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The symptoms that you described do not sound like old computer problems at all. They sound like a computer which has been abused by its user. Viruses, Spyware, Adware, program conflicts, Hard Drive fragmentation, and lack of maintainance cause the kind of problems that you described.
When the cost of maintaining or upgrading your computer is greater because it it is older it is time to replace it.
Think about the cost of restoring an antique automobile rather than repairing an older car. You can spend $26,000.00 on a 20 year old car which cost $11,000.00 originaly.
Computers tend to reach that kind of situation also. When you find that you are returning or not buying programs because your computer does not meet minimum requirements, when you can not connect a device such as a camera or a music device because it is not compatible, or when you cannot put a more powerful video card into your computer because the protocol has changed, when the memory for your computer is no longer readily available, it is time to buy a new computer.
In the last few months Socket 478 CPUs have dissapeared
DDR Memory is available in PC2700 and PC3200 but PC2100 is becoming dificult to find.
AGP Video Cards are still available but PCI Express are rapidly becoming the new standard.
USB 1.0 Devices are history. Your USB 2.0 devices will probably run on a computer with USB 1.0 but they will run slowly.
Many of the external Hard drives available today are firewire rather than USB
VISTA will sort out lots of computers which are ready to be replaced, but don't jump in that direction yet unless you really are ready to move to the new software.
If you are not facing that kind of problems, clean-up, tune-up, and set-up your existing computer. CNET offers some really good classes to teach you how.
If you are about to replace your old computer. be sure that you are buying one which is "Vista ready" or has vista installed, be sure that it has at least a 400 watt suply, several USB ports, PCI Express video, DDR2 memory, Firewire ports, a Front side buss at 1000Mhz or higher, and an Intel CoreDuo or AMD 64 bit processor.
The secret here is to be sure that you are not replacing your old computer with one which is not quite so old but still old on the day that you buy it.
To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade?
by themeekgeek - 4/13/07 8:35 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
First go to System Information (Windows key and Pause key at the same time) and read the processor and ram "Memory" values. If you have more than 1.5 GHZ processor and at least 256 MB memory, this is a good sign to stay with your current computer. You may also want to go to my computer on the desktop or thru Windows Explorer (Windows key and E key at the same time), highlight your C drive and right click and go to properties. See how much space your hard drive has. If it has at least 40 GB you are probably all right but might want to get larger hard drive (7200 RPM will also increase performance) if you store allot of pictures or videos.
Secondly, if you decide to stay with your current computer, simply format the hard drive and reinstall Windows and Programs. Don't forget to back up any important files. If you’re running Windows XP Home you will probably have a couple years of "Updates" left. If you’re running Professional you will have possibly three or more years left for upgrades. Your computer should run like new! If your running anything less than XP such as 95 or 98, it will definitely be worth investing in a new machine that has Vista preinstalled altogether.
Hope this helps,
Troy
When needs are not met
by AHDesign - 4/13/07 9:26 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have a total of 6 (working) PC's and 2 (working) Mac's in my house. Two of the PC's are for my roommates, the other PC's and Mac's are for myself. Two of my own are running Win2000 (for programing reasons), third one is my desktop, fourth is my laptop, and the 2 Mac's are a up-to-date laptop and desktop. What few people see are the slew of other computers (some up to 15+ years old) in my storage. I usually replace a comp. when it just plain doesn't do what I needed it to do. My grandmother uses an old AMD Atholon running Win98 for email only. I Have some 30+ programs on my PC laptop alone. Everything from MS Office, AutoCAD, to a few games. I keep everything up-to-date, and when programs outgrow my computers, it's time for an upgrade. This is true for anyone. If any program you run, runs slower than you can realistically be productive, upgrade. Be sure to research though, what you need. Second reason would be if your computer is having problems just turning on. If just getting to your desktop requires 2 restarts and tricky finger/ keyboard work, then you should probably look into replacing your computer. If you can deal with the problems, and YOU BACK-UP YOUR WORK, then keep using your present set-up. Otherwise go PC's hunting, have fun, research ALL your options, and good luck!
Time to replace
by ethyrdude - 4/13/07 9:55 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It's time to get a new computer when your existing one will no longer do what you need or want it to. If you are planning on upgrading software and your computer does not meet the minimum specs, this would be a good time to either buy new or upgrade. If it's only a case of needing more memory (RAM) or storage space (hard drive), then these can be upgraded fairly reasonably, depending on the age of your computer, usually for less than a hundred dollars for ram, a bit more for a hard drive.
If your computer needs more than a few upgrades to meet the new requirements, it's probably going to cost less to buy a new computer, and if you aren't able to perform the upgrades yourself, there's the cost of labour to consider as well as parts.
Corrupt data that isn't caused by a virus or worm, is usually caused by a failing hard drive or could be something as minor as a hard drive cable that has worked it's way loose. Cables don't usually cause problems unless they weren't plugged in properly to begin with, this would be a good first place to check if you are getting a lot of corrupt documents. Listen to your computer for unusual noises, if you hear loud clicking noises this could be the hard drive failing and usually also causes your computer to not boot up. Of course this won't be a problem because you did back up your documents onto a CD or other back up device?
A computer that no longer boots or prints is in need of software or hardware repairs, and these symptoms are not always a sign of old age as new computers can experience these problems also. Viruses, malware or spyware, poor maintenance can all cause a computer to not function properly.
I would recommend a yearly internal cleaning and check up to ensure that all cooling fans are dust free and functioning properly, an overheating computer does not run well and can cause many problems.
If your printer will not print, this may indicate the need for a new printer rather than a computer, first check that all cables are plugged in properly including the power cord. Also make sure your printer has ink or toner and paper.
A computer can usually give around three to four years dependable service if maintained properly before it is time to upgrade or replace, it all depends on your needs.
Answer
by arpanpandit - 4/13/07 10:37 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It all depends on the performance of the PC and the type of work you do.
Overall if the PC is not working with the same speed and the results aren't satisfactory, you need to replace the PC.
Hardware or Software determination with Cost analysis.
by ellis feigenbaum - 4/13/07 11:55 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
First of all you must determine wether your particular problem is hardware or software orientated.
Windows over time can become corrupted, this can be a malaware problem or a bad driver problem or even a human error problem. The solution for this is usually removing the malaware/virus/corrupt programme, uninstalling software and reinstalling what you already own, therfore in the cost analysis its normally the cheapest solution.
Hardware sometimes gives up the ghost as well, however it is well worth checking the software on the hardware before you just ditch it.
BIOS can become corrupted both on mainboards and on graphic cards, it may well be worth checking if a bios upgrade will solve your problems again a basically free solution if you do it yourself.( as a caveat i would use this as the last ditch effort as installing the wrong bios can fry the board fatally)
If we have ruled out software then we need to determine exactly which peice of hardware is giving us the problem
Graphics cards and mainboards are easily replaceable however there is an age determination. If you computer has passed the upgrade cycle by, so that replacing the mainboard will also neccesitate replacing memory sticks as well it may no longer be cost effective.(I have aqmongst other computers a 5 year old pc that runs beautifully it happens to be running rdram memory, if the motherboard ever goes the lilehood of being able to find a replacement that will match the memory at a cost effective price is close to zero).
so to recap
a) determine if its a software problem
b)determine exactly which peice of hardware is creating the problem
c) check if the hardware itself has a software problem
d) determine the cost effectiveness of replacing the hardware or if it neccesitates other upgrades as well.
Most importantly as most people only have one pc in the house which can make online troubleshooting your pc while trying to fix it somewhat difficult ,I would recommend finding a good local mom and pop pc shop.
If your pc is out of warranty sending it back to manufacturer will probably be a long and costly process, whereas a trustworthy local shop will have both the patience and the wherewithal to actually test the parts on your pc and determine how to best fix it.
Ellis
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