Community Newsletter: Q&A: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced?
- 4/27/07 2:22 PM
Keep It / Toss It ???
by duhzzz - 4/14/07 6:45 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
A guideline on when to toss an old computer comes down to money. What will it cost to get it to do what I want, compared to what it will cost to replace it. A desktop is usually cheaper to replace or repair compared to a notebook. A good rule of thumb is that if a desktop is three years old, and the cost to correct a problem is above $200 - $250, it may be better to look at replacing it. Many people look at the fact that they paid $700 - $800 for a desktop several year’s ago, and think $200 to repair it isn’t all that bad. The same system they bought a few years ago has about dropped in half in price. A notebook is more expensive to repair than a desktop, but the comparable price for a new one has dropped more than desktops in the past few years. One also has to think of the cost & hassle if purchasing a replacement vs. repairing the old one. Transferring data from the old to new, trying to find drivers for the peripherals you are keeping for Vista that comes on the new systems, finding out that you have to buy updates to your old Quicken, Office, other applications, to run under Vista, are all situations that need to be added to the formula.
If you have multiple I/O devices and applications currently in use, these have to be added to the complete value of your system when deciding whether to buy new of fix, as some will not run under Vista.
I would talk to a few places to get a total cost, then base my decision on the money.
Repair or replace
by william-l - 4/14/07 7:43 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Janet,
The signs you've described may result from a number of issues, from a potentially failing hard drive to software corruption to virus infestation.
If you are having difficulty booting up your computer, the hard drive boot sector may have been corrupted. If that's the case, the drive will need to be replaced. If you own an older computer, the cost to replace the hard drive may not make sense relative to the cost of a new system.
If the system boots, but you are having trouble getting your system to perform cerrtain tasks, you may want to consider using antivirus software if you haven't already done so. You may also want to consider reinstalling your troublesome software, as the reinstallation may fix the problem you're having.
As far as extending the life of your current system, you could consider adding memory, particularly if your system seems to be running slow (although defragmenting your hard drive and clearing caches of temporary files will also help). Again, if you have an older system, the cost of adding memory may not make sense.
For me, the decision to replace te system usually comes when I find that I no longer have the system rwesources to run the software I would like to purchase, or when replacing or upgrading components approaches 50% of the cost of a new system.
good luck with your decision.
There’s really three options here.
by the Otter - 4/14/07 7:44 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The least expensive—but perhaps the most annoying—would be to back up all your files to an external hard drive, reformat the internal hard drive, and reinstall Ms Windows from scratch. If there’s no hardware errors, this will give you a clean bill of health—and if it’s just the hard drive going bad, this will prevent you from losing your precious data.
The next option would be to get a new Ms Windows–based PC, which really comes down to two sub-options: one with Windows Vista or one with Windows XP. Vista may seem like the smarter choice, since it’s more future-proof, but there’s so many different versions that you’d better read up and make sure that a) the version you’re getting will do everything you need, and b) the computer you’re getting can actually run the version you need. (As an aside, my brother-in-law bought a new computer with Windows Vista, a few weeks ago, and it’s so bad that he’s actually spending the extra money to buy a copy of Windows XP, to replace it.)
The last option—and in my opinion, the best—would be to upgrade to a new Macintosh. Although the new version of Mac OS X (codenamed “Leopard”) has been pushed back to October, the current version (Mac OS X v.10.4.9 Tiger) is in many ways more advanced than Windows Vista, and it’s mostly immune to the kinds of problems you’re describing. Please note that I said “mostly”; Macs aren’t perfect, but they have the significant advantage of the hardware and software coming from the same manufacturer. Look around your house at all the various appliances—your TV, microwave, toaster, perhaps a DVR, etc.—and you’ll notice that they’re all made by a single company. That’s why you don’t have to worry about the TV’s software: it’s made for that specific TV, maybe at the outset for all TVs by that manufacturer, but certainly not for 5,000 different TVs from 100 different manufacturers and let’s hope to high Heaven it works with all of them. A Macintosh is about as reliable as any other appliance, and in the event it does break down, you know exactly who’s to blame. (The single manufacturer model is also why Macs tend to be so much less expensive than their Windows-based counterparts.)
One last thing: if you’re holding out on making the switch to a Macintosh, remember that there’s many different options—some of them even free!—for running Ms Windows programs on a Mac. Frankly, I don’t think there’s any more reason to look elsewhere.
Good luck, Janet, and let us know how it goes!
Not necessarily...
by mkoehne - 4/14/07 8:42 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Your issues all sound like they are software related. The solution might be a simple as backing up your data in some fashion, then format your hard drive and reinstall your OS, all of your applications and your data. If you don't have the skills necessary to do this yourself, a PC savvy friend could help. Even if you had to pay to have this done, it's bound to be cheaper than a new PC.
Of course, this all depends on how old your system is. If your system is not at least a Pentium 4 or the equivalent, and unless it has the ability to hold at least 512Mb of RAM, it might be time to replace your hardware.
Is it HW or SW?
by sauna6 - 4/14/07 9:12 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The question implies both fault categories: SW and HW to be the problem.
I have used PCs before IBM PC appeared, daily, heavily. Any number and type of problems have appeared.
HW: when the HD begins to sound loud or act erratically, it is time to move your stuff onto a new one, voluntarily. I used to consume one HD per year, in the 90'ies. If the screen breaks, you'll have a good excuse to by a whole new laptop, the one you always wanted to have. Broken connectors still deserve to get repaired by a shop. A new laptop battery is a good investment, too.
SW: Windows keeps increasing the size of the Registry as you go, so after two years or so of normal use, the HD needs to be reformatted, and all programs and data reinstalled. As far as I know, there is no way to reduce the registry size, so to improve the response time of your PC to various commands. That is a major problem in today's operating systems. But hey, you CAN do it to your PC, but your own body must carry all the life's wear and tear all the way to the end. Reformatting is not an option for us (yet).
Buy smart next time...
by st4000 - 4/14/07 9:35 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Arrrgh... You are asking questions about your operating system, not your computer hardware. And that is probably the paradigm that would mean the most to their bottom line. You are falling into a trap where you feel you need to buy a whole new system every two years. And the reality is that you do. Not necessarily because your computer is obsolete for your purposes, but more likely because your operating system is changing from under you (although temping, I will not even touch stability issues). A fair assumption would be to say money motivates these changes. However, one could ask if it is fair to impose these changes on you? You might point out no one is imposing changes on you. But then, why does your operating system appear to be breaking down? It is likely products you have recently bought expect newer operating systems. And the people who sell those products what to sell to the largest audiences. It all sounds some what out of control does it not? What can you do? Buy smart next time.
Answers for Janet H.
by belemeju - 4/14/07 9:37 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
When you can not cope up with the latest audio and video release, especially the graphics. Also, when you are installing a programs that have higher requirements for the graphics. This results to slow start up, longer time opening of files and undesirable frame rate for the video.
But first of all, kindly check your PC if it is upgradable. It is more cheaper to add/replaced cards than buying a new PC.
Don't be misled ...
by ldmoorer - 4/14/07 10:50 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
While the gist of this weeks question may seem to offer some plausible reasons for replacing your current computer, "Don't be misled"...
In general issues such as the ones outlined can be resolved by doing one of the following:
1) Restoring your computer to an earlier point in time. Windows provides this is an option that allows you set up to regularly scheduled restore points.
2) Some computer come with a resort/recovery partition per installed on your machine (Look under my computer). This will allow you to restore your computer back to the factory install level (pristine).
3) Then if worse comes to worse there's always the ole format and reinstall. This worked for me some years ago when my machine got a virus and slowly deteriorated to the point where it wouldn't boot. After I did the reinstall, it ran like a champ for several years to come, until I sold it. Which brings me to another point, "IF" you do NOTHING else make sure you have virus protection on your computer with an active subscription for regular updates. I CAN NOT stress this enough. Most ISPs like SBC and others provide virus protection as a part of their service.
Now, to the crux of this weeks question, the bottom line is, it's time to replace your computer when it reaches it limitations in memory, cpu, etc. Many situations can be over come by upgrading your hard drive, adding more memory, installing a DVD burner etc. but there also THAT point of diminishing return (Upgrading your old PC is just not worth it in the long run). With technology changing as quick as it does and the basic price, relatively speaking, of PC coming down there in lies the question "Do I or Don't I" - "Feeling luck Punk".
Good luck.
pc freezing and all associated problems
by mjb0761 - 4/14/07 11:29 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
i have had the same problems as you and resolvedmost of them by rolling my machine back a year. however i think that my problems were started by a virus, do you have a good antivirus and do you scan frequently. also is it up to date?
Warning signs PC needs to be replaced (answer)
by HughHemington - 4/14/07 11:47 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
First, none of the "warning signs" sighted have anything to do with PC replacement. Don't confuse OS stability with hardware obsolescence. Any PC can be re-loaded with OS and application software when, for whatever reason, it fails to work for software reasons.
When something inside the PC fails, and can be replaced for nominal cost, do that (hard drive, DVD-R RW, etc.). Replace the PC when, loaded with the OS and application suite of choice, its performance is no longer satisfactory. This might include the inability to support some new peripheral that you just have to have, or run a new power or memory-hungry application.
Even when the OS works, applications conspire to bog the PC down. They love to add something to the "tray" -- pre-load a big hunk of code so you don't know how poorly they're written when it takes a few seconds longer to load them. Put twenty or more applications on a single PC and the odds of one of them throwing a nutty and secretly chewing up the machine's resources are pretty high.
Ironically, "anti-virus" software most often takes the PC on a one-way trip to snooze-ville -- especially the "suites". In an effort to make the PC safe, it makes it useless!
Before replacing that PC, buy a new larger hard drive (they're cheaper every day), re-install the OS on that with the original drive setup in the "back seat". Re-install the software you need to run and pull back all your data. Chances are, the PC is just fine. Later, that second hard drive can be a backup point for important data, personal setting and even an image of the primary drive if you buy the right software.
What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced
by jebtech - 4/14/07 11:49 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The obvious sign is when unable to find replacements for failed hardware components. If the part is no longer manufactured, its a pretty safe bet support will be limited at best. Adjunct to this is the older systems inability to accept newer versions of failed components.
With considering the myriad of configurations and varied uses we have for PC's from the perspective of the extremely good engineering that goes into making the components. Very long life cycles are experienced. Simply because a PC no longer holds the much coveted and ever shifting, 'state of the art' classification, does not mean it needs to be replaced.
Conversely, when one part fails, the entire system becomes a candidate for replacement. This opens up an entirely different topic for discussion centered around the User and their intended use of the system.
The short answer is: When a component of a PC has failed or fails to preform to the Users expectations (also, 'ever shifting') a determination of whether the PC should be replaced, should be made.
Old cumputer verses new computer
by reinkes786 - 4/14/07 1:19 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
i have been thinking on during the same thing with mine but i research and i think i found something that will make pc like new and that buying a copies of Regcure this is euppose to make an old pc like new it find all the problem and fix them better than you can imgine for a small fee of 46.69 dollar this will take care of your problem once and for all check this out on www,download.com read the info and send me a email bnack and let me know where u can buy it im having a heck of time to find it i hope this help you in making your decision to buy a new pc or make your old pc run like you just bought it besides it will save you money
Co-Mingling
by jebtech - 4/15/07 1:46 AM In reply to: Old cumputer verses new computer by reinkes786Do not confuse Hardware and Software problems.
The question addressed when a system should be replaced.
Not when the software on the system it should be reloaded.
Should you fix it, or trash it
by HillBilly2OO7 - 4/14/07 1:57 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Telling someone that there is one certain problem that could happen to your computer that means you need to get a new one is almost impossible. This is because there are, as sad as it seems, almost a limitless number of issues that can happen to a computer that could lead one to purchasing a new one.
What I found to be the best advice is not necessarily what is the issue, but what is the cost to fix it. Any issue one may face with his/her computer can be fixed; some are just more expensive than others. Sometimes you need to reinstall the OS and other times you need to replace a piece of hardware, but in any case, it is possible to fix.
To give you an idea on the costs for various repairs you are going to be looking at I made a list below. (They might be slightly biased; these are what it costs to repair at Geek Squad)
- A bad Hard drive will cost about $100-150 for about a 250-320gig replacement and $40 to install. If you want to get your data recovered it will be about another $100. After that you will have to install the OS on the hard drive because it will be completely blank, otherwise you can have someone install it for you. Overall about 290 if you want your data from the bad HDD.
- If you have an issue with your OS such as not loading it all together or if it jsut runs very slowly you can take it in somewhere to have viruses and like issues removed or you can simply reinstall the operating system. You can try doing it yourself but once a virus is on your computer it is not as easy as you may think to completely remove. Most repair centers use a variety of programs to assure that everything has been taken care of. Taking it in will cost between 129 and 200.
- An issue with your motherboard is a little more costly than the other issues. The difficulty with replacing it is that it is often the case in which you MUST get the exact same one that was in before to make sure it will be compatible. The replacement cost itself will be between $100-250 and unless you are very computer savvy it is a wise idea to have it professionally installed. The installation will cost around $60 and other costs may incur if the OS needs to be reinstalled after the replacement. Total cost will be around $200-450.
- An issue with RAM is a fairly simple one to fix. A replacement stick will run about $70 for 512MB and about $150 for 1gig and if you must have a professional install it will run about $40. Overall you will be looking at between $70 and $190.
-Issues with other hardware such as DVD drives will run you about the same as the above if not a little less.
When purchasing a new computer you are looking at about $700 for a decent desktop computer so anyone of the issues listed above are still cheaper than a new computer. The only drawbacks you would be looking at are the fact that the saying "whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger" does not hold true for computers, instead they seem to be weaker and even more susceptible to future repairs. Also, for about $300 more you can get a brand new computer with all of the new technology.
When you are deciding if it is cost effective look not only at the price difference between the repair and a new computer but also at the age of your own. If the computer is over five years old don’t spend more than $200 to fix it. Anything under three years would be worth spending maybe $400 to keep it going. For computers less than three years old, almost always get it fixed unless the cost of repairs is more than the machines worth and if it is more than six years old don’t fix it, instead buy a new computer. I hope this helped!
Tyler,
Geek Squad CIA, precinct 611.
When to replace
by yerffej - 4/14/07 2:17 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Janet,
You didn't mention what you were using and how old it is so your choices may be twofold. First if you have a fairly new PC (less than 2 years old) ad assuming you have all of the software and reinstall or a restore disk, I would suggest backing up all your personal files if you are running XP you can use the file settings and transfer wizard to help you with this. Once you have your backup you can proceed to reformatting your drive and reinstalling everything, remember to apply all of the necessary updates and your virus and firewall protection.
This should eliminate the slow downs you are describing, a good spyware program such as SpyBot (free) or Counterspy (not free) may be in order to avoid a recurrence. If your PC is older than 2 years you are, or may be, at the point of having to ask is it worth it, especially if you are running an OS earlier than XP. If you are could could do an upgrade if your hardware supports it, or consider moving to an OS like Linux if you used your PC primarily for email, web and basic day to day work. There are many Linux programs that make a good substitute if you're not married to a specific Windows product. Linspire is a good Linux distro for those who like a simplified approach, there are others depending on your level of expertise. If you are married to a certain app then with prices the way they are on desktops you may find it cheaper to buy than to upgrade. I used to build most of my PC's but it has gotten to the point where OEM's can do it for a lot less and I just reformat them the way I want them to get rid of the useless they they pawn off. Good Luck.
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