Community Newsletter: Q&A: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced?
- 4/27/07 2:22 PM
A computer is like a house...
by jmwren - 4/20/07 8:20 PM In reply to: Potential winning answers. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
..things break down after time, you fix and replace them and the exterior is usually good for a long time. You can rewire, redesign and completely remodel a home, same is true for a computer, it's just a shell, with the guts that are all upgradable.. you can buy a new motherboard for faster speed, or a new hard drive and make your old one a slave (an extra hard drive like E or F for extra space and keep all your old files in tact) you can add memory (ram) for faster performance or a new motherboard fan if the old one blows out... (which happens a lot over the years, especially in a warm room) Just because you blow a motherboard fan, you don't need a new computer... it's $50 to get a new one installed..you will know it's going bad when you hear a loud winding sound coming from your computer, like a fan that has slowed down...(mine is bad again BTW, I have had the same computer since 2001 and it's upgraded here and there and still pretty up to date...new mother boards, hard drives, ram, etc...bottom line is you save a lot if you only buy what you need, rather than a whole new one...but like all good homes sometimes you just don't want to mess with upgrades and you just want a new one... hope that helps in a nutshell..lol or in a computer shell...:)
Think about your statement,
by saywhatnow - 4/21/07 6:31 AM In reply to: A computer is like a house... by jmwren"BTW, I have had the same computer since 2001 and it's upgraded here and there and still pretty up to date...new mother boards, hard drives, ram, etc..."
I find the above to be a ridiculous statement. The only thing you have had since 2001 is the case that all the new stuff sits in!
BTW, I have a broom in the closet that I have had for 20 years, I have only had to change out the head three times and the handle twice. (just as ridiculous)
The suggestion for buying a Mac is not so silly. It is able to run all the Windows software out there AND run the Mac OS as well. Matched, spec for spec, the Mac is the better value, (Unless, of course, you decide to build your own WinBox) when you compare companies. (Dell, Gateway, Apple, Sony, Toshiba, etc)
yes and....
by mocefish - 4/26/07 8:49 PM In reply to: Think about your statement, by saywhatnowDo You know that She has as WINBOX or are you just assumeing? Maybe she already has a Mac and is running Windows on it?
Not sure I agree
by waytron - 4/27/07 4:24 AM In reply to: A computer is like a house... by jmwrenComparing a home to a computer is not really a good analogy. With a home, the shell and the land that your house sits on are usually where most of the value resides. The shell of a computer is one of the least valuable components. With prices so low on computers now, it may be more cost affective to just buy a new computer rather then trying to upgrade it. Keep in mind that in many cases, a computer is only as good/fast as the slowest/oldest individual component.
Dana
Replace,Upgrade,or planned maintenance
by UNiRAC40 - 4/19/07 4:50 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If your machine has been good to you, then get it clean or let dust and tar destroy the heat sinks,screens, and fans[ Fry Baby]....Slow- then DEFRAG or UPGRADE the RAM or ANOTHER Hard Drive... want the newest operating system? Check the spec.s of that to what ya got ! Computer Technowledgy/Operating systems are doubling in power EXPODENTIALLY since th 40's LOL [I've only been in the game since 1967]
When it SMOKES or Catches FIRE
by cogitovici - 4/20/07 8:44 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Even then, it could probably be fixed.
First, as many have said, you have to decide if the computer works fine for you when it works. If so, go to Step 2.
2. Determine how much you would spend to fix it.
3. Get an estimate.
If you cannot fix it yourself, from what I know you're looking at a minimum of a couple hundred dollars at most shops.
If you can fix it, and know how to use the Internet, and have access to it through another computer, you can usually figure it out.
Of course, if it is a motherboard problem, is it worth the hassle of pulling it all apart to replace that.
I won't bother restating what everyone else has said about the individual components being easily replaced. With a car, for example, it is likely that for most people, if it needs a new transmission or engine, it would be time to consider a new one. For a computer, it is more "would there be greater benefits to replacing it than fixing it."
What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced?
by unknowndude - 4/20/07 9:38 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
From what the symptoms describe, before replacing the pc I would recommend reinstalling the operating system. First be sure you have a back-up of all important information. This should have already been done, I recommend at least monthly. If the OS installs your system is basically OK. You may still get some random errors from memory faults, these will mostly show up as program or data faults.
Other than that it depends on what you do with your present system, and what you intend to do with a new system. There are times when replacing some devices require software/drivers that call for a newer OS. This may mean more disk or ram capacity.
Dont Upgrade --- Downgrade!!!
by drsbkumar - 4/20/07 10:23 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by unknowndudeI have had issues with my Windows XP pc,blah....blah...I have tried every trick out there. Almost trashed my pc and decided to buy a newone..........Then, I tried something different. I formatted it and installed windows 2000 and I found my pc was much faster, I could run all my apps and it felt like a breath of fresh air. So all those out there who have older pcs, do you really want to upgrade, each upgrade slows you down, vv each downgrade speeds you up!!
When to replace you PC
by stanb17 - 4/21/07 5:10 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Smoke. When I see or smell smoke coming from a PC... I usually think it best to consider a replacement.
Now... more seriously... folks need to dust out their PC's. I do mine about every 2 months. Honestly... it is disgusting when someone asks me to fix a PC and they have never in 5 years opened it up to blast out the dust. I don't enjoy getting a face full of dead skin cells and old-people dander.
My favorite trick for when the drive or operating system starts getting flaky, is to get a new hard drive, pull the old one out, install a fresh and shiny new OS on the new disc, patch, patch, patch, then flip the jumper on the old drive to "slave" and simply go back and shop around for all your previously inaccessible data.
You can live happily like this, OR.. once you are satisfied that you have all the data you thought you'd lost, then format the old drive and you have massive amounts of storage. As a precaution, you might want to get a few disc stress-testing programs to do some tests on the old disc. The manufacturers often have special programs available for free that let you run very in-depth hardware tests on their drives.
Another old trick on a disc that is most definitely failing is to stick the olkd drive in a ZipLock bag and place it in the freezer. Yup. But this will only grant you a short while to plug it back in and prey it lasts long enough to run in, scoop your data and save it somewhere else. Once the drive warms up and/or get condensation build-up... you are back to the ZipLock bag.
My own warning signs that my PC needed replacing
by vchanpe - 4/21/07 10:49 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have been building desktop PC from scratch for my family for at years and usually I replace my family member PC when the PC is too slow for their needs. Recently, my family member wants notebooks. Since I can't build a notebook from scratch so I usually shop around for a notebook with the best screen. Most desktops are upgradable by installing more RAM, a bigger or faster harddrive or even replacing the motherboard and CPU. As far as warning signs, I would determine if your current PC is slow because of a software problem first (i.e. virus, clutter, operating system has not been defragged, etc). I usually partition my hard drive into a C drive for the operating system and a D drive for my data using Partition Magic by Symantic. I then backup my C drive by saving an image file of my C drive using Ghost by Symantic and storing the image file on my D drive. If my operating system is slow or affected my a virus, I simply replace it with my backup image file. This restores the operating system to the day that I created the image file of my operating system. It is important to store all your data files on another partition and not on the same partition as your operating system. I usually replaces my motherboard and CPU when there is a sale and upgrading is fairly inexpensive. In any case, the biggest warning sign is when I want to install new software and the new software specify that my PC is out of date and not compatible.
There aren't any absolute warning signs...
by OttifantSir - 4/21/07 1:14 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
This isn't a specific answer to your question, but it is a blog I wrote about my old computer. I got it from my sister who had gotten it from my father. He had gotten it for work, and was the first laptop ever in our family. When I got it, it was getting OLD...
It was, in fact seven years old. I believe it was something close to top of the line when my father got it, but seven years down the road?
Well, read the following and see for yourself how this played out for me:
I get more and more amazed at what I can actually do with this old hunk-a-junk laptop. Running XP on it, I could barely do anything. Hell, starting Word took a few minutes (literally) and going online with it? I could acces my e-mail though, but that was pretty much the extent of it.
Now, after having installed Ubuntu Linux on this system, I can do almost anything I want.
Watching a movie-file? Sure. I just have to remember that there are limitations to what this machine can do, so I put up with the video skipping about once ever one-two minutes.
Listening to music/CDs? Sure. No problem whatsoever. There's even easy-to-get programs to catalogue and tag all my files. Never found that for Windows.
Going online? Easy. It's not as fast loading pages with Opera on this machine as the P3 I have, but this laptop is alot more portable, so I put up with that. The difference isn't really that big. I can actually watch streaming videos on this old thing. Again, with the expectation of it not being perfect. I tend to use YouTube to see how well it's going, and it skips about somewhat. More than locally stored files, but that's to be expected. The sound of the movies are always without problems though.
I can edit pictures on this computer. I am not very good at this, but the Gimp-program that comes with Ubuntu, along with some example-files, shows how versatile the program is. I can also make photo-calendars, organize the pictures from my cell-phone or digital camera with F-Spot.
I use Gaim as my Instant Messengers. It can connect to any major messenger service on the Web: AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, IRC, Gadu-Gadu, Groupwise, Sametime, Jabber and Simple. It can't do Skype though, but lo and behold! This piece of junk can do even that! I just installed it, entered my Skype-name and I was up and running. No problems whatsoever. I just had to scroll down a bit to get the Linux-version on the website.
A full office-suite, free of charge that comes bundled with Ubuntu. It's got what Microsoft Office got: Databases, Spreadsheet, Presenter and word-processor. It's also got an equivalent of Outlook. I can't use this though. Don't have an e-mail adress to use with this.
Firefox comes by default, and it's hard to remove, since it wants to take the desktop with it, but it doesn't bother me. I use Opera and I am happy with that.
Basically, all that's going to change, come the new laptop, is that what I am already doing now, will be done on a better machine. I will be able to watch movies without them skipping. I will be able to look for some games to play. Loading pages will go a bit faster. The resolution will be higher. Currently it's at 800x600 on this piece of crap.
I shouldn't be too hard on it though. It's really doing its best, and it's doing it quite well. I just have to remember that it won't be enough for all I want. As opposed to what I need. For that, it's definitely adequate. But, needs and desires are two entirely different things.
Basically, I haven't tweaked Ubuntu much on this computer. Practically not at all. What I wish this computer had had though: A better batttery. The one currently in here, lasts about 30 minutes if I am lucky. So, that's one thing I NEED, that's going to improve with the new laptop I know I'm going to get come late February when I celebrate my birthday.
To any who has read this: If you have an old laptop lying around, not being used anymore, and need another computer, check what you need the new computer for. If it's nothing more than what I have just described, you may want to look into installing Linux on it. I run Ubuntu, and I love it. If you wish to try it, their website is: www.ubuntu.com
One truly nice thing about Ubuntu is that you can choose how to acquire it. You can download any of many different CD-images, depending on what computer you have, how old it is, how much RAM you have, etc. Or, you can order Live CDs. CDs that show you the operating system without installing it. Meaning you can get to know the operating system intimately well before making alterations to your computer. The best part? You won't pay a dime. Download and burn it yourself, or be patient and order a Live CD, it's all the same. You pay nothing. Well, you have to pay for your connection to the web, but that's a given, right?
But, there are plenty of other Linux versions out there. Some are for the gamers, some are for the purists of FOSS (Free Open Source Software), some are for large enterprises, some are for people without a computer of their own, but who wishes to use Linux on the computer they borrow, only a USB-stick required. Go to www.distrowatch.com for near-complete list of Linux versions. They keep an unofficial list of most popular, and they also have a whole lot of versions/distributions (distro for short) with descriptions on what they are designed for.
Point being: Don't spend money on a new computer before you have tried reviving an old one with Linux. Remember, I practically never use my P3 anymore except for watching full-length movies like X-Men 3, Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail, and so on. Remember, I do all my computing from a seven year old laptop.
[/blog entry]
The P3 talked about was a five-year old server my mother's boyfriend gave me, as his company (which he owns) was upgrading. A big, ugly, noisy, heavy, cumbersome piece of equipment.
This laptop has since been sold. In Norwegian currency, I expected to get about 150-250 for it. Put it on an online auction site for ten days, and was I amazed at this laptop again! I got 650 for it!
One other thing to say about this laptop which I noticed wasn't in my original blog: I connect to the Net with a cable modem. The laptop didn't have a network card, only one USB 1.1 port. When running XP, I had to install drivers to make the modem work. In Ubuntu, I just plugged it in, told the OS what the connection was for, and that's it. 30 seconds later I had a Net-connection. As opposed to XP where it took me ten minutes.
I also connected a whole lot of things to this: Cell phone, external harddrives, card readers, printers, external DVD writer, wireless mouse, etc. All worked perfectly without installing anything, or if I needed to install some drivers, they were usually available from a single site. No need to look for them.
OK, back to topic of this question of yours: If you know how to use the programs of Windows, but don't mess around with any settings, give Linux a go. As I said in the original blog, there are hundreds of several "flavors", or versions of it out there. But the ones that seem the easiest to use for prior Windows users are Ubuntu and Linspire or Freespire. The two latter are actually dedicated to making it as stable as Linux can be, and as user-friendly as Windows.
This advise is best suited for a computer older than two-three years that you wish you could hang on to a bit longer, simply because it basically meets your needs, if not your wants. You want more RAM because it's slow? Linux utilises the RAM better. Want more space on your harddrive? A Windows-installation alone is about 2 Gb. Then comes all the other programs such as media players, graphic programs, office programs, e-mail programs, browsers, etc. Ubuntu Linux, which I use, is slightly less than 2 Gb, with all those installations already on the computer.
You have any questions regarding problems? Good luck trying to reach a live person at Microsoft. I looked at their help-page. It took me thirty minutes to find the site where they offered live support. And they wanted a lot of money for it. Three e-mails was gonna cost me 900 Norwegian Kroner. Thirty minutes on the phone? 1500.
At least with Ubuntu, you can log on to their forum, and literally thousands of live persons are there to help you. They do give support for other Linux versions too, but their main issue is Ubuntu.
I agree with what I have read from the newsletter: It doesn't seem, from your information, like you have hardware problems, but software problems. If you're going to do a clean install (wipe the harddrive and install Windows from scratch) anyway, download a Live CD, or order one (Ubuntu ships free of any charge, even postage), and have a look at Linux. As you can read in the blog, I just gave a seven-year old laptop life for at least two more years by doing just that.
In my opinion, a PC needs to be replaced when you have tried all the comments and suggestion made throughout this whole thread, and done a cost-analysis of what it will take to repair the hardware vs buying a new computer, or if you want to switch from a desktop to a laptop. If the latter is your main reason to replace a PC, don't throw the old one out the window. It may still be useful for backing up data or doing some writing, or act as a firewall, router, network/file server (if you have wireless network and several computers in a family). When a computer is so old, that getting new parts for it becomes a genuine hassle of searching the Net for suppliers for several hours, and it won't work without those parts, it's ready for retirement.
But, as others have said, even old computers may be useful for their parts, or to someone else. Don't throw it in the bin before you have checked if someone might take it off your hands and do minor refurbishment on it for some community effort to get the less-fortunate ones computer training and experience.
That's my two cents. (Or may this be a full dollar's worth?)
Christian
Change OS perhaps, but be aware
by PRuser1791 - 4/23/07 5:35 PM In reply to: There aren't any absolute warning signs... by OttifantSirI've been a Microsoft products user since 1989, was quite comfortable with DOS and even wrote software that ran in non-graphical mode. I've seen Windows 3.xx mature and become obsolete, Windows95 considered the standard and become obsolete, and even Windows98 go the same route. There were dramas all along the way: as one writer stated before me, Windows is an opaque OS. If you have problems getting stuff to work, it has become increasingly difficult to get to the root of the problem. Used to be, you'd just open an .ini file in your favourite text editor and make a few adjustments. Now, you have to get your head around the registry. If you stuff up an .ini file, certain software won't work. Stuff up the registry, and Windows falls over.
Linux is a hark back to the days of the .ini file. As such, you have a much easier time configuring your system as well as figuring out what might be wrong. It is like the Windows of old in that respect.
However, also like the Windows of old, you kinda have to know where to make the changes. There are many relative new-comers to personal computing who know WindowsXP and that's it. They would never invoke 'regedit', they would never look at an .ini file, their systems invariably run slower and slower because of fragmentation and a massive accumulation of .tmp files (left behind by programs like MSN Messenger) and installed but never used software, not to mention virii and other nasties, and at some point, the question arises: "is this poor old (barely 3 years old) PC ready for the boneyard?"
It is a truism that if hardware manages to survive the first year, it'll probably keep going for several years after that, hard drives failing and lightning strikes excepted. So, the PC runs fine, just slowly and doesn't do what it's meant to do as well as it used to. The hardware is - very probably - not at fault. It's the OS.
Whilst I'm a enthusiastic *new* supporter of Linux - just upgraded Ubuntu 6.10 to 7.04 - I can recommend this OS only with caveats. Linux is not Windows. As a matter of fact, that's a good thing. However, if all you know is Windows, it will seem that's a bad thing. It takes a while working with Linux and studying how to do things (you spend a lot of time reading and browsing forums and asking, asking, asking) and even tearing your hair out a bit before you finally realize that YES, it *is* a good thing. I can assure you that, if you do decide to have a go, you will -eventually - end up with a computer that:
1. won't ever slow down because of fragmentation or .tmp files
2. won't be rendered useless because of a virus infection - the design of the operating system makes the threat of virus infection extremely minimal
3. will be rock-stable - you can leave your PC running for days on end and not worry about blue screens with cryptic writing suddenly appearing for no apparent reason
4. you suddenly feel you want to edit your digital photo collection? make a DVD for your mates of your holidays in Spokane? connect with your mates on Skype or MSN? compose music? organise your finances? - all of this can be done in Linux. Where in Windows a lot of these sorts of things involve an investment of some sort, in Linux, chances are you will find a free application that will do that for you. There are literally thousands of free (read 'free' as in, 'free beer') programs for Linux. That includes software like OpenOffice.org, which reads and writes not only MS Office files, but will also let you create .pdf files if you wish, or The GIMP, a powerful image editor which supports layers and has a gazillion plugins for cool effects, all at no cost.
Is there a downside to all this no-cost software, and no-cost Operating System?
Well, yes, there is. May suggest having a read of:
http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm
and
http://ubuntuforums.org/
before making the plunge, just to save yourself a bit of frustration. It's like going on the Atkin's diet: it helps to understand what the diet is meant to do, and what pitfalls to avoid. The diet is going to work, just like Linux is going to work - but it helps to understand it a bit. It's not a no-brainer like Windows. I repeat: Linux is not Windows. Don't expect a better version of Windows. If you do, you'll be disappointed. However, if you can get your head around new ideas, are willing to *initially* spend a little time getting things to work, you will have - *seriously* - years of trouble-free computing. It's worth the time.
When to replace your computer?
by WaynrDude - 4/22/07 9:04 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
We have a retail computer store for 21 years. My wife is the book keeper and she uses a 386 with 64K of ram, 3 Gig hard drive, an orange screen and no windows or mouse. No really! She does not like change, I guess that is why she has put up with me for 33 years.
If your computer is working and lets say it is over 500 MHZ and you don't play games but you do the normal word processing, spread sheets and go to the Internet. Save your money and put it in wideband Internet service. I would rather have a 500MHZ system on Cable than a 3 or 4 GIG computer on 56K dial up! I use 1.0 GIG computers at my work stations hooked to cable.
Take your money and learn how to erase your hard drive and start over. Keep all documents and photos on an external drive. 75% of our customers come in complaining their system is too slow, it has slowed down. The computers are crystal time based, I have ran across one in 21 years that has slowed down about 10%. The Internet fills your computer full of junk. It takes us 14 different programs and about 3 hours to clean a computer. Eraseing it is cheaper and a better way to go.
Besides if you go buy a new computer today you will have to have VISTA more than likely. Good luck with compatibility.
Some simple solutions to a possibly complicated problem
by sgtdisturbed47 - 4/22/07 2:33 PM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
A computer is what I like to call "Murphey's Law bait", as there are so many things that could possibly go wrong, both on the side of hardware and software.
Having computers makes life a little easier, but if you are a custom rig builder like I am, you quickly find that each and every system has it's own personality and temperament, even when compatibility is kept in mind 100% of the time. Some parts fail easily, some require the additional strength of better parts to reduce "bottlenecking" of performance, and some have higher power requirements than others. Ultimately, when I look at a computer, I see a city that relies on different areas to keep things going.
Another main part of the computer, as I mentioned above, is the software, namely, the Operating System. This vital piece of software is what keeps the city moving in harmony: directing traffic, controlling what recourses are more important than others for specific operations, and organizing the information. If the operating system undergoes changes over the years, the harmony of the city is disrupted and there are traffic jams (system halts or Stop Errors [blue screen of death]), collapse of recourses (RAM or hard drives don't respond properly due to data corruption), and worse-case scenario, total destruction (files from the operating system being removed by viruses or the user, causing the entire system to fail or not respond).
There are usually ways around software problems, like reinstalling Windows or using the repair console to rebuild the boot sector by using your Windows XP disk or the manufacturer's recovery disk along with a possible recovery partition on the hard drive. Software can be reinstalled and the hard drive reformatted, known as a Clean Install, and can actually then improve the system's performance. You must understand that over the years, the operating system itself undergoes changes whether you realize it or not, mainly due to updates, other software, registry key changes, disk fragmentation, and harmful software such as viruses and spyware. your problems with data corruption and such could be a sign that your system could use a Clean Install.
On to the hardware aspect. As stated above, the "city" that is a computer also must have functioning hardware to keep things flowing smoothly. Physically (hardware such as RAM, the motherboard, the hard drives, and power supply), hardware needs to be in good condition in order for the harmony to stay in place. Bad RAM, a failing hard drive, a warped motherboard, or an over-volting power supply all can lead to system instability and eventually failure. Electricity has to flow unhindered in order to keep things peaceful.
A warped motherboard with aged "bus lines" that carry the electricity can cause data corruption within the RAM and from the RAM to the Processor and can corrupt data carried from one component to another. There can also be a loss of performance is the electricity isn't carried from one component to another in a swift manner. Aged and heat-strained copper can in fact slow the flow of electrons, and since each component is dependent on the other to either send or receive electricity, the wait time increases between components and causes an overall drop in performance. Heat is the killer of electronics, so the use of case fans is crucial to keeping the city alive. Dust control is also paramount in keeping the system cool. Dust acts as an insulator, and since your computer is likely in a house, there will inevitably be dust. If dust builds up on the motherboard, the fans, the heat sink on the CPU, and inside the power supply, the heat can build up and stay there, and eventually overheat the system. Heat warps plastic, and since the motherboard is plastic, it can be dramatically affected by to much heat. Keep a can of Air Duster in your desk, and about once a month, blast off the dust from the fans, the motherboard, from inside the power supply, and from all heat sinks.
General hardware failure can occur, causing the system to not respond at all. Such failures can consist of a faulty piece of equipment from the manufacturer, the power supply becomes faulty and fries your other components, water damage/circuit shortage, physical impact, corrosion, electromagnetic motor failure, and fire damage. These are extreme cases, where more often than not there is human error involved and can be prevented. Other cases, due to "wear and tear", cannot be avoided. Electromagnetic motors of a small size, for instance, are prone to failure quite easily. Most people have to replace their fans before they have to replace their main hardware components, but other have been lucky and the fans outlast the system.
Some tips for preventing failure, corruption, and data loss:
*Always backup important data to either CDs, DVDs, external hard drives, or whatever means you have for backing-up data.
*Be vigilant in keeping your computer free of viruses and spyware. Use at least 2 programs for each, as one anti-virus or anti-spyware program may detect malicious programs that the other can't, and keep them updated. Scan for viruses and spyware daily.
*Don't leave yourself open to attackers. Make your your router AND your computer have a firewall active.
*Keep the computer away from potential accidents. Use a surge protector. Belkin has a lifetime warranty on some of their more high-end surge protectors, and the warranty states that if the computer is damaged due to a surge while using their surge protector, they will replace your entire computer. Check with Belkin to be sure that this warranty still exists, but I'm sure it does. Also keep food, drink, pets, and children away from the computer. Keep the computer off the carpet, but if you must keep it on the floor, use an elevated surface to keep the machine off the carpet. Carpets are dust-magnets, and your computer will suck in quite a bit of dust over a period of time. Carpets also act as an insulator, which could lead to heat issues.
*Once a year reinstall Windows. This keeps the operating system clean, and boosts performance. You don't have to do a Clean Install, but reinstalling just the operating itself keeps things harmonious. You can do so by using your operating system disk and running a repair job of the operating system itself.
*Don't leave the computer running all the time. Give it a chance to cool down once in a while. For every 3 hours of hard use (intense gaming, video-watching, video/audio editing, etc.), shut it down for 1/2 hour, and if you use the computer lightly (not gaming or running large programs that tax the processor), then make sure to turn it off at night. The use of Hibernate can be used instead of shutting it down, but this can only be done if you have a bunch of free space on your hard drive. If you have at least the amount of free space on your hard drive that there is RAM, you can use Hibernate.
*Defragment your hard drive when needed. This makes it easier for data to be accessed from the hard drive and improves overall system performance.
*Keep an eye out for signs of failure (system crashes, blue screen of death, system "hangs" or freezes), and as soon as this starts to occur, take your little city to a computer repair shop and have them take a look.
Your computer does not have to be replaced entirely if failure occurs, as the individual component that has failed can be replaced. Only in the case of a total loss due to an extreme circumstance does the computer really need to be replaced. Some replace their computers for other reasons not involving failure, as some like to keep "ahead of the game" with technology and computer parts, and others just plain get sick of their machine quickly and want a new one, either for the need for a faster machine or for bragging rights with their friends. There are many reasons for replacing a computer (I've heard of people replacing their machine just because they got tired of how it looks), but as I said, it does not actually have to be replaced unless total failure has occurred.
Keep your little city happy, and it will serve you to the best of it's ability.
Happy computing,
Andrew
To replace or not to replace my PC
by randysvh - 4/24/07 2:34 AM In reply to: What are the warning signs that any PC needs to be replaced? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Dear Janet,
The warning signs vary. As a consultant, i would ask you first if the computer is functioning and runs as designed, and does it still do what you want? If your answer is yes then my answer is NO you do not need a new system regardless of how old. Remember slower and reliable is better than fast and unstable. If your answer was no then Yes of course a replacement machine is in your future.
If the computer has failures that are beyond replacing a hard drive, or some peripheral device and doing a fresh Operating System install, then yes it may be time. If the failures are software related, then your computer may not need replacement, but a full system refresh/re-install.
Now to answer each question directly. Warning signs do not just appear or give you evidence there is something wrong, unless it becomes very obvious, and even then in most cases, parts can be replaced. Safe mode is not necessarily a concern, nor does it mean that your system has failed. When a safe mode comes up, shutdown after the system has fully booted and restart the system. When a computer cycles and does not settle to the desktop, usually means there is a hard drive problem that may be fixable with one or two simple commands executed from a bootable system CD. Printing and document issues does not mean your computer has failed. It may mean though that there is a software problem. Most computers that seem to be replaced can be fixed and rehabilitated by upgrading or replacing components, thus the grave yard is unnecessary. The only time you need to move up to a new PC is when you decide it is not worth putting any more money into an older machine, and the idea of having a new machine is what you want.
So do you think you still need a new computer?
randy
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