Usually you are looking at complete loss of data when that happens.
I would love to get a MAC some day. Not to use as I do my PC, but so I can make better graphics on. MACs are famous for making excellant graphics. I also want Linux to. So i guess I better save up so i can buy two more computers. :D-->
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood"..........but hey, I love to see a good Clothesline once in a while
ChasUFarley - If possible do this to your computer:
Back up all your files and data on a CD or some other form or removable dissk. My favorite these days is a USB keychain typy drive. THey are very samll and plug right into the USB port on your computer. They can hold hundreds of MB of data these days, more than enough for all your data.
If your hard drive is less than 40GB, go out and purchase a new hard drive such as an 80GB 7200 RPM drive. Pretty cheap. (You can also use the smaller hard drive as a second drive for storage and back up, maybe transform it into an external USB drive).
Add more memory to your computer. Such as at least 256MB of memory. It is also cheap.
Remove your old graphics card and purchase a new one that is at least 32MB if there are any left over. IF not, you can still get yesterdays 64MB graphics cards for $50.
Make sure you have at least a 17' monitor.
Revove your 56k dial up modem and install a network card for $15.
Purchase Windows XP Home edition for around $100.
If it is still within budget, remove your old sound card and get a new Sound Blaster Live card for $40. along with a 50 to 200 watt speaker system consisting of 2 satellites and one subwoofer.
Finally, and most importantly of all, cancel your current Internet service provider and get a high speed DSL connection for $35 a month. This will come with 5 - 7 free email addresses.
Put all the pieces together, install the latest drivers for each component, install the latest versions of all the programs you have, making sure that you do not install old stuff from years ago, and you are good to go.
When you are finished you will have an awesome system for a cheap price. You will not recognize it compared to the old one because it will blow it away in comparison.
If your system is not at least a Pentium III do not do the above overhaul. In my opinion if you have a Pentium II or below it is time for you to throw it away and purchase a new Pentium 4 computer.
I apologize in advance if you already have some of these components. This is also to help show others how they can perform simple upgrades that will make tremendous difference.
One thing I do not recommend is to install XP over 98. It is best to reformat the hard drive and perform a clean install. Do not use XP without at LEAST 256 MB RAM. I also do not recommend using Windows 98 anymore. It sucks compared to XP or 2000.
John R.
PS - don't give the kids that "old compouter" while you buy the new one. Kids need more processing power that the adults usually do because of gaming, CD burning, chatting, downloading songs, blasting music, adding digital pictures and 2 or three other things they will be wanting to do simultaneously. Us adults are more passive in our computing tasks.
[This message was edited by igotout on August 16, 2003 at 23:08.]
[This message was edited by igotout on August 16, 2003 at 23:27.]
That is kind of what I did with my comuter. It was one I had made for me at a local computer chain couple of years ago as a backup computer. I had paid $300 for it. Celeron 950.
Last year, I bought a new Mother board, and P4 2.2 Gig processor, and bought the newest accessories, sound/video/CDR/RW for it. Stripped a lot of it off my Compaq that I already had. Cost me $400. New Viewsonic 19" monitor for only $250.......clearance. :D-->
Buying whole systems really do cost more than building your own.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood"..........but hey, I love to see a good Clothesline once in a while
John R - Thanks a million for the advise. I've been studying for my A+ certification and it has occurred to me that I could do some different upgrades, but hadn't a clue where to start. Of course the monitor was a no-brainer - but I didn't know what to do from there...
I'm going to do that with my computer, which is the more up-to-date one of the two that hubby & I have. I have a CP 5451 and it has more slots for upgrades, which is why I chose it. That, and it was steal - someone had opened the box but not set it up.
I'm going to also upgrade my CD-R while I'm at it, because the one I have now is something like 4X, I think - which can be painfully slow when burning hi-res digital images. I don't really need a DVD drive, as I've heard they can be high-maintaince and need alignments once a year - no thanks!
Hubby's poor lil' PC still isn't totally well and we've had to run the system recovery disk on it a couple of times now. I'm not sure where to go next, but it needs help...
Here's the specs on my 'puter (below). Is there anything else you can recommend I do to make my computer perform better?:
Processor: AMD-K6™ 3D processor 500 MHz
-BIOS: Award Software
-Bus Type: PCI,ISA,USB
-Ports: 1 Parallel, 1 Serial
--Memory: 88.0 MB (100% Utilized)
-Floppy Disks: 1.44 MB
-Hard Disks: 12.59 GB
-MultiMedia: Sound, CD-ROM
You know, all these options are amazing now... I remember when having a gig of memory was a BIG DEAL! That wasn't all that long ago now...
Chas: You might just want to replace the whole thing. There are several motherboards out there now that include good-quality graphics, sound, and networking all built-in so you don't have to futz around with installing expansion cards. My current favorites are the ones built on the nVidia nForce2 chipset, like the ABIT NF-7 series. On www.mwave.com they have the NF-7 for about $85, an AMD AthlonXP 2600 processor for about $90, and 512MB of DDR333 memory for about $80. Throw in a generic case with at least a 300-watt power supply for another $60 or so, and use your existing hard drive and CD-ROM to start, or spend another $110 or so to update those as well.
The only thing you can't get cheap is a new copy of WindowsXP Home. You're just going to have to let Bill bite you for $90, but this time, it's actually worth it.
Building your own computer nowadays is very easy. If you know what you're doing, you can have it together in an hour. If not, it can still be done in an afternoon.
If you buy one of Multiwave's motherboard bundles (motherboard with installed CPU and memory, tested) then all you need is a Phillips head screwdriver. The motherboard only goes into the case one way, you screw it down with 6-8 screws. Then, the power connector from the power supply snaps in, and there's only 1 way for it to go, too. The little connectors for the case lights (power, harddrive, etc.) can be tricky, but it just takes patience. Each drive, (HD, floppy, CD) connects with 4 screws, and their cables are also 1-way only. Just make sure your main hard drive is on the "primary" IDE connector and is set to "master" instead of "slave". (If you're transferring them from an old computer, just make sure they're hooked up the same way to the new one as they were in the old one.)
Put the case back together, hook up keyboard, mouse, and monitor, and flick the switch.
The fool hath said in his heart, "PFAL is the Word of God..."
I agree with Zixar's assesment. It's just not worth it to salvage old ( in computer years) stuff like that.
One of your specs says:
Memory: 88.0 MB (100% Utilized)
A clue that you are at risk of extreme slowdown or a lock up. Believe it or not this may not be from your memory or system as much as it is that I would guess that you have tons of things running in the background including what is known as Spyware.
PRess Ctrl, Alt, DEL to see some of them. The others can be found by going to Start / Run / MSCONFIG and go to the start up section.
Surprise! All those items are starting up and running when your computer starts. First remove all items from your Programs / Startup. Then uninstall any applications that you have not used for a very long time and do not need.
But do not put too much effort into that old system. Look for a new one. It will be a huge leap in technology for you.
As I type this I have Word 2002 open, a database, a family website open, and am watching TV on a 2nd attached monitor.
My CPU usage is at 10%
Windows XP and 2000 handle memory much better. But I have also seen powerful XP systems that were trashed (sluggish and very buggy) due to sloppy computing habits and irresponisbility.
Unfortunately, these things take a lot of work and dilligence, but not as much as they used to.
Well, I saw the light and got hubby to see it last week - we're getting a new computer. I'm using my old one right now, as I am carefully shopping around...
The fact he was clueless as to what to get me for an anniversary present helped, I must say. (All women are opportunists - I just happen to be a professional one!)
Hubby's computer is now in the morgue - it's a hopeless case.
John - I've taken your advise and killed a lot of the back applications that were running which brought it down to 85% and none of the lock up problems I was experiencing. I just have Explorer and Systray running, which is all I need. I knew about closing out of those before and always did when I was doing graphics or something of the sort. I just get lazy sometimes, I guess.
Anyhow, I'll keep you posted on what I end up with. I'm really excited because I feel like I can make an educated decision this time...
Recommended Posts
WrestlenotAgainst
Glad that worked. You lucked out big time.
Usually you are looking at complete loss of data when that happens.
I would love to get a MAC some day. Not to use as I do my PC, but so I can make better graphics on. MACs are famous for making excellant graphics. I also want Linux to. So i guess I better save up so i can buy two more computers.
:D-->
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood"..........but hey, I love to see a good Clothesline once in a while
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igotout
ChasUFarley - If possible do this to your computer:
Back up all your files and data on a CD or some other form or removable dissk. My favorite these days is a USB keychain typy drive. THey are very samll and plug right into the USB port on your computer. They can hold hundreds of MB of data these days, more than enough for all your data.
If your hard drive is less than 40GB, go out and purchase a new hard drive such as an 80GB 7200 RPM drive. Pretty cheap. (You can also use the smaller hard drive as a second drive for storage and back up, maybe transform it into an external USB drive).
Add more memory to your computer. Such as at least 256MB of memory. It is also cheap.
Remove your old graphics card and purchase a new one that is at least 32MB if there are any left over. IF not, you can still get yesterdays 64MB graphics cards for $50.
Make sure you have at least a 17' monitor.
Revove your 56k dial up modem and install a network card for $15.
Purchase Windows XP Home edition for around $100.
If it is still within budget, remove your old sound card and get a new Sound Blaster Live card for $40. along with a 50 to 200 watt speaker system consisting of 2 satellites and one subwoofer.
Finally, and most importantly of all, cancel your current Internet service provider and get a high speed DSL connection for $35 a month. This will come with 5 - 7 free email addresses.
Put all the pieces together, install the latest drivers for each component, install the latest versions of all the programs you have, making sure that you do not install old stuff from years ago, and you are good to go.
When you are finished you will have an awesome system for a cheap price. You will not recognize it compared to the old one because it will blow it away in comparison.
If your system is not at least a Pentium III do not do the above overhaul. In my opinion if you have a Pentium II or below it is time for you to throw it away and purchase a new Pentium 4 computer.
I apologize in advance if you already have some of these components. This is also to help show others how they can perform simple upgrades that will make tremendous difference.
One thing I do not recommend is to install XP over 98. It is best to reformat the hard drive and perform a clean install. Do not use XP without at LEAST 256 MB RAM. I also do not recommend using Windows 98 anymore. It sucks compared to XP or 2000.
John R.
PS - don't give the kids that "old compouter" while you buy the new one. Kids need more processing power that the adults usually do because of gaming, CD burning, chatting, downloading songs, blasting music, adding digital pictures and 2 or three other things they will be wanting to do simultaneously. Us adults are more passive in our computing tasks.
[This message was edited by igotout on August 16, 2003 at 23:08.]
[This message was edited by igotout on August 16, 2003 at 23:27.]
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WrestlenotAgainst
John,
That is kind of what I did with my comuter. It was one I had made for me at a local computer chain couple of years ago as a backup computer. I had paid $300 for it. Celeron 950.
Last year, I bought a new Mother board, and P4 2.2 Gig processor, and bought the newest accessories, sound/video/CDR/RW for it. Stripped a lot of it off my Compaq that I already had. Cost me $400. New Viewsonic 19" monitor for only $250.......clearance.
:D-->
Buying whole systems really do cost more than building your own.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood"..........but hey, I love to see a good Clothesline once in a while
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ChasUFarley
John R - Thanks a million for the advise. I've been studying for my A+ certification and it has occurred to me that I could do some different upgrades, but hadn't a clue where to start. Of course the monitor was a no-brainer - but I didn't know what to do from there...
I'm going to do that with my computer, which is the more up-to-date one of the two that hubby & I have. I have a CP 5451 and it has more slots for upgrades, which is why I chose it. That, and it was steal - someone had opened the box but not set it up.
I'm going to also upgrade my CD-R while I'm at it, because the one I have now is something like 4X, I think - which can be painfully slow when burning hi-res digital images. I don't really need a DVD drive, as I've heard they can be high-maintaince and need alignments once a year - no thanks!
Hubby's poor lil' PC still isn't totally well and we've had to run the system recovery disk on it a couple of times now. I'm not sure where to go next, but it needs help...
Here's the specs on my 'puter (below). Is there anything else you can recommend I do to make my computer perform better?:
Processor: AMD-K6™ 3D processor 500 MHz
-BIOS: Award Software
-Bus Type: PCI,ISA,USB
-Ports: 1 Parallel, 1 Serial
--Memory: 88.0 MB (100% Utilized)
-Floppy Disks: 1.44 MB
-Hard Disks: 12.59 GB
-MultiMedia: Sound, CD-ROM
You know, all these options are amazing now... I remember when having a gig of memory was a BIG DEAL! That wasn't all that long ago now...
My first was a Tandy 64K CoCo...
(Am I dating myself, here?!?)
Thanks again for your help!!!!!!
-Krista
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Zixar
Chas: You might just want to replace the whole thing. There are several motherboards out there now that include good-quality graphics, sound, and networking all built-in so you don't have to futz around with installing expansion cards. My current favorites are the ones built on the nVidia nForce2 chipset, like the ABIT NF-7 series. On www.mwave.com they have the NF-7 for about $85, an AMD AthlonXP 2600 processor for about $90, and 512MB of DDR333 memory for about $80. Throw in a generic case with at least a 300-watt power supply for another $60 or so, and use your existing hard drive and CD-ROM to start, or spend another $110 or so to update those as well.
The only thing you can't get cheap is a new copy of WindowsXP Home. You're just going to have to let Bill bite you for $90, but this time, it's actually worth it.
Building your own computer nowadays is very easy. If you know what you're doing, you can have it together in an hour. If not, it can still be done in an afternoon.
If you buy one of Multiwave's motherboard bundles (motherboard with installed CPU and memory, tested) then all you need is a Phillips head screwdriver. The motherboard only goes into the case one way, you screw it down with 6-8 screws. Then, the power connector from the power supply snaps in, and there's only 1 way for it to go, too. The little connectors for the case lights (power, harddrive, etc.) can be tricky, but it just takes patience. Each drive, (HD, floppy, CD) connects with 4 screws, and their cables are also 1-way only. Just make sure your main hard drive is on the "primary" IDE connector and is set to "master" instead of "slave". (If you're transferring them from an old computer, just make sure they're hooked up the same way to the new one as they were in the old one.)
Put the case back together, hook up keyboard, mouse, and monitor, and flick the switch.
The fool hath said in his heart, "PFAL is the Word of God..."
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igotout
I agree with Zixar's assesment. It's just not worth it to salvage old ( in computer years) stuff like that.
One of your specs says:
Memory: 88.0 MB (100% Utilized)
A clue that you are at risk of extreme slowdown or a lock up. Believe it or not this may not be from your memory or system as much as it is that I would guess that you have tons of things running in the background including what is known as Spyware.
PRess Ctrl, Alt, DEL to see some of them. The others can be found by going to Start / Run / MSCONFIG and go to the start up section.
Surprise! All those items are starting up and running when your computer starts. First remove all items from your Programs / Startup. Then uninstall any applications that you have not used for a very long time and do not need.
But do not put too much effort into that old system. Look for a new one. It will be a huge leap in technology for you.
As I type this I have Word 2002 open, a database, a family website open, and am watching TV on a 2nd attached monitor.
My CPU usage is at 10%
Windows XP and 2000 handle memory much better. But I have also seen powerful XP systems that were trashed (sluggish and very buggy) due to sloppy computing habits and irresponisbility.
Unfortunately, these things take a lot of work and dilligence, but not as much as they used to.
JR
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ChasUFarley
Well, I saw the light and got hubby to see it last week - we're getting a new computer. I'm using my old one right now, as I am carefully shopping around...
The fact he was clueless as to what to get me for an anniversary present helped, I must say. (All women are opportunists - I just happen to be a professional one!)
Hubby's computer is now in the morgue - it's a hopeless case.
John - I've taken your advise and killed a lot of the back applications that were running which brought it down to 85% and none of the lock up problems I was experiencing. I just have Explorer and Systray running, which is all I need. I knew about closing out of those before and always did when I was doing graphics or something of the sort. I just get lazy sometimes, I guess.
Anyhow, I'll keep you posted on what I end up with. I'm really excited because I feel like I can make an educated decision this time...
Thanks again y'all!
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