Outdated Computer?
How do you know if your computer is too old? Is worth upgrading?
What makes a computer too old or outdated?
The short answer is that the physical hardware is not fast enough for the software that makes the computer run.
What happens is that both your hardware and software become old. The old software gets too many security holes in it that it becomes not feasible to fix anymore…Microsoft does not support (fix) the security holes in Windows 95, 98, or ME which runs your old PC. Upgrading to a newer operating system like Windows XP or Vista makes the computer run so slow that it is not useful. This is what makes a computer too old.
When is it time to replace your PC?
It is hard to determine this without a tech actually looking at it. However here is a quick and dirty cheat sheet.
If any of these are true, then just replace it.
If it came with Windows 95
If it came with Windows 98
If it came with Windows ME (Millenium)
If it came with Windows 2000 Pro
If the processor is less than 1 GHz
Is it worth upgrading?
If you need to buy more than ram and a fresh reinstall, it is usually not. However, the general rule of thumb is Yes, if you can upgrade it for less than 1/3 the price of a new pc. Seeing how a decent new computer is approximately $700 (Note this does not mean a computer that retails for $700 and you got it on sale for less, this is a computer that you get on sale with rebates for $700). So if you are spending less than $233 total to upgrade your computer, then it is probably worth it.
If your computer came with Windows XP we recommend adding RAM. 1 or 2 gigs total RAM works great for a basic pc. Adding a fresh install (delete everything before installing) of Windows XP will make it fast again (be sure to backup before reinstalling).
My computer is running so slow!
Why does my computer run slow?
Usually it is too many programs running at once in memory. Other reasons include:
New software requires more computer power – Running new software on Old Hardware
Running old software that has not been patched – like Windows 98 that Microsoft no longer releases updates for is vulnerable to Viruses, Pop Ups and Spyware which slow down your pc
Installing more and more programs – all those extra little programs installed that you don’t use
(just installing alters Windows and Uninstalling can also leave behind traces of those programs)
Example of how a computer gets slow
You get an email from a friend that is telling you to check out this cool animated greeting card. You click on it and it wants to install an “active x” control. You want to see it so you click install. You view the animated card but it installs pop ups. Your pop up program stops the pop ups but cannot uninstall the actual popup program. So your computer is now running slow, one because of the pop up program and two because the pop up blocker is closing all the pop ups so you don’t see them.
What can I do to speed it up?
Reinstall Windows by deleting everything and starting over will clean your computer of any Spyware, Virus, Pop-ups and all those little programs that have been installed over time. Don’t install all the extra junk that comes with your pc. Basic and simple is best.
Adding RAM. 2 gigs total RAM works great for a basic Windows XP pc. Highly recommend 3 to 4 gigs of RAM for Vista.
To use ReadyBoost for making Vista perform super fast, follow the procedure:
1. Plug-in your USB flash drive
2. Windows will show a message to use it as an external drive or as a ReadyBoost drive. If no window pops up, then right click the usb drive and select properties, then click the ReadyBoost tab. If there is no ReadyBoost tab, then your USB drive is not compatible.
3. Choose ReadyBoost.
4. Click the OK button to finalize.