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Computer geek ?

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    • Computer geek ?

      Looking for advice, I have a Dell computer, 2 GB ram, Intel dual core processor, Windows XP...it's caught something and is slowing down badly...question is...is it worth getting it cleaned up and installing Windows 10 or should I just buy a new computer. Thanks.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • Drybones wrote:

      Looking for advice, I have a Dell computer, 2 GB ram, Intel dual core processor, Windows XP...it's caught something and is slowing down badly...question is...is it worth getting it cleaned up and installing Windows 10 or should I just buy a new computer. Thanks.
      Get yourself a refurb or reconditioned Windows 7 machine from MicroCenter. It's always a losing battle when you try putting new software (Windows 10) on old hardware (anything that's running Win XP.) 2 Gigs of RAM is nothing nowadays. 4 Gig is just about the bare minimum, and that's just to keep Windows happy.

      I got myself and my wife reconditioned HP laptops (Intel i5 processors) for a bit over $200 apiece. Including fresh clean Windows 7 Professional.

    • Drybones wrote:

      Looking for advice, I have a Dell computer, 2 GB ram, Intel dual core processor, Windows XP...it's caught something and is slowing down badly...question is...is it worth getting it cleaned up and installing Windows 10 or should I just buy a new computer. Thanks.
      Yup, them Asians with big booty sites will do it every time. :D

    • XP is no longer supported by Microsoft, and hasn't been for a year or two now. You may be able to get one final update via Windows Update. Being unsupported it may also be a nice target for hackers.

      As for viruses and such, there are several free antivirus and cleaner programs, just be careful where you get them from.

      Avast (antivirus)
      CCleaner (cookies, malware adware, etc.)
      Spybot Search and Destroy (ditto)

    • i'm no computer geek, so all i can tell ya is what i did, right or wrong.

      i have an old desktop that i don't use anymore. it is probably 10 years old and has xp.

      my son asked if he could have it. i told him "no" becasue we would have to upgrade to W10 and since it is not wireless, add that capability. i told him it did not make economic sense to bring a 10 year old machine up to date. told him he could have the monitor, though.

      my plan is to pull off a few files that are still on it, and then remove the hard drive and take it to a recycling event. i think i may have to pay a few dollars to have it taken off my hands.
      2,000 miler

    • If an old computer is just a web browsing and email appliance, you might be able to squeeze a little more life out of it by defenestrating it (throwing out the Windows!), formatting the hard drive and installing a lightweight Linux distribution such as Xubuntu. Firefox or Chrome, and Thunderbird, will at least be familiar, and you won't have to deal with Windows past end-of-life. It'll have plenty of performance if the Web browser, the email client, and maybe the occasional spreadsheet or business letter are all you use it for.

      But don't take my advice - because I'm actually a computer geek. My primary home machine is a four-core Haswell i7 4790K, 32 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 4 TB RAID1 - because sometimes I actually beat it pretty hard (at least for a non-gamer). I built it to run Linux, so I never bothered to put Windows of any variety on it. I'm relatively ignorant of what to do at the low end of the scale.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • I just downloaded Boot&Nuke from DBAN. Darik's. The free version, writes it to a CD. Put that into your computer. Shut down, power back up and it will wipe out that hard drive. I ran it 3 X just to make sure. THEN, take it up to like Best Buy, or other computer store, for recycling.
      Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork

    • max.patch wrote:

      i'm no computer geek, so all i can tell ya is what i did, right or wrong.

      i have an old desktop that i don't use anymore. it is probably 10 years old and has xp.

      my son asked if he could have it. i told him "no" becasue we would have to upgrade to W10 and since it is not wireless, add that capability. i told him it did not make economic sense to bring a 10 year old machine up to date. told him he could have the monitor, though.

      my plan is to pull off a few files that are still on it, and then remove the hard drive and take it to a recycling event. i think i may have to pay a few dollars to have it taken off my hands.
      Take that hard drive up to a shelter on the AT and burn it in the fire ring.
      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.

    • I have an old PC that became hopelessly unstable running its old OS. A few years ago I completely reformatted the hard drive and installed Windows 7. I then reinstalled only the software I wanted. The complete gutting got me a few more years of use. However it has recently become unstable again. Afraid it's time to buy new.

    • odd man out wrote:

      I have an old PC that became hopelessly unstable running its old OS. A few years ago I completely reformatted the hard drive and installed Windows 7. I then reinstalled only the software I wanted. The complete gutting got me a few more years of use. However it has recently become unstable again. Afraid it's time to buy new.
      I'm in the market myself. I've had Windows 10 in and out of this old Windows 7 machine and it just doesn't act right. Probably because I don't have a built in cam and it's not touch screen. Waitin' on those Christmas deals.
      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.

    • If there's software on that computer you wish to continue using, consider having the computer cleaned up and set aside for use as a non internet computer. Doing that maintains the usability of XP without the vulnerability of internet access. Putting a newer operating system on that computer will NOT make you happy. Think of it as going from a 14' jon boat with a single axle trailer to to 24' CC with a heavy duty double axle trailer, but keeping the same 4 cyl truck. The truck might move the new boat, but it won't pull it along.
      If your Doctor is a tree, you're on acid.

    • Seriously, go check out Micro Center if there's a store near you. It's like Campmor for computers (plus pretty much any other cool electronics you might want.) Name brand stuff but also white-box specials at amazing prices. So far I've bought three refurb computers from them. Nice thing about the refurbs -- there's no bloatware at all on them. And most of them come with Windows 7.

    • socks wrote:

      Recycle??? I usually just take it to the garage and beat the breaks off it with a hammer and whatever other implement of destruction is in arms length.
      Electronics shouldn't be tossed in the garbage unless it's very new. Anything more than a few years old is built with lead-based solder. Most towns have recycling services for electronics. Just sayin'.

    • Foresight wrote:

      If there's software on that computer you wish to continue using, consider having the computer cleaned up and set aside for use as a non internet computer. Doing that maintains the usability of XP without the vulnerability of internet access. Putting a newer operating system on that computer will NOT make you happy. Think of it as going from a 14' jon boat with a single axle trailer to to 24' CC with a heavy duty double axle trailer, but keeping the same 4 cyl truck. The truck might move the new boat, but it won't pull it along.
      I like the way you put it in terms I can understand.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • Foresight wrote:

      If there's software on that computer you wish to continue using, consider having the computer cleaned up and set aside for use as a non internet computer. Doing that maintains the usability of XP without the vulnerability of internet access. Putting a newer operating system on that computer will NOT make you happy. Think of it as going from a 14' jon boat with a single axle trailer to to 24' CC with a heavy duty double axle trailer, but keeping the same 4 cyl truck. The truck might move the new boat, but it won't pull it along.
      Already have one for that...Autocad is all I ever use it for, and that's not very often.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • Drybones wrote:

      Foresight wrote:

      If there's software on that computer you wish to continue using, consider having the computer cleaned up and set aside for use as a non internet computer. Doing that maintains the usability of XP without the vulnerability of internet access. Putting a newer operating system on that computer will NOT make you happy. Think of it as going from a 14' jon boat with a single axle trailer to to 24' CC with a heavy duty double axle trailer, but keeping the same 4 cyl truck. The truck might move the new boat, but it won't pull it along.
      I like the way you put it in terms I can understand.
      Yup, any explanation that starts out "think of it like a Jon boat" is right in my camp of now where talkin' English.

    • Drybones wrote:

      Foresight wrote:

      If there's software on that computer you wish to continue using, consider having the computer cleaned up and set aside for use as a non internet computer. Doing that maintains the usability of XP without the vulnerability of internet access. Putting a newer operating system on that computer will NOT make you happy. Think of it as going from a 14' jon boat with a single axle trailer to to 24' CC with a heavy duty double axle trailer, but keeping the same 4 cyl truck. The truck might move the new boat, but it won't pull it along.
      Already have one for that...Autocad is all I ever use it for, and that's not very often.
      I have a dell desktop for Autocad and ArcMap as well. That thing will run the hell out of both programs, but the internet with XP was bogging it down bad. Then I got some weird ass warning on the screen and it wouldn't boot up. Local mom and pop computer shop in town fixed it and now that it's not connected to the net it's back to running like a scalded dog. Weird.
      If your Doctor is a tree, you're on acid.

    • Far worse than Windows (if you can believe that) is Shockwave Flash, which can bring any web browser to its knees, and (in my experience) did so several times a day.

      On my two "newest" laptops I've simply not installed Flash, and am much happier for it. Certain abusive web sites can still slow down your browser, but Flash could just lock it up completely.

      And yes, there have been reports that Windows 10 permits a lot of... let's say "data gathering" about computers hosting it.

    • Astro wrote:

      My youngest son put a bandaid over the dcamera of his laptop to prevent the NSA or anyone else from spying on him. :)

      We were informed, by network security, at one of my jpbs that hackers had found a way to activate laptop and cell phone cameras without the user knowing it. Candid photos you may not want on the Internet.

      I told them if that happened to me, the hackers might have nightmares for a very long time.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

    • Drybones wrote:

      Got a letter from Blue Cross Blue Shield telling me they have been hacked and someone out there now has all my info.
      It's just your name, address, telephone number, mothers maiden name, social security number, employer and the name of your first dog. It's not like it's enough to do something with.
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123