When to call it a day....??

simonsays1

Think I have to accept that my laptop is banjaxed. I have had it 6 years and is now exceedingly slow!!
How many years has yours lasted?
Should I dismantle it before disposing it??

Thanks

The_Valeyard

simonsays1 wrote: »

Think I have to accept that my laptop is banjaxed. I have had it 6 years and is now exceedingly slow!!
How many years has yours lasted?
Should I dismantle it before disposing it??

Thanks

Keep the hard drive.

COYVB

format it and install windows xp. strip back all the unnecessary parts of the OS, and use it as a glorified media streamer/interweb browser box

Digital Solitude

simonsays1 wrote: »

Think I have to accept that my laptop is banjaxed. I have had it 6 years and is now exceedingly slow!!
How many years has yours lasted?
Should I dismantle it before disposing it??

Thanks

Is a Linux distro an option? Use for general word processing, browsing and stuff like that.

bpmurray

The reason it's slow is almost certainly because you've been using Windows, with all the usual installs/uninstalls etc. If you reinstall windows cleanly, it'll have a new lease of life, or you could try Linux instead. There's no reason to dump it really, although a modern laptop will probably be a lot nicer.

Into The Blue

Deffo try the clean install first.. Or even defraggler

https://www.piriform.com/defraggler/download

COYVB

^ Definitely this. Fraggles are very bad for your computer

Slicemeister

Google Fraggle Rock, might help OP.

UCDVet

I'm not much of a hardware guy, but I don't know any reason for a computer to slow down as it ages. A clean install should return it to it's previous glory.

The only exception being that some applications might take more resources now than six years ago. I dunno if that's true for any particular app - but in theory, Chrome of today might take more juice to run than Chrome of six years ago or whatever.

Menas

The question is OP...do you love that laptop. If yes then get it reimaged and she will keep you happy for some time to come.
If not then perhaps it is time to move on...

Lu Tze

Whats the spec/model ? Might be worth sticking in an SSD - my ****ty old laptop boots in 10 seconds and programs open instantly

B.A._Baracus

simonsays1 wrote: »

Think I have to accept that my laptop is banjaxed. I have had it 6 years and is now exceedingly slow!!
How many years has yours lasted?
Should I dismantle it before disposing it??

Thanks

Do a system reformat. It will take several hours to complete on a laptop. But it will speed up your system.
However, if after a reformat and it's still slow? Just put it on adverts and use what ever money you get towards a new laptop.

Also, reformatting your system also gets rid of all personal data. So it's then safe to pass on.

COYVB

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

D
Also, reformatting your system also gets rid of all personal data. So it's then safe to pass on.

In theory, but not quite. There's only one way to get rid of all personal data, and that involves a screwdriver, a power tool with a filing bit, some patience, and a couple of bin bags

conorh91

Try clearing the cache. Then turn it off, and on again.

Irish Guitarist

If your laptop has really had it, before you get rid of it try installing Ubuntu Linux. I had a laptop years ago which kept crashing before finally Windows was completely wiped off it. I used someone elses computer to download Ubuntu and managed to get some more use out of my laptop.

You can also have two operating systems on one computer. My last laptop had some serious problems and crashed whenever I ran Windows. However it ran perfectly with Ubuntu.

I think Linux has a reputation of being for computer experts but I never had any problems with it. In some ways it's more user friendly than Windows.

The only reason I'm not using Ubuntu on my current laptop is because I have Windows 8.1 and installing Ubuntu alongside it is a nightmare. It's easy enough to install on a computer with an older version of Windows though.

B.A._Baracus

COYVB wrote: »

In theory, but not quite. There's only one way to get rid of all personal data, and that involves a screwdriver, a power tool with a filing bit, some patience, and a couple of bin bags

True.
I was throwing out a desktop pc 9 years ago as I was ready to buy a new one. But there was no way I was going to leave the hard drive in it :pac:
I tell ya, those hard drives are one of the best made things in the world lol. I started out hitting it with a lump hammer to no avail.

Into The Blue

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

True.
I was throwing out a desktop pc 9 years ago as I was ready to buy a new one. But there was no way I was going to leave the hard drive in it :pac:
I tell ya, those hard drives are one of the best made things in the world lol. I started out hitting it with a lump hammer to no avail.

Bit of thermite.. Yer only man.

dmc17

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

If your laptop has really had it, before you get rid of it try installing Ubuntu Linux. I had a laptop years ago which kept crashing before finally Windows was completely wiped off it. I used someone elses computer to download Ubuntu and managed to get some more use out of my laptop.

You can also have two operating systems on one computer. My last laptop had some serious problems and crashed whenever I ran Windows. However it ran perfectly with Ubuntu.

I think Linux has a reputation of being for being for computer experts but I never had any problems with it. In some ways it's more user friendly than Windows.

The only reason I'm not using Ubuntu on my current laptop is because I have Windows 8.1 and installing Ubuntu alongside it is a nightmare. It's easy enough to install on a computer with an older version of Windows though.

I installed Linux Mint on an old Windows XP computer and it had the same effect. Mint might be more like Windows to use I think.

corner of hells

For shame , AHers , for shame on you all .

Is the day gone where someone would suggest throwing the laptop through a neighbour's window ?

Have we no soul who believes the owner should return the laptop to the shop and try get money back ?

Can fire not be used to fix it ?

I had a (teal colored, because that's important) Dell for five and a half years, was like a snail at the end but I've no technical nous so all these wonderful sounding suggestions are lost on me.

I just took all my stuff off, defragged it and cleaned it when the battery finally went and it didn't seem worthwhile buying another, and left it plugged in on the desk as a desperation back-up, and got a new one.

PatL23

OP if you decide to buy a new laptop, take out the hard drive and sell it.
Buy a 500Gb Solid State Drive and install. They are amazing and the single best upgrade for anyone experiencing HD wear and tear and will last for years without any slowdowns

Lurching

corner of hells wrote: »

For shame , AHers , for shame on you all .

Is the day gone where someone would suggest throwing the laptop through a neighbour's window ?

Have we no soul who believes the owner should return the laptop to the shop and try get money back ?

Can fire not be used to fix it ?

Or perhaps even a good blast of piss?

Might speed it up. Might not.

Calibos

Bought a Dell Vostro 1700 (17" 1080p screen) in 2008. Worked till 2010. Died. Research indicated a known fault requiring a motherboard replacement but I was out of warranty. Did dismantle it myself to confirm:

https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/6793/334568.jpg

No Joy.

Uneconomical to replace mobo.

Mothballed to the bottom of a wardrobe for 3 years. Did take it out and fiddled with it again a few times in that period.

Still no Joy.

2013 I take it out of the wardrobe to dump it in Ballyogan Recycling centre with some other old electronic stuff.

Plug it in one last time.

Boots up like nothing was ever wrong!!!!!!

Has worked reliably in the service of my brother ever since.

But is it a 7 year old laptop (2008-2015) or a 4 year old laptop 2008-2010 & 2013-2015)??

ABajaninCork

Just changed mine out. The old one was so slow, I could turn it on, make a cup of coffee and vacuum the downstairs before it fired up! That was 4 years old. The one previous to that was only about 18 months before the video card died and it couldn't be repaired.

Mint Sauce

My current laptop is slooooooooooow, even after a full factory reset within a couple of weeks its back to its slow self again. There again, it is about 6-7 years old, and running Vista..

Tearin It Up

My old laptop lasted about 5 and a half years.

It crashed for the third time, where I didn't know how to fix it and it would have costed €80 to get fixed. I wasn't going there again. So bought a new one.

Cee-Jay-Cee

My laptop is now 7 years old. Every so often it gets slow and buggy again so I do a full destructive restore on it, basically setting it back to how it Was on day one. It runs on Vista and I just switch off auto updates and run it for as long as I can till it gets messed up again and restore it again. It's used purely for browsing the net, I don't keep any files or download programs on to it so restoring it loses nothing of value. I might buy a new one some day but for now it'll do fine.

AndonHandon

All about tablets.

Cienciano

Just download more ram and it will speed it up. This site are doing it for free at the moment, I recommend the 4gb option if your computer is very slow.
http://www.downloadmoreram.com/

BetterThanThou

Bought a MacBook Air about 6 months ago. Hoping to keep it at least 5 or so years. Computer before that I had about 2 and a half years, still has life left in it, but I needed a laptop for study, so now the old PC is just sitting hooked up to a monitor for anyone else that wants to use it in the house, very rarely used. Don't think I'll ever cheap out on a computer or laptop again, my Macbook is the first PC I've spent over 500 euro on, the speed and quietness of the thing is incredible, I don't know how I ever settled for a slow, noisy cheap PC.

Capt'n Midnight

Running slow ?

I know this really cool way to accelerate it at 9.8m/s and turn into a 64 bit machine

Into The Blue

not too high, or it'll be 128bit. no support!

Meathlass

I'd had mine since 2003 - it's very slow. Still running XP.

I use every day for MS documents but have to now log in to virtual classrooms for lectures so not sure how it's going to cope

Reoil

Add more RAM and install a SSD.

Duggy747

My trusty Medion lappy from 2005 still works, albeit bits and pieces fell off it but I have it put aside for whatever use since it had some novel (gimmicky) features that I don't see on modern laptops.

Have a good few Dell laptops that are still going (People give them to me because they think they're shíte / for the bin), some are from 2002 / 03 but the beefy one I used the most was gotten in 09 and it's now used for music recording.

What usually kills people's laptops is not wiping them the odd time and cleaning the fan / new thermal paste at least once in it's life.

Or generally just thinking they should be gotten rid of because the battery has lost it's charge.

the groutch

Mint Sauce wrote: »

My current laptop is slooooooooooow, even after a full factory reset within a couple of weeks its back to its slow self again. There again, it is about 6-7 years old, and running Vista..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctr9ZfeyvXg

Capt'n Midnight

Duggy747 wrote: »

My trusty Medion lappy from 2005 still works, albeit bits and pieces fell off it but I have it put aside for whatever use since it had some novel (gimmicky) features that I don't see on modern laptops.

Real Parallel Port and Real Serial Port because USB doesn't always work. Infra red, pcmcia are also handy. SVHS out and other stuff too.

And having a docking station that takes PCI cards means you can use a satellite tuner card or scsi card

BlaasForRafa

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

True.
I was throwing out a desktop pc 9 years ago as I was ready to buy a new one. But there was no way I was going to leave the hard drive in it :pac:
I tell ya, those hard drives are one of the best made things in the world lol. I started out hitting it with a lump hammer to no avail.

Oh aye, I've had a go at one with a sledgehammer just for the laugh. Made more of a hole in the yard under the hdd rather than on the drive itself

Disassemble with screwdrivers first then chop up the disks with a bolt cutters does the job nicely!

Calibos

I despair at the thought of all the expensive perfectly good laptops mothballed or dumped after only a few years that would be right as rain after an OS re-install or swapping out of a slow 2.5" HDD for an SSD or a new battery etc. But sure if they did that people might [Horror] think they are a Nerd or something and they'd have no excuse to throw away a perfectly good €1000 laptop in order to buy the latest model €1500 macbook air.

conorh91

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

True.
I was throwing out a desktop pc 9 years ago as I was ready to buy a new one. But there was no way I was going to leave the hard drive in it :pac:
I tell ya, those hard drives are one of the best made things in the world lol. I started out hitting it with a lump hammer to no avail.

Into The Blue wrote: »

Bit of thermite.. Yer only man.

What do ye be doing online, that you have to destroy your hard drives with lump hammers and pyrotechnic fuels?

Capt'n Midnight

conorh91 wrote: »

What do ye be doing online, that you have to destroy your hard drives with lump hammers and pyrotechnic fuels?

Identity / password theft.