 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
Lee Koo
Community manager |
|
|
|
|
How do I bring new life to my older Windows laptop?
Dear CNET members,
Happy Friday! I'm going to go in reverse this week and start with one
of Julianna's tail-end questions in her list, which was: "I
see Web sites that promise speed-ups but don't know if they are
trustworthy?" Personally, I don't trust most of them and I would take
caution. Why? Many of these services will remotely connect to your PC,
and install a program to supposedly clean up your system, which just adds
more bulk to your system and possibly slowing it down even more.
On top of that, who knows what other things they might plant or take
without you knowing? So in my opinion, if you have to question
trustworthiness, then I would simply stay away for the most
part unless you've done your homework on the company you are dealing
with. With that said, to the first part of your question.
Now Julianna, as far as bringing new life into your older Windows
laptop, I'll be straight up with you -- there is really no so-called
"easy button" that you can press and magically make your sluggish
computer become fast again. And even with the simplest solution, it's
always going to be a shot in the dark if it will, in fact, help your system.
As many of our members have mentioned, keeping your system lean
and clean is a good start -- like cleaning out all those unnecessary programs
that you don't use, and taking a look at what programs are running in your
background and stopping those. And if your so-called "local geek" installed
a few programs, you may want to get rid of those for good measure. But
that is just the tip of the iceberg.
You see, there are just too many factors involved that can cause a
computer to become sluggish, ranging from hardware deficiencies,
software conflicts, and malicious software (spyware or virus), to just
about anything under the sun. Your fellow members have come to your
rescue and have provided you with many possible solutions for you to
try. But before you take on any of these tasks, back up your data;
in fact, back it up a few times and make sure the data is in good order.
As you read through this week's answers provided by our members,
you'll get a range of solutions; some are simple and some are more
complex. Many folks even recommend doing an overhaul on your system
by restoring your Windows operating system from scratch. But don't
overwhelm yourself. Read carefully and take on the tasks that you are
capable of doing and if you don't feel comfortable taking on the
complex ones, I would suggest you find guidance from a technical
friend or family member. However, don't just let them do it; watch how
they do it, so you can learn. And sometimes the best alternative for
frustration, plus a time savings, is to seek a reputable professional for
help. I've selected a few great answers from our members to get you
started in the Q&A section. Good luck, Julianna. Thanks, everyone,
for your invaluable contributions! Have a great weekend!
Cheers!
-Lee
|
|
| |
|
Got suggestions? Send me an e-mail: messageboards@cnet.com |
|
 |
TOPIC OF THE WEEK |
 |
|
|
|
| |
Q: How do I bring new life to my older Windows laptop?
I have a Sony Vaio laptop running Windows - 4 yrs old. It's been great.
Now for several months very slow to start, upload and get web pages. I
don't use this computer for pictures, videos, music etc. Plenty of hard
drive space available and RAM. Had a geek clean it up. He installed:
Superantispyware and Loaris Trojan remover. Said I had lots of
spyware and Trojans on my computer. Surprised as I have a Kapersky
program on that says I am clean. His clean up and mine = no
improvement at all. What is my next step? I am a retired nurse and am
more computer literate than my contemporaries, but way behind the
curve with you younger people. I'm on a fixed income and in this
economy would like not to have to buy a new laptop. I am a writer and
have a book contract - so really need a fast and reliable laptop. I
see web sites that promise speed ups but don't know if they are
trustworthy?? Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated.
It's bad when you are getting old and slow, and your laptop is getting
older and slower than you are!!
-- Submitted by: Julianna R.
|
|
| |
 A: Featured member solutions |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Thanks to all who contributed! |
|
 |
PREVIOUS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTERS |
 |
|
|
COMMUNITY BUZZ |
|
|
|
MAC NUGGET |
|
|
|
SECURITY ALERTS AND UPDATES |
|
|
|
 |
NEXT WEEK'S QUESTION
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
Q: Ready to try my hand at building my own PC, what are your thoughts?
I have purchased several PCs over the years, usually by customizing my
computer on the manufacturer's Web site. This can get very costly, and
I don't always get everything I want. I'm wondering if I am better off
building my own PC from the ground up, but I don't know what the
pitfalls might be. I have performed some basic upgrades such as
adding/replacing video cards, power supply, memory, or hard drives, so
I am aware of the precautions of proper handling. I don't want to
purchase incompatible parts or devices, and I don't want to use
technology that is outdated, or on its way out; however, I don't have
an unlimited budget. To be honest, I'm not even sure I know how
detailed I am going to have to be. Considering both cost and
performance, should I buy any of the parts as a combo (such as
motherboard with processor or memory, or case with PSU), or entirely a
la carte? I am strictly a Windows guy, and I frequently use my PC for
some relatively resource-hungry applications, including video editing,
AutoCAD, and Photoshop. I would like to incorporate an SSD for my
system drive, plus room for three or four hard drives. Any feedback or
personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!
-- Submitted by: Paul M. of Los Angeles, CA
If you have an answer to this question, click here and click the "reply" to submit your advice, suggestions, opinions, or tips.
|
|
|
| Have a tech-related question? |
|
|
Click here to e-mail us on one of these topics:
|
· PC troubleshooting
· PC upgrading
· Digital music
· Consumer electronics
|
· Multimedia
· Internet security
· Digital cameras
· Home audio & video
|
|
Need help tech right away? Don't wait for us, post your questions in the CNET Forums for all the tech help and how-tos. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
HELP YOUR FELLOW MEMBERS |
 |
|
|
CNET CRAVE GIVEAWAY |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
A gaggle of back-to-school gifts. Our nifty prize pack includes a stylish alarm clock, a portable 16-inch monitor, multitasking iPad and iPhone cases, and a space-saving 12-port USB hub. Click here to enter the Crave giveaway |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
