When to dump your computer?

[mash rookie]

Geez. My laptop has been a piece of crap lately. When do you bail and just replace one. A couple of months ago I got a virus. A few weeks ago I replaced a cracked screen. This time my hard drive went down. Everything not backed up was history. Getting ready to leave on my boat I need my navigation system on my laptop. Okay, spring for a hard drive, stay with old XP and continue using the nav program.

Except, after getting my laptop back I could not find my original discs and codes for the navigation program or my Office program. I could not open any word doc's that were reloaded from my thumb drive. The company that sells the nav program said “Sorry, We can sell you a new program” Microsoft refused to help with the office program.

$200 for repairs.$200 for a new nav program with overnight delivery. 6 hours to find drivers online.
At least I found a free program to open my word docs. Openoffice.org
When do you say When and start over with a new computer OS and new programs???

[Oxbo Rene]

My XP started getting viruses, couldn't seem to stop the onslaught (even with virus protection).
Heard Microsoft stopped supporting XP, so, I threw the towel in,
formated HD, reinstalled XP, gave it to a friend, bought a new Dell with Windows 7.
Got McGaffee virus protection, around $1,500.00 = I'm happy ........
Old computer was bout eight years old, etc.........
I periodically copy things I value to external HD (I don't backup)..
Yep, gotta re-buy some new programs ....
(+1) on Open Office ! ! ! !

[rad14701]

mash rookie, you've already overspent limping along that old laptop... It can be hard to not keep tossing money into things but in your case enough is enough... I'd never let a customer toss more than half the value of a new machine into an older PC unless it is a mission critical component within their business where upgrading might be impractical...

[mash rookie]

Thats a good rule of thumb that I will try to remember Rad. ½ the value. Thanks.

I was just discussing it with my girlfriend. I have not had any problems with my PC in a long time and have become complacent about backing up. I have done it the old way for years of burning a disc or more recently using thumb drives. Using two computers does give me some double coverage but not really.
I think I will buy a external hard drive that backs up daily. (I think they do that) Next time one of these stupid things goes down I will bite the bullet and upgrade to a better system.
It will have to be pretty user friendly. I am not real skilled on computers. I use them mostly for communication and basic business stuff. Pictures, estimates, invoicing and spread sheets.

This was a case of thinking I could make all the programs still work if I repaired it. Yeah, stupid.

I still have to go find and load paint.net so I can re size pictures for HD and others.

[Boda Getta]

MR
You have already put money into your laptop when you repaired the screen, couldn't tell if you replaced your HD or not, but I would try one more thing before I bought a new computer. Most computers need to be totally reformatted every 2-3 years. Files get corrupted, junk is left behind when you un-install programs, spyware finds its self onto the machine, "bit-rot" just happens, etc etc. Usually reformatting will make the computer as good as new. You need to back up all your data files. You will reinstall the program files, so all that really needs backing up is the data files, which usually doesn't that that much space. Your would then use the format function of Windows to wipe the HD clean, then reformat the drive and set up new partions. Then the software would be re-installed. Most people take a good hard look at the software you have installed and most people find they have a bunch of software installed that they seldom or ever use and end up not re-installing a bunch of their software. People often can't believe the performance of the computer and discover they don't need a new computer after all. The process is not as bad as it sounds. The hardest part is backing up the data, but that has to be done anyway if you decide to just buy a new machine. There is a load of information online walking you through the reformate process; its not hard but you need to pay attention, read everything twice and take your time.

You mentioned Office, I recommend you take a look at OpenOffice 3.3 http://www.openoffice.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow It is a suite very similar to Office but is open source and free. I just set up my sister-in-law computer and installed OpenOffice instead of Office and she likes it better. When she was shopping for her computer I advised she buy as much memory as she could afford and not worry about storage. External HD storage is cheap as dirt nowadays (you can buy a full TB (1000 GB) USB HD for $90.00. Even if you decide on a new computer, instead of just trashing the old laptop, do the re-format instead of trashing the laptop and you have a decent back-up computer, plus know how to re-format the new computer when it needs, because it will at some point.

Good Luck
BG

[rubber duck]

I'm not a computer guy but all I will buy is a tough book,( that's a mill spec laptop in the 4k range) and I get all I can out of them. This thing will take a bullet literally, (yes I've done it).

I think it's all about aggravation for me. sometime you've just gotta say the hell it and buy a new one. Sanity has a value.

[BrooklynTech]

I have an external hard drive but usually forget to back up w/any regularity. So I went to Carbonite.com. Something like $50 year and it's backed up automaticlly 24/7. When your computer is online it is being backed up.

[Samohon]

For work I use a Mac Pro with all the bells an whistles. I do have a windows 7 PC that is not connected to the internet and it runs just as fast as when it was new. I use Linux (Fedora 15) most of the time whilst browsing with no virus detection software and its blazingly fast on a 5YO laptop with 2G of ram and a 100gb HDD (hard disk drive).

Have a look at the Linux Distros MR, it could be just what you are looking for...

Fast and Free...

[beowoulfe]

http://allwaysync.com/ is a free program for backing up. Leave your external powered off until you want to back up.

Hiren's Boot CD has an old (working) version of Norton's Ghost to image your new, loaded operating system. Supports USB externals.

[MuleKicker]

When to dump it??? Hmm. When it pisses you off so bad that your temper gets the best of you and the phuckin thing meets the wall on the other side of the shop. speekin from experience here

[NcHooch]

When to dump it??? Hmm. When it pisses you off so bad that your temper gets the best of you and the phuckin thing meets the wall on the other side of the shop. speekin from experience here

lol never happened with a computer , but uhh, yah there been others