| Okay, we all know that windows vista is a super shitty software to use, but that's all I have. About 2 months ago, it got this huge virus and took an entire month to fix. My dad had to reset everything (meaning everything is gone. The computer is clean). Now that it's fixed, I can't install any of the soft wares I need on the computer. I haven't tried installing any of my PC games yet, so I can't say anything about that right now. Another big problem I'm having is that every time I boot up the computer, the time is set back to 12:00 AM and April 7, 2007. No matter how many times I change it, it reverts back to that same exact time. It gets super annoying (and it's probably due to the battery. As so I've been told by my brother-in-law), and in order to use the internet, I have to change the date and time to the actual date and time. On top of that, it takes 5 minutes for the internet to work. It will come up, but it will be unresponsive for a long time. With all these annoyances I have with the computer, it's pretty much almost useless to me. I don't (or at least my parents) have any money to get a new computer. And now that I'm back in school, I have to use the computer a lot more than I used to. I can't deal with these problems when it comes to doing homework (and it's going to be hard watching anime now. It sucks). What's the best thing I should do? |
| Ha. Ha. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. I'm laughing because you got hurt. |
| First off, the hardware is old. Age does affect a computer's performance, just like people. Does the performance lack doing anything or just accessing the web? Second, if you haven't taken care of it yet, you're missing all current updates and service packs. Before attempting to install anything else, you should install SP1 > SP2 and then any subsequent updates. A lot of these can help address performance issues. After that, an anti-virus, since you know first-hand now, what it's like to get a good one. Everything else can come later. Third, the time issue is almost certain to be caused by a dead CMOS battery, as your brother-in-law pointed out. The time issue coupled with your out-dated internet browser (since it probably reverted back to IE7) could possibly be related to your internet woes, since if the clock is off, it affects website security certificates. You should really try upgrading to a new machine, but if cost is an issue, consider replacing the HDD. Sometimes a fresh one can make a world of difference. Then instead of re-installing all over again, you can clone the drive using software like EaseUS' ToDo Backup. You'll need an HDD enclosure to do this, though. What are the specs on this machine anyway? |
NTADNov 3, 2014 2:46 PM
NTAD said: First off, the hardware is old. Age does affect a computer's performance, just like people. Does the performance lack doing anything or just accessing the web? Second, if you haven't taken care of it yet, you're missing all current updates and service packs. Before attempting to install anything else, you should install SP1 > SP2 and then any subsequent updates. A lot of these can help address performance issues. After that, an anti-virus, since you know first-hand now, what it's like to get a good one. Everything else can come later. Third, the time issue is almost certain to be caused by a dead CMOS battery, as your brother-in-law pointed out. The time issue coupled with your out-dated internet browser (since it probably reverted back to IE7) could possibly be related to your internet woes, since if the clock is off, it affects website security certificates. You should really try upgrading to a new machine, but if cost is an issue, consider replacing the HDD. Sometimes a fresh one can make a world of difference. Then instead of re-installing all over again, you can clone the drive using software like EaseUS' ToDo Backup. You'll need an HDD enclosure to do this, though. What are the specs on this machine anyway? It lacks in a lot of things. Before the virus, a lot of things we're being really slow (and the folders would be unresponsive for a while if you right click) I backed up pictures and videos on a junkdrive (which was probably not the smartest idea). The anti-virus software is already taken care of. As for the specs, I'm not so sure (I don't know the computer that well), but the hard drive that makes the computer come to life is compaq and the desktop is dell. |
TobiOrNotTobiNov 3, 2014 3:00 PM
| Ha. Ha. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. I'm laughing because you got hurt. |
| download speccy (the free version) and run it to see your computer specs - https://www.piriform.com/speccy are there no computer shops or computer technicians in your area? |
j0x said: download speccy (the free version) and run it to see your computer specs - https://www.piriform.com/speccy are there no computer shops or computer technicians in your area? it says I have to buy it... and there's best buy if that counts... |
| Ha. Ha. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. I'm laughing because you got hurt. |
TobiOrNotTobi said: Oh boy...It lacks in a lot of things. Before the virus, a lot of things we're being really slow (and the folders would be unresponsive for a while if you right click) I backed up pictures and videos on a junkdrive (which was probably not the smartest idea). The anti-virus software is already taken care of. As for the specs, I'm not so sure (I don't know the computer that well), but the hard drive that makes the computer come to life is compaq and the desktop is dell. Assuming by hard drive, you mean tower and by desktop, you mean monitor, then okay. I won't trouble you with downloading any software to get your specs. Since the machine is likely factory spec, we'll keep it simple. On the front or one of the sides of the Compaq tower, there should be a sticker with the model and serial number. Most Compaqs I've seen with Vista on them have a model preceded by the letters "SR". Find that and that and post it here. It'll be easier for me to find it myself rather than walking you through using Speccy (Which actually IS free btw.) |
NTAD said: TobiOrNotTobi said: Oh boy...It lacks in a lot of things. Before the virus, a lot of things we're being really slow (and the folders would be unresponsive for a while if you right click) I backed up pictures and videos on a junkdrive (which was probably not the smartest idea). The anti-virus software is already taken care of. As for the specs, I'm not so sure (I don't know the computer that well), but the hard drive that makes the computer come to life is compaq and the desktop is dell. Assuming by hard drive, you mean tower and by desktop, you mean monitor, then okay. I won't trouble you with downloading any software to get your specs, so we'll keep it simple. On the front or one of the sides of the Compaq tower, there should be a sticker with the model and serial number. Most Compaqs I've seen with Vista on them have a model preceded by the letter "SR". Find that and that and post it here. Compaq presario SR2150NX Prod #: RR790AA S/N: MXF7041165 That's what the sticker said... |
| Ha. Ha. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. I'm laughing because you got hurt. |
| I'll be frank, a Desktop that ships with Windows Vista Basic is just powerful enough to be a good footrest, lol. This machine may actually be salvageable, but if it's factory spec, which it probably is, with a Celeron Processor (albeit not a terrible Celeron @ 3.3GHz,) a 120GB HDD and only 512MB of RAM (lol, bare minimum bullshit) which can expand to 2GB, you'd probably save more money and be happier getting a new machine. Funny thing is someone in your family must have purchased or been purchasing extended warranties on the machine, because HP's site shows your warranty expired last year. |
NTAD said: I'll be frank, a Desktop that ships with Windows Vista Basic is just powerful enough to be a good footrest, lol. This machine may actually be salvageable, but if it's factory spec, which it probably is, with a Celeron Processor (albeit not a terrible Celeron @ 3.3GHz,) a 120GB HDD and only 512MB of RAM (lol, bare minimum bullshit) which can expand to 2GB, you'd probably save more money and be happier getting a new machine. Funny thing is someone in your family must have purchased or been purchasing extended warranties on the machine, because HP's site shows your warranty expired last year. well, that's interesting. I guess it's because we put internet on the computer (before there was no internet), and that was back in 2012 when I went to school online. |
| Ha. Ha. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. I'm laughing because you got hurt. |
TobiOrNotTobi said: Oh so that might mean the PC wasn't registered until then. But that's still odd considering how old it is, the records they have should show it was well outside it's warranty.NTAD said: I'll be frank, a Desktop that ships with Windows Vista Basic is just powerful enough to be a good footrest, lol. This machine may actually be salvageable, but if it's factory spec, which it probably is, with a Celeron Processor (albeit not a terrible Celeron @ 3.3GHz,) a 120GB HDD and only 512MB of RAM (lol, bare minimum bullshit) which can expand to 2GB, you'd probably save more money and be happier getting a new machine. Funny thing is someone in your family must have purchased or been purchasing extended warranties on the machine, because HP's site shows your warranty expired last year. well, that's interesting. I guess it's because we put internet on the computer (before there was no internet), and that was back in 2012 when I went to school online. Anyway, if you want to make it less painful to use, I'd recommend a new and somewhat larger HDD, upgrade the RAM to it's max of 2GB, which should be the absolute minimum...period...for any Vista/7/8 machine and still doing everything else I mentioned above. You might also want to get that CMOS battery replaced. You can get them for like $2-$3. If nobody in your house is tech savvy, you can take it to a repair shop and maybe get everything done for around $200-$300, parts and labor. Be wary of small shops as most of them have an "all sales are final" way of doing things, even if they mess up. A place like Best Buy or Staples might be better since if they do mess up, they'll correct it at no additional charge. I'd recommend Staples though, BB will try to rape you. This will still only be viable for doing basic every day tasking. I wouldn't advise putting too much of a load on that machine. It's on-board graphics chipset is pretty bland, too. And at the end of the day, I think you'd do better to get it replaced with something new, or even refurbished. You can find some pretty good deals on refurbished PCs that come with reasonable specs for under $300 and they usually come with a warranty, too. |
NTAD said: TobiOrNotTobi said: Oh so that might mean the PC wasn't registered until then. But that's still odd considering how old it is, the records they have should show it was well outside it's warranty.well, that's interesting. I guess it's because we put internet on the computer (before there was no internet), and that was back in 2012 when I went to school online. Anyway, if you want to make it less painful to use, I'd recommend a new and somewhat larger HDD, upgrade the RAM to it's max of 2GB, which should be the absolute minimum...period...for any Vista/7/8 machine and still doing everything else I mentioned above. You might also want to get that CMOS battery replaced. You can get them for like $2-$3. If nobody in your house is tech savvy, you can take it to a repair shop and maybe get everything done for around $200-$300, parts and labor. Be wary of small shops as most of them have an "all sales are final" way of doing things, even if they mess up. A place like Best Buy or Staples might be better since if they do mess up, they'll correct it at no additional charge. I'd recommend Staples though, BB will try to rape you. This will still only be viable for doing basic every day tasking. I wouldn't advise putting too much of a load on that machine. It's on-board graphics chipset is pretty bland, too. And at the end of the day, I think you'd do better to get it replaced with something new, or even refurbished. You can find some pretty good deals on refurbished PCs that come with reasonable specs for under $300 and they usually come with a warranty, too. Okay, I'll see what I can do. Thank you for everything. My dad and sister is good with computers (but my dad is more experienced), so I'll ask them before I plan anything. |
| Ha. Ha. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. I'm laughing because you got hurt. |
| In the case that you can't do anything at all (don't want to spend money). Getting rid of Vista should be the first thing you do. Grab a thumb drive and get what ever driver that your internet uses. And with another thumb or CD, proceed with win7 clean boot. If you have only the 512MB vista uses over 50% of it just being idle. Win7 has at least a 15% smaller footprint when idle, not to mention you can turn off most processes and services to further reduce it. I like to have faith in hardware. I don't like to think that an HDD replacement is required. Getting a ram upgrade really is helpful in your case, but not needed. No need to really install an antivirus if you don't plan to stick mystery thumb drives in your computer. When you use the net, you can NoScript with Firefox to disable all js, multimedia, external images, ads, etc (auto-downloads will not start), on top of not going to bad sites. For anime you can dcc stream with an irc, which is also one of the smallest footprint ways to watch anime. I get that you may not know how to do any of this, but this is just if you don't have a choice and can't do anything else. If you can get a new machine, do get one. |
 |
The_Apple_Eats said: I just said it'd be helpful. We don't even know if it's failing anyway. It could be. After telling enough people with failing/dead HDDs that the average price for a data recovery starts around $1K and goes up from there, it's kind of a second nature thing for me when someone comes to me with a fossil. That and recommending a backup drive.I like to have faith in hardware. I don't like to think that an HDD replacement is required. Getting a ram upgrade really is helpful in your case, but not needed. With no offense to Tobi, he called a monitor a "desktop". I'm confused why you're recommending a Win7 clean install to someone who has such limited tech experience. Assuming you're suggesting he do what I think you're telling him to do (Which doesn't sound like trying to find a copy for purchase,) this involves some advanced steps that should not be done by an amateur. Consider the user and their needs, but keep it simple unless you're prepared to walk them all the way through. The_Apple_Eats said: In this case, this would be the simplest and probably best solution we can agree on.If you can get a new machine, do get one. |
NTADNov 3, 2014 11:52 PM
TobiOrNotTobi said: What's the best thing I should do? Save some more bucks and get/build a new computer with Windows 7 or 8.1. Especially, since that processor is still single core, because that's almost a museum piece. And if you only need a 120GB hard drive, instead of buying a HDD again, you could try out a SSD from either Crucial (MX100/M500/M550) or Samsung (840 evo/pro or 850 pro), though I'd recommend using at least double than you currently have (240-256GB ones). However, if you use pre-configured ones, any included HDD will be better than your old one, which is probably still connected with with IDE instead of S-ATA. |
Noboru said: When I checked the specs of his machine, I confirmed it was SATA 2. He'll still be better off with a new rig, even if it's a retail piece. That's a good call on the SSD, though. I was thinking only in terms of keeping his overall cost down. Don't 840s at 120 still go for about $150?TobiOrNotTobi said: What's the best thing I should do? Save some more bucks and get/build a new computer with Windows 7 or 8.1. Especially, since that processor is still single core, because that's almost a museum piece. And if you only need a 120GB hard drive, instead of buying a HDD again, you could try out a SSD from either Crucial (MX100/M500/M550) or Samsung (840 evo/pro or 850 pro), though I'd recommend using at least double than you currently have (240-256GB ones). However, if you use pre-configured ones, any included HDD will be better than your old one, which is probably still connected with with IDE instead of S-ATA. Edit: Actually nevermind, I see the EVOs are around $100. The Pro was the one I was thinking about. Around $150 for 128GB. I managed to get my 120GB HyperX that's running my laptop at a steal for about $60 lol. |
NTADNov 3, 2014 11:44 PM
| Running Vista on 512 MB of RAM? Bro, that's just cruel and unusual punishment. |
kingcity20 said: Oh for the love of -_- nvm gotta love MAL |
NTAD said: That's a good call on the SSD, though. I was thinking only in terms of keeping his overall cost down. Don't 840s at 120 still go for about $150? No. With $150 you could get: 240 GB 840 Evo 256GB M550 256GB MX100 probably a bit more or a bit less at other shops. |
Noboru said: I'll bank on the "bit more or bit less at other shops." I don't start at newegg every time. But those are sale prices. I guess I was thinking regular prices. Those are still some good deals, though. Wish they were that good when I was still in need.NTAD said: That's a good call on the SSD, though. I was thinking only in terms of keeping his overall cost down. Don't 840s at 120 still go for about $150? No. With $150 you could get: 240 GB 840 Evo 256GB M550 256GB MX100 probably a bit more or a bit less at other shops. |
| your problem same as me in the past. when my Motherboard has been upgraded. everything is doing fine now.. |
| When you Hit your Opponent to The air, It's time for an Air Combos ! Hey Dude ! Check out My Profile! |
| I call it a desktop, because that's what I have always called monitors. I do call it a monitor sometimes, but is that really important right now? And this "fossil" is no fossil compared to the other monitor I have (windows 2000). The"monitor" won't even turn on now even though I turned the power on. Thanks to that it can be a good conversation starter. |
| Ha. Ha. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. I'm laughing because you got hurt. |
Noboru said: TobiOrNotTobi said: What's the best thing I should do? Save some more bucks and get/build a new computer with Windows 7 or 8.1. Especially, since that processor is still single core, because that's almost a museum piece. And if you only need a 120GB hard drive, instead of buying a HDD again, you could try out a SSD from either Crucial (MX100/M500/M550) or Samsung (840 evo/pro or 850 pro), though I'd recommend using at least double than you currently have (240-256GB ones). However, if you use pre-configured ones, any included HDD will be better than your old one, which is probably still connected with with IDE instead of S-ATA. But still, it's not gonna make it run amazingly. It's still 512mb of RAM etc. I'd say the money on the drive would be much better put towards a new system. Though my SSD experience is very limited tbh, i've never really seen one in a pc like that :D All the ones i've done at work are on i7 machines with 16gb RAM and all that jazz xD |
| Does anyone else need a doctor to confirm that someone without a head is dead? |
| lol paying for windows. |
GreenSoap said: People still use Vista? Fricking loads of people still have vista lmao |
| Does anyone else need a doctor to confirm that someone without a head is dead? |
| W7 32bit struggles with 1GB RAM from what I've seen. OP, you're better off with saving up for a new tower that has W7 preinstalled. |
 |
NTAD said: I'll bank on the "bit more or bit less at other shops." I don't start at newegg every time. But those are sale prices. Well, I was just using "newegg", because I don't know any price comparison portal from other regions than from German-speaking Europe (geizhals.de/at). jimbob1141 said: But still, it's not gonna make it run amazingly. It's still 512mb of RAM etc. I'd say the money on the drive would be much better put towards a new system. I was not talking about upgrading. I was talking about getting a new built. Any additional dollar spent on this built is wasted imho. And if OP got used to low space, instead of buying 2-3TB HDDs which probably aren't going to fill, he or she could rather buy a SSD. That was the whole point. Not that I would see a SSD as the replacement for the poor amount of RAM and the almost stone-age-old single core CPU. |
NTAD said: Consider the user and their needs, but keep it simple unless you're prepared to walk them all the way through. I knew he probably doesn't know how to do it. I considered putting a "inbox me for details" but didn't want to go through with it. So I just wrote a , "this is just in case" at the bottom. Story Time |
|
| I'm using my sister's old "monitor" so it's no longer a dell monitor (because that dell monitor finally broke). I think it's a 1990s - 2000s preview monitor now hahaha It probably won't effect anything, but I'm concerned how well it's condition is. |
| Ha. Ha. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. I'm laughing because you got hurt. |
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