Laptop: Repair or Replace

[Freedom]

My laptop is not in good shape. Compaq Presario, bought new July 2006.

It takes over 12 minutes to start up. Once you click on anything, the light stays lit (indicating it is working) the whole thing locks up, and I just sit and wait until it decided to move.

Last evening it took my 47 minutes to turn it on, log on to Firefox and open ONE email message. And lest anyone think it is my wi fi, I takes me ages to open Word and get in to a document.

I am using ccCleaner daily. While that helped when I first started, doesn't do much lately.

Do I take it to someone for diagnosis? Staples, Best Buy, someone else?
Or do I just get a new one?

[Hellow]

Uh.

Backup your files, take it to a tech shop, get them to reinstall Windowz, reinstall your programs and move your files back.

Also, while you are there, get them to add more RAM. Will help things a lot.

Problem solved.

If you think it's just your computer being old, this desktop is over 8 years old running Ubuntu Linux, which is a pretty hefty Linux distribution, and it's still fast as lightning. It was fast as lightning when it was running Windows XP, too.

[happylabs]

I'm not really sure, but, you have A LOT of patience! I would have tossed the thing out the window - LOL.

[moosmom]

Do you defragment your puter on a regular basis? How about cleaning up disk space and also cleaning up your "cookies".

Go into "start" then "run" and type in cookies. You'll see all the temporary files that have been opened up. Delete all of them except for the "format" file. Don't ever delete it.

Go into "start" and then click on "clean up disk space". Hit okay. It'll pull up what disk space you have left. That will also help free up some space. If you have alot of photos on your desktop, that takes up alot of space.

I've got an old laptop that belonged to my SIL. I've had it for the past 4 years and cannot afford to go out and buy a new one. The screen hinge is loose and it flops around, but I can't complain. As long as I can get online and also have Microsoft Word, I'm happy.

[Catty1]

http://www.crucial.com/

Go to this site and click on "Scan My System". It will download the scan.

It will do that and show how much RAM you have, and suggest upgrades.

Are you using Outlook for email by any chance?

Run CheckDisc: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

I know you are using Ccleaner, and that will clean out all the cookies, etc....weird...have you updated it recently?

Also - go to malwarebytes.org and download the free version. Scan with that and it will get all the bad guys!

[RICHARD]

midnite ride on the freeway!!!

[Catty1]

Maybe your can openers could use some company, RICHARD - is that what you are getting at?

[Pinot's Mom]

midnite ride on the freeway!!!

Sorry, 47 minutes, I'm with Richard!

[Freedom]

Catty1, not Outlook express, not Outlook. I keep all my email online. Was on the ISP server until last week when I had that messy switch to yahoo.

Richard, Pinot's Mom -- ya lost me!

[Pinot's Mom]

Sorry, didn't mean to confuse you, I just mean, as I'm sure Richard does as well, that it needs to be tossed out the window at high speeds never to be retrieved again. I couldn't take waiting 47 minutes for anything to come up, and I was on dial up until not that long ago!

[RICHARD]

I don't mean to make light of your situation regarding your computer, but a ride on the freeway, at midnite, may result in a higher operating "speed" as it slips out of your hand.

I get impatient typing posts! 47 minutes would kill me.

[Freedom]

Today I took the laptop in to a new store, Ultimate Electronics. They will do a review and optimize for $30 (everywhere else wanted $70 and up!)

Not a thing wrong with this laptop; just needs memory.

So I had them put in the max. WOO HOO this thing is humming!

AND, if I find the memory cards on line for less (which I am sure I can do), they will refund me the difference. If I had waited and bought it on line, I'd have had to put it in myself. Not difficult, just a nuisance to do, finding the right size screwdriver here at home, making sure I don't mess anything up inside. WIN WIN!!

I don't know WHY I wait so long to do stuff.

[Freckles]

So, from Oct. 9, 2009 until today, it's just been poking along?

[Freedom]

Yup and I spent more time on the desktop / tower and less time on this one.

[Puckstop31]

Go into "start" and then click on "clean up disk space". .

I do not recommend this. The XP "disk space" wizard will compress files on your disk. This is not a good thing as it makes things slower. (The system has to uncompress and recompress stuff you access.

It is better to manually delete things you need.