Reloading Your Computer
Is Your Computer Worth Keeping?
Is your computer is starting to lag or slow down, and virus and spyware scans can't help, then it's time to take some serious action. The first step is deciding on the most economical/easy solution. Check the age of your computer, and how well it compares with the requirements of newer applications. If you intend on running modern graphical applications on your computer, then the most you can expect out of your computer without getting some serious upgrades is three to four years. Even office software has requirements that might start to exceed that of a four year old computer.
If your computer is more modern, or you're too attached to switch, then you can always reformat (and why not upgrade while you're at it?)
Saving Your Old Data
You, or your parents, have some important data that should be saved, and depending on the type of data, and if your computer is operational, you should follow one of these steps.
Backing up with disks or external storage devices
If you can still use your computer, then you should copy all your important data onto a CD-R, external hard drive, flash drive, or even a floppy disk. Your computer could be in too bad of a condition to run CD burning software, but the other options shouldn't need much processing power at all. Unless you do graphic design just about all the files you need (projects, essays, most saved games, your parents' taxes) will each be under 100 KB, so anything will work.
| Important! | Make sure that you know what and where everything you want is if you plan on using this method. If you can't find something, or forget something you'll be out of luck. |
Once everything is backed up then you can reformat and re-install your OS. No matter how you got your computer, you should either have a copy of your old OS (either an official CD, disguised in a CD that came with your computer, or in a partition of your hard drive), so everything should go smoothly. Be sure to scan the backed up files before putting them on your computer.
Using a second internal harddrive to help retrieve your data
If you can not manage to get any of your files off your hard drive, you can always get a second hard drive for your computer to boot from. This can be fairly tricky since you have to configure your current hard drive as a slave, which requires you to move the jumpers on the back of the hard drive (The configuration is usually on a sticker above the jumpers, or on the manufacturers website, googling the model number probably is the quickest) and switch its IDE connector, and connect the new one. You then have to install an OS onto the new drive. If you got your computer from Dell, HP or any other major computer manufacturer then there is a good chance you'll have to buy a new copy (good chance to upgrade [although ironically, you can't get the discounted upgrade edition unless you have a copy of your old OS on a CD]). Once you get the new OS installed, but before you access anything on your old hard drive you should bulletproof your computer to keep the viruses or spyware from spreading onto your new hard drive. If possible you should wipe your old hard drive once you saved all important data.
| Of Note | Getting a second hard drive after a year or two is also a good preventative measure. The data you use can be transfered over as you use/update it, lowering the damage if your old one fails. |
Switching OS, No Windows application specific data required to save
If text files and pictures are the only things you need to save, and you don't play retail computer games, then now is a good time to save some money and switch to an open source OS.
Upgrading to Keep Your Computer Going
Need to improve your computer's performance? The first thing to do is to look up your motherboard to see what it's compatibilities are, or if you can't find that check with your computers documentation either online or in a provided book. You don't want to buy a new part just to have your computer reject it, especially if the new parts fit.
RAM
Upgrading RAM is very simple, and doubling a two year olds computer's RAM can be fairly cheap and should have a noticeable increase in performance, and is (or at least was) the first limiting factor in running a program, and if you get infected, the more RAM you got the less effect it will have.
If you're upgrading to a new OS, make sure that you have enough RAM for it to run. You should also make sure that you have enough extra so you can effectively multitask. Multitasking is factored in when the OS's requirements are made, but running on minimum requirements is never ideal.
Check to see the size and speed (such as DDR400 or PC 3200, which are the same) of the ram currently in your computer (usually on a sticker going across the stick.) When buying a new stick you should match the speed of the RAM currently in your system, since your computer will run both sticks at the speed of the lowest, and higher speeds might not be supported.
If you can't find any documentation on supported amounts of memory, here are some rules of thumb: If you have an empty slot try to match the size of your current RAM sticks. If you don't have an empty slot, try to double the current size of your stick (Although I can't guarantee that it will work, see if you can find your motherboards supported sizes online.) RAM just clicks into place so you shouldn't have any problem installing it, and it doesn't need any new drivers or anything to run.
Processor/Graphics cards
Operating systems generally are not very graphical and try to take up as little processing power as possible, so if you have to upgrade either of these in order to run a new OS, then it's time to get a new computer. Also if you need a new processor or graphics card to run a program you need, then it's also time to get a new computer. If you can run the program, just poorly, then it's time to upgrade. If the program involves displaying 3d shapes then you should get a new video card, if the program involves encoding video or making big computations then you should get a new processor. Upgrading the the component that isn't the limiting factor will result in much less bang for your buck.