Which operating system ?...
This could relate a lot of issues depending on your computers age and operating system.
Update an Old Computer
If you've noticed your old computer is a bit sluggish or
isn't performing at 100 percent, it may be time to update it.
Often the software or hardware in your machine can become
outdated only months after you purchase it, creating incompatibilities and crashes.
There are a myriad of ways you can update your old computer,
so it's important to analyze the problem before rushing out to buy new
components.
And remember that individual components can be updated,
saving you from purchasing an entirely new computer.
Determine exactly what needs to be updated. For example,
do you need new software, or hardware?
If your hard drive lacks free space, it may be
time to upgrade to a larger drive.
Check how much space you have left by
right-clicking the hard drive icon (usually the "C" drive) and
selecting "Properties."
The amount of available space will be
displayed in the following dialogue box.
If your computer is running slow, you may need
to upgrade the processor, or the Random Access Memory (RAM). RAM is the
temporary memory your computer uses when it is actively working. Increasing the
amount of your RAM is generally the most effective computer upgrade you can
make.
Consult your owner's manual to determine which
drives, memory cards or processors are compatible with your computer's
motherboard.
Research components and products that are on the market.
Magazines like PC World (see link in
Resources) have thousands of product reviews you can browse to find the right
item for you.
Shop around for the best prices, as many items
can be bought online for a fraction of the retail price.
Bear in mind that sometimes the cost of
purchasing and installing certain components, such as the processor or
motherboard, can be greater than buying a new computer.
If your system only has a CD drive, consider
replacing it with a DVD drive.
If you watch videos, listen to music or play
games on your computer, consider upgrading your video and/or audio cards.
Install your components according to the
manufacturer's specifications.
If you're upgrading software, simply insert
the CD and follow the installation prompts.
If you're installing new hardware, investigate
if your upgrade can be done as a do-it-yourself (DIY) project; you may be able
to save yourself a few dollars in labor costs.
But if you aren't confident tinkering around
in your machine, call in the experts to do the work for you.
http://www.daileyint.com/hmdpc/pcs.htm
http://www.pcworld.com/
Update PC Software
Software developers are continuously working to improve
their PC software programs so they can keep up with the fast-changing pace of
technology.
This is especially true for developers of anti-virus
programs, as there seem to be new viruses threatening the world's computers
every day.
Software users have to be equally fast in updating their
software when updates become available.
There are several ways to do this.
Visit the developer's website and search for new updates.
Look for updates meant for your operating system that you
can easily download and install.
Expect to pay a fee for some software upgrades.
Some of the companies that do this will sell upgrades to
current owners of the earlier versions of the program at a discount.
Other corporations offer upgrades to existing customers free
of charge.
Use the automatic update feature of your anti-virus
program.
Start your anti-virus program and click on
"Update."
The program will take care of the details.
You can also enable the program to download new updates
automatically whenever you go online.
Watch for prompts from your program.
Some programs, especially anti-virus programs, will send a
pop-up box informing you that it is time to search for updates or that a new
update is available.
In such cases, the program will take care of finding and
downloading the updates.
All you would need to do is select "Yes" to allow
the program to proceed or "No" to cancel the process.
You would need to be connected to the Internet for this to
work.
Prepare your computer for large downloads.
Some software updates are large files that will take a long
time to download.
Adjust your memory cache to fit the size of the file you
need to download.
For Internet Explorer, select "Internet Options"
from the menu, click the "General" tab and select
"Settings."
Adjust the slider to the amount of memory you need. For
Netscape, select in the following order: "Edit,"
"Preferences," "Advanced" and "Cache." Adjust the
memory cache.
Click start control panel administrative tools computer
management device manager scroll to display adapters + to expand you might see
a yellow question mark ? or exclamation mark ! or a red x right click select
reinstall drivers
If you computer came with a motherboard disk the drivers
could be on it
or you might need to download them
Rather doing a driver hunt
which can take hours
http://download.cnet.com/SlimDrivers-Free/3000-18513_4-75279940.html
Windows XP/Vista/7/8
it might take some time being a freeware driver solution
Note: it will find all of your outdated drivers
This will automatically search for and find the correct driver you will have to
update every driver individually once you update you might be asked whether you
want to restart or make a system restore point.
Click no to both of these then continue updating each driver free then restart
once all of the drivers have been updated.
102 views
Usually answered in minutes!
×