Repair or brick?
June 27, 2011 8:30 PM Subscribe
Is my 3+ year old HP Desktop worth fixing? I think it needs a new hard drive, and I plan on replacing OS. Power Supply was replaced 2 years ago, Motherboard replaced 1 year ago, both on extended warranty.
So I am thinking with the better power supply and the new motherboard, it's better than it was when I got it ... except for that whole part about it not booting up or working ...
Purchased computer in Jan 2008, was given extended warranty as a perk. 3gb RAM, 3.6 ghz dual processor, has served our purposes very nicely. A few months back, it was slowing down, taking a long time when dealing with large blocks of information (photo editing, some games, etc.). Then it started showing windows errors, and occasionally making a whistle sound (only other time I have heard that sound on a computer is when a previous hard drive died on another machine, years ago). Decided to do a reformat, and I got the message that there were errors on the drive and Windows could not complete the reformat. I put it away, and haven't looked at it since.
It is/was running WinVista. If I am going to put in a new HD, then I want to start fresh with Win7, and not hassle with phone calls to microsoft to use the existing OEM Vista on the new hard drive.
Questions: Is it likely the hard drive IS the problem here? I know I can replace it myself. In regards to Win7 ... can I save $100 and put in a developer OEM version? (I used to know what I was doing with computers, but that was a decade ago). Would I be better off to go with retail version? Or do the hassle with MS and just put Vista back on? (Finances are such that a new computer is a year away, nor am I sure we could pay someone else to do the work. Also all we have in the way of a computer in the meantime is an Acer netbook with Atom processor - yuk).
So I am thinking with the better power supply and the new motherboard, it's better than it was when I got it ... except for that whole part about it not booting up or working ...
Purchased computer in Jan 2008, was given extended warranty as a perk. 3gb RAM, 3.6 ghz dual processor, has served our purposes very nicely. A few months back, it was slowing down, taking a long time when dealing with large blocks of information (photo editing, some games, etc.). Then it started showing windows errors, and occasionally making a whistle sound (only other time I have heard that sound on a computer is when a previous hard drive died on another machine, years ago). Decided to do a reformat, and I got the message that there were errors on the drive and Windows could not complete the reformat. I put it away, and haven't looked at it since.
It is/was running WinVista. If I am going to put in a new HD, then I want to start fresh with Win7, and not hassle with phone calls to microsoft to use the existing OEM Vista on the new hard drive.
Questions: Is it likely the hard drive IS the problem here? I know I can replace it myself. In regards to Win7 ... can I save $100 and put in a developer OEM version? (I used to know what I was doing with computers, but that was a decade ago). Would I be better off to go with retail version? Or do the hassle with MS and just put Vista back on? (Finances are such that a new computer is a year away, nor am I sure we could pay someone else to do the work. Also all we have in the way of a computer in the meantime is an Acer netbook with Atom processor - yuk).
You can do a clean install of Windows 7 with an "upgrade" version, both technically and legally.
posted by holgate at 8:47 PM on June 27, 2011
posted by holgate at 8:47 PM on June 27, 2011
Response by poster: @COD -- I have considered ubuntu ... I run a dual OS of win7 starter and ubuntu on my netbook. Unfortunately, hubby likes his games ... sure do appreciate the mention tho!
@holgate -- thanks for that info and links ... helps tremendously
posted by batikrose at 9:15 PM on June 27, 2011
@holgate -- thanks for that info and links ... helps tremendously
posted by batikrose at 9:15 PM on June 27, 2011
Just an idea - the "whistle sound" may well have been the hard drive (in fact, it seems pretty certain), but it could also possibly maybe be one of the fans that is struggling hard with overheating, possibly because it's clogged up with gunk. While you've got the lid off and are replacing the hard drive (just do it - it's not going to cost you more than fifty bucks), you might also like to check the CPU cooling fan, the GPU cooling fan, the vents around the power supply, and the "box fan" (there's probably a technical name for it, but if you have one, it will basically be a random fan attached to the chassis), to be sure they aren't all gummed up with dust, cat hair, and other undesirable matter. If they are, remove the offending part (so you aren't just spreading junk all through the machine) and get stuck into them with an old toothbrush, compressed air, a vacuum cleaner, whatever. It can actually make a world of difference.
posted by tumid dahlia at 9:28 PM on June 27, 2011
posted by tumid dahlia at 9:28 PM on June 27, 2011
Best answer: Errors on drive and Windows can't format -> b0rked drive. Could be as minimally b0rked as just having a few unreadable sectors and fixable by rewriting those, but given the history of progressive slowdowns and whistling, if it were my drive I'd not be inclined to bother.
Windows 7 will certainly cause you less grief than Vista, and if you've got a valid Vista COA stuck to your computer, an upgrade edition of 7 will give you a legally valid licence regardless of whether or not the computer currently contains a working installation of Vista.
The downside of buying an upgrade rather than a retail licence is that if you later decide to build a replacement PC from generic parts, only the full licence gives you the legal right to move or reinstall Windows onto the new PC. A retail licence doesn't expire: it entitles you to install Windows on as many different computers as you like, provided you decommission an old installation before bringing up a new one. OEM (or OEM+upgrade) licences attach to one specific computer, and expire when the computer does.
posted by flabdablet at 11:59 PM on June 27, 2011
Windows 7 will certainly cause you less grief than Vista, and if you've got a valid Vista COA stuck to your computer, an upgrade edition of 7 will give you a legally valid licence regardless of whether or not the computer currently contains a working installation of Vista.
The downside of buying an upgrade rather than a retail licence is that if you later decide to build a replacement PC from generic parts, only the full licence gives you the legal right to move or reinstall Windows onto the new PC. A retail licence doesn't expire: it entitles you to install Windows on as many different computers as you like, provided you decommission an old installation before bringing up a new one. OEM (or OEM+upgrade) licences attach to one specific computer, and expire when the computer does.
posted by flabdablet at 11:59 PM on June 27, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by COD at 8:39 PM on June 27, 2011