Computer related questions

[Lioconvoy]

Okay he came back today and it's 100% working now. He turned off the Windows automatic updates.

[PCHeintz72]

Okay he came back today and it's 100% working now. He turned off the Windows automatic updates.

That is not actually a very good idea...

[Lioconvoy]

Well it did seem to be the problem. And it's not a long term fix by any means. Come April or whenever I get my tax return I plan on getting a new computer. This episode has taught me that this 12 year old comp is on it's last legs.

[PCHeintz72]

Well it did seem to be the problem. And it's not a long term fix by any means. Come April or whenever I get my tax return I plan on getting a new computer. This episode has taught me that this 12 year old comp is on it's last legs.

12 years... wow.

[Lioconvoy]

Is that a legit wow or a sarcastic one? It's either Eleven or Twelve years old as I got it in either 2001 or 2002. The monitor that came with it is already dead, so it the printer. (Although I think the printer died from me not using/not dusting it often enough.)

[Spica75]

Okay he came back today and it's 100% working now. He turned off the Windows automatic updates.

Ah, one of the "classics".

That is not actually a very good idea...

Doesn´t really matter unless you´re a primary target for hackers(and they usually find security holes looong before MS deign to fix them anyway). It´s one of the first things anyone should turn off, even when it doesn´t malfunction, it wastes performance and causes disruptions for very little advantage.
Check updates manually once every month or three and unless your firewall is poor, you wont notice the difference.

Well it did seem to be the problem. And it's not a long term fix by any means. Come April or whenever I get my tax return I plan on getting a new computer. This episode has taught me that this 12 year old comp is on it's last legs.

Only Microsoft is to blame for breaking the OS, your computer might keep running the same for another 12 years if you really want it to.

Still, after that long, you can get a far better computer now without having to spend through the roof.

[Neko-]

My last PC lasted 7 years. Then I started getting issues with playback of movies. There just wasn't enough speed in the thing to keep up with the developments in video.

My printer however is going on 16 years of age... And STILL going strong...

*pets his HP DeskJet 710C*

[Cheb]

12 years

Whu???
That shouldn't be possible!
Well, I do have a 13-years old PC in a perfect working condition. But that's because it only saw one or two years of use after which I shelved it.
Uh, when did you last replace the hard disk or backup your data? Because, you know, typical hard disk should start falling apart after some 4 years of continuous operation.

Well it did seem to be the problem.

Automatic updates are, usually, useful and should be kept on unless you use a pirated windows.
Except one thing: newer let Windows update drivers. Anything but drivers. I don't know where it gets the crap it offers, but I can't count times when some or other of my computers got serious issues because Windows updated working drivers with broken ones. Usually, hardware vendor's website to the rescue.
The last time was when I found tap-to-click "feature" on my laptop's touchpad force-enabled. Even Windows 7 is fallible I only cured it by installing an outdated driver from ASUS website.
That's why you leave these updates on but switch into the semi-manual mode where it asks for your approval before installing them.
But I set updates to disabled on my mom's PC that has a pirated MS Office 2003. Just in case.

P.S. Oh crap, one of the hard disks in my file server had a controller crash or something. Almost two months ago. All this time the raid 0 array was running on one last drive!
Seems like I have to start replacing it soon. It's 2 failed out of 6 now! One raid had degraded from 4 to 3, the other from 2 to 1.

[Spica75]

Uh, when did you last replace the hard disk or backup your data? Because, you know, typical hard disk should start falling apart after some 4 years of continuous operation.

A good quality HDD will usually last longer than 4 years. 5 years can usually be expected. 8 years isn´t rare. Bad drives will usually fail in at most 2-3 years, the rest tend to keep running as long as you have use for them.

Of course, if you bought Maxtor in the 2 years before they went bye-bye, or Seagate in the "right" year in the 90s, you would be lucky to get even 1 year out of them.

The system i currently type on has now been running roughly 5 years of 16/7 ( with a bundle of 24/7 time included ) ontime, original boot drive is doing just fine.
Boot drive in my previous system, used maybe 14/7 for 5-6 years is actually still in GOOD condition (Hitachi deskstar, damn good drives, took the best of the IBM deskstar line and combined it with solid quality(while dropping the errorprone glassbased platters and the heatsensitive controller chip )).

I´m just sad that all my favorite HDD makers have been bought up (Samsung and Hitachi), and we´re now left with just troublesome Seagate and noisy Western Digital(and maybe some upcoming new desktop drives from Toshiba if we´re lucky(if they can scale down the quality for their corporate drives, it might become the new best choice for reliability)).

P.S. Oh crap, one of the hard disks in my file server had a controller crash or something. Almost two months ago. All this time the raid 0 array was running on one last drive!
Seems like I have to start replacing it soon. It's 2 failed out of 6 now! One raid had degraded from 4 to 3, the other from 2 to 1.

Ouchy, not fun.

[Cheb]

Ouchy, not fun.

Ugh. It was because of this:



I think I kind of should have cleaned it some time during the last two years.

The drive is back online, the RAID is rebuilding now.

my favorite HDD makers have been bought up (Samsung and Hitachi)

Argh, exactly my line

, or Seagate in the "right" year in the 90s,

Oh, I managed to catch a right wave of Seagates in mid-2000s. Of six drives bought, four lived for less than a year. Most of them croaked in a month or two.

and maybe some upcoming new desktop drives from Toshiba if we´re lucky

Uh, my favorite online shop lists a lot of 3-inch Toshiba hard drives. Some suspiciously cheap, 1Tb for $66 and 2Tb for $92.

[LawOhki]

Uh, my favorite online shop lists a lot of 3-inch Toshiba hard drives. Some suspiciously cheap, 1Tb for $66 and 2Tb for $92.

HDD are cheap now unless you're doing SS. When I had to grab a quick one some time ago from Best Buy it was a 1tb for 70$.

[PCHeintz72]

@Cheb

13 years is possible.

I agree wholeheartedly on hardware drivers... Especially for the more critical systems like Video and Printer. I will on some systems let the software updater grab other things though such as USB, media card, or mouse.

You have more than a clean up issue with that system... that is also a cable mess... figure out a better layout t promote smoother airflow.

@Spica

I had run into some of those dreaded Seagate drives... HP was using them for a while in mini-tower Pavilions... there was a period of about 18 months where I had a string of people whom had gotten their systems all through different channels, all with what seemed heavy build(framed with a rubber surround) Seagate drives, and all had failed...

I've actually had good luck with Seagate and Western Digital on desktops, and with Hitachi and Western Digital on the notebooks. However, be aware I generally use the Black Western Digital drives, not normally blue, green or newer red.

Actually, I will need to do some HD upgrading in the near future on my own systems. My RAID 5 based NAS units are working fine (1 unit on WD black drives, 1 unit on Hitachi drives), and the 1tb drives in my twin HTPCS are ok as well (1 WD black, 1 WD Blue got due to a fluke)... but my two main Toshiba Tecra notebooks only have the 320gb drives they were issued with (both Hitachi drives), and while they are running fine, I want to up them to at least 750gb if not 1tb. I'll probably get WD blacks again. Not an expensive proposition, since 750gb WD blacks are going even at newegg for only some $75ea. While I cannot currently find the raw 1tb drive, the 2.5" 1tb passport drives are going for $81ea, so probably go straight to a 1tb when I do the upgrade.

[Dumbledork]

I usually buy a new Computer every 4-5 years. Honestly, with how cheap those things are nowadays and I don't see a reason not to.

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

I usually buy a new Computer every 4-5 years. Honestly, with how cheap those things are nowadays and I don't see a reason not to.

It takes quite some time to get a computer functioning the way the user wants. New computers, you have to go through it all over again -- and it probably has a new operating system, which might break your favorite programs.

I like computers. There are twelve in the house right now, by reasonable count: four HP iPAQ pocket PCs, two Android tablets, two Kindles, three laptops, and the desktop I am writing this letter on. The desktop itself has drive trays that let me slot in two Windows 7 boot drives, which I keep in sync; a Windows XP boot drive; and an Ubuntu boot drive. I normally have one drive active, and the others powered off, so no drive or virus calamity can eat all my programs and data. Whenever anything bad happens to my familiar ol' computer, I can just grab another familiar ol' computer and keep on trucking.

If at all possible, never get down to only one computer. That way when you get a new one you can train it at your leisure; and after you shift over to the new computer, you'll have a backup.

[PCHeintz72]

It takes quite some time to get a computer functioning the way the user wants. New computers, you have to go through it all over again -- and it probably has a new operating system, which might break your favorite programs.

Ehhh... If not restoring from an image and doing it the hard way by way of a reset. I take under a day. I keep a special spreadsheet handy noting all programs installed on what systems, and the instructions to configure each the way like. And a separate spreadsheet to configure email/internet settings. When doing a reset, I also make sure to first go out to all those sites and insure have newest versions downloaded to install.

I like computers. There are twelve in the house right now, by reasonable count: four HP iPAQ pocket PCs, two Android tablets, two Kindles, three laptops, and the desktop I am writing this letter on.

I technically have 5... though 1 of those is temporary. 2 are HTPCs off the entertainment centers, 2 notebooks, and a netbook. The netbook is temporary and intend to ditch it. but I have no gadget level devices (ipad/tablet, iphone/smartphone, ipod/mp3 player, etc...).

EDIT: Note I do not really consider the HP iPAQ and the android tablets computers in the strictest sense, those fall under what I consider as gadget level devices... But since some do, I'll concede the point.

I usually buy a new Computer every 4-5 years. Honestly, with how cheap those things are nowadays and I don't see a reason not to.

I vary it, depending on need, these days probably 4 years plus if you buy smart.

The 2 custom built HTPC's I last upgraded over 3 years ago, except wireless keyboards which were upgraded year and a half ago, but were fairly high grade setups for the time for mere HTPC duty and are i5's w/1tb drives and commercial grade BluRay units. Except resets I do not anticipate needing to upgrade them in the foreseeable future.

The 2 Tecra notebooks were replaced 3.5 years ago, but while I would normally replace after 4 years I'm instead likely to keep for some time yet and upgrade the HD's in the near future. I see little need to replace since they were high end business grade units and still serve my needs and are still under warrantee.

The 3 docking station setups I have in the house for the 2 notebooks I have had updates that have been staggered... up until 2 weeks ago all were on identical parts, but not bought at same time. All 3 currently have HP port replicators tied into a Logitech Audiohub with USB Toshiba floppy and USB media drives (these drives can read phone sim cards as well), XPads Pro Mouse pad, HP travel mice, Koss Portapro headphones, 4gb USB thumb drive, and a Logitech microphone.

The last of the 3 notebook docking stations (the one in my basement) I am doing something special with now (been ordering parts over the last couple weeks) and turning it into a odd hybrid mix of a retro gaming station and a business grade bitcurator type archive station. When complete it will in addition to the above also have the ability to:
- read Iomega zip 120/250/750,
- read 5.25" floppy
- read CD/DVD/VCD/Bluray
- connect directly to 2.5"/3.5"/5.25" ide/atapi
- connect directly to sata
- connect indirectly to pcmicia
- connect indirectly to 1.8" zif
- connect indirectly to CF hard drives (in my experience not all CF media readers can actually read a CF or micro hard drive)
- The floppy will have a special controller, either a Device-side FC5025 or a KryoFlux type controller (I've not quite decided which yet and is about the last part left to order) allowing for reading of multiple non-standard disk formats (Apple, Commodore, etc) and converting to standard archive file formats. It now has a DirectInput style Joystick and a switching DirectInput/XInput gamepad.

Why upgrade that 3rd station? I run into a lot of situations where I need to access old equipment and odd formats since I work on systems on the side for companies and individuals... In the past I'd done what had to in order to get the immediate job done. But reading up on how it is getting harder and harder to do so on some of the formats, and seeing currently good pricing on ebay for most of the stuff I'd need to pull it off, figured now was a good time. Took advantage of a lot of holiday pricing. Now... I'll be set on most of that stuff going forward. It will not be an *official* bitcurator station, as I've no intention of spending $200 on just the write lockout box that is specified in Bitcurator standards. But it will be able to do many of the same things.

I currently have a old small netbook (Toshiba Mini NB205, acquired very recently from my brother when he replaced it) I'm merely experimenting with to see how I might want various virtual machines set up for retro gaming and OS/bitcurator platforms. This unit though is only temporary and I intend to ditch it, as long term it does not have near enough CPU horsepower (ATOM n280), ram (1gb), or HD space (80gb), to do what want and keyboard too small for my big hands (I've no issue with the screen, but the hands cramp on the kb). I'll likely get a special small scale dedicated notebook type unit to do it (probably either a subnotebook or ultrabook).