My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

thanks

On Sun, 30 Mar 2014 17:41:56 -0400, "Jerry"
wrote:

My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

thanks


My "words of wisdom" would be to give some information about your
system.

Install Belarc Advisor. Past and copy a final report back here.

"The Belarc Advisor builds a detailed profile of your installed
software and hardware, network inventory, missing Microsoft hotfixes,
anti-virus status, security benchmarks, and displays the results in
your Web browser. All of your PC profile information is kept private
on your PC and is not sent to any web server.

http://belarc.com/free_download.html

--
"Dodgeball in Burkas" -- Greg Gutfeld

On Sunday, March 30, 2014 4:41:56 PM UTC-5, Jerry wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is

dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase memory,

speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the new

system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available

anymore.



In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I

should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?



As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.



thanks

If you're forced into Windows 8 install "Classic Shell", stay away from HP/Compaq because of all the crapware. I have a free PC that I installed Windows 7 (Dell 8400 3Ghz,3Gb,320GbHDD, basically ancient) and it runs very well! And there's always Craigslist!

"Jerry" wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

thanks

My words of wisdom would be to ask your question in a computer related ng,
not a home repair group.

Sure, there are those that know a bit about computers in this ng and I'm
sure there are those that know how to repair a roof in a computer related
ng, but I have to ask: Would you ask a question related to ridge vents in
comp.arch?

Since I doubt you would, I have to wonder why you would ask a computer
related question here.

On 03/30/2014 05:19 PM, Bob_Villa wrote:

X

snip

If you're forced into Windows 8 install "Classic Shell", stay away from HP/Compaq because of all the crapware. I have a free PC that I installed Windows 7 (Dell 8400 3Ghz,3Gb,320GbHDD, basically ancient) and it runs very well! And there's always Craigslist!




Yep, with Classic Shell you can turn the GUI into something familiar.

I'd recommend a whole new machine as it is not worth it to upgrade the
H/W on something that old.

Remove your old hard drive and turn it into a USB external with this, to transfer your files to the new PC. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...9SIA3XT1DA9540

On 3/30/2014 5:41 PM, Jerry wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

thanks



Argument I'm having with wife on her old machine.
Figure new hard drive, couple of extra gigs memory and new OS, you're
going to spend about $300.

On 03/30/14 05:41 pm, Jerry wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

Trying to upgrade a 12-yr-old computer is not going to be practical. The
easiest thing you might be able to upgrade at all is the amount of
memory, but memory that fits a computer that old is likely to be very
expensive compared to newer-style memory. You might be able to install a
larger hard disk and transfer everything from the old one, but I
probably wouldn't bother if it were my computer.

And what operating system is installed. If it's Windows XP, that will be
officially "orphaned" next month: no more updates or bug fixes.

The last computer I bought -- as distinct from building my own -- was a
Lenovo T-Series ThinkPad (a notebook, one of the industrial-strength
ones) with a year of its 3-year warranty still in force. I understand
that businesses tend to get rid of their computers (or not renew the
leases) after two years, even if they are still in warranty.

Perce

On 03/30/2014 05:41 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
On 03/30/14 05:41 pm, Jerry wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase
memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on
the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

Trying to upgrade a 12-yr-old computer is not going to be practical. The
easiest thing you might be able to upgrade at all is the amount of
memory, but memory that fits a computer that old is likely to be very
expensive compared to newer-style memory.


snip


I build and repair computers.

A friend of mine wanted me to install 8 gigs of RAM in his older
machine. The motherboard did support it but it was DDR2.

8 gigs of RAM (good new) is over $200


I ordered a whole new mobo. CPU and 8 gigs of DDR3 for just under $200

A much better machine for a little less money...a no brainer!

Partly the answer depends on what you want. If
you want a new machine you can get a new one for
$300-$400. There's not much point in spending more.

If you get Win7/8 your likely choices for email are
basically Thunderbird (designed to look like OE but
can be a bit buggy) or Windows Mail, which can be
downloaded. TBird can import your old OE email, if
you save the folder with the DBX files in it.

If you can't get a Win7 box and don't want Win8 then
you can buy an "OEM" DVD to install Win7 on the new
box. If you don't mind Win8 then just watch out for
Microsoft trying to get you to sign up for online services
at every turn.

Another option is to save your current computer. The
hard disk is what usually goes. Most of the other parts
can last a lot longer. But here it gets tricky. Newer hard
disks are SATA interface. Yours is almost certainly IDE.
(The flat ribbon cable.) You can replace the hard disk
cheap but you'd need to either a) find an IDE replacement
or 2) buy an SATA PCI card to plug a new SATA drive
into.
This probably sounds very confusing. It's actually very
easy *if* you know the details. You might want to find
a friend to help. The basic idea:

* Install a 2nd hard disk temporarily.

* Use a disk management program to copy the old disk
to the new disk. (I like BootIt. There's also a freebie called
Macrium.)

* Set the new disk as the only disk, removing the old one.

* Drive your updated PC for another few years, if you're
lucky.

(There are details about plugging in disks, etc. but it's
too much to get into here.)

"Jerry" wrote in message
...
| My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
| dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase
memory,
| speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the
new
| system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
| anymore.
|
| In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
| should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?
|
| As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.
|
| thanks
|
|

Frank wrote:
On 3/30/2014 5:41 PM, Jerry wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase
memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on
the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

thanks



Argument I'm having with wife on her old machine.
Figure new hard drive, couple of extra gigs memory and new OS, you're
going to spend about $300.
Hi.
When you mention extra gigs of memory, are you running 32 bit or 64 bit
machine or Linux? 32 bit machine(OS) has memory size limit Just addming
gigs of memory may not do any thing. New HDD? Is it SATA drive or an old
IDE? My main box can multi boot XP(32 bit), W7(64bit), W8(64 bit) Ubuntu
12.3. Depending what I do I can boot OS I want/need. Lots of storage,
optical drives, even has floppy yet, LOL. Another box which is up 24/7
is on ssd, 3rd gen. i7, 16 gb memory, Drives 3 surveillance cameras and
NAS box. 16TB on NAS, 8TB in the box. They go to sleep when not active.

Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
On 03/30/14 05:41 pm, Jerry wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase
memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on
the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

Trying to upgrade a 12-yr-old computer is not going to be practical. The
easiest thing you might be able to upgrade at all is the amount of
memory, but memory that fits a computer that old is likely to be very
expensive compared to newer-style memory. You might be able to install a
larger hard disk and transfer everything from the old one, but I
probably wouldn't bother if it were my computer.

And what operating system is installed. If it's Windows XP, that will be
officially "orphaned" next month: no more updates or bug fixes.

The last computer I bought -- as distinct from building my own -- was a
Lenovo T-Series ThinkPad (a notebook, one of the industrial-strength
ones) with a year of its 3-year warranty still in force. I understand
that businesses tend to get rid of their computers (or not renew the
leases) after two years, even if they are still in warranty.

Perce
Hi,
I still have 3 Thinkpads in the house, an old T42p. T61p and little
newer SL500. My laptop is fully loaded ASUS ROG. Lenovo/IBM turned me
off when they white listed WiFi cards. Trying to upgrade with non-
compatible card I almost killed my T61p hacking it's BIOS. Lucky I
managed to install the card I wanted to. still I carry it around. Having
Titanium shell, few times I sat on it by accident and nothing broke.

On 3/30/2014 7:10 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:
Frank wrote:
On 3/30/2014 5:41 PM, Jerry wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase
memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on
the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not
available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

thanks



Argument I'm having with wife on her old machine.
Figure new hard drive, couple of extra gigs memory and new OS, you're
going to spend about $300.
Hi.
When you mention extra gigs of memory, are you running 32 bit or 64 bit
machine or Linux? 32 bit machine(OS) has memory size limit Just addming
gigs of memory may not do any thing. New HDD? Is it SATA drive or an old
IDE? My main box can multi boot XP(32 bit), W7(64bit), W8(64 bit) Ubuntu
12.3. Depending what I do I can boot OS I want/need. Lots of storage,
optical drives, even has floppy yet, LOL. Another box which is up 24/7
is on ssd, 3rd gen. i7, 16 gb memory, Drives 3 surveillance cameras and
NAS box. 16TB on NAS, 8TB in the box. They go to sleep when not active.

Basically saying, get a new computer. To keep old, I'd take Oren's
advice and run Belarc to see what memory might be available. I did that
a while back and added memory. Her concern now is dying of XP and all
the warnings being given out. Win 8.1 is over $100 from MS. I figure
with new decent computer costing less than $500 and other things bound
to fail on old machine, she might as well get a new one. Reticent to
push anything since Win 8.1 may confound her besides she has a Win 7
laptop and an iPad. Just installed a wireless printer for those two.

"Percival P. Cassidy" wrote in message
...
On 03/30/14 05:41 pm, Jerry wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase
memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the
new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

Trying to upgrade a 12-yr-old computer is not going to be practical. The
easiest thing you might be able to upgrade at all is the amount of memory,
but memory that fits a computer that old is likely to be very expensive
compared to newer-style memory. You might be able to install a larger hard
disk and transfer everything from the old one, but I probably wouldn't
bother if it were my computer.

And what operating system is installed. If it's Windows XP, that will be
officially "orphaned" next month: no more updates or bug fixes.




It all depends on how much money you want to spend and what you do with the
computer.

If you are using a 12 year old computer and not needing anything much beter,
I would get on ebay and look at some of the used ones. Mainly be Dell.
Over the last several years I have bought a few. Just make sure they come
with the COA tag on the box (that is sort of the Windows serial number).
You can get just the computer for around $ 100 to $ 150 with windows XP
installed on it.

One thing about the Dell computers is that they have a number on them and
you can go to their web site and put in that number and get manuals and
download the drivers for the sound card and video if you ever need to.

Win XP is almost as old as your compter and if the bugs are not worked out
after over 10 years, they never will be. What makes anyone think the newer
systems are any more bug free ?

New memory even if it is the old style can often be found inexpensive on
ebay. Same for hard drives and other computer parts.





---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

stuff snipped

Since I doubt you would, I have to wonder why you would ask a computer
related question here.

Smellest thou a rat? Three posts from Jerry, all of them in one week, two
of them way OT - recall the "are two 250mg pills = to a 500mg pill?" No
valid return address and no follow-up on the OT pill question. I'll make a
trollhunter of you yet, DerbyDad. (-:

If someone like you asked a PC question OT, it would be a different story
because you know the posters here and their expertise. A newbie posting
this would be akin to him posting a WD-40 thread or an "I hate HF" or one of
the dozen perpetual topics that are favored by the resident trolls. sigh

It's sad that some people get their kicks wasting the time, goodwill and
helpfulness of others but this has been going on for a long, long time. It
used to be Mac v. IBM in the old, churlish days of modems and bodkins.

--
Bobby G.

Mayayana wrote:
Partly the answer depends on what you want. If
you want a new machine you can get a new one for
$300-$400. There's not much point in spending more.

If you get Win7/8 your likely choices for email are
basically Thunderbird (designed to look like OE but
can be a bit buggy) or Windows Mail, which can be
downloaded. TBird can import your old OE email, if
you save the folder with the DBX files in it.

If you can't get a Win7 box and don't want Win8 then
you can buy an "OEM" DVD to install Win7 on the new
box. If you don't mind Win8 then just watch out for
Microsoft trying to get you to sign up for online services
at every turn.

Another option is to save your current computer. The
hard disk is what usually goes. Most of the other parts
can last a lot longer. But here it gets tricky. Newer hard
disks are SATA interface. Yours is almost certainly IDE.
(The flat ribbon cable.) You can replace the hard disk
cheap but you'd need to either a) find an IDE replacement
or 2) buy an SATA PCI card to plug a new SATA drive
into.
This probably sounds very confusing. It's actually very
easy *if* you know the details. You might want to find
a friend to help. The basic idea:

* Install a 2nd hard disk temporarily.

* Use a disk management program to copy the old disk
to the new disk. (I like BootIt. There's also a freebie called
Macrium.)

* Set the new disk as the only disk, removing the old one.

* Drive your updated PC for another few years, if you're
lucky.

(There are details about plugging in disks, etc. but it's
too much to get into here.)

"Jerry" wrote in message
...
| My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
| dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase
memory,
| speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the
new
| system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
| anymore.
|
| In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
| should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?
|
| As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.
|
| thanks
|
|


Hi,
If any one is upgrading their hardware, it'd be wise to have HD
video/audio and HDMI connector plus USB3 port(s).

On 3/30/2014 6:10 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:
Frank wrote:
On 3/30/2014 5:41 PM, Jerry wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard
drive is dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like
to increase memory, speed, etc. And, specifically would like all
my information put on the new system. I really like Outlook
Express, but have heard it is not available anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what
information I should be looking for. And what should I steer
clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

thanks



Argument I'm having with wife on her old machine. Figure new hard
drive, couple of extra gigs memory and new OS, you're going to
spend about $300.
Hi. When you mention extra gigs of memory, are you running 32 bit or
64 bit machine or Linux? 32 bit machine(OS) has memory size limit
Just addming gigs of memory may not do any thing. New HDD? Is it SATA
drive or an old IDE? My main box can multi boot XP(32 bit),
W7(64bit), W8(64 bit) Ubuntu 12.3. Depending what I do I can boot OS
I want/need. Lots of storage, optical drives, even has floppy yet,
LOL. Another box which is up 24/7 is on ssd, 3rd gen. i7, 16 gb
memory, Drives 3 surveillance cameras and NAS box. 16TB on NAS, 8TB
in the box. They go to sleep when not active.

What boot loader are you using? Where is it available? Is it part of
Linux? o_O

TDD

On Sun, 30 Mar 2014 20:14:55 -0400, Frank
wrote:

To keep old, I'd take Oren's
advice and run Belarc to see what memory might be available.

I recently found a corrupted "credential" in the Windows OS for the
wife's friend. Belarc found it and gives a link t fix it - validated
the OS Win7.

On 3/30/2014 5:23 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
"Jerry" wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive
is dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to
increase memory, speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my
information put on the new system. I really like Outlook Express,
but have heard it is not available anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what
information I should be looking for. And what should I steer clear
of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

thanks

My words of wisdom would be to ask your question in a computer
related ng, not a home repair group.

Sure, there are those that know a bit about computers in this ng and
I'm sure there are those that know how to repair a roof in a computer
related ng, but I have to ask: Would you ask a question related to
ridge vents in comp.arch?

Since I doubt you would, I have to wonder why you would ask a
computer related question here.

Perhaps it's because computers have become an integrated part of a
modern home. If you think about it, homes these days are having to adapt
to the requirements for computerized equipment since most everything has
a microprocessor. The power needs to be clean for proper operation and
protection of computerized electronics in the home. Many items share a
computer network in the home. I can't function very well in my home
without a computer and I wouldn't be posting to Usenet without a
computer. So why not ask computer questions in a home repair group which
is infested with any number of very talented and bright folks who know a
lot about many different things and are willing to share their knowledge
without being judgmental? ^_^

TDD

On 3/30/2014 5:54 PM, philo wrote:
On 03/30/2014 05:41 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
On 03/30/14 05:41 pm, Jerry wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard
drive is dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like
to increase memory, speed, etc. And, specifically would like all
my information put on the new system. I really like Outlook
Express, but have heard it is not available anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what
information I should be looking for. And what should I steer
clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

Trying to upgrade a 12-yr-old computer is not going to be
practical. The easiest thing you might be able to upgrade at all is
the amount of memory, but memory that fits a computer that old is
likely to be very expensive compared to newer-style memory.

snip

I build and repair computers.
A friend of mine wanted me to install 8 gigs of RAM in his older
machine. The motherboard did support it but it was DDR2.
8 gigs of RAM (good new) is over $200
I ordered a whole new mobo. CPU and 8 gigs of DDR3 for just under
$200
A much better machine for a little less money...a no brainer!

That's because you're smarter than the average bear. ^_^

TDD

On 3/30/2014 5:41 PM, Jerry wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

thanks



Best bet is to avoid the big mass market sellers. Go to a local shop
that builds or customizes computers. The guy I use will transfer all
you data.

Outlook Express is long gone, sad to say. As for your monitor, if it is
anything less than a 19" flat screen, get a new one.

Windows 7 is a good system.

On Sun, 30 Mar 2014 22:23:32 +0000 (UTC), DerbyDad03
wrote:

Since I doubt you would, I have to wonder why you would ask a computer
related question here.

Wonder no more. The subject IS labeled OT.

What is the problem?

| If any one is upgrading their hardware, it'd be wise to have HD
| video/audio and HDMI connector plus USB3 port(s).

As I understand it, the decision is between salvaging
an older XP box and buying a new PC. To extend the
life of the XP box, a new hard disk should do it. Maybe
some more memory could be useful. Maybe not.

Getting HDMI or USB3 (neither of which seems terribly
important to me) would mean putting in a new
motherboard ....which then needs a new power supply
....and a new CPU ...and new RAM ...And then if he has
OEM XP then that won't run on the updated box and
can't be reactivated. I don't think the OP is interested
in building a new PC for himself. If it comes to that he's
just going to buy a new PC.

On Sun, 30 Mar 2014 23:12:16 -0400, "Mayayana"
wrote:

| If any one is upgrading their hardware, it'd be wise to have HD
| video/audio and HDMI connector plus USB3 port(s).

As I understand it, the decision is between salvaging
an older XP box and buying a new PC. To extend the
life of the XP box, a new hard disk should do it. Maybe
some more memory could be useful. Maybe not.

Getting HDMI or USB3 (neither of which seems terribly
important to me) would mean putting in a new
motherboard ....which then needs a new power supply
...and a new CPU ...and new RAM ...And then if he has
OEM XP then that won't run on the updated box and
can't be reactivated. I don't think the OP is interested
in building a new PC for himself. If it comes to that he's
just going to buy a new PC.


Sometimes the smart thing to do in the OP's case is to get a win7
machine that supports virtualization and put on a virtual XP - so he
can still use his favourite programs like outlook express.

Or buy an off-lease computer with WinXP Pro that is only less than 5
years old with DDR3 ram and SATA hard drive instead of his ancient
ide HD and DDR2 ram.

"Jerry" wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

thanks

Grow into a brand new machine. Keep present one working and set up. Data
and pics and stuff can be transferred in some fashion. Get advice as you go
along.

I have vrious computers and different operating systems. I got W98, W2K,
XP, W7, Vista. I am not getting rid of a computer or system just to
upgrade, anytime soon. I have no reason to stop using XP.

A new computer is only comparable with whatever it specifies.

Greg

"Jerry" wrote:
My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore.

In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I
should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?

As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.

thanks

What's the operating system ?

Greg

On 03/30/2014 08:26 PM, The Daring Dufas wrote:
On

I build and repair computers.
A friend of mine wanted me to install 8 gigs of RAM in his older
machine. The motherboard did support it but it was DDR2.
8 gigs of RAM (good new) is over $200
I ordered a whole new mobo. CPU and 8 gigs of DDR3 for just under
$200
A much better machine for a little less money...a no brainer!

That's because you're smarter than the average bear. ^_^

TDD



Though I am not stupid I am not particularly smart either
but I know that $220 is more than $180

-- | Sometimes the smart thing to do in the OP's case is to get a win7
| machine that supports virtualization and put on a virtual XP - so he
| can still use his favourite programs like outlook express.
|

He probably has OEM XP. Putting it on a Win7 box
would require buying a new OEM CD, for probably
about $100 if he could find it. There's no reason he
can't keep the old machine running. And it doesn't
sound like he's the sort of person to be setting up
VMs.

| Or buy an off-lease computer with WinXP Pro that is only less than 5
| years old with DDR3 ram and SATA hard drive instead of his ancient
| ide HD and DDR2 ram.

Even in 2002 the machine he has would have probably
had about a 1 Ghz CPU and maybe 500 MB RAM. That's
more than enough for most uses. Nothing is faster than
instant, no matter how new it is. *A lot* of money is
wasted on loads of RAM that never gets used. If he wants
to do a lot of editing of 30 MB images then he probably
needs a new box. For most other things, the cheapest PCs
have been more than adequate for many years now. (That's
a nice aspect of XP. Microsoft went to great lengths to
build bloat into Vista/7 so that their hardware partners
could sell more stock. Win8 needs 1 GB RAM just to sit there.
But XP is zippy on old hardware, and does just fine with 256
MB RAM for most uses.)

On 3/30/2014 10:28 PM, philo wrote:
On 03/30/2014 08:26 PM, The Daring Dufas wrote:
On

I build and repair computers. A friend of mine wanted me to
install 8 gigs of RAM in his older machine. The motherboard did
support it but it was DDR2. 8 gigs of RAM (good new) is over
$200 I ordered a whole new mobo. CPU and 8 gigs of DDR3 for just
under $200 A much better machine for a little less money...a no
brainer!

That's because you're smarter than the average bear. ^_^

TDD

Though I am not stupid I am not particularly smart either but I know
that $220 is more than $180

Don't sell yourself short there philo, you are one of the brightest
folks posting here. You gladly share your experience and knowledge which
makes you a great guy to know. ^_^

TDD

On 03/30/2014 11:21 PM, The Daring Dufas wrote:


Though I am not stupid I am not particularly smart either but I know
that $220 is more than $180

Don't sell yourself short there philo, you are one of the brightest
folks posting here. You gladly share your experience and knowledge which
makes you a great guy to know. ^_^

TDD



Thanks.

I've said this befo

We learn from our mistakes, therefore I have learned a lot.

On Sun, 30 Mar 2014 23:30:48 -0400, "Mayayana"
wrote:



-- | Sometimes the smart thing to do in the OP's case is to get a win7
| machine that supports virtualization and put on a virtual XP - so he
| can still use his favourite programs like outlook express.
|

He probably has OEM XP. Putting it on a Win7 box
would require buying a new OEM CD, for probably
about $100 if he could find it. There's no reason he
can't keep the old machine running. And it doesn't
sound like he's the sort of person to be setting up
VMs.

The new or off-lease computer would come with the OS installed, and
installing virtual XP is litterally a "piece of cake".

| Or buy an off-lease computer with WinXP Pro that is only less than 5
| years old with DDR3 ram and SATA hard drive instead of his ancient
| ide HD and DDR2 ram.

Even in 2002 the machine he has would have probably
had about a 1 Ghz CPU and maybe 500 MB RAM. That's
more than enough for most uses. Nothing is faster than
instant, no matter how new it is. *A lot* of money is
wasted on loads of RAM that never gets used. If he wants
to do a lot of editing of 30 MB images then he probably
needs a new box. For most other things, the cheapest PCs
have been more than adequate for many years now. (That's
a nice aspect of XP. Microsoft went to great lengths to
build bloat into Vista/7 so that their hardware partners
could sell more stock. Win8 needs 1 GB RAM just to sit there.
But XP is zippy on old hardware, and does just fine with 256
MB RAM for most uses.)

I've been in the PC business now for 25 years (well, will be 25
years in August). 256 is inadequate to run anything of consequence on
XP. 512 will work, but 1024 really wakes it up, particularly if
running 2 programs at a time. Takes all the load off the hard drive
(swap file/virtual ram issues). With 256 ram, you WILL wear out the
hard drive.

On 3/30/2014 9:14 PM, Oren wrote:
On Sun, 30 Mar 2014 20:14:55 -0400, Frank
wrote:

To keep old, I'd take Oren's
advice and run Belarc to see what memory might be available.

I recently found a corrupted "credential" in the Windows OS for the
wife's friend. Belarc found it and gives a link t fix it - validated
the OS Win7.


Spend more time on my wife's computer problems than I do mine.
Have to try this next time.

On Sunday, March 30, 2014 6:19:57 PM UTC-4, Bob_Villa wrote:
On Sunday, March 30, 2014 4:41:56 PM UTC-5, Jerry wrote:

My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is



dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase memory,



speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the new



system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available



anymore.







In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I



should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?







As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.







thanks



If you're forced into Windows 8 install "Classic Shell", stay away from HP/Compaq because of all the crapware. I have a free PC that I installed Windows 7 (Dell 8400 3Ghz,3Gb,320GbHDD, basically ancient) and it runs very well! And there's always Craigslist!

I have two HP systems, two to three years old and have no "crapware"
problems, issues, etc with either of them. They do come with some utilities,
and Norton, but nothing that's intrusive, full of ads, or anything like that.

On Sunday, March 30, 2014 7:10:45 PM UTC-4, Tony Hwang wrote:
Frank wrote:

On 3/30/2014 5:41 PM, Jerry wrote:

My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is

dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase

memory,

speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on

the new

system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available

anymore.



In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I

should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?



As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.



thanks







Argument I'm having with wife on her old machine.

Figure new hard drive, couple of extra gigs memory and new OS, you're

going to spend about $300.

Hi.

When you mention extra gigs of memory, are you running 32 bit or 64 bit

machine or Linux? 32 bit machine(OS) has memory size limit Just addming

gigs of memory may not do any thing.

If the MB can handle the extra memory, there isn't an OS in the last
couple decades that won't make use of it.



New HDD? Is it SATA drive or an old

IDE?

Who cares, it's a 12 year old PC with a failing HD and he said
he wants more speed, more memory, etc. Simple answer is there
isn't anything there worth upgrading and you just buy a new PC.


My main box can multi boot XP(32 bit), W7(64bit), W8(64 bit) Ubuntu

12.3. Depending what I do I can boot OS I want/need. Lots of storage,

optical drives, even has floppy yet, LOL. Another box which is up 24/7

is on ssd, 3rd gen. i7, 16 gb memory, Drives 3 surveillance cameras and

NAS box. 16TB on NAS, 8TB in the box. They go to sleep when not active.

Irrelevant of course.

On Sunday, March 30, 2014 6:41:05 PM UTC-4, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
On 03/30/14 05:41 pm, Jerry wrote:

My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is

dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase memory,

speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the new

system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available

anymore.



In other words, I need some words of wisdom regarding what information I

should be looking for. And what should I steer clear of?



As you can tell I really lack computer knowledge.



Trying to upgrade a 12-yr-old computer is not going to be practical. The

easiest thing you might be able to upgrade at all is the amount of

memory, but memory that fits a computer that old is likely to be very

expensive compared to newer-style memory. You might be able to install a

larger hard disk and transfer everything from the old one, but I

probably wouldn't bother if it were my computer.



And what operating system is installed. If it's Windows XP, that will be

officially "orphaned" next month: no more updates or bug fixes.



I just had a friend complaining to me that he was trying to restore
an XP system he has and he said he tried to download service pack 3
for XP and it's no longer available. Not sure that's true, but that's
what he said. If so, that's a real bitch. I can understand not
supporting it anymore, but you would think MSFT would still make
available the existing last updates for it.

On Sunday, March 30, 2014 11:30:48 PM UTC-4, Mayayana wrote:
-- | Sometimes the smart thing to do in the OP's case is to get a win7

| machine that supports virtualization and put on a virtual XP - so he

| can still use his favourite programs like outlook express.

|



He probably has OEM XP. Putting it on a Win7 box

would require buying a new OEM CD, for probably

about $100 if he could find it. There's no reason he

can't keep the old machine running. And it doesn't

sound like he's the sort of person to be setting up

VMs.



| Or buy an off-lease computer with WinXP Pro that is only less than 5

| years old with DDR3 ram and SATA hard drive instead of his ancient

| ide HD and DDR2 ram.



Even in 2002 the machine he has would have probably

had about a 1 Ghz CPU and maybe 500 MB RAM. That's

more than enough for most uses.

Ridiculous. I recently retired a secondary 1 Ghz XP machine
with 1 GB of RAM and it's performance was pathetic compared
to any current basic PC. It's pathetic compared to the 3 year
old PC I'm using as my main PC.



Nothing is faster than

instant, no matter how new it is. *A lot* of money is

wasted on loads of RAM that never gets used.

More nonsense.



If he wants

to do a lot of editing of 30 MB images then he probably

needs a new box. For most other things, the cheapest PCs

have been more than adequate for many years now.

And the current cheap one blows away that 12 year old
1 ghz system, running XP, which MSFT is discontinuing
support for.



(That's

a nice aspect of XP. Microsoft went to great lengths to

build bloat into Vista/7 so that their hardware partners

could sell more stock. Win8 needs 1 GB RAM just to sit there.

Irrelevant because PCs have had a lot more memory than that
for a decade+.




But XP is zippy on old hardware, and does just fine with 256

MB RAM for most uses.)

It's also being EOL'd by MSFT. Why would anyone who wants
more speed invest more money in a 12 year old PC, running XP,
with a dying disk?

On Sunday, March 30, 2014 11:12:16 PM UTC-4, Mayayana wrote:
| If any one is upgrading their hardware, it'd be wise to have HD

| video/audio and HDMI connector plus USB3 port(s).



As I understand it, the decision is between salvaging

an older XP box and buying a new PC. To extend the

life of the XP box, a new hard disk should do it.

Actually the question was this:

"My machine is old, 12 yrs to be exact. I do believe my hard drive is
dying. Wouldn't mind keeping my monitor, but would like to increase memory,
speed, etc. And, specifically would like all my information put on the new
system. I really like Outlook Express, but have heard it is not available
anymore. "




Maybe

some more memory could be useful. Maybe not.



Getting HDMI or USB3 (neither of which seems terribly

important to me) would mean putting in a new

motherboard ....which then needs a new power supply

...and a new CPU ...and new RAM ...And then if he has

OEM XP then that won't run on the updated box and

can't be reactivated. I don't think the OP is interested

in building a new PC for himself. If it comes to that he's

just going to buy a new PC.

Irrelevant. Given the stated issues, it's time for a new PC.
Since Outlook Express is no longer supported, he can try out Windows Mail
on his current system and see if he's OK with it. If so, then
there isn't any issue to going with a new PC with an OS that
isn't being EOL'd, instead of putting money into a dinosaur. If
he doesn't like Windows Mail, as someone else pointed out there are
other alternatives and a bit of googling should produce plenty
of opinions from folks in a similar position.

On Monday, March 31, 2014 7:38:02 AM UTC-5, trader_4 wrote:

I have two HP systems, two to three years old and have no "crapware"

problems, issues, etc with either of them. They do come with some utilities,

and Norton, but nothing that's intrusive, full of ads, or anything like that.

I'm very happy with them, liked the HP website for configuration and would

buy from them again.

Most people have brand loyalty not matter how irrational it may be...you may drive a Chrysler branded vehicle that is majority owned by Fiat.
Dell,HP/Compaq,Acer/Gateway,Lenovo, all sell entry level PC's...and they all come with a certain amount of "crapware" (or limited use programs) that subsidizes the lowest price!

| Even in 2002 the machine he has would have probably
| had about a 1 Ghz CPU and maybe 500 MB RAM. That's
| more than enough for most uses.
|
| Ridiculous. I recently retired a secondary 1 Ghz XP machine
| with 1 GB of RAM and it's performance was pathetic compared
| to any current basic PC. It's pathetic compared to the 3 year
| old PC I'm using as my main PC.
|

There is a caveat: It won't be fast if you don't run
it clean. XP starts out with dozens of unnecessary
services running by default. Then installed software
often loads at boot without asking. If you run anti-virus
you're adding a huge load with doubtful benefit. When
you install hardware it will often load unnecessary
startup programs. All of that can drag down any
system.
On numerous occasions I've had friends ask for help
because their computer is running in slow motion. It's
not XP that's the problem. And it's not old hardware.
Once the software "barnacles" are cleaned off those
machines run fine.

|
| But XP is zippy on old hardware, and does just fine with 256
| MB RAM for most uses.)
|
| It's also being EOL'd by MSFT. Why would anyone who wants
| more speed invest more money in a 12 year old PC, running XP,
| with a dying disk?

The OP may not want to. I was trying to describe
his options. If he really wants to stay with what he's
using his best option is to replace the hard disk. If
he's happy moving to Win8 then he can do that for
as little as $300. It's up to him. To my mind, replacing
the hard disk is certainly a viable option. It's the
part most likely to wear out.

XP EOL could certainly be an issue. If you just want
to buy a box and have it work then it makes the most
sense to simply buy new PCs when the old one seems
inadequate. But if you don't mind spending some time,
there's no reason they can't be maintained. And XP EOL
really means very little. I run XP with SP3 but don't -- and
wouldn't -- ever allow AutoUpdate to run, installing a
constant drip-feed of barely tested changes... But that
gets into security issues, which is a whole other kettle of
fish.

I recently built myself a new box. I have XP on it.
I built it with cheap parts from TigerDirect. I always buy
older models of motherboard and CPU because the
technology far outstripped the need years ago. I see
no sense paying hundreds for the latest CPU when a
model for $65 is still incredibly fast. I put 4 GB RAM
into my new box, but only because that was the cheapest
option. Win32 can only use a bit over 3 GB, and 2 GB
would have been more adequate.

I do some photo editing, some web design work, and
I write Windows software. (I make most of my income
as a carpenter/contractor, but also have a sideline writing
shareware, freeware utilities and components for use
with scripting.)
I've got a dual CPU, super-duper Dell in the other room
that was given to me. It has Win7 on it. I don't like Win7.
I prefer XP. Win7 is a bloated, spyware mess to my mind.
It's salvageable, but barely. Win8 is worse. I use the Win7
box for testing software.
Both the Win7 dual CPU box and my new XP box, with
"mediocre" AMD A6 2-core, respond instantly. I keep them
clean. If you find you need a high-power machine for
speed to do things less intensive than video editing then
you probably have a lot of crap weighing down the system...
And you've probably been reading too many mainstream
media articles written by tech journalists who depend on
hardware and software companies for ad dollars. The world
of tech survives on a dizzying pace of forced obsolescence,
so if you go by what the media tells you you'll end up
replacing gadgets as fast as you buy them.

| The new or off-lease computer would come with the OS installed, and
| installing virtual XP is litterally a "piece of cake".

You mean Virtual XP mode for Win7? I thought you
meant installing a VM. I don't know anything about
Virtual XP mode, but it seems to require Win7 Pro,
which costs quite a bit more than Win7 Home OEM.
Maybe that's worth it to someone who can't give up
XP but *has to* buy a new machine.

| I've been in the PC business now for 25 years (well, will be 25
| years in August). 256 is inadequate to run anything of consequence on
| XP. 512 will work, but 1024 really wakes it up, particularly if
| running 2 programs at a time. Takes all the load off the hard drive
| (swap file/virtual ram issues). With 256 ram, you WILL wear out the
| hard drive.
|

How is it that so many people in a home repair group
suddenly turn out to build computers for a living?

I wouldn't prefer to install 256 MB RAM, of course, and
there is an issue these days with bloated software, but
256 MB RAM can work OK on a clean machine where people
are doing typical things like Web browsing, email Office
docs, etc. If you're worried about wearing out your hard
disk then turn off the useless indexing service and either
avoid AV or at least don't leave it at default settings,
scanning everything you touch. There are lots of software
causes of running the disk unnecessarily that have nothing
to do with using the swap file.