Welcome! This blog is actively devoted to give you information on managing and troubleshooting your Laptops and Desktop Computers.
UPGRADING AND REPAIRING LAPTOPS.
From a technical standpoint, many of the components used in portable systems are similar to those in desktop computers. However, in many ways they are also different. Portable or laptop systems are in many ways less upgradeable or repairable than desktop systems, mainly because of the lack of standard form factors for cases/chassis, motherboards, keyboards, displays, and even batteries. They are also highly integrated, meaning functions that might be replaceable adapter cards in a desktop system (such as video, for example) are built in to the motherboard of a laptop system. However, despite these challenges, in some ways a laptop system can actually be easier to upgrade than a desktop because laptops often use modular bay storage devices that eliminate the need for ribbon cables, mounting rails, and separate electrical connections. Memory, hard disks, and Mini PCI slots are often accessible through easy-to-open access panels, making upgrades of these devices easy without disassembling the system. Therefore, common tasks such as adding memory, upgrading a hard drive, and upgrading an optical drive (on models with modular drive bays) can often be accomplished in seconds. Adding other interfaces, such as Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi wireless, USB 2.0, and IEEE 1394 (FireWire/i.LINK), can be easily accomplished via plug-in PC Cards.
The problem with replacing other components in portables is that the hardware tends to be much less generic than it is in desktops. The exceptions are for PC Cards (which are interchangeable by definition), memory (on newer systems), and in some cases, hard drives. Purchasing a component that is not specifically intended for use in your exact system model can often be risky.
In some cases, these compatibility problems are a matter of simple logistics. Portable system manufacturers jam a great deal of machinery into a very small case, and sometimes a new device just will not fit in the space left by the old one. This is particularly true of devices that must be accessible from the outside of the case, such as CD-ROM and floppy drives. Keyboards and monitors, the most easily replaceable of desktop components, are so completely integrated into the case of a laptop system that they can normally be replaced only with specific parts from the original manufacturer.
In other cases, your upgrade path might be deliberately limited by the options available in the system BIOS. For example, depending on the BIOS date or revision, you might be limited in drive capacity, the same as desktop systems. Fortunately, most use a flash ROM BIOS that can easily be updated that is, if the system manufacturer makes such updates available. When shopping for a portable system, you should check with the manufacturer to see whether it has a support website with BIOS updates, drivers, and any accessory or utility programs necessary to support and maintain the system. A lack of BIOS or driver updates can prevent you from moving to a newer operating system in the future, or at least make such a move difficult.
Most of the time, components for portable systems are sold by referencing the system model number, even when third parties are involved. If you look through a catalog for desktop memory, for example, you see parts listed generically by attributes such as chip speed, form factor, and parity/nonparity. The memory listings for portable systems, on the other hand, most likely consist of a series of systems manufacturers' names and model numbers, plus the amount of memory in the module. This has improved somewhat, with most modern laptops using industry-standard SODIMMs (small outline dual inline memory modules) instead of proprietary modules.
There are always exceptions to the rule, of course. However, purchasing compatible components that fit together properly is certainly more of a challenge for a portable system than it is for a desktop system.
Below is a listing of commonly asked computer questions and answers and basic troubleshooting steps for major operating systems and software programs. Keep in mind that this is just a select few of our thousands of questions and answers in our database.
Question
I have problems in Windows after installing new software?
Answer
After installing any type of utility, driver or other software program on a computer you can encounter an almost endless list of issues that can be caused by any of the below reasons.
1. Confliction with other software installed on the computer.
2. Issue with program.
3. Improper installation or problems with installation.
Solution
Reinstall or uninstall the program
If you're encountering problems with your computer or other programs after installing new software on your computer attempt to uninstall the program and see if the issues persist. Additional information about how to uninstall program in Windows can be found on document CH000347.
After the program has been uninstalled try installing the program again. Additional information and tips with installing software can be found on document CH000561.
Note: If after installing a program you're unable to boot into Windows, try booting into Safe Mode. Additional information about getting into Safe Mode can be found on document CHSAFE. In Safe Mode follow the above steps.
Question
My computer is running slow what steps can I do to fix it?
Cause
This issue can be caused by any of the below possibilities.
1. Hard disk drive is short on available disk space.
2. Several software programs have been installed/uninstalled leaving behind bad files and/or confusing the software.
3. Data Corruption.
4. Missing Windows updates / Outdated drivers.
5. Computer is overheating.
6. Corrupt OS.
7. Bad Hardware.
Solution:
Below are steps for Microsoft Windows users that should help speed up the computer or determine why the computer is running slow.
Note: If it is just your Internet that is slow see document CH000986 for reasons why this may be happening.
Not enough hard disk drive space
Verify that there is at least 200-500MB of free hard disk drive space. This available space allows the computer to have room for the swap file to increase in size as well as room for temporary files.
• Steps on how to determine how much disk space your computer has can be found on document CH000369.
• See document CH000528 for additional information about regaining lost hard disk drive space.
Hard drive corrupted or fragmented
Run Scandisk or something equivalent to help ensure that there is nothing physically wrong with the computer hard disk drive.
Run Defrag to help ensure that data is arranged in the best possible order.
Background programs
Remove or disable any TSRs or programs that automatically start each time the computer boots. See document CHTSR for additional information. If you're wanting to see what programs are running in the background, how much memory they're using, and their CPU usage open Task Manager. Also, if you are running Windows 7, you can run Resmon to find out which programs are taking up a lot of space.
If you've got an anti-virus scanner on the computer, spyware protection program, or other security utility make sure it's not running in the background as you're trying to work. Often when these programs begin to scan the computer it can decrease the overall performance of your computer.
Hardware conflicts
Verify that the Device Manager has no conflicts. If any exist resolve these issues as they could be the cause of your problem.
Update Windows
Make sure you have all the latest Windows updates installed in the computer. Additional information about making sure Windows is up-to-date
Update your drivers
Make sure you've got the latest drivers for your computer. Especially the latest video drivers. Having out-of-date drivers can cause an assortment of issues.
Computer or processor is overheating
Make sure your computer and processor is not overheating, excessive heat can cause a significant decrease in computer performance some processors will even lower the speed of the processor automatically to help compensate for the heat related issues. Additional information about your processor temperature
Memory upgrade
If you've had your computer for more than one year it's likely you're computer is not meeting the memory requirements for today. We suggest at a minimum the computer have 1GB of memory.
Erase computer and start over
Finally, if none of the above solutions resolve your issues, it is recommended that you reinstall Windows and/or erase everything and then start over.
Hardware issues
If your computer continues to be slow after going over each of the above recommendations it's possible that your computer is experiencing a more serious hardware related issue such as a failing component in the computer. This could be a failing or bad CPU, RAM, Motherboard, or other component.
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