1 4 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 My laptop seems to be struggling these days. The fans are making a racket pretty much all the time and sometimes it goes for periods when I can pretty much not do anything it is so unresponsive. I have tried getting some dust out of vents and stuff but doesn't seem to make much difference. Throwing it out of the window aside, any top tips? Or am I just in need of a replacement. I suppose I've had it 3 years perhaps it is time Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Sounds like a new one would be a good idea. Drives me nuts when a pc gets like that, it is just so frustrating. Is your HDD nearly full? If it is maybe giving it some more space might help. And stop any programs you don't need starting up at.... startup. Link to post Share on other sites
panhead_pete 27 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Have you ever defrag it? Unclutter your desktop by storing files properly. Link to post Share on other sites
andee 0 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Laptop fans generally get gunked up with dust from being on peoples laps an being moved around. I pulled mine apart to find a clump of dust cooked onto the fan. Do not attempt if ur no good with fiddly things as they tend not to go back as easily. Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Give it a good shake. There comes a time when I just decide. Right, time for a nice spanking clean new one. Link to post Share on other sites
1 4 Posted January 17, 2013 Author Share Posted January 17, 2013 Pretty much done those things. I think it's just on it's last legs. And it's about time I bought a new one. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites
kokodoko 67 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 yep time for a new one Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 For a quick, short term perk up, try loading the Canned Coffee thread! Link to post Share on other sites
gnarly-dude 1 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 What makes a computer suddenly start locking up all the time and fans whizzing away? Happened to mine not so long ago really seemed sudden. Did all the checks and whatever but it was just unusable. Got a nice new one. Link to post Share on other sites
gnarly-dude 1 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Was getting mad hot as well. Could have friend an egg on the thing Link to post Share on other sites
onehunga 26 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 My laptop seems to be struggling these days. The fans are making a racket pretty much all the time and sometimes it goes for periods when I can pretty much not do anything it is so unresponsive. I have tried getting some dust out of vents and stuff but doesn't seem to make much difference. Throwing it out of the window aside, any top tips? Or am I just in need of a replacement. I suppose I've had it 3 years perhaps it is time There should be no reason to throw away a three year old laptop. I have two laptops, my wife one, and all are over three years old and going well. If it's running really slowly and sounds like a plane taking off some or all of the following will help: Open the laptop up and blow out any dust (as long as you think you are capable of putting it back together) Clean out the fan (may need to remove to do this) Back up any data and wipe the hard drive and reinstall O/S and programs Ensure that there are no virus's/programs working away in the back ground causing the CPU to run all the time Before I came to Japan and ended up as a stay at home Dad I worked as an IT Tech. Spend a lot of time keeping old laptops working as the bosses didn't like spending money on new ones. If you are anywhere near Kanagawa I'd be happy to look at it for you. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 onehunga is absolutely correct - ad to that, remove all the files from the desktop to the HDD, then put shortcuts to useful stuff on the desktop if you really must! Files take time to start up, as the pc has to load the entire content of the file at each startupo, and a folder means the entire folder content (and the content of each file there) have to be loaded at startup. Check what's running by looking at the Task Manager to see what is working in the background and change settings for the suspect applications. Also worth running a different AV program to see if it finds something they your usual AV program misses. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Of course, if you get a Mac, you don't need AV and all associated bullshit. Link to post Share on other sites
onehunga 26 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 onehunga is absolutely correct - ad to that, remove all the files from the desktop to the HDD, then put shortcuts to useful stuff on the desktop if you really must! Files take time to start up, as the pc has to load the entire content of the file at each startupo, and a folder means the entire folder content (and the content of each file there) have to be loaded at startup. always forget to mention this, probably because I never have files on the desktop, only have two icons on my desktop, computer and recycle bin. Setup all PC's/laptops I work on that way. Tend to forget somepeople use the desktop for storage. (not as bad as one user I came across who used the recyle bin for storing work files. Got pretty pissed when I emptied it) Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Of course, if you get a Mac, you don't need AV and all associated bullshit. You just go on believing that! There's some viri written for the Apple, just that there's such a small user base that nobody can be arsed doing the work to write and distribute. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 こちらこそ！ You go on believing and dealing with your bloated pc. I am liberated. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Interesting - liberated equated to being tied to a locked down hardware/software unit. Read Steve jobs Biography for a view of how Apple operate to control EVERYTHING in their computing/communications environment. Really interesting read! Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Perhaps that is what makes it such an absolute pleasure to use. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Me a control freak, so I tell the computer what to do, not the other way round! Maybe that's why iPod, iPhone, iTunes give me the irrits something bad! Latest iTunes assumes "always on" connection to the net, so wants to connect to iStore by default (and I cannot find a switch to turn that default off). Anyway, if you like im, good luck to you! Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander L 80 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 when everybody else was using DOS from Bill Gates, The Apple Mackintosh already had a graphical user interface. Windows copied the look and feel of it. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Yes, that's true. BUT, you could have gone a step further back to the time when Apple made the // series, and there was an easy upgrade by way of expansion cards that would let you do stuff that Apple had not even DREAMED of. Then, they built the Mac with proprietary screws that you could not buy drivers for unless you were an Apple Tech. That's what I mean about "tying up the system" - means that ONLY apple approved gear can be used, and that Apple has a monopoly on the hardware and software and what you are permitted to do with it! Again, I suggest that anyone with an interest in the matter have a read of the Steve Jobs Biography - extremely enlightening, that is! Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Me a control freak, so I tell the computer what to do, not the other way round! Maybe that's why iPod, iPhone, iTunes give me the irrits something bad! Latest iTunes assumes "always on" connection to the net, so wants to connect to iStore by default (and I cannot find a switch to turn that default off). Anyway, if you like im, good luck to you! What on earth are you blabbering on about. Why don't you just turn off auto-updates. It's not difficult. I have used PCs for 20 years or so, I'm new to Mac. The Mac doesn't "tell me what to do" any more than my PCs used to. I'd actually say it did that less. One thing it does do, is not give me all those non-understandable popup messages either. Considering I am 'locked down', I haven't found one thing that I can't do on my Mac that I could do on my PCs. So I'm enjoying the advantages of the system and not seeing one disadvantage. Perhaps you could suggest one specific to me. PCs are just a complete mess, and I have always thought so. The Mac system is easily superior. It just is and as I said before a pleasure to use. Just wish I hadn't have waited so long and gone through so much PC pain to make the move and subsequently realize that. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Me a control freak, so I tell the computer what to do, not the other way round! Maybe that's why iPod, iPhone, iTunes give me the irrits something bad! Latest iTunes assumes "always on" connection to the net, so wants to connect to iStore by default (and I cannot find a switch to turn that default off). Anyway, if you like im, good luck to you! What on earth are you blabbering on about. Why don't you just turn off auto-updates. It's not difficult. Auto update is NOT the same as iTunes connecting to the iStore BY DEFAULT with no way to switch it off. Auto update is ALWAYS the first thing I turn off on ALL software I install. SO ... what are YOU blathering about? iTunes connect to iStore isn't an update thing. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I was replying to the "me a control freak...." comment, not specifically the itunes thing. You know, the big picture rather than one isolated example. Of course, we all know how secure PCs and Windows is. Something to strive towards! I don't use itunes, so I don't know about that case. I must admit though, it does sound like a complete end-of-the-world situation. But please don't let it cut you up too much JA, I'm sure there are some things worth living for. Try to think of them before doing anything too silly. (Out of interest, why do you use itunes anyway?) PS Just love your use of capitals. It's cool. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 iTunes = work supplied iPhone - so sync emails etc. and transfer movies to PC. Alternatives have been tried, but not satisfactory. Caps are for emphasis. I've managed to survive almost 65 years - likely not to do anything too silly over iWhatever! My point is, that the Apple product started as a user-friendly, open system but was wrapped up tighter than a fish's bum in the name of Jobs' ego trip that made him control everything from start to finish. Read the book! Link to post Share on other sites
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