You have an old computer. But, how do you buy a new one to enjoy a maximum speed performance. Specifically, do you think that a new device will help you keep pace with system requirements for the newly introduced games. Did you know you can do this yourself without buying a new computer? Try to make a computer upgrade.

You can do a computer upgrade in so many ways. Here are some of them:

1. Clean files and hard disk drive – You know that by simply wiping the inside components of the computer you already enabling it to improve performance? Did you also know that installing everything as if they used a new computer afterwards? Yes, all these are also a way to upgrade your computer. These can be incredible to some, but these are so true. These processes can also take time, but it’s worth it.

2. Memory upgrade – of course, to experience the ultimate speed of your computer, you must upgrade the memory. If you are interested in doing a memory upgrade, do not think twice to give in to your interest because it is so easy to do. But the problem is to know which module to insert. Therefore, you must identify the type of memory first. Later you will know what module you specifically require.

3. Hard Drive Upgrades – Hard Drives usually last two to three years. So, after this period your hard drive may lose its influence on your computer. To achieve maximum speed, buy a new one. It can write and read information quickly. Do not trouble yourself to think about how much this computer upgrade will cost you. Today, hard drives are sold for less prices.

You see, buy a new computer is often a waste of money. There is also a move that will add up to already “bloated” landfills, which is surrounded with electronic waste. If you think you or your computer technician can still do a computer upgrade, do it. It is still useful components inside the device, do not make them useless when they are not. More importantly, it prevents you from spending your hard-earned money on the wrong way.

source: http://www.web-tech-rus.org/how-would-you-make-a-computer-upgrade.html

Hard drives are destined to fail. It’s just a matter of when. As terrifying as its sounds, it’s true. It’s scary because your entire life can be on that drive in the form of valuable documents, pictures or other data. It’s important to backup and be prepared for this fact before you boot up the computer and get the dreaded No Operating System Found error. This can be a bad error or a really devastating error. The following will help you how to tell if your hard drive has died or whether there is another reason why it is not booting.

Hard Drive Problems

With the exception of new Solid State Drives (SSD), hard drives have a lot of moving parts. Because of this, there is a lot that can fail mechanically as the result of a manufacturing defect, heat, or simply normal wear and tear. If your hard drive has a physical problem, it has failed. You can take it to a business that specializes in recovering data, but it will probably cost you more than the computer’s worth to get that data back.

The hard drive can also fail due to electrical issues, and as with a mechanical problem, it will cost a lot to retrieve the data on the disk.

Lastly, the drive can simply be corrupt, which means it cannot boot but can be repaired by either reinstalling the Operating System or running a repair install from your Windows disk.

No Operating System Found

If you get the No Operating System Found error, this means the BIOS was in the process of handing boot control over to the hard drive and its Operating System but could not proceed because it could not locate an OS. The following could be some of the reasons for this error:

* There is a disk in the CD drive, floppy drive or USB port. Depending on how your BIOS is configured, it could be trying to boot to a drive other than the hard drive. Remove all disks and try booting up again. If Windows loads, go into the BIOS and specify the hard disk as the first boot device.
* The hard drive is unplugged. Open the case and confirm both the power connection and the data connections are securely attached.
* Jumpers are not configured properly. This problem will not just happen by itself. Unless you have been changing drive configurations or have recently added a new drive, this likely will not be the problem.
* Drive does not show up in BIOS. Change the power connector from the power supply, replace the data cable and perform other steps to determine why the drive is not recognized in BIOS. If the DVD drive shows up when you swap it out with the hard drive, this eliminates the motherboard controller and cables as being the problem. The next likely reason a drive does not show up in the BIOS is because it has died.

Fixing A Corrupt Hard Drive

You can quickly fix a corrupt hard drive if you have a Windows disk. If you have Windows XP, you can proceed to the Recovery Console by pressing the R key when prompted, then type chkdsk /r from the command prompt to repair Windows. Both Vista and Windows 7 have a Startup Repair option available when you boot to the Windows install disk. Windows Vista and Windows 7 will repair the drive automatically when you click the Startup Repair link.

In conclusion, to determine if your hard drive has died, the first place to look is the BIOS. If it’s not listed there–and if you have not performed any recent upgrades–then the hard drive has probably suffered a catastrophic failure. Also, pay close attention to your computer. If it begins making grinding sounds, if it crashes frequently, or if files suddenly begin disappearing, then this can be a sign of impending doom and you should take appropriate actions to replace it as soon as possible.

source: http://www.pctechbytes.com/hardware/hard-drive-has-died

Your hard drive contains all of your important data, like the Windows Operating System, pictures, music, and other data you do not want to lose. Keeping track of the health of your hdd is a dubious chore. Unfortunately, most people do not realize there is a problem before it’s too late and they lose all of their data.

You can spot early warning signs of imminent failure if your hard drive has SMART technology. SMART stands for Self-monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology and will often give you a notice if the drive is experiencing problems. If you see a warning like that at boot, be sure to backup you data and buy a new drive.

Using Third Party Software to Monitor Your Drive

You can use applications that help keep an eye on your drive. HDD Health is one of those aplications. It can give you valuable info about the the disk’s temperature and overall health. It can also give you all of its SMART statistics.

It also shows valuable hdd information, such as the model number, partitions and remaining space.

But unless there is a glaring problem with the drive, there is no way to tell if it is about to fail. In fact, hard drives can fail suddenly and without warning. These tools should be used in addition to the SMART technology built into the drive.

How to Diagnose Problems With Your Hard Drive

Generally speaking, if you begin getting errors or blue screens that you cannot recover from, or if you occasionally cannot boot into Normal Mode or Safe Mode, then your hard drive might be on the way out. Problems will start intermittently and gradually grow worse. If you start experiencing these problems, you can try running chkdsk. Chkdsk will repair errors (if you specify that) and make sure data is no longer written to those areas of the disk. To run a chkdsk, right click the hard drive and select Properties. Under the Tools tab, click Check Now in the Error Checking area. A box will pop up. Choose Automatically Fix Errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. You will likely need to reboot before the check begins and it could take quite a while.

Make sure the size of the hard drive appears correctly in the BIOS and in My Computer. For instance, if the drive once reported it was 20 Gigs and now reports as 13 Gigs, there could be a problem.

Listen for strange noises from the hard drive. You have been using your PC for a long time, if the hard drive begins making scraping, churning or any other sounds out of the ordinary, then it could mean the drive’s actuator arm is damaged or perhaps the ball bearings on the spindle are starting to go.

source: http://www.pctechbytes.com/troubleshooting/hard-drive-troubleshooting-2

Your computer’s power supply is the single most important component in the case. But it’s also the most boring, so when it comes time to skimp on costs, the power supply is often a generic or budget brand. Sometimes this is okay. But often the power supply acts erratic, causes restarts and errors because other components are not getting the consistent voltage they require. If you are experiencing problems you cannot quickly isolate, be sure to test the power supply and rule it out before spending too much money.

Tips on Troubleshooting a Power Supply

Most families have a other computers of similar size. Before you spend money on a tester or a new power supply, you might try just swapping in a power supply you know works. That is the low-tech solution, but it often takes a lot of extra effor that people aren’t willing to expend.

Buy a Power Supply Tester
You can buy a power supply tester for relatively cheap. While a multimeter is a better overall solution because you can use it for other things, a power supply tester is a fast and easy way to tell if the PSU is good.

Check For Proper Voltage
Check the voltage setting on the back of the power supply. While this is not likely the problem, just confirm it is set correctly for your region. If the computer was recently moved, it’s possible the switch was moved. 115v is typical for the United States.

Make Sure Power Supply Fan is Working
If you have an older PC, you should make sure the fan on the power supply is working. If it’s not, you need to replace the power supply immediately. You can sometimes blow them out with compressed air, but if it is not spinning at all, the power supply must be replaced.

Is the Power Supply Powerful Enough?
Lastly, you should make sure your power supply is rated high enough for your needs. If you built the system a few years ago, you have probably added extra hard drives, a more powerful graphics card and maybe some new RAM. Make sure your power supply has enough voltage to handle it all. Try this Power Supply Calculator.

Resolution Summary:

1. You can swap out the power supply with a known good one.
2. You can buy a cheap power supply tester.
3. You must make sure all necessary power supply connectors are attached.
4. Check the voltage setting in the back of the power supply and make sure it’s set for your region.
5. Make sure your PSU fan is working.

source: http://www.pctechbytes.com/troubleshooting/how-to-check-a-power-supply

As more and more things we value get stored on our computers, such as digital photos and Quicken financial data, the consequences of losing files have dramatically increased. Here are some simple ways you can make sure you never lose your important files.

1. Make sure your files are backed up using online data backup

This is the number one way to make sure your files are always safe. Online backup of your computer is the easiest way to make sure you never lose your files. Systems that offer online data backup are A) automatic, so you never have to remember to do it, B) inexpensive, and C) keep everything off site. That way, in case your computer ever gets damaged or stolen, everything is safe.

2. Don’t save over your previous file

This isn’t one that many people think about, but opening a new word document, making changes, and then saving the modified file using the same file name means you just overwrote you previous copy. It’s better to save important photos or documents using version numbers such as “My Word File v1.0″. Change the version number after every significant change to something like v1.1 or v2.0

3. Replace hard drives before there is trouble

The typical life span for a hard drive is 3 to 5 years. And they are inexpensive enough to be replaced before they fail. For less than $50, you can get a drive that will hold all your pictures, documents and everything else. Replacing them on a routine basis before there is a problem means you won’t have to go through the stress of trying to get your files back when your drive fails.

4. Make sure your computer is electrically protected

Computers are very susceptible to power problems. Unintentional power shutoffs, voltage spikes and many other things can cause unexpected loss of files and damage your computer equipment. Your computers should be plugged into an Uninterruptible Power Supply or UPS. When you plug your computer into a UPS, your equipment will continue to be powered on even if the electricity goes out or there is a power surge, so that you can shut your computer down properly. That way, your computer equipment, and most importantly your files, will be safe.

5. Don’t get your computer stolen

This may seem like an obvious one, but thousands of laptops are stolen all the time. The most common way people have their laptops stolen is from their car. If you are going to leave your laptop in your car, lock it in the trunk where it isn’t visible from the outside, or take it with you.

source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-5-Ways-to-Keep-Your-Computer-Files-Safe&id=3976019