PC Problems

[Gardian]

Oh dear - I have a feeling that my 10yo PC may have a terminal problem.

All of a sudden, its started to shut down of its own accord. It re-boots straight away, without any intervention but you can imagine that its very irritating and a bit tiresome (I have to re log-in to SFR Messagerie, or the same with this Forum if that's what I'm on at the time).

There is a local man who will probably be able to have a look at it for me, but I was just wondering if anybody has any suggestions?

[mint]

My poor old PC, which I am on en ce moment, is well in excess of that age.

It overheats and yes, shuts down, when it's sulking and I have do all that re-logging etc.  Its fan is very noisy and sometimes I think it might just self-destruct like in those ancient sci-fi movies where the tape recorder melts away in a spiral of smoke.

Can't register my new one, as explained elsewhere, so I am back to my old trusty, though I do read the news on the new machine.

Mind you, now that the new one is here, right next to this old faithful, it's decided it doesn't want to be superceded and is behaving impecably!

Computers, who say they aren't nearly human?  And I wouldn't dare to tell mine it's only got artificial intelligence as that, apparently, is plenty smart enough to confuse the hell out of me [:-))]

[Jako]

Clean your PC with compressed air. See this tip from HP here

[YCCMB]

Or, if you have no compressed air lying around (who does?) you can just run a vacuum cleaner over it. No, seriously... Vacuum lightly over the ventilation holes in the bottom of your laptop.

[mint]

Maybe you can use those pump things that blow up party balloons?

or perhaps my bicycle pump, if I can find it somewhere in the glory hole that is our sous sol. 

[basquesteve]

You will be surprised the amount of dust and hair that finds it way into the back of a PC disconnect every thing and take the back off clean the case and fans with a vacuum cleaner sometimes its necessary to scrape the fan blades

[suein56]

We did just that with a pc from 2003 we were given after my OH's laptop died. We dismantled what we could safely reach inside, ie the fan, and after a really good, but gentle, hoovering of everything inside it is now working as well as possible. It will do, as they say, until we can find a reasonably priced Win7 laptop.

Sue

[Lehaut]

Using an artists paint brush to gently work your way round the dusty areas of the motherboard (the big thing all the fans, memory etc are plugged into) whilst sucking with a vacuum cleaner also helps. If you can reduce the size of the vacuum cleaners pipe (tape in a smaller diameter flexible plastic pipe) also helps to get into those hard to reach places like the cooling fins under the fan blades. I use a car compressor to blow the air out as well. Don't forget round the transformer too. The front panel often comes off without the need for tools, found a "beard" of dust inside there once.

[Gardian]

First of all, thanks to everybody who has contributed with their suggestions.

I spent the morning unhooking all the wiring and cleaning up as per the advice. It was embarrassing to find exactly what had been forecast - the area around the fan was exactly like the picture in Jako's link. Unfortunately a massive thunderstorm started up mid morning, and as a precaution we always unplug everything when its like that (the PC's motherboard was 'fried' some years back).

Only now have things calmed down and I've been able to power up. I won't know whether this has done the trick for a few hours (just by seeing whether the PC drops out), but fingers are firmly crossed.

Thanks again & here's hoping !   

[Gardian]

So far, so good.

It went off once, but I'm pretty certain that it was due to the power being iffy and briefly cutting out on account of the thunderstorm that was still around.

Tell you what - when it rains down here, it rains!  We had about five hours of monsoon-like rain for about five hours between 10.30 & 15.30.  It was still raining for a further five hours or so after that, but nowhere near as hard.

[mint]

Just been hoovering out my old PC as well.  Don't know if it's made a difference though it's working fine but the fan is still noisy.

At least I can use it, which is more than I can say for the new PC at the moment [:'(]

[NormanH]

If I were closer I would come over and install Linux which works, instead of Windows which doesn't seem to...

[mint]

Thank you for your answer.  I know it's in the conditional tense but it shows you sympathise and that is sorely needed!

I am going to look at this Linux which I have heard you mention often enough and I am thinking that perhaps, if I rang you, you could take me through the installation process?

The 64 million dollar question is this:  is it simple to use?

[Quillan]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

I am going to look at this Linux which I have heard you mention often enough and I am thinking that perhaps, if I rang you, you could take me through the installation process?

The 64 million dollar question is this:  is it simple to use?

[/quote]

 I doubt you have ever watched "The Big Bang Theory" but this would be a 'Sheldon moment', you don't really want to ask him that question. [;-)]

[NormanH]

The 64 million dollar question is this:  is it simple to use?

Once installed Linux is at least as easy to use as Windows, but the installation has been complicated by Microsoft who have put something called  "Secure Boot" into Windows 8 which creates problems if you want to use another system.

Before it was a simple matter to have the two on the same computer and choose which  you wanted to use each time..

I suspect that this is a way to stop the man in the street going over to non-Windows systems.

It can still be done, but not over the telephone..[:@]

[woolybanana]

[quote user="NormanH"]If I were closer I would come over and install Linux which works, instead of Windows which doesn't seem to...

[/quote]

Do not encourage him please!!!!

On the other hand, X hundred miles along the morotway on his little scooter might be a good idea. One can just see the headlines in the local paper and the faces of the gendarmes as they lock him up.

[mint]

I've been looking at some of the comparison of Linux vs Windows on the net and have convinced myself that I'd really like to try Linusx.

It will be just as unfamiliar to me as Windows 8 as my present system is Windows XP!  Indeed, in many ways, I think it's easier to learn a brand new system than to have to learn one system and then to have to "unlearn" it.

I will cast around for a person who would know how to install it. 

I'd rather learn a system that will stand me in good state than one that has, so far, given me nothing but grief.

Thanks for thinking about this, Norman, and don't rise to Wooly's taunts as that will only encourage HIM![:D]

[mint]

Norman, will you be kind enough when you have a bit of time to cast your eye over this link and tell me if that's how you would do it?

http://www.everydaylinuxuser.com/2013/09/install-ubuntu-linux-alongside-windows.html

No, I don't really plan to do the deed myself as I am just not computer-savvy enough but I'd like you to just say if it's do-able as described.

Fortunately for me, my new computer is a Dell Inspiron 3721, just like the one the author of that link uses, except that it's 17 pouces.

 

[NormanH]

 Yes that seems right to me, at least as far as the Ubuntu part is concerned. I haven't used windows8 myself but I believe that the first part is also correct.

In terms of choosing which Ubunu version to install I would suggest that 12.04 is better for you as it remains valid for another 3/4 years whereas 13.10 will be superseded in March.

As you are coming straight from  Windows I suggest thinking about Xubuntu 12.04 or Linux Lite, both of which have  a 'desktop' (that is the screen you see when you log in) which would be.. rather similar to XP.

https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/xubuntu

https://www.linuxliteos.com/

Either of these can be downloaded and put on a USB as described in your link

I use Linux lite on my notebook and laptop as they are relatively low powered.

[Lehaut]

Before you install, have you tried to run Ubuntu as a trial off a USB or burnt DVD. That way you don't run the risk of mucking up your computer with a dual boot OS system. I have done both (though not on Win 8). I found it quite easy to use for the basics, but had difficulty installing the drivers for graphics cards and sound, perhaps its easier now. The other thing is how difficult it is to get your brain to learn the different mouse pointer positions for the things you are used to on WIndows! Another option is to see if anyone you know has an older tower they want rid of. Ubuntu is not as CPU hungry as windows, so you could get valuable experience on a clean install on an old Pentium 4/Core2Duo or dual/quad core socket 775, all which are ancient now.

[mint]

Thank you so much for your advice. 

In view of what you have both told me, I have today got a USB from a friend with XUBUNTU 13.10.  It's what he uses himself so I could just look at it and see how I get on.

Lehaut, I am going to send you a PM a bit later today; it's not to do with the subject under discussion.

[NormanH]

Lehaut's advice is very good....

You should certainly try like that before committing yourself

[PaulT]

Renamed subject as this thread seems to have been hijacked.

Having had fun installing W8.1 on the laptop and waiting to see if MS does actually help I installed Ubuntu on a spare HDD and installed it in the laptop.

The software is certainly not user friendly - for example to install Skype requires commands to be input but easily to follow from Internet searches.

Certainly the Office items are not as professional as MS offering but the suite as well as a lot of other programs are free including Ubuntu.

Looking forward to trialing Ubuntu and who knows where it will go.

Norman - what about viruses, are they a problem and if so what to use for protection.

[Quillan]

I can answer that.

Obviously viruses etc written for Windows based machines cannot normally infect another operating system.

The urban myth about Linux and Apple being virus free i.e. they cannot get a virus etc is simply not true I am afraid although you are at far less of a risk as both operating systems are nowhere as popular as desktop Windows. According to Gardner Linux has 1.65%, Apple OS 7.54 and the rest is Windows based on 2012 figures. Logic dictates that therefore there are a lot more Windows based machine to write viruses for.

That aside Linux is vulnerable according the Linux website and a link to their article is below.

https://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/284124-myth-busting-is-linux-immune-to-viruses

The one thing that Gardner does not take into account is that the Android operating system for phones and tablets is basically Linux and is of course open source. Seeing that Android has 80% of the market and there are a lot of Android phones around I guess you would have ask are there more or less phones than PC's, something I do not know the answer to.

[Lehaut]

I have two devices that were designed for different operating systems. An HTD HD 2 which was originally a Windows phone, and an HP touchpad, which originally ran the HP OS. Both now run Android systems which I am delighted with. They were rooted and ROMed not by me unfortunately. Andoroid has given new life to products that are well passed their sell by date, but I have a 10 inch tablet that is great for films, magazines (my wife is currently streaming Damages to it) and a phone I can custom to my hearts content. The reason I like it over IOS and Windows is that, to me, I control it and not the other way round.