Laptop guidance!

2

Comments

  • WAYT
    WAYT Posts: 694 Forumite
    jonewer wrote: »
    Its an HP G72 Notebook PC model number XF103EA#ABU which I gather translates into the G72-b01SA

    https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/XF103EAABU-HP-G72-b01SA_1006276.html

    There is actually a Windows 7 product key on the back

    Is there something wrong with it or are you happy to fit an SSD to bring the performance up to date?

    If so, Toshiba Solid State Drive Q300 120 GB £45.59

    Toshiba Solid State Drive Q300 240 GB £67.79

    Swapping the drives in easy. Takes perhaps five minutes, as there is a dedicated bay on the underneath of the laptop. It is covered in the first twenty seconds of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RczHdJmjDo

    Clean install of Windows 7 is also easy. Can talk you through that in a minute.
    Far easier than messing around with partitions and why move all the old crud over anyway? You'll have it all fully backed up on the old HDD. You can just move over the things that you actually want, onto the laptop.

    So if it is just that the laptop is slow, this upgrade is worth it. Especially as you can move the SSD to another machine, such as your PC if you decide to get a new laptop in the future.
  • jonewer
    jonewer Posts: 1,485 Forumite
    Yeah, it's painfully slow. Nothing else wrong with it apart from being almost 3kg.
    Mortgage debt - [STRIKE]£8,811.47 [/STRIKE] Paid off!
  • WAYT
    WAYT Posts: 694 Forumite
    DavidP24 wrote: »
    WAYT

    I quoted those two in post 9 above, seriously bad failure rate on Amazon which is why I did not risk them.

    The "crud" as you call it is all the settings, bookmarks and other personification that make your PC your own. Some might call it continuity of care! Of course free to create a new profile on new SSD.

    A new version of win7 or 10 will require 10 million updates which will take a week because they will conflict, not install while others not done etc etc etc.

    I am a strong believer in people taking ownership of their problems, learning a bit about partitioning is no bad thing, it is just dragging a slider anyway.

    I went for the Samsung Pro 850 because it has a 10 year guarantee and a write rate that will probably exceed my lifetime. £69 off eBay can be got for less if you are prepared to snipe, mine cost under £60 with delivery.


    I have three of the Toshiba Q300 fitted for more than a year to varied machines. Zero failure rate so far. Paid £30 each.
    Though saying that, I'm using the Samsung EVO 850 on my most utilised machine.

    I'm going to disagree with the cloning. Clean install every time. The last thing they want to do is to move over the old bundled and redundant software and all the old stuff they should have cleaned up over the years.
    Bookmarks etc can be backed up and restored or simply retrieved from the old HDD.

    Also a clean install ensures proper alignment. Otherwise you'll need specialist cloning software to align for SSD. Then there is AHCI. Is it enabled now or not?

    I wholehearted disagree with messing around with partitions and cloning.

    Quoting "10 million updates" to bolster your argument is somewhat disingenuous. Much better to have a clean install with minimal updates, than to have years of old installers and registry entries.

    Sometime you need to redecorate. Sand down and some fresh paint, instead of just painting over the old paint.

    A new clean install without unnecessary rubbish. The OP will be impressed by the improvement in performance and will be more inclined to keep it that way.
  • WAYT
    WAYT Posts: 694 Forumite
    jonewer wrote: »
    Yeah, it's painfully slow. Nothing else wrong with it apart from being almost 3kg.

    Then definitely fit the SSD and run a clean install to SSD. It will be much faster than when new.

    Personally I would increase the RAM to 4GB. Swapping the 1 GB module for a 2GB module will cost around £10. Swapping both for a matching pair around £18.

    I'm not sure as to what is in there at the mo, perhaps 2 + 1 GB of DDR3 10600
  • WAYT
    WAYT Posts: 694 Forumite
    DavidP24 wrote: »
    WAYT

    I quoted those two in post 9 above, seriously bad failure rate on Amazon which is why I did not risk them.

    The "crud" as you call it is all the settings, bookmarks and other personification that make your PC your own. Some might call it continuity of care! Of course free to create a new profile on new SSD.

    A new version of win7 or 10 will require 10 million updates which will take a week because they will conflict, not install while others not done etc etc etc.

    I am a strong believer in people taking ownership of their problems, learning a bit about partitioning is no bad thing, it is just dragging a slider anyway.

    I went for the Samsung Pro 850 because it has a 10 year guarantee and a write rate that will probably exceed my lifetime. £69 off eBay can be got for less if you are prepared to snipe, mine cost under £60 with delivery.

    Perhaps a link to the Samsung 850 Pro might entice the OP.
  • WAYT
    WAYT Posts: 694 Forumite
    You also have the option to clean install Windows 10. Though have seen a couple of complaints concerning the TouchPad in 2015. Though that may have been sorted by later updates.
    Can talk you through that if necessary.
  • jonewer
    jonewer Posts: 1,485 Forumite
    Thanks guys!

    I actually have some experience of messing with partitions back when I was trying to get Linux working on a Win 98 machine. That was quite a while back!

    I'll probably just go for a clean install on the SSD and not bother with the RAM - I seem to have a reverse Midas touch with computer components where everything I touch turns to sh*t, so I'll keep my fiddlings to a minimum.

    How do I go about the install then?
    Mortgage debt - [STRIKE]£8,811.47 [/STRIKE] Paid off!
  • WAYT
    WAYT Posts: 694 Forumite
    jonewer wrote: »
    Thanks guys!

    I actually have some experience of messing with partitions back when I was trying to get Linux working on a Win 98 machine. That was quite a while back!

    I'll probably just go for a clean install on the SSD and not bother with the RAM - I seem to have a reverse Midas touch with computer components where everything I touch turns to sh*t, so I'll keep my fiddlings to a minimum.

    How do I go about the install then?

    I sent you instructions yesterday. Keep up. ;)
  • WAYT
    WAYT Posts: 694 Forumite
    DavidP24 wrote: »
    Yep have to agree to respectfully disagree on cloning and partitions.

    The software I recommended has a specific option for cloning to SSD

    Partitions are beyond some people but the rewards are great.

    I did look at the Toshiba and I am sure for some it is fine but based on the reviews over 15% had terrible reviews, that is just too many in my experience, the fact that the unit was replaced promptly suggests to me a manufacturing defect, maybe possible corrected by firmware update, has happened before for performance reasons with SSD firmware.

    Honestly....I don't know why you would keep pushing this clearly flawed 'advice'. It is clearly inappropriate.
    Think about it for a second.
    Why on earth would the OP want to have a mirror image of a "painfully slow" install??

    The specification itself is quite acceptable. So the reason for the slow running is likely either overheating or the agglomeration of what is installed.

    So no OP, do not clone to the image what you have to the SSD. Wow.....

    Toshiba SSD; All of mine have the latest firmware applied on receipt. No problems at all.
    As to the hypothesis to Amazon replacing the unit promptly, Amazon replaces all purchases promptly. So I don't know what that has to do with anything.
    I am writing from experience, not hearsay.

    Where are those links to the 850 PRO? Might get one for myself.
  • WAYT
    WAYT Posts: 694 Forumite
    DavidP24 wrote: »
    It is not flawed advice,


    Apologies for my not wanting to waste my time in reading your long winded reply.

    My question was simply "why would the OP wish to clone an already "painfully slow" install?

    Keep it short if you please, if you want anyone to actually bother to read your posts.

    If they wanted to spend hours on 'speeding it up', they could have done that in the first place, without the need of swapping to SSD. Mirroring the image will only mask the issue.


    Secondly, the Toshiba Q300 has a 3 Year warranty, so it will be replaced if faulty regardless of whether sold by Viking or Amazon.

    Thirdly, I am still waiting for the links to the Samsung 850 PRO that you recommended earlier in the thread.
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