New processor or new computer?? Which would be cheapest?

carrie483

Hi,

My dads computer currently has an intel celeron processor (thats all i know about it)

His computer runs rather slow and always seems to have problems (i.e. infected files, trojans etc)

Would it cheaper for him to buy a new processor and get it fitted in or just buy a new computer? I have seen some really good deals in Dell at the moment.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Sorry, i know i haven't been much help with info but i don't know much about the inside of the comp.

Carrie.

rchddap1

If he has infected files and trojans then buying a new PC or processor will not help....a good firewall and antivirus will help though. You can buy the fastest PC....but if you connect to the internet without these things you will still get problems.

carrie483

Thanks for the reply rchddap1, he has Mcafee virus scan running and noadware but these !!!!!!s still manage to get through some how.

How do i check to see if he has a firewall running?

T4i

His p.c is prolly running so slow due to the amount of bab on his HDD.

Thing is, if he has been running without proper protection for such a long time it is likely the HDD is bogged with bad entries, removing possible? Yes, but it could take hours, days........All depends what he has got.

My advice, see the stickies in here about firewalls/anti-virus, plenty to choose from. Some freebies some low priced packages.

After choosing your proptection look at removing spyware/virus/malware/loggers with the freebie software available.

Or it could be a idea to re-format the HDD, but you will loose EVERYTHING doing this, including the !!!!!!.

If you right click on 'my computer' and select properties it will tell you the speed of the CPU under

Computer:
CPU - Spec
Speed (Ghz/Mhz), amount of installed RAM.

carrie483

Cheers, i'll do that when i get home and i'll update with new info,

How do i check to see if he has a firewall running?

T4i

erm.........1st look for a icon next to the clock, hover your mouse over the icons and look for something like firewall.

Other than that, goto add/remove progs and scroll down for a firewall proggy. If you see one then you have one installed.

Windows has one built in, for XP SP2 anyhow......that can be enabled/disabled through the ethernet adaptor in network connections. Right click on your Local Area Connection and click properties, advanced tab at top, windoows firewall button....

People have views about windows firewall. I dont as I've never used it so I cant comment if its any good or not.

nickmack

If the PC is riddled with Viruses and Trojans, which is likely with no AV or Firewall then you have a few choices:

a) Attempt to remove the viruses yourself. This may involve delving into the registry and/or using removal tools. Before you reconnect to the Internet, make sure an AV and Firewall are installed and configured correctly.
b) Ask an IT Professional to do the above for you.
c) Backup any documents/files/settings you need and then reinstall Windows if you have the original disks. Note you will also need any application disks as well, such as Office. This may be easier than a) or b) if the PC is really crippled.
d) If you are not comfortable to do the above, again get an IT Professional to do it.

The solution should not be as expensive as buying a new PC.

T4i

Be careful going to IT pros.

They are there to rob you, unless you know a friend who is a IT pro.

All they will do is remove the stuff, by installing the stuff we use, clicking a scan button, leaving for 1+hour to scan, clicking another button to fix them and charging you a arm and a leg.

And if they come across a nasty one to remove they will prolly just remove bits of it and leave it dormant in your system for when you get home.

If you have the time, use people like us.......alot of knowlagable people on here.....we dont charge......

nickmack

T4i wrote:

Be careful going to IT pros.

They are there to rob you,

A bit harsh, I have not robbed anyone in my time. All friends get their PC's sorted for free. A couple of drinks if they insist. Even my clients get work for free if it's a reasonably quick fix. Not everyone is out to rob you.

unless you know a friend who is a IT pro.

An IT friend is a good option, if you know someone. Just make sure they do know what they're doing, or they could cause more problems than they solve.

All they will do is remove the stuff, by installing the stuff we use, clicking a scan button, leaving for 1+hour to scan, clicking another button to fix them and charging you a arm and a leg..

You obviously haven't dealt with any nasty Trojans that require knowledge rather than running a scan that doesn't detect them.

And if they come across a nasty one to remove they will prolly just remove bits of it and leave it dormant in your system for when you get home.

You must have had a bad experience with someone in IT. Don't tar everyone with the same brush.

If you have the time, use people like us.......alot of knowlagable people on here.....we dont charge......

That's why I offer my advice for free on here, I will gladly help when I have time. However if the OP does not feel comfortable trying suggestions or they do not fix the problem, then the only choice is to find a IT friend for free or pay someone to do a professional job. Granted, there are some cowboys in any industry, but making generalised comments such as those above only frightens people.

wolfman

Guess I have to agree there. These forums are great, but sometimes you need someone to hand. It's often best to get either a friend, or someone you know to be reliable, or even a recommendation.

If paranoid, get them to give a brief estimate of what's wrong and how long it'd take to fix, and maybe try to agree a fee.

From the sound of your problem, I'd be tempted to find a tech I knew and get them to do a fresh install, start on a clean slate.

T4i

nickmack,

Would you pay £80 for a £25 CD-RW fitting? Thats what the shops round here charge.....

Would you pay £100 for data to be recovered from a HDD to CDRW?

If you go into a shop and make sure you know what you are talking about then fair enough, but for the average user who goes in asking for a repair etc then the above examples are true.

I've even 'tested' staff in shops using my other-half as a mole. She has gone in and come across completely thick and they have TRIED to rip her off completely.

I see it mostly with the elderly and women.......they come to me after paying above the odds and I charge £5-10hour depending what time it is.

This is a good one, our lass's gran goes into a shop where they had built her a p.c, it wasnt working right. Lock-ups, slow etc etc......

Shop had it for 1week, they charged her for new motherboard and new hdd, over £100 in costs. She paid it, the motherboard was never changed, the HDD was never changed, XP was re-installed.

Maybe I should of worded that differently, i dont rip people off, im just sick of dealing with people who have just been ripped off.