Should I or shouldn't I...Now that is the Question!

retsbed

I need a bit of advice on something if you'd be so kind...... :beer:

Until recently I was in the market for a new pc as the time has come to return my brother's Dell Dimension 5150 and I didn't fancy going back to using my old banger.
I have been using his pc since September '07 whilst he has been travelling the world (lucky man!!)

The machine is not very old (think he got it at the end of 2006 beginning 2007) and I have probably gotten more use out of it than he has....lol! He has said that I can buy it from him for about £200 as he wants to get himself a lappy.

Now I think that the price is pretty damn good for what i am getting and I know he aint gonna fleece me however my little niggling concern is the following:

1. Since setting up the pc here at home the tower seems to be very noisy compared to my old banger which is an HP Pavillion. I've seen before on these forums that the noise could just be a dirty fan or quite possibly the HD about to crash. My brother says it has done this since he bought it and that I shouldn't worry about it. What do you guys think and how do I go about checking if it is just the fan that needs cleaning?
Sometimes the tower gets noisier than usual and the pc momentarily freezes and then slows for about 5 minutes and uses up nearly 100% of the CPU and half of the RAM

2. How can I change the name of who the pc is licensed to from his to mine?

I will probably buy it from him but i just wanna make sure that I'm not gonna run into any trouble with the HD etc 3 months down the line.

Thanks in advance for your advice and tips, you guys are the best!! :T

TonyLisaP

If the PC freezes it is probably the CPU cooling fan that is grinding, if you are confident of opening up the case and having a look at it then you should. Make sure that there are no wires touching any fans and any excess dust should be removed.
There is no need to change the licence as the software is licenced to the machine not the user

retsbed

TonyLisaP wrote: »

There is no need to change the licence as the software is licenced to the machine not the user

Thanks TonyLisaP and Torrento I have successfully changed the name of the pc (can't believe I didn't think of that! :wall:). However when I press the Windows key and Pause/Break key it brings up the pc specs etc and it still says that it is registered to my brother...any ideas?

I'll have a look at the fan later today as I'll be going out shortly

TonyLisaP

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
Modify/Create the Value Data Type(s) and Value Name(s) as detailed below.
Data Type: String Value // Value Name: RegisteredOrganization
Data Type: String Value // Value Name: RegisteredOwner
Setting for Value Data: B]Modify the Values to Reflect Current Information[/B
Exit Registry and Reboot

retsbed

Torrento wrote: »

Dont edit the registry unless you know what your doing or you could screw it up altogether.

Thanks for your concern Torrento, haven't changed anything yet just having a browse of the above post. Will look into it more thoroughly when I have actually bought the pc from my bruv

retsbed

TonyLisaP wrote: »

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
Modify/Create the Value Data Type(s) and Value Name(s) as detailed below.
Data Type: String Value // Value Name: RegisteredOrganization
Data Type: String Value // Value Name: RegisteredOwner
Setting for Value Data: B]Modify the Values to Reflect Current Information[/B
Exit Registry and Reboot

Thanks this is handy to know for future reference

isofa

If it's XP TweakUI (from Microsoft) can change all these details safely, without messing with the registry if you are a novice user.

retsbed

Torrento wrote: »

What you really should do is backup the registry before making any changes.

Start, Run, then type regedit then hit ok/enter, then File, Export, and save the registry to somewhere you can find it again so that you can import it if you need too at a later date.

i guess probably a memory stick is the best?

retsbed

isofa wrote: »

If it's XP TweakUI (from Microsoft) can change all these details safely, without messing with the registry if you are a novice user.

i think i am somewhere in between novice and intermediate . i reckon there are always people who know more than you!

retsbed

Torrento wrote: »

Or to the My Documents folder on your PC, :beer:

fair enough why complicate things hey

retsbed

Just wanted to say thanks for your help. I opened up the pc and there was a huge piece of dust stuck on one of the blades of the fan. All is well now and i have bought the pc from my bruv

:beer: