Laptop

merv98710 · 13 October 2018 at 7:38PM

Can someone tell me what I need to look for for a laptop my daughter can use for Sims 4? I bought a lenovo ideapad last year, and its a lovely little laptop for most of our pc needs, its just got no storage, it keeps telling me to update windows but it doesn't even have enough room for that!
I'm after a cheap as possible laptop, possibly a desktop if that would be much cheaper.
I used to know what was what with computers, but now I'm lost with all the numbers. :-)

forgotmyname · 13 October 2018 at 11:51PM

Fit a larger hard drive if its a proper laptop not just a netbook.

Should have a 256GB SSD or 1TB hard drive though.. Should be plenty of room for the SIMS and some expansion packs.

Daughters laptop is about 10 years old and still plays the SIMS, only gripe is it seems to want to stick everything on the main boot drive.

EveryWhere · 14 October 2018 at 12:58AM

Is £180 cheap enough? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dell-Latitude-E7240-Ultrabook-i5-CPU-4GB-RAM-128GB-SSD-12-Touchscreen-/232902237137

You can install the OS for free yourself. It's elementary.

The only drawback is the screen size. But that might be a boon for some and you didn't specify anyway.

that · 14 October 2018 at 2:15AM

there are many types of ideapad, some like the 120 have emmc disk which you cant upgrade, so you had better tell us the model no too.

merv98710 · 14 October 2018 at 8:05AM

Its a small one, Ideapad 110s

EveryWhere · 14 October 2018 at 9:05AM

merv98710 wrote: »

Its a small one, Ideapad 110s

Fit for the bin really, but you may be able to install permanent extra storage which will make a fair amount of difference to the thing.; https://gfr2reviews.com/2017/08/19/lenovo-ideapad-110s-storage-upgrade/

Around 50 pounds for a high quality Crucial M2 SSD. That way the device will be faster and much more useful to all concerned.

Another way to do the same thing; https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo-IdeaPad-1xx-3xx-5xx-7xx/Success-My-Ideapad-110S-BR-now-boots-from-larger-Solid-State/td-p/3933988

A cheaper and more simple option is simply to add a microSD card for extra storage; https://www.picstop.co.uk/micro-sdxc/samsung-evo-plus-micro-sdxc-uhs-i-card-with-adapter-64gb.html

Just slot it in.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_install-winpc/how-to-upgrade-to-the-latest-windows-10-feature/d7cdba8b-c59b-4a23-86e2-6635a7e44489?auth=1ut

Not really fit for purpose.

Have you ordered the above DELL yet?

merv98710 · 15 October 2018 at 10:18PM

Thanks, so far I've tried an external hard drive and after your suggestion, an sd card, but even though I've changed 'where to download new everything' to either of those, it still tells me theres not enough memory, there are lots of things that cant be moved off 'this computer'.
So if I get your 1st option of more permanent storage, is it likely to do the same,or will it see it as part of this computer? Hope that makes sense.

that · 15 October 2018 at 11:19PM

Merv98710, EveryWhere above already gave you a link that tells you what they did and how they did it https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo-IdeaPad-1xx-3xx-5xx-7xx/Success-My-Ideapad-110S-BR-now-boots-from-larger-Solid-State/td-p/3933988

Personally, I am a data hoarder, and 128gb would not be enough.

EveryWhere · 16 October 2018 at 7:30AM

merv98710 wrote: »

Thanks, so far I've tried an external hard drive and after your suggestion, an sd card, but even though I've changed 'where to download new everything' to either of those, it still tells me theres not enough memory, there are lots of things that cant be moved off 'this computer'.
So if I get your 1st option of more permanent storage, is it likely to do the same,or will it see it as part of this computer? Hope that makes sense.

Perhaps you simply did not follow the instructions, but instead did something completely different.

This time, follow the instruction, using the SD card; https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4013876/windows-10-free-up-space-to-install-the-latest-features-update.

Whatever possessed you to buy such a thing anyway? Just about anyone here would have talked you out of it and got you to purchase a solidly built second hand device for similar money.
Now here you are, trying to sort out a device that is barely fit for purpose. It's rubbish compared to the DELL that I recommended.

Personally, I would run a clean install of Windows 10 to the thing and be done with it once and for all, as you would no longer has issues to do with space. But since I have never even touched one of those things, I don't know if the SD card as a hard drive has any additional limitations when clean installing and I'm loathe to check.

merv98710 · 16 October 2018 at 7:50PM

I bought it because it was on sale in the catalogue and I got it on 0% interest for a year. I'm not a data hogger, and I'm ok with not constantly updating windows 10, I would occasionally like to install small programs, like one called bluestacks, for simple games, and to find a cheap way for my daughter to play sims.
A few months ago I used the external hard drive to upgrade to windows 10 like in your link, but now it doesn't even have the small amount it still needs on the laptop. I did see the second link, but I'm not sure how to clone software, or repartition etc, so I tried the simple option of the sd card, before considering the 1st, which I think I can do, I just wanted to check it would do what I need it to.
Although going back to my original question, I asked the daughter of a friend of mine what to look for and she found me a desktop for free on freecycle. :-)

EveryWhere · 17 October 2018 at 3:01AM

merv98710 wrote: »

I bought it because it was on sale in the catalogue and I got it on 0% interest for a year. I'm not a data hogger, and I'm ok with not constantly updating windows 10, I would occasionally like to install small programs, like one called bluestacks, for simple games, and to find a cheap way for my daughter to play sims.
A few months ago I used the external hard drive to upgrade to windows 10 like in your link, but now it doesn't even have the small amount it still needs on the laptop. I did see the second link, but I'm not sure how to clone software, or repartition etc, so I tried the simple option of the sd card, before considering the 1st, which I think I can do, I just wanted to check it would do what I need it to.
Although going back to my original question, I asked the daughter of a friend of mine what to look for and she found me a desktop for free on freecycle. :-)

Understood. But we still would have steered you away and found something cheap and less annoying.

Anyone, start by removing any old Windows 10 installations; https://www.windowscentral.com/how-reclaim-space-after-upgrading-windows-10-april-2018-update

Once complete, you can clean up a bit more; https://www.groovypost.com/howto/maximize-storage-Space-low-capacity-windows-10-devices/

What's the make and model number of the new old PC?

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