Computer lifespan

[ERNIEB]

It amazes me that one can know nothing about these things, and still use them. The recent thread "I hate computers" showed me how little I do know, but it also told me that there are a lot of folks on this board who may hate computers, but they sure seem to know a lot about them.
I have a basic question, but I'm not sure how to word it. Is a PC like a tractor, in that as it gets older it is bound to have breakdowns? As my last PC got older, I would get more and more errors, files missing and so on. I got the first aid for windows disc, which didn't help. I finally decided I needed to update any way so I just went out and bought a new one.
For awhile now I've had problems with internet explorer connecting to a site. It opens, but I get an error, no matter what site I'm trying to get. In the past, I could reboot the PC, and then it would work fine. Yesterday, even rebooting didn't help, and I couldn't get a single site. Now today, it has been working fine.
Do these things have some kind of lifespan bilt into them? This PC is a little over 2 yrs old.

Ernie

 

[gws]

Classic example of people blaming the computer because software doesnt work. Nothing you have mentioned has anything to do with the computer. It all software. Each time you load a new piece of software you are chainging files. Each time you change a file you risk incompatbilityes. Windows software is VERY VERY bad about wanting to install and re-install its version of system software. I really hate that about windows. Why an application should be changing part of the operating system is beyond me, but many apps want to do this.

Another area people get confused is blaming the computer when the network is down. You said you couldnt get to any site but could the next day. I would say thats a network issue not a computer/software issue.
Maybe your ISPs connection to the outside world was down, maybe there was a network outage. Without any diagnostics on the network link its hard to tell.

As for computers having a limited life, depends. There is nothing going to stop becuase they are X years old, but the operating system and applications are growing so large that that users often find they have to get a new PC to run the latest software. I have a computer that I purchased in 1987 that is running fine, Run several dos apps that will not run under windows correctly. At work I have had PC"s running as long as 4 years without ever rebooting.

Gary.

 

[GlueGuy]

<font color=blue>Is a PC like a tractor, in that as it gets older it is bound to have breakdowns?</font color=blue>

Ernie, you're not going to like this answer: "It depends." The more involved answer is "sort of yes, and sort of no".

As for the hardware, only the mechanical portion (mainly the hard drive, CD (CDRW), DVD, keyboard, and mouse) are subject to "wear" like a tractor. These parts are easy to replace.

The electronic components have an "indeterminant" life-span. For the most part, if they don't fail in the first 30-60 days, they will last quite a long time. That said, they can fail sometimes. If you "dust them out" once in a while, they can last a really long time.

Quite a different story with the software. Software "breaks" in many different ways, and sometimes interference between different versions of different programs can cause unexpected "events".

In particular, any Windows "9x" (this includes "ME") machine needs to be re-booted on a pretty regular basis. Separate from that, I've heard experts claim that if you re-install Windows once a year, you can clear out those pesky gremlins that keep coming in. I do that myself (sometimes whether I want to or not /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif).

As for your issues, I would recommend doing a backup of all your critcal data, and re-installing Windows. You'll be amazed at all the little problems that magically vanished. Kind of like an oil change... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

The GlueGuy

 

[CVHoss]

Ernie,
While I make no claims to being a computer expert (this thing can routinely make me bang my head against the wall), I have a fair amount of experience with them, having started with my first one in 1983. On a PC running Windows 95 and up, one very valuable tool I've found is Norton SystemWorks. It is a complete suite of software, but the two I use most are the aniti-virus software and a program called Norton WinDoctor. I have no idea what an ActiveX control is or does, but apparently they are easily corrupted. On several of my friends systems that were starting to act "strange", we have installed SystemWorks, run WinDoctor and found several "invalid ActiveX control" errors. One system had over 200. After allowing WinDoctor to correct the problems, the computer's strange behavior subsided. If you have any questions about it, drop me a note and I'll try to answer the best I can. And no, I don't work for Symantec./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Hoss

 

[Bird]

My new computer has hung up twice this morning and nothing I could do would make it start again except to just turn it off and back on. And of course, I have no idea why it did it. I'm using Norton Anti-Virus but maybe should consider the SystemWorks.

Bird

 

[CVHoss]

Bird,
If you install SystemWorks, make sure that BEFORE you run WinDoctor, you empty your recycle bin, including the Norton Protected recycle bin (if you install that option). One of the things WinDoctor looks for are invalid shortcuts. There may be some programs still pointing to files you have intentionally deleted. One example would be MS Word that keeps a "recent used" list of files. If you have intentionally deleted a Word document that was recently open, Word will still maintain a shortcut to it. If you haven't emptied the recycle bin before you run WinDoctor, it will interpret this as an invalid shortcut and if you allow it to automatically correct all errors, it will restore the file from the recycle bin. If you empty the bin first, then WinDoctor will delete the invalid shortcut (the desired result).

Hoss

 

[Bird]

Thanks, Hoss, I'll keep that in mind. I kinda hated to spend anymore money right now, but I did just now order SystemWorks.

Bird

 

[scruffy]

I will agree with the proposed idea that the software is usually the culprit. As stated, if the hardware 'lives' past the first 30 to 60 days, it will normally last indefinately with normal 'D&C'. I built a new system recently, and it had a power supply take a dump in the first 30 days. Others I have built have lost a hard drive in the first 30 days, or video card, and other items. Upgrades (hardware) normally come about due to the requirements of the software, particularly *&^%$#@! Micro$haft. (Obvious that I don't like MS products) WINME is the biggest pain, except it will be replaced by a BIGGER pain, XP. Best suggestion in the WINBOX arena is to stay at WIN98SE.

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>WINME is the biggest pain</font color=blue>

AAAArrggg, don't SAY that! I just got it!/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif And the blasted thing has hung up twice today and I had to just turn it off to ever get it going again./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[CVHoss]

Bird,
Didn't realize you were using ME. If you just installed it, did you use the method that saves your 98SE version so that you can revert to it if wanted? If so, I'd recommend using it. I installed ME on my desktop and since there didn't appear to be any problems after the first week or so, I removed the 98 version to free up disk space. Biggest mistake I ever made. I have not, and will not, put ME on my laptop and if I'm ever forced to reformat my HD for some reason, it won't be going back on here either. While ME seems to be full of instabilities, I've yet to find any "service pack" updates for it. The only thing Windows Update ever comes up with are what seem to be the endless "security updates" to their products.

BTW, SystemWorks is fully compatible with ME. I use it all the time, by necessity.

Hoss