Im just wondering. I spent £1200 on a high spec compaq presario about two years ago, its fine at the mo apart from the odd virus, but when will my system start to fail through old age ? what will happen? and what can i do to lengthen my beloved computers life?
2006-07-04 15:06:06 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
Your computer will die when its heart finally stops beating.
2006-07-04 15:09:35 · answer #1 · answered by rsb332002 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your computer will die (crash) when you need it the most. It always works out that way. But routine "maintenance" can prolong its life.
Heat is a big enemy. Make sure the cooling fan(s) and vents are kept clean and are not blocked. Compressed air to blow out dust, food particles, etc. is a must. A small portable fan can help augment air flow to keep components cooler.
Run periodic diagnostic checks. Many times you can detect a failing component before it actually dies. If you aren't sure how to run the tests, contact the HP/Compaq web site. They used to have an online scan. If they no longer have it, it might be advisable to use the services of a local computer repair facility. Yes, it will cost money but most people would rather spend a little to save a lot.
Use common sense around the computer. Surge protectors, plastic keyboard covers, no sharp instruments near the screen, don't throw any fish and chips at the thing when it doesn't do what you want :-)
2006-07-04 15:19:52 · answer #2 · answered by Angry C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, keep in clean, inside and out. Dust builds up and creates more heat and thus overheating not only your processor, but your other motherboard components as well.
Second, keep your hard drive clean. Keep adware, viruses and worms out by installing a quality internet security program.
Always keep a backup of your data. The only way your computer will 'die' is if all the data it stores is lost. You will likely have to replace parts over the span of its lifetime, but as long as you're transfering the data from one place to the other, it 'lives'. (hey, wasn't that in the last Star Trek movie?)
Chances are, it will become 'obsolete' before it becomes non-functional. Even if you've replaced parts, someday the processor and even the motherboard will die and they will have been outdated. You'll then end up replacing those parts as well. At that point, you might as well purchase a new PC or learn to fix it yourself. The case will likely be reusable.
I think it is every PC owners responsibility to learn how their PC works on the inside. Much like a car owner should. If you're afraid to fix it yourself, that is fine, there is plenty of PC technicians out there looking to make some cash. But having some basic knowledge can keep your PC running a long time and will save you £££.
2006-07-04 15:27:30 · answer #3 · answered by michituckygirl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One, if it is in a dusty environment, it's probably a good idea to clean it out now. Two, don't constantly be turning it on and off. If you are going to use it and come back then just leave it on. If you are going to leave it for long periods, put it in standby or hibernate. Three, either unplug it during storms or get a nice surge protector or a UPS (universal power supply). Make sure that the power supply installed in the system is adequate to power its needs. My guess is this won't be a problem for you since it is an old(er) system. But adequate power and amps on all the rails is necessary for a stable and long lasting system. Someone I know had a 650W power supply and that wasn't enough to power his system. He had to get a 1000W power supply.
However, you can take the best of care of any computer and it could fail, or components could fail at any time. Hard drives can fail, back up your data. That's the only preventative measure you can take.
2006-07-04 15:12:54 · answer #4 · answered by conradj213 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Barring abuse (overheating, water/liquid exposure, etc.) or faulty parts, most components should last quite some time (possibly a decade or more, depending on use).
The parts you need to worry about are moving parts, which would be your cooling fan(s) and drives (hard drive(s), CD/DVD drive(s), etc.).
Fans are easy enough to replace, and they'll usually give some sort of warning in the form of unusual noise prior to total failure.
Hard drives, on the other hand, typically give little to no warning of impending failure. To protect against data loss from hard drive failure, back up your important data frequently.
2006-07-04 15:14:28 · answer #5 · answered by Eric 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All depends how you care for it.
I have a My Favorite PC from 1997 that I paid fifty bucks for with two year subscription to MSN....celeron 400 with original install of Win 95.
The only thing I replaced was the CPU fan.
It's a novelty PC now!
But I may install Win 2k and bring it back !
2006-07-04 15:13:19 · answer #6 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Computer will never die as long as you take care of it just like your pets, like reload windows every 6 or 7 months. And buy new adware every like 2 or 3 month, it should be fine.
2006-07-04 15:16:00 · answer #7 · answered by Coach 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Usually the first thing to go is the power supply. Not sure anything can really "die" other then your ram, CPU, video card can die from being overheated and eventually suffer physical damage.
2006-07-04 15:11:37 · answer #8 · answered by modoka 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All depends on how you take care of it and what you are using it for. I always suggest getting a UPS (battery backup) which will save from power outages.
2006-07-04 15:19:26 · answer #9 · answered by worldisstillthesame 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well my computer last about 4 and half years already and still running good.... and i have it on everyday for at least 8 to 10 hours
2006-07-04 15:10:43 · answer #10 · answered by matt0424 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋