3 Simple Steps to Reviving Your Old PC

3 Simple Steps to Reviving Your Old PC
By Paul D Brady

If your old computer is frustrating you each day as it could do with bringing more up to date, then there are several quick and easy things you can do to revive it and give it a new lease of life.

1. If your computer regularly freezes up and all you can do is to restart it, then you may find that a simple clean out and defragmentation will do the trick. Windows provides just the right tools for this type of job under 'Programs' > 'Accessories' but if you're not sure how to use them individually, you could simply choose a single program such as CCCleaner that does this all for you in one hit.

Once you have cleaned and defragged your computer's hard drive, you might need to look at the Windows operating system itself if you are still having this problem. You can try Repairing Windows by using your original Windows CD and choosing the 'Repair Previous Installation' option. This will re-install all the major Windows files but without touching or deleting any of your own personal files and folders, so this can be a good last option.

2. It just makes a BEEP, BEEP, BEEP noise when it starts - this is most likely to be something wrong with your Power Supply (PSU), as it could have become damaged with age or it could simply be that it no longer has enough power to run all your system components correctly. If this is the case, getting yourself a nice new Power Supply Unit with enough Power (should be around 600W or more) will be a relatively cheap way to boost your system's performance.

3. SLOW, SLOW, SLOW - when you get to this point with your computer and you are no doubt frustrated with it, then one of the simplest and cheapest ways of reviving your old PC is to add some more RAM Memory. This can be done in as little as 15 minutes and for as little as $20.00.

One thing you must remember though, never touch the memory chips directly as you could blow them with the small amounts of static electricity in your fingers. Always hold the Memory modules at the top left and right edges and once you have installed the new memory you will instantly see the difference in performance as you computer should now run much smoother and faster.

These are just three simple steps you can take to revive your old computer and make it fun again to use.