# Might be new computer time



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

One, so it looks like my 6th windows computer in the last 4 years or so is going to bite the dust. It is a Dell 64 bit running windows 7. A couple days ago, it started running insanely slow. I did not change anything on it, but changing fields in QB takes up to 20 seconds just to click a new field to enter a number, scrolling the start menu is slow and unresponsive at times, running a web browser only seems to overly tax the computer now for some reason, ctl alt del takes forever to access the program manager and locks the computer up completely, etc. I cannot really try to install new software since it is operating too slow to do anything, it will not even shut down properly without needing to hold the power button.

I ran malware bytes, windows security essentials, etc and no viruses or any malware found, hard drive is not fragmented, plenty of space on hard drive.

So, what do I do?

Tempted to get a 13" retina MacBook Pro and use parallels just to run quickbooks. I wanted it to be able to run parallels for quick books and handle a large second monitor at the same time. Not sure if the MacBook Air would be up to the task.


----------



## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

Does it have to be a laptop and is QB the only thing you would need to run parallels?


----------



## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

DeanV said:


> One, so it looks like my 6th windows computer in the last 4 years or so is going to bite the dust. It is a Dell 64 bit running windows 7. A couple days ago, it started running insanely slow. I did not change anything on it, but changing fields in QB takes up to 20 seconds just to click a new field to enter a number, scrolling the start menu is slow and unresponsive at times, running a web browser only seems to overly tax the computer now for some reason, ctl alt del takes forever to access the program manager and locks the computer up completely, etc. I cannot really try to install new software since it is operating too slow to do anything, it will not even shut down properly without needing to hold the power button.
> 
> I ran malware bytes, windows security essentials, etc and no viruses or any malware found, hard drive is not fragmented, plenty of space on hard drive.
> 
> ...


Do you drop this computers on a regular basis?? You've averaged 8 months per machine? 

Tightwad that I am, I'd be tempted to take the sluggish box in to some pros and give them a crack at it.


----------



## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Have always had Macs and really like them. More expensive than PCs but every one I've ever had still ran well when the time came to get a newer, faster, more powerful one.


----------



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

It does need to be a laptop. I am not ready to go ipad only.

Quickbooks for Mac and Quickbooks online are not options since I would lose features and/or payroll data since online for sure is a different payroll deal then regular quickbooks.

Quickbooks is the only windows program I need. 

apple's office suite will be fine for my needs.

Everything else I use is ios app based or cross platform like Evernote.


----------



## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Reformat and install fresh. If the problem persists its most likely a memory issue. Memtest is a free dos program to test for errors.

Next guess could be hard drive. Same DL the tool for your drive mfg and check for bad sectors.

If its going bad get you a decent ssd. Best upgrade you can make for any older computer. It will double responsiveness, and boot up in seconds.


----------



## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Reformat and install fresh. If the problem persists its most likely a memory issue. Memtest is a free dos program to test for errors.

Next guess could be hard drive. Same DL the tool for your drive mfg and check for bad sectors.

If its going bad get you a decent ssd. Best upgrade you can make for any older computer


----------



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I do not drop them ever. Some where not new 4 years ago, but that is when they started dying off.

Desktop Dell: power pack, simple fix but was told it was out of date. Family computer but switched to laptops.

HP laptop hard drive crash.

Dell xt tablet: driver, blue screen freezing issues, never worked great but was ok. 

Dell is Inspiron 1: screen hinge broke, too expensive to fix 

Asus netbook: screen wire broke, cost almost as much as the new price to fix, so scrapped it.

Dell Inspiron 2: current issues.

The Dell desktop and the Dell xt gave longer life than the others, but the xt was always an iffy machine. It did not die, but was a bit frustrating to use. I thin when it came time to replace both battery packs, decided the cost was not worth the hassles anymore.


----------



## Repaint Florida (May 31, 2012)

suck it up :whistling2: your lucky
Box truck ... cracked heads
Ford van ... trans out
all this week 

then office ac went out ( ok i know some of you don't understand a/c in February ) but in Florida it's a MUST

want to trade problems?


----------



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Well, I have a couple other problems from the past week that I would GLADLY trade for yours.

Vehicle repairs are no fun though. Expensive and take up work time for sure.


----------



## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

DeanV said:


> I do not drop them ever. Some where not new 4 years ago, but that is when they started dying off.



Thanks, that makes a lot more sense. We had a similar issue with our HP laptop, the screen died, but the labor to fix it was going to be about the same as buying new. The part that we missed was that buying a new Windows machine meant Windows 8! Had I known what a royal PITA that was going to be, I would have paid for getting the new screen installed in the old laptop.


----------



## PatsPainting (Mar 4, 2010)

Just spent a little over $700.00 this morning on a complete new setup. From MB, Case, Cpu, mem, Hd, and Powersuply.

Reason is my old pc, started getting BSOD. I built back in 2007. looked at the MB this morning and saw on Cap that was bulging. It's been great a computer. It still works right now.

When I build these things, I try to use quality stuff. The MB I got was $250, and I just went with the i5 4670.

It's a pain installing everything over again. With making stops between installs to back ups using acronis.

Pat


----------



## PatsPainting (Mar 4, 2010)

Sounds like something is up with your HD. A few years ago, everything was going real slow, took for ever to copy stuff. I replaced the HD and used Acronis to restore from the last image I had and it was the fix it needed.

Pat


----------



## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

Dell's are junk. The two I have owned have been terrible. The one I am on now is a Dell and in 8 months the hard drive went. Run the Dell diagnostic as I had the same problem. To Dell's credit, they immediately shipped out a new drive straight from that software. I didn't even have to call them. I have had El Cheapo eMachines last for 4 years with no problem.

http://www.dell.com/support/Diagnostics/us/en/19/


----------



## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

One thing people seem to forget is Trojan Horses. There is a nasty one going around right now. 
My laptop had been acting the same way, slow freezing. I ran all my software I have for fighting off that crap and nothing detected it until I ran my trojan horse software (AVG). It found one, removed it and I'm running just like normal.


----------



## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

PressurePros said:


> Dell's are junk. The two I have owned have been terrible. The one I am on now is a Dell and in 8 months the hard drive went. Run the Dell diagnostic as I had the same problem. To Dell's credit, they immediately shipped out a new drive straight from that software. I didn't even have to call them. I have had El Cheapo eMachines last for 4 years with no problem.
> 
> http://www.dell.com/support/Diagnostics/us/en/19/


I own 4 dells, one still has Windows 2000 pro on it and still runs great. My newest one has windows 8.1 and runs great. I like Dells I just hate how they made Rombus ram as the ram option (expensive) on the older models.
All 4 of my towers have 3 HD's all HD's roughly 500 gig up to 1 terra.


----------



## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

I have found most computer errors to be PEBAK. 

That said I build my own desktops, and have ever since you could buy your own parts. Honestly most desktops are ok, the cheap parts are the power supply and usually what causes problems. 

You could buy off the self and replace the power supply and put in a new SSD and have a really good machine. 

Here are some links to good deals on parts I mentioned. 

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1805817
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1805176





Use the ssd for your os drive, and get the NAS for backups and storage. If you lived close by I would gladly help you diagnosing your pc and get you set up with a fast machine.


----------



## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

I'm a desktop kind of guy, I figure they are more robust.

Although I do have a e-machine lappy that cost me $400 when one of those computer store went out of business (Comp-Usa?). It's perfectly adequate for occasional use.


Son Jake bought a Dell XPS lappy many years ago, with full warranty. Dell is REALLY good about honoring the warranty. He had two or three mother boards replaced, plus other issues that were from his abuse.

After 6 1/2 years he finally got that flip screen model. (He's trying to get used to Win 8)

Inspiron lappys are known to be junk, BTW.

I have an Inspiron 531 desktop also bought in Nov 07. It's time to buy/build a new one.


----------



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I would need a laptop. I do most of my computing on the go and my open shop/office is too dusty to leave a computer running all the time. It could be operator error, but I really do not mess with settings and stuff on computers. I have not done anything different with this computer in the last year. Put quickbooks, Dropbox, Evernote, open office, and thunderbird on it and that is about it. No gaming. 

Trying to run the Dell diagnostic that Ken mentioned eshould take 10 minutes. It has taken over 2 hours and is not done. Failed to run twice and is now locking up the machine.

Even froze the clock and the computer, frozen for 23 minutes after diagnostic was started more than 1.5 hours ago. Ctl alt del does not do anything.

I am going to try to boot the computer from a previous Inspiron of the same model , only that HD was from a 32 bit version, this is 64 bit so it may not work.


----------



## PatsPainting (Mar 4, 2010)

DeanV said:


> I am going to try to boot the computer from a previous Inspiron of the same model , only that HD was from a 32 bit version, this is 64 bit so it may not work.


Should make no difference on whether it's 32 or 64. If you find the 32 is fine and works as normal. Then I'm pretty sure your hardrive is bad on the 64. Another test would be to take two usb sticks and try to transfer files between the two. Then take the same file you are transferring and try copying it on your c drive. If the transfer between usb to your hardrive is much slower then that is another confirmation that you hardrive is bad.

If your hardrive is bad, then like what Tommy said, get a ssd. Not sure though if you have all the tools and disks to reinstall OS and all the drivers If you had to do a complete re install.

Pat


----------



## dyneser (Jul 26, 2011)

I have been using a mackbook for maybe the last four years now & they are great i have to say. It is also our home computer may i add & not just my work toy. Anything apple related cant be hacked or get virus's as of yet but im sure the hackers are working around the clock around the world to change that! The only thing i have had to do was recently get excel for mac because just every once in a while someone cant open an estimate link. Most households usually have at least 1 person with an iphone, ipad or a mackbook but every long once in a while someone cant! Mac can open excel but not vice vera. ps. go figure my fone is a droid!


----------



## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

dyneser said:


> I have been using a mackbook for maybe the last four years now & they are great i have to say. It is also our home computer may i add & not just my work toy. *Anything apple related cant be hacked or get virus's as of yet *but im sure the hackers are working around the clock around the world to change that! The only thing i have had to do was recently get excel for mac because just every once in a while someone cant open an estimate link. Most households usually have at least 1 person with an iphone, ipad or a mackbook but every long once in a while someone cant! Mac can open excel but not vice vera. ps. go figure my fone is a droid!


Read this to understand how prevalent the danger is. 


Yes, Apple Really Does Have A Serious Problem With Computer Viruses And Malware


----------



## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Amazingly the first virus was written for unix. OSX is based on unix. 

In other words owning a mac won't fix doing dumb things while using a computer. They do make pretty good laptops in my opinion with a good value for the hardware you get.


----------



## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

You folks seem to be digital horders. What is it that you need so much space for?


----------



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

This is my official first post from a new computer.

I tried booting from my old hard drive from another Dell Inspiron, but after pressing F12, it let me select the drive but did not boot from it, just from the regular drive. Further attempts, F12 would not even bring up the boot option.

Restarting was taking an insane amount of time and I figured I fought it long enough. So, I now type this from my new MacBook Pro 15". Parallels is up and running with windows 8.1 so I can run Quickbooks Contractor edition as well. 

The iPad2 I won a few years ago has apparently been a gateway drug to the rest of Apple's product line. Hopefully this does the trick.

Thanks for trying to help guys, but my computer illiteracy was too much to overcome.


----------



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

vermontpainter said:


> You folks seem to be digital horders. What is it that you need so much space for?


My drive on the old computer still had over 100 GB's of space, so no hoarding here.


----------



## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

DeanV said:


> My drive on the old computer still had over 100 GB's of space, so no hoarding here.


Congrats on the new laptop, Dean.


----------



## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

DeanV said:


> Parallels is up and running with windows 8.1 so I can run Quickbooks Contractor edition as well.


This is good to know. It's been a number of years since I looked into QB Pro for Mac, and the last time checked I couldn't. I'm about due for a new laptop myself and might just make the switch now.


----------



## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

DeanV said:


> My drive on the old computer still had over 100 GB's of space, so no hoarding here.


8.1. :shifty:


----------



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

straight_lines said:


> 8.1. :shifty:



Luckily I only need to run QB in it. I have it running to appear like windows 7 and in coherence mode so it looks like just a program is open. I still have not seen a tile:thumbsup:

I do need to figure out resolution settings though. Font size is too small on QB. I have not found the right setting yet or the right place to set it in parallel/QB/windows


----------



## thinkpainting/nick (Dec 25, 2012)

DeanV said:


> It does need to be a laptop. I am not ready to go ipad only.
> 
> Quickbooks for Mac and Quickbooks online are not options since I would lose features and/or payroll data since online for sure is a different payroll deal then regular quickbooks.
> 
> ...


Love my iPad do most everything with it but still need a PC.. Dropbox and Evernote are good but excel and word on PC better for me anyways,,


----------



## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

thinkpainting/nick said:


> Love my iPad do most everything with it but still need a PC.. Dropbox and Evernote are good but excel and word on PC better for me anyways,,


Google Docs and Spreadsheets are a great alternative to Word and Excel.


----------



## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

DeanV said:


> Luckily I only need to run QB in it. I have it running to appear like windows 7 and in coherence mode so it looks like just a program is open. I still have not seen a tile:thumbsup:
> 
> I do need to figure out resolution settings though. Font size is too small on QB. I have not found the right setting yet or the right place to set it in parallel/QB/windows


If I had to run 8 I would for sure install start 8 from stardock. 
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/


----------



## thinkpainting/nick (Dec 25, 2012)

RCP said:


> Google Docs and Spreadsheets are a great alternative to Word and Excel.


Tried and failed with google docs even with a google rep walking me through ...sometimes takes me awhile to catch on lol


----------



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

straight_lines said:


> If I had to run 8 I would for sure install start 8 from stardock.
> http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/


I think that one and another similar product was included in the install process for Parallels. There were two items that I selected that were to get rid of the Windows 8ness of Windows 8. Plus choosing coherence mode seems to make it pretty smooth working with both of them.


----------



## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Good choice Dean. Hope you are as happy with your Mac machine as we have always been with ours.


----------



## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

thinkpainting/nick said:


> Tried and failed with google docs even with a google rep walking me through ...sometimes takes me awhile to catch on lol


Its not just you. Nothing comes close to replacing office imo, its so much more robust. Plus everyone uses it in the professional world, its the standard. 

No need to push a boulder up the hill just to say you do it.


----------



## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

As someone who writes alot, I felt that way too. But I have to say I am digging Google Drive way more than I thought I could.


----------



## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

All windows RT tablets ship with office installed as do their phones. I have had to edit a word or excel doc from my phone several times this year. Awesome that I can do that and share it with someone almost instantly and know when they open it no format errors will occur.

I have had a windows tablet on my shopping list for some time now. Hopefully I can allow myself to buy one soon. I am a cheapskate.


----------



## Hines Painting (Jun 22, 2013)

straight_lines said:


> All windows RT tablets ship with office installed as do their phones. I have had to edit a word or excel doc from my phone several times this year. Awesome that I can do that and share it with someone almost instantly and know when they open it no format errors will occur.
> 
> I have had a windows tablet on my shopping list for some time now. Hopefully I can allow myself to buy one soon. I am a cheapskate.



I just bought an Asus Vivotab Note 8 (longest name ever). I had bought a Dell tablet earlier in the year, but they screwed up the pen and I bought it primarily for estimates/work so I had to take it back. Never even got to use the pen, they screwed it up so bad they had to stop production and sales of it until they fixed it. 

The Asus has a Wacom digitizer (artist quality, supposedly) and the pen sits inside the unit when not in use. It just got delivered today so I haven't even had a chance to open it, but I'm sure I'll be happy with it.


----------



## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Let me know what you think. Like I said I am in the market, and came really close to buying a nokia today after the $100 price drop. 

Everything I have seen makes me want the surface pro 2. They really listened to feedback and improved greatly over the first model. Of course three months after I buy they will ship surface 3 and it will be so much better.


----------



## Hines Painting (Jun 22, 2013)

Ya, I was going to buy a surface pro 1. The Pro 2 mostly just has improved battery life and the newer i5, which wasn't worth it for twice the price in my opinion. 

But I wasn't sure how easy it would be to hold and take notes at estimates so I opted for the Asus. Plus, it was only $329 which is a lot easier on the wallet.


----------



## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Actually the significance of improvement in the new intel processor made hardware geeks drool. Huge upgrade in hardware perf.

Its much thinner too, and the batter life increased by around 45% iirc because of how efficient the new cpu was. Its an amazing set up, and you can get mini boards that don't require fans to make a HTPC that is very tiny. Thought about building one for the living room.


----------



## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

I got a Luddite brother who is FINALLY realizing that one REALLY does need to join the electronic "revolution" to carry on life and business.

He's very susceptible to being addicted (thus his resistance) to anything electronic- especially things that move (or any shiny bright twinkling baubles).

I've suggested either an iPad or Surface. The iToy for it's simplicity of operation ("loser friendly") , his wife (quasi estranged - don't ask) has one, Siri's ability of converting voice to written word, and the option for a bluetooth keyboard.

The Surface because it is, essentially, a real computer.

What would you guys suggest for someone who has NO computer skills, can't self moderate use/addiction, but really does need basic computer and internet capabilities?

OH, he is REALLY addicted to movies on these things.


----------

