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Older computer

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by draggon_9

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I have a hp pavilion a320n computer. I notice the more I reinstall XP from the same disk the more unstable it becomes with more errors poping up. I know the life span of a computer is about 3 to 5 years and I've had this one about 5. I don't want to do any upgrading cause I know it's better to replace it. is there a program, fix, or something I can do to get this this thing more stable like maybe trying a different OS. When your strapped for cash you do with what you have. Thanks for any suggestions. Bill.

15 replies

by cmiller5400

If there is no data you wish to save on the PC, then run DBAN http://dban.sourceforge.net It completely wipes the drive. Backup any data you want to cd/dvd first because this wipe is irreversible.

by wesley.chin

Are you trying to go to a different OS, or just trying to salvage what you have? If the later is true:

When was the last time a scandisk was done? Cleaned out the regisrty recently?

by tintoman

Ok if you dont want to buy a new pc yet you should at least replace the hard drive, they are relatively inexpensive now and I would wxpect your existing one to on its last legs by now

by ashishs

make sure your motherboard can support it. A lot of sites are now selling SATA hard drive but older motherboards don't have the SATA plugs. If you buy a SATA HD, make sure you also buy an adapter to make it work with your PC.

by draggon_9

I'm just trying to salvage this one. I've cleaned the registry and everything else. When I try to install a program from a down load or disk is when I get the errors that say something is missing or I can't install it. Maybe I should replace the HD and go from there.

by seanferd

then you are missing a file. What does it say it is missing. Can't help you without the error messages.

When you re-install, do you wipe the drive and re-format before you install the OS? The other suggestions in this thread are good.

Also note that in purchasing a hard drive, not only do you need to make sure that it is the right kind of drive, you may need to make sure that it is not too large for the BIOS to recognize properly.

by ozi eagle

Hi,

I think that it is your hard drive going. Test with manufacturer's utility, or try MAXTOR's powermax.

When you buy a new hard drive, make sure it is an IDE interface (40 pin connector)

Herb

by willcomp

What errors are you getting? Are you doing repair installs or clean installs? Loading current drivers?

by draggon_9

I use WIPEDRIVE before I install the OS, but I have used the same disk about 20 times on various computers. The error codes I get are error 1304&1311 mainly, but it seems like the computer keeps giving me excuses why it can't install a program. OH YEAH I almost forgot, my computer keeps shuting down and I can hear the HD whining down and back up again when it restarts. Maybe thats a big hint.

by dumphrey

or a bad power supply. Hard drives are cheaper and easyer (most times) to change out. Also, when you reinstall windows, do you have a OEM disk that also loads board drivers etc? Chipset stuff, network card? You may also want to look and see if there is a new ide driver related to your hard drive for that computer.

by wesley.chin

The bit about the computer shutting down. Have you checked if somehow hibernation was activated? It would give the appearance of the computer shutting down. if you are using XP, you can check under power options in the control panel.

Also check if you have it set to standby automatically.

by seanferd

In addition to the other suggestions:

When you re-install XP, reformat the drive. I would also suggest deleting the partitions and re-creating them first. Re-create the MBR also.

Your errors also indicate a lack of read and write permissions.

Try a thorough scandisk, it will identify bad sectors on the drive.

by dumphrey

get some more life out of an old drive by writing zeros to the drive, or better, using a utility from the manufacturer to do a low level format. If you know this will be a "back up" or secondary computer, buying a new hard drive may be unnecessary, but then again, you can get 160Gb for $60 or so, better with online orders.

by jdclyde

The obvious place to look, the hard drive, has already been mentioned, so I will go over a few other places to look.

How much ram do you have, and have you tested the memory to make sure it isn't going bad?

What AV program are you running? Some of the off-the-shelf "solutions" are NOT intended for an older system and will cause all kinds of problems. AVG seems to have a nice small footprint.

Do NOT put money into an old system. Referbs on tigerdirect are going for about $225, and are nice systems.

Lifespan is determined more by your changing needs than anything else. As long as you don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to upgrade all of your software just because a new version is out, you will be just fine.

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