Is yourcomputer a piece of garbage like mine?

[Conan The Librarian]

My computer is an HP laptop running Norton antivirus. About the only thing it's good for is checking for viruses. I tried to make a post here a few minutes ago and I couldn't type anything for two minutes because the computer was doing something else. Also, the fan runs all the time and sounds like a B52 at cruising speed. If the temperature in the house is below 70 the fan starts squeaking and if it's above 80 degrees the computer heats up and then shuts down. This was a $1200 computer about five years ago and I have regretted during most of that time. In true lemon fashion, the CD disk broke a few weeks after the warranty expired. Now the battery just falls out all the time, so it's not even a laptop anymore. It always has to be plugged in.

I don't recall how many computers I've owned since 1980, but there have been several. This is the only one that has been a piece of junk.

[kynardsj]

$300.00 Compaq I have now is just great. The wife has a $400.00 Acer I bought for her two years ago and it runs great too. I don't care for Norton as was mentioned, you can't get squat done when it's scanning or updating. McAfee is about the same way, just cheaper overall than Norton. Same starting price but you can install it on at least three computers.

[quickdtoo]

PCs need maintenance just like your car, if you've had it for 5yrs, it needs a good cleaning inside, dust will jam up the CPU heat sink cooling fins causing the fan to run faster trying to keep the CPU cool, open the case and blow the dust bunnies out of it, best do it out side tho with that much build up, if you have a cat or dog, it can be even worse since their dander will add to the problem. Cooling fans don't last forever, but they're fairly cheap and easy to replace. Other preventative maintenance is defraging the drive regularly and running clean up programs regularly that remove files that slow performance, a freeware program that I use and recommend is CCleaner.   

Tim

http://www.pcworld.com/article/116583/hardware_tips_complete_pc_preventive_maintenance_guide.html

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,24149-order,1-page,1/description.html

[quasne.inc]

My desktop seems to run forever, whereas the laptops I have owned only lasts 4 or 5 years.  Laptops tend to overheat much easier and they arent quite as easy to take apart and do as much maintenance on.  But the real problem Im betting is that your running Windows, which was created by a pact with Bill Gates and the Devil.  Whereas since I have been running Ubuntu which is Linux based it has been smooth sailing.  No anti spyware and no viruses. 

[Conan The Librarian]

I think quasne.inc nailed it. It is a windows machine. I did all the other things. Its internally clean, has had low disk activity and never needed defrag. Norton does a cleanup as part of its comprehensive scan, which I run avout weekly. Its had these problems of noise and teemperature sensitivity since day one.

[quickdtoo]

Are you using a cooler? This is what my wife uses, works great since she likes to actually use it on her lap which blocks the vents if she doesn't use the cooler.

Tim

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834998051

[Conan The Librarian]

No, I'm using piece of plastic to elevate it. Without the elevator, the computer heats up and shuts down even more.

[Curtis]

My Sony VAIO laptop had that jet engine sound and was shutting down suddenly on overtemp like your HP.  I found instructions on the web on how to get to the fan and heat sink (involved removing the keyboard and other items).  There wasn't a dust bunny in there, it was a dust bisquit!!!  I'm serious, I pulled it out in one piece with tweezers and it looked like a square of thick felt.  No wonder my cpu couldn't breathe.  Anyway, since then it has run quiet as a mouse (the fan runs so slowly you can't hear it) and no overheating problems.  I only use the laptop when travelling, but I didn't want it to bite the dust just yet.  My desktop is a PowerSpec (house brand of Micro Center).  I love it because they built it with only the operating system and drivers, no "bloat-ware" to waste space and attract popups that slow things down.  The downside is you have to purchase MS Office and other apps separately, but I think it is a worthwhile trade off.
 
Curtis

[LONGTOM]

Dump Norton and McAfee and give PANDA a try.
I have been useing it on several different computers now for about 6 years and it is great at protecting your PC.
It catches things that the other two miss.
I wouldn't use any other program on mine!
 
 
LONGTOM
 
 

[jhm]

Quick had it right, I am not a computer person but we have 3 desktops in the house and 2 laptops also we have 2 cats and every so ofter the work bench in the shop gets to see the inside of these with the air compressor doing what it was bought for, nothing electronic is built to last, thay are built to get you hooked on them and then you have to buy a new one when yours get sick.   Jim

[Curtis]

Dump Norton and McAfee and give PANDA a try.

Longtom you are right, I never had good results with Norton nor McAfee at home.  Used AVG at work previously with good result.  Never tried PANDA, but at home I'm currently using ESET which seems to keep everything out that would do me harm.
 
Curtis

[Mxpe78a]

My lap top and desk computers crashed at the same time. It took a month to get them repaired. The lap top died again. It is in the trash. The desk top is still slow. Out of need and frustration I bought an apple IPad, I love it, I will never go back to a windows PC. The IPad works like a computer should.

[Curtis]

The IPad works like a computer should.

Yeah?  Try to open a .pdf file with it.
 
Curtis

[JustaShooter]

The IPad works like a computer should.

Yeah?  Try to open a .pdf file with it.

I open .pdf files all the time with the one I use at work.  We use the Adobe Reader app, but I'm sure there are others.

Just a Shooter

[JustaShooter]

I think quasne.inc nailed it. It is a windows machine. I did all the other things. Its internally clean, has had low disk activity and never needed defrag. Norton does a cleanup as part of its comprehensive scan, which I run avout weekly. Its had these problems of noise and teemperature sensitivity since day one.

I seriously doubt it has anything to do with Windows since as you say it has had these issues since day one.  It sounds more like a poorly designed machine or has real hardware problems.  I'd have returned/replaced it at the beginning if that happened to me, but it is too late for that now.

Although it is unlikely to help, since current Linux versions are just as demanding of the hardware as Windows, feel free to try Linux - there are "Live CD's" you can make that will let you try it without installing it - but be prepared for it to be very different.  You'll have to find new programs to use for most things you do, and in my experience programs written for Linux aren't up to the same quality as similar programs written for Windows, although that is easy to overlook since most of them are free.

Just a Shooter

[Curtis]

The IPad works like a computer should.

Yeah?  Try to open a .pdf file with it.

I open .pdf files all the time with the one I use at work.  We use the Adobe Reader app, but I'm sure there are others.

Just a Shooter

Thanks, I must've been thinking about the Iphone.  Maybe there's an app now for that one too, but I have an Android so I have no need.  Why can't all these manufacturers just get along??  LOL  I think we're back to VHS vs. Beta Max!
 
Curtis

[yellowtail3]

The IPad works like a computer should.

Yeah?  Try to open a .pdf file with it.
 Curtis

I do it all the time, open / store it in iBooks. In fact... I was looking at a file there just  minute ago. For .doc/.xls/ppt files, I use Pages, Numbers, and Keynote - all are avail from the App store for about ten bucks each.


The iPad rocks.  Same OS as iPhone.

[Tommyt]

My computer is an HP laptop running Norton antivirus

I went out too buy my granddaughter a computer and the
PC Geek  told me DON't run Norton with your HP it will make it run Sloooooooooooooooooooooooow
and drive you Nutz
 
Just what I was told
Tommyt

[yellowtail3]

I went out too buy my granddaughter a computer and the
PC Geek  told me DON't run Norton with your HP it will make it run Sloooooooooooooooooooooooow
and drive you Nutz
 
Just what I was told
Tommyt

Microsoft now has free av software you can download... Works pretty good so far..
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/security-essentials


Give it a try

[oldandslow]

Norton supposedly fixed the slow running problem months and months ago. I have been using Avast free version for over 2 years now with out one problem. I ran Norton before Avast. I have never had a virus with either.

My wife has a HP laptop that is about 4 years old. She plays games constantly and once in a great while it will freeze up on a game. Control/Alt/Delete fixes things. Only bad thing that has happened with it is the battery finally went south just recently. It's quite and has had no heating problems but she does have the desk fan thing for it. It runs the same Avast protection as mine.

[Mxpe78a]

The IPad works like a computer should.

Yeah?  Try to open a .pdf file with it.
 
Curtis

Not a problem opens it fine.

[Scibaer]

ipads and tables are junk.
 they dont do nearly enough and what they do do, they dont do it well
 i have  sony vaio laptop that runs circles around anything i have ever had, bought or built in the past
 but then again i dont run off the shelf anything .