Author Topic: hate computers  (Read 10363 times)

econberkeley

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hate computers
« on: November 02, 2015, 08:20:17 PM »
I always had problems with my desktop computer as long as I remember. They would not go to sleep, internet speed slows down a lot after few days, it would crash unexpectedly, updates never end and on and on. I was fed up with my 4 year old computer and purchased another one $200. I cleaned up all the junk and installed very necessary programs. I only surfed very legitimate website, but mostly used it as a excel workhorse. However, after couple of days, it started to slow down again.

I am just tired of wasting so much time googling answers for errors and going through so many updates. I am pretty much using ipad for my internet surfing. For some reason, I never get these issues with the ipad, but I would like to use destop more often for internet. Any suggestions on making my computer faster and bug free?

innkeeper77

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #1 on: November 02, 2015, 08:47:53 PM »
1. Try running ccleaner every once in a while, it is free and does a good job. https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
2. Look at what is running, see if things you dont need are starting automatically. Ccleaner can help you with this. Also, when you first turn it on, do ctrl+shift+escape to see the task manager. look at what programs have started without you wanting them to.
3. Are you being careful about install options? Dont let installers trick you into installing free toolbars, or every possible feature... some programs (like offcie suite, adobe, etc) have little programs that run constantly all of the time in the taskbar. I have never needed any of those types of things, and find them annoying
4. Maybe list your "very necessary" programs here. Perhaps one of them is awful, and slowing things down.

If you didn't list excel specifically, I would have recommended trying linux. For basic use, it can actually be much easier and more stable than windows (Certain programs and also laptop excepted)

Note/PS: I list these software only suggestions because it was mentioned that two days after purchasing a new computer it was slowing down. This is not enough time for dust to be an issue or faulty hardware, or standard windows registry misc issues. It seems to point to being 100% related to faulty installed software of some sort.
« Last Edit: November 02, 2015, 09:59:09 PM by innkeeper77 »

Paul der Krake

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #2 on: November 02, 2015, 08:55:58 PM »
If you can stomach the move to LibreOffice or Google docs/MS office 365, give Linux a shot.

Once you know enough to repurpose old hand-me-downs, you will never buy a computer again.

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #3 on: November 02, 2015, 09:33:25 PM »
I always had problems with my desktop computer as long as I remember. They would not go to sleep, internet speed slows down a lot after few days, it would crash unexpectedly, updates never end and on and on. I was fed up with my 4 year old computer and purchased another one for $200... I am just tired of wasting so much time googling answers for errors and going through so many updates... I would like to use destop more often for internet. Any suggestions on making my computer faster and bug free?

Change your perspective and be happy.

My first computer ran on the cp/m operating system and used 5-inch floppy disks.  And I still thought it was a wonder.  A couple of years later, I was thrilled and enthralled with my 16MB external memory Apple Macintosh.  Have you got any idea at all what it was like to research anything before the Internet and search engines like Google?

I'll say it again: change your perspective and be happy.  :D

(And, yes, I also get frustrated with what sometimes seems like "slow response" from my pc.  Until I remind myself of the things I just mentioned.)

yuka

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2015, 09:40:01 PM »
Can you post specs? There are likely one or two things that are holding you back. Unless you are a serious Excel wizard, it's unlikely that your machine is CPU-limited. I'm expecting that you would benefit from an SSD (cheap) and more RAM (cheaper.) I'm all for saving money on big purchases, but I'm not one to use broken tools. If you're regularly using and waiting on your computer (other than compiling,matlab, simulations, etc.), that's a broken tool in my book.

Also, depending on the state of the machine when you got it, you might benefit from a can of compressed air. It's quite possible that your machine has airflow problems if it's old and hasn't been cleaned regularly. That results in throttling, which is also not fun.

Exflyboy

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #5 on: November 02, 2015, 10:39:45 PM »
Funny I just ordered a new pc today after re-imaging the 7 year old desktop about three times during its life.

its probably easy to revive again but for $260 for a new Pentium quad core it seemed about time.

yuka

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2015, 10:55:55 PM »
Funny I just ordered a new pc today after re-imaging the 7 year old desktop about three times during its life.

its probably easy to revive again but for $260 for a new Pentium quad core it seemed about time.

Did you build or order pre-built?

Also, I wasn't aware that pentiums were made quad-core. My understanding was always that Pentiums were 2 cores, i3 is 2 cores with hyperthreading for 4 logical, i5 is 5 cores, and i7 is overkill.

Exflyboy

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2015, 11:01:17 PM »

Meowmalade

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2015, 11:17:19 PM »
Also, I wasn't aware that pentiums were made quad-core. My understanding was always that Pentiums were 2 cores, i3 is 2 cores with hyperthreading for 4 logical, i5 is 5 cores, and i7 is overkill.

Pretty sure that processors don't come with an odd number of cores (unless it only has one).

Here's the differences for i3/i5/i7:
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/pcs/cpus/1400962/whats-the-difference-between-core-i3-i5-and-i7-processors

yuka

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2015, 02:32:58 AM »
Also, I wasn't aware that pentiums were made quad-core. My understanding was always that Pentiums were 2 cores, i3 is 2 cores with hyperthreading for 4 logical, i5 is 5 cores, and i7 is overkill.

Pretty sure that processors don't come with an odd number of cores (unless it only has one).

Here's the differences for i3/i5/i7:
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/pcs/cpus/1400962/whats-the-difference-between-core-i3-i5-and-i7-processors

You're quite right! my i5 number was a typo; should have been four cores.

I got this thing.. Pre built

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015VRMZYK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00

I'd really return that computer if I were you. I've explained below.

I didn't realize until just now that you're not the original poster. Nonetheless, I'd be interested to know what you plan to use the machine for. If you're willing to build (sort of like putting legos together), and especially if you'll be doing anything that might be demanding, I'd encourage you to return that computer and do a little better.

I feel like the CPU really misses the mark, and if you're at all interested I'd like to help you do a little better. If you were willing to pay $320 (https://slickdeals.net/f/8199093-asus-desktop-core-i3-4150-8gb-ddr3-2tb-hdd-windows-7-320-after-30-rebate-free-s-h?src=SiteSearchV2) you could get a machine that's much more future proof and capable of demanding tasks, although it would be somewhat larger. If you were feeling ambitious, you could do even better.

There are two things you could do to get a much better deal:
  • Build your own computer from components you buy
  • Run Linux, which is a free operating system that can look pretty familiar, and can do all the basic browsing/document editing/spreadsheet functionality without the windows price tag.

If those sound overwhelming, I'd say you should probably refrain from building a computer or using Linux (since you wouldn't have anyone physically present to help). In that case, I'd urge you to buy the (much more capable) computer I linked above. If that's too expensive, there are other better options at a lower price, such as :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883101112&nm_mc=HookLogic&cm_sp=HookLogic-_-Desktop+PC-_-Acer+America-_-83101112
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883158532
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA7RB3GN2590
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883798468

Let me know if you want to go in one of those directions, and I'd be happy to offer further guidance. My dad always bought overpriced desktops that weren't very good deals when I was younger; whenever possible I like to steer people away from that, because a powerful computer is so easily within reach when you're using desktops. I'm not exaggerating when I say that if you're willing to try linux, then for $300-340 you could build what is likely the fastest computer you've ever used (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/D6ydkL).
« Last Edit: November 03, 2015, 02:38:56 AM by yuka »

innkeeper77

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #10 on: November 03, 2015, 07:45:12 AM »
Also, I wasn't aware that pentiums were made quad-core. My understanding was always that Pentiums were 2 cores, i3 is 2 cores with hyperthreading for 4 logical, i5 is 5 cores, and i7 is overkill.

Pretty sure that processors don't come with an odd number of cores (unless it only has one).

Here's the differences for i3/i5/i7:
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/pcs/cpus/1400962/whats-the-difference-between-core-i3-i5-and-i7-processors

Just a bit of interesting trivia, but AMD did release 3 core processors. They didn't mean to, but produced a large number of Phenom quad core chips that had a flaw in just one of the cores, so they disabled one and sold the chips cheaply. Intel has done the same thing, but disabling some faulty cache instead of a core, selling those chips cheaply.

Jack

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #11 on: November 03, 2015, 09:11:26 AM »
I am pretty much using ipad for my internet surfing. For some reason, I never get these issues with the ipad, but I would like to use destop more often for internet. Any suggestions on making my computer faster and bug free?

That should be a clue, there. Get something running an OS other than Windows (Mac OS, Google's Chrome OS, or Linux -- any would work fine).

BlueMR2

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #12 on: November 03, 2015, 09:56:29 AM »
Also, I wasn't aware that pentiums were made quad-core. My understanding was always that Pentiums were 2 cores, i3 is 2 cores with hyperthreading for 4 logical, i5 is 5 cores, and i7 is overkill.

Pretty sure that processors don't come with an odd number of cores (unless it only has one).

Here's the differences for i3/i5/i7:
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/pcs/cpus/1400962/whats-the-difference-between-core-i3-i5-and-i7-processors

Just a bit of interesting trivia, but AMD did release 3 core processors. They didn't mean to, but produced a large number of Phenom quad core chips that had a flaw in just one of the cores, so they disabled one and sold the chips cheaply. Intel has done the same thing, but disabling some faulty cache instead of a core, selling those chips cheaply.

Yeah, I had one of those 3 core AMDs at work with Windows Vista.  That thing was horrible, crashed all the time.  I blamed Vista, but then I built a Core i7 for home with Vista and it worked fine.  I'm thinking AMD disabled the wrong core...  ;-)

RWD

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #13 on: November 03, 2015, 10:07:05 AM »
I am pretty much using ipad for my internet surfing. For some reason, I never get these issues with the ipad, but I would like to use destop more often for internet. Any suggestions on making my computer faster and bug free?

That should be a clue, there. Get something running an OS other than Windows (Mac OS, Google's Chrome OS, or Linux -- any would work fine).

Agreed. A computer that was fast [enough] and gets slower over time is likely a software/OS problem and not hardware. I'd also recommend trying Linux.

JLee

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #14 on: November 03, 2015, 10:10:38 AM »
I am pretty much using ipad for my internet surfing. For some reason, I never get these issues with the ipad, but I would like to use destop more often for internet. Any suggestions on making my computer faster and bug free?

That should be a clue, there. Get something running an OS other than Windows (Mac OS, Google's Chrome OS, or Linux -- any would work fine).

I don't have problems with any of my Windows machines...the problem is not the OS.

Jack

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #15 on: November 03, 2015, 10:33:54 AM »
I am pretty much using ipad for my internet surfing. For some reason, I never get these issues with the ipad, but I would like to use destop more often for internet. Any suggestions on making my computer faster and bug free?

That should be a clue, there. Get something running an OS other than Windows (Mac OS, Google's Chrome OS, or Linux -- any would work fine).

I don't have problems with any of my Windows machines...the problem is not the OS.

The problem is not so much the OS itself (to an extent -- things like registry corruption and bloat over time are real), but rather the fact that Windows is so much more often exploited by malware than the alternatives.

JLee

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #16 on: November 03, 2015, 10:58:07 AM »
I am pretty much using ipad for my internet surfing. For some reason, I never get these issues with the ipad, but I would like to use destop more often for internet. Any suggestions on making my computer faster and bug free?

That should be a clue, there. Get something running an OS other than Windows (Mac OS, Google's Chrome OS, or Linux -- any would work fine).

I don't have problems with any of my Windows machines...the problem is not the OS.

The problem is not so much the OS itself (to an extent -- things like registry corruption and bloat over time are real), but rather the fact that Windows is so much more often exploited by malware than the alternatives.

The latter is the most likely culprit -- bloat over time is certainly possible but would take far more than days.

yuka

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #17 on: November 03, 2015, 01:16:10 PM »
I am pretty much using ipad for my internet surfing. For some reason, I never get these issues with the ipad, but I would like to use destop more often for internet. Any suggestions on making my computer faster and bug free?

That should be a clue, there. Get something running an OS other than Windows (Mac OS, Google's Chrome OS, or Linux -- any would work fine).

I don't have problems with any of my Windows machines...the problem is not the OS.

The problem is not so much the OS itself (to an extent -- things like registry corruption and bloat over time are real), but rather the fact that Windows is so much more often exploited by malware than the alternatives.

The latter is the most likely culprit -- bloat over time is certainly possible but would take far more than days.

Also, for people who boot off of HDD instead of SSD (which should be no one who values his or her sanity), Windows is a larger OS, so loading it takes significantly longer.

JLee

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #18 on: November 03, 2015, 01:52:42 PM »
I am pretty much using ipad for my internet surfing. For some reason, I never get these issues with the ipad, but I would like to use destop more often for internet. Any suggestions on making my computer faster and bug free?

That should be a clue, there. Get something running an OS other than Windows (Mac OS, Google's Chrome OS, or Linux -- any would work fine).

I don't have problems with any of my Windows machines...the problem is not the OS.

The problem is not so much the OS itself (to an extent -- things like registry corruption and bloat over time are real), but rather the fact that Windows is so much more often exploited by malware than the alternatives.

The latter is the most likely culprit -- bloat over time is certainly possible but would take far more than days.

Also, for people who boot off of HDD instead of SSD (which should be no one who values his or her sanity), Windows is a larger OS, so loading it takes significantly longer.
I haven't booted off a spindle disk in years, but I can say Win10 off an SSD is absurdly fast.

robartsd

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #19 on: November 03, 2015, 03:38:36 PM »
My desktop still has no SSD, but I don't find booting Debian 8 to be a problem at all (the BIOS boot screen on the other hand - might be as much as half the time from power up to login screen). Windows does take much longer to get up and running - I can see the value of an SSD there.

Eric222

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #20 on: November 03, 2015, 03:43:57 PM »
My desktop computer and I had a fight the other day.  I said fuck it, wiped the thing clean of windows, and put a new Ubuntu install on it.  Much faster now. :)

BlueMR2

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #21 on: November 04, 2015, 04:16:53 AM »
I haven't booted off a spindle disk in years, but I can say Win10 off an SSD is absurdly fast.

I upgraded an old Ideapad from Win7 Home to Win10 and it boots very fast despite being a standard HD.  Runs much faster on 10 than it ever did on 7...

yuka

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #22 on: November 04, 2015, 11:42:36 AM »
I haven't booted off a spindle disk in years, but I can say Win10 off an SSD is absurdly fast.

I upgraded an old Ideapad from Win7 Home to Win10 and it boots very fast despite being a standard HD.  Runs much faster on 10 than it ever did on 7...

8 and 10 are smaller than 7, which in turn was smaller than Vista. People really didn't appreciate all that bloat, which was a big issue since Windows is the default for most computers, including the really cheap, low-performance stuff that some people buy at Walmart and Bestbuy.

Easye418

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #23 on: November 05, 2015, 07:52:34 AM »
I get the convenience factor of buying a pre-built desktop, but it is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY easy and far better to build your own desktop.

CPU,RAM,SDD,HDD,GPU, MOBO, Case, Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, OS license and heatsink for CPU.

That's it.... practically plug and play.  It was something my father taught me when I was sub 10 and I have been able to build amazing PCs for cheaper than a box store.

RWD

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #24 on: November 05, 2015, 08:35:29 AM »
I get the convenience factor of buying a pre-built desktop, but it is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY easy and far better to build your own desktop.

CPU,RAM,SDD,HDD,GPU, MOBO, Case, Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, OS license and heatsink for CPU.

That's it.... practically plug and play.  It was something my father taught me when I was sub 10 and I have been able to build amazing PCs for cheaper than a box store.

Agreed, it's pretty easy these days. I would also recommend looking at Logical Increments, which is a great site for helping choose components to a budget:
http://www.logicalincrements.com/

Jack

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #25 on: November 05, 2015, 08:35:56 AM »
I get the convenience factor of buying a pre-built desktop, but it is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY easy and far better to build your own desktop.

CPU,RAM,SDD,HDD,GPU, MOBO, Case, Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, OS license and heatsink for CPU.

That's it.... practically plug and play.  It was something my father taught me when I was sub 10 and I have been able to build amazing PCs for cheaper than a box store.

+1

Assembling a computer is almost as easy as putting together Legos (and easier than putting together an Erector set, since you use machine screws instead of nuts and bolts). Literally, if you were able to master the "match the object shape with the hole it fits into" game as a toddler and have the dexterity to operate a screwdriver, then building a computer is a cake walk. The only aspect that's even slightly tricky is making sure your parts are compatible with each other (e.g. not trying to put an AMD CPU in an Intel-socket motherboard), and even that's much simpler than it used to be.

robartsd

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #26 on: November 05, 2015, 10:27:18 AM »
Assembling a computer is almost as easy as putting together Legos (and easier than putting together an Erector set, since you use machine screws instead of nuts and bolts). Literally, if you were able to master the "match the object shape with the hole it fits into" game as a toddler and have the dexterity to operate a screwdriver, then building a computer is a cake walk. The only aspect that's even slightly tricky is making sure your parts are compatible with each other (e.g. not trying to put an AMD CPU in an Intel-socket motherboard), and even that's much simpler than it used to be.

Yes, assembling computers is pretty easy (though some of the parts are somewhat delicate, so I can see that scaring some people off). Specing out a system is much more complicated (many options, some compatibility issues to be aware of); but, if you don't want to do a lot of research into individual components, there are many computer hardware sites that provide recommendations for complete builds for various usages on a regular basis.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #27 on: November 05, 2015, 09:16:57 PM »
Yeah, I had one of those 3 core AMDs at work with Windows Vista.  That thing was horrible, crashed all the time.  I blamed Vista, but then I built a Core i7 for home with Vista and it worked fine.  I'm thinking AMD disabled the wrong core...  ;-)
I'm *still* running my triple core AMD machine that I built probably 6 or 7 years ago.  That's where I'm typing this from!  Yes, I want something more recent, but AMD's chips have only gotten about 50% faster per core in the interim, so there's not much motivation.
CPU,RAM,SDD,HDD,GPU, MOBO, Case, Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, OS license and heatsink for CPU.
Heck, if you're not into gaming you can skip the GPU, and if you rarely reboot, you can skip the SSD.  Alternatively, if you're not storing lots of stuff, you could skip the HDD.

It *is* ridiculously easy.

RWD

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #28 on: November 06, 2015, 06:25:48 AM »
I'm *still* running my triple core AMD machine that I built probably 6 or 7 years ago.  That's where I'm typing this from!  Yes, I want something more recent, but AMD's chips have only gotten about 50% faster per core in the interim, so there's not much motivation.

The gains in processor speeds have been more than 50% over the last 6-7 years. The AMD Phenom X3 8750, which was $195 when it launched in 2008, has a benchmark score of 2130 while the A10-7850K has a benchmark score of 5575. The A10-7850K can be had for $130 right now and has four cores. So the speed per core has increased by 96% and you get an extra core. Also, the thermal design power is the same (95W) so it isn't using more energy to accomplish this. If you compare to the AMD eight core models the gains are around 58%, but you get so many more cores in this case.

Intel has a quad core available, the i5-4590, for around $200 and is even faster (7222) and uses less power (84W) than the A10-7850K.

Another benefit of the newer processors is that you'll be running a motherboard compatible with DDR3 instead of DDR2 memory. DDR3 is much faster and cheaper (per GB) than DDR2.

I'm not saying you should upgrade if you're happy with what you have. But I just wanted to point you that you're understating the gains.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #29 on: November 06, 2015, 10:29:06 AM »

The gains in processor speeds have been more than 50% over the last 6-7 years. ...

I'm not saying you should upgrade if you're happy with what you have. But I just wanted to point you that you're understating the gains.
We're dragging this thread into the foam. :)  I use cpubenchmark all the time, actually, and my comment was based on the Single Thread Rating for CPUs that are at the same price point now as my X3 was when I bought it.  I.e. "I paid $100 6 years ago for my processor.  How does a current $100's single thread performance compare?"  So my X3 435 that I paid $90 for has a single thread performance of 1001, while the current $90 FX 6300 Black has a rating of 1411.  You may be correct with regards to the CPUs in the higher price brackets.

Sibley

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #30 on: November 06, 2015, 11:25:00 AM »
OP, if your computer is noticeably slowing down after a few days of use and this has happened more than once, it's not the computer. It's you.

Assuming you're a plain-vanilla user, make sure you have a good anti-virus/anti-malware program installed before you do anything else. And that it's turned on, up to date definitions, and runs a scan weekly. Plain vanilla user = emails, surfing the internet, buying things online, watching videos, etc.

If that doesn't fix it, then get a friend or someone who's good with computers to watch you and figure out what you're doing to it. Or post a very detailed description of your usage, programs, etc and maybe we can figure it out. The less tech savvy you are, the easier it is to screw up a computer without knowing it.

Exflyboy

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #31 on: November 06, 2015, 11:52:35 AM »
My new desktop (the one Yuka recommended) is showing up today..:)

NextTime

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #32 on: November 06, 2015, 12:32:39 PM »
If you are using it for mostly internet surfing, try a chromebook. It runs on Android and is lightning fast.

I bought my father in law one and at first he was unimpressed, but after a couple days he loved it.

JLee

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #33 on: November 06, 2015, 12:35:00 PM »
If you are using it for mostly internet surfing, try a chromebook. It runs on Android and is lightning fast.

I bought my father in law one and at first he was unimpressed, but after a couple days he loved it.

It actually runs Chrome OS, but I agree- they are fantastic for general internet purposes.

Rezdent

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Re: hate computers
« Reply #34 on: November 06, 2015, 12:51:32 PM »
Op
I notice you use it as an Excel "workhorse".
Excel can be quite a hog.
I work with some enormous spreadsheets and occasionally find that I have to start some books over fresh.  The usual culprits are either too many calculations (easy - turn off automatic updating), or formatting.  Formatting issues make clean starts necessary, and are difficult to diagnose because it happens behind the scenes.

Once Excel starts this stuff in the background, you may close the program, but the sucker keeps on running in the back.  The bloat taxes the whole system, with symptoms similar to what you describe.  There are too many variables to go into here, but searching should yield you some instructions to diagnose.