Page 21 - News On 7 October 2021

Another month has gone by and here I am contemplating what to write for the Tech article. I could write about Microsoft’s announcement of
a new operating system (Windows 11).I know I have clients that still use Windows 98, XP, Vista and Windows 7. Now there are reasons they
still require these older operating systems and I help them keep those systems running. No need to panic though Windows 11 won’t start
rolling out until later this year and Windows 10 support will continue until 2025. I was on the betta testing of Windows 10 before it was
released and will be doing the same with Windows 11. We shall update this subject when I get a chance to play with the new OS.
Let’s talk about when it is a good time to upgrade your computer and which direction you should go. First and foremost; what is your main
use of the computer? Do you simply surf the internet and check emails? Are you upgrading because your laptop is slowing down or your
system simply does not meet your needs any longer?
Let’s tackle the slower computer and possible solutions to update and not upgrade.
Computer running slow, this could be as easy as having a tune-up done to your system to clean out unwanted software and possible
malware or viruses. Many times, a tune-up will make your system run like a new computer. Computer start-up taking forever to load? This
could be caused by TSR (terminate and stay resident), this is software that has been installed on the computer that loads when you start
your system and stay running in the background. Some software does need to run in the background to keep your system running but there
are many that do not need to be there. The other reason your computer could be taking forever to load is a failing hard drive. Hard drive
technology has changed over the years, most systems older than 5 years have SATA drives which have moving parts. Picture an old record
player with a record playing. This is very similar to a SATA drive with the plater (record) and the read write HGA (needle). Over time moving
parts start to wear out. Hard drives can be replaced and upgraded to the newer technology SSD.SSD drives load much faster and have no
moving parts so in theory should last longer. Memory (RAM) may be another way to speed up an older computer. Most systems in the last
five years came with 4GB of RAM (Random Access Memory). RAM can be upgraded on most computers but keep in mind it is system
dependent on the make and model of the computer. Upgrading to a minimum of 8GB is recommended as a base amount. Lots of things to
ponder for sure. If you are thinking about purchasing a new computer but want to see if your older system can meet your needs; we can
access your system and point you in the right direction.
Until next time.
Dr. Jim