I would love to see Jay ACTUALLY do a video on the 100% disc usage bug in Windows 10. $100 bucks says he doesn't even realize that's a thing. I'm legit pissed at this one, just because I've had to fix it so many times on older laptops and PC's. It isn't a harddrive problem. It is a Windows on a harddrive problem. Do your damned research Jay.
@@ManIkWeet From experience, I can tell you that you can shout from the rooftops that running multiple antivirus programs is more harmful than helpful, and people will still slap every one they can find on there either because they want to try a different one and don't uninstall the current one, or they get paranoid because a fake popup spooked them, or because well it's free so what's the harm? That's why there's always going to be a need for a "computer guy" in every family, even the most locked-down system is still going to get trashed by people who don't have that ounce of common sense.
My pops is totally one of those. My grandpa has a tendency to "accidentally" click on settings configurations (we can't decide if he does it intentionally or not) and gets confused on why things aren't working the way they should. I gave him my old ASUS gaming laptop for free because I never used it anymore and the audio driver stopped working for whatever reason and all he had to do was simply restart the machine and it worked like normal. Of course he just blamed my grandma (yeah, he's THAT old school) meanwhile my pops and I are in the background just chuckling at ourselves. Don't even get me started on the phone stuff.
I have an ancient laptop at work, a Lenovo Thinkpad T61, with a Core 2 duo, 4gb of ram and a Quadro something, and with a SSD is still a great office/web browsing machine. The best way to give extra life for a old computer is with a SSD and more RAM.
I have a Dell laptop from 2009, finally put an SSD in it this summer what a difference that made, it's still fully capable of doing light work like using Office and browsing online and with the SSD now everything loads nice and fast. I was thinking of getting a new laptop or even a tablet, but the SSD upgrade is good enough for me. I have a nice desktop for gaming and whatnot only use the laptop when going on trips and such.
A computer restoration series would be pretty damn cool, especially since there's so much perfectly good hardware just being dumped out because so many people think computers are like toasters and you just throw them away when they stop working.
1. Before you disassemble a laptop/notebook to upgrade the hardware have a look online so that you know the amount of so-dimm slots and harddrive slots the device have. Quite a few of the cheaper ones will only have one of each. 2. Since most cheaper laptops got only one harddrive slot make sure you get a 240/250Gb SSD or they will run out of space in no time. The 120/128Gb will not be enough for most users unless it can take a secondary mechanical drive. 3. I would also advice after installation and updates of windows that you permanently disable windows updates on cheaper laptops under windows services. 4. Leave Windows Defender if you don't have anything better together with addblock and the average user will be fairly safe online. Do not leave it without antivirus. 5. I would advice anyone doing a clean install of Windows 10 to download it for free from Microsoft as it will get you the latest build saving you hours on windows updates using an older build. obviously make a backup before installation of any data you want to save to an external drive, usb stick or whatever you prefer.
I would advice agains any antivirus because it TANKS an HDD just with the default antivirus windows gives you. The amount of viruses in the web is way low now, and the average user might never see them. They will browse the web on the main sites of choice (Facebook, youtube and what not) and chrome does a good job of keeping the user out of phising sites. Maybe malwarebytes helps but that's as far as I go
Well said. Im looking into a laptop for my daughter who is almost 11yo. But theres a couple games she likes playing that i have so Im looking at making sure it can run those games.
I think that video series would be good. I learned a lot about computers by essentially doing that as a kid with hand-me-down machines and parts I acquired from friends/family/used parts stores. It’s great to spread that kind of knowledge and show people just how much can be accomplished with minimal resources.
Good tips Jay, I hate that manufactures still install 5400rpm hard drives it boggles my mind. These are great tips for people who are looking to try and attempt this themselves. Have a good evening!
back up the files you want to keep, swap the drive, then load the new OS with a usb boot loader. Lots of info online how to do this, then copy the files you backed up to the new drive.
I had very good sucess with a program called "Paragon Migrate OS to SSD". It does all the work for you and basically mirrors your existing OS with all the files you have to that SSD. After that is finished you just set the SSD as your Main Boot drive in your Bios and you are done! (Of course you can do it as the poster above me said, but this is a super easy way without you worrying to break anything).
It can be daunting if your SSD is smaller than your HDD, because then you have to partition the HDD until the OS is on a segment smaller than the SSD. But if you get a nice 2TB SSD, it's basically just point and click, just follow the prompts and it'll do it all for ya. I just did a fresh install on my SSD, and then hooked the HDD up as storage. Started over. I figured if i ever needed something from the old OS, i could just boot from HDD real quick, but i was surprised how rarely i needed to do that. At this point, i haven't booted from the HDD in years.
@@BothHands1 Thats very true. But I think a logical step in the first place to be is that you buy an SSD with a bigger capacity than what you had before. Especially since your C: drive can run full over the years, at which point you might as well just do a fresh install :D In my case it just was easier that way and sort the files out after.
MsToshi1990 Yeah for sure, though back when i upgraded, 2TB SSDs didn't exist yet. My HDD is full to the brim with torrented movies and shows, so there really was no need to put any of that stuff on SSD anyway. The 500GB SSD was plenty for OS + games, and still left a good 250GB for whatever might come my way in the future. While 2TB SSDs exist now, i still feel like i don't have much use for one that size, and instead made my 3rd drive another HDD just for extra torrent storage lol
that laptop might have 2 sodimm slots, but some models have the other sodimm under the keyboard instead of in the back. ive also had a laptop with 1 sodimm slot and 1 memory channel worth of memory soldered onto the board. its best to check to make sure.
From the looks of it he would have seen the second one if it were there. I have a Dell Precision M4800 with this (two slots on each side in fact) and a Lenovo ThinkPad T520 with one on each side.
Taking a look at the amount of startup programs could be usefull as well. My parents always have things like Skype, Onedrive and other garbage running at startup, slowing it down massively.
The statement about Dells not being user service friendly is not 100% true. Consumer models maybe. We own many Latitude models where you just open the bottom panel and have access to HDD, RAM, wi-fi card, and more.
tastyfish1 older sells are much better, ultra books are a pain though. Why can’t manufacturers add convenience doors for the ram and hard drive like they used to?
The inspirons are aweful. I had one, and to get at the hard drive you had to remove the keyboard/trackpad, motherboard, speaker, and usb3/ethernet daughter board. All to get at the hdd which was directly against the bottom of the case where a panel could have gone if they weren't pinching pennies so hard.
I get the feeling of taking apart a Dell laptop. My old laptop (daily from 2010-2015, secondary from 2015-2016) I put a SSD in it for it's last year of use and I didn't get why the keyboard had to come off to change the drive. Whereas now my Helios 300, all I have to do is take a door off for the 2.5" bay (1tb HDD in there) and take the whole bottom panel off to access my m.2 SSD (256gb). I had to take the bottom panel off once because the wifi card became lose and it needed a reseat.
I rebuild old laptops all the time, and Dell is definitely not the worst when it comes to replacing a ssd drive or memory. Not even on the old ones, try that on an older ibm or Lenovo laptop, you would be ripping your hair out.
I still use a 32 bit laptop running windows 10 from about 10 years ago as my other computer, old machines can withstand a lot if you push them close to the edge
The vast majority of laptops sold in the last few years come with a mechanical hard drive and a single band wireless card. Best way to get a usable machine without buying a new one is buy a cheap 120 GB SSD and dual band wireless card and swap them out. This can be done for less than $50 and the wireless card is only really necessary if you live in an apartment or somewhere else with high WiFi density. And if you need a larger drive and an external won't do then you have to choose, money or drive space.
Great vid and you mentioned doing older builds or fixing junk computers, I was reminded of all the old desktops that people always sell. Ya know like the Dell towers and stuff that businesses push out and somehow end up on craigslist for like 20 bucks. I think its be cool to see a couple of those reworked on a budget. I know I almost (stupidly) thought bout buying one before I built mine but figured I wouldnt know enough to actually make it awesome. Bright side, much happier with my own build and this is the year of upgrades and fine tuning
The first thing I did on my mom's laptop was remove McAfee, what a piece of crap. And i did it by reinstalling Windows on a new SSD...lol..You would think after all these years they would have improved.
Then you come back the next day and they are angry, because you uninstalled McAfee. How else are going to be 'protected' like the constant ads tell them. Then they install McAfee again because they "need" it and the pc is even slower because McAfee came bundled with Babylon search and "disk cleaner".
The McAfee bundles really piss me off. They pay other companies to default the user to install McAfee when installing their program, and McAfee in turn comes bundled with a bunch of crap. Several times I nearly installed McAfee and another program because I was in a rush and almost forgot to deselect the box.
I would love to see something like you were talking about, where you take a computer that is at "end of life" for someone, and seeing what you could do to extend that life for someone. You could find what would be an old pre-built and see what you could do to extend it's life, as well as something that was built like 8 or more years ago. Showing people how they can get more life out of their old computer is something I think a lot of people would benefit from, as it's not always just put in a new graphics card and you're done.
I had just put in a cheap 120gb sata ssd in my computer as a boot drive and It feels like a completely different system. I've been using a sata 3Gb/s hard drive for years and I finally figured out what ive been missing! Best 20 dollar investment in my computer hands down.
2:36 look at the shelf... all those high end parts... mouth-watering. Really like these videos where you repair and boost old computers. I am fixing my 81 year old dad's desktop from 2007. He will get an AMD Athlon 64 x2 5400+ 2.8 Ghz, 8 gigs ram, a Samsung EVO 860 SSD (500 GB), new OS, Nvidia GeForce GT 730 silent, Corsair CX450W PSU, a 24 inch screen and a new mouse. He is by no means a gamer ;-)
A month ago, I Scored a Dell Latitude D630 (built in 2007)on eBay for $20 bucks! No HDD, No OS, & only 2gb ram! Dropped in a $20 SSD, got 4gb of Ram from China, off eBay, Loaded Win 10 Pro (Free Upgrade),...now she's Running like a Champ! I don't have Cable/Internet,...but I tether in thru my Cell Phone, keep updates paused until I can Update from a Fast Food free Wi-Fi Connection in there parking lot!
Awesome video, Jay! I do computer repairs for a living and I’ve seen people going about increasing the RAM and upgrading the whole platform when really the trouble was the old hard drive with a bloated Windows install. I suggest you take a look at Tech Yes City’s video about Windows 10 optimization. I find it REALLY makes the system snappier, especially on budget machines that can’t really handle loads of background processes and services plus the Windows 10 graphics, which do take a good bite off of slower CPUs.
A month ago, I Scored a Dell Latitude D630 (built in 2007)on eBay for $20 bucks! No HDD, No OS, & only 2gb ram! Dropped in a $20 SSD, got 4gb of Ram from China, off eBay, Loaded Win 10 Pro,...now she's Running like a Champ! I don't have Cable/Internet,...but I tether in thru my Cell Phone, keep updates paused until I can Update from a Fast Food free Wi-Fi Connection in there parking lot!
@@bootlegscarce0844 Is that what they're calling the really shitty ones with Windows 10 S? I hate the world of OEM computers man... If people want to buy a book I have a recommendation "Laptops for Dummies"
Yeah, my dual core travel laptop still has Never10 installed on it. I upgraded my main setup to windows 10 without any issues at all, but when my roommate tried on her laptop, she lost all her drivers, and while i tried reinstalling them all, for some reason the laptop still had a bunch of issues. Network drivers weren't working, video drivers weren't working, it was a mess. Might have been because windows 10 just came out a week or so before that, but after that experience i was damn sure i wasn't going to let my laptop even think about upgrading lol
We all remember those moments where you parents told you not to fiddle around with the PC too much to eventually evolve into "child of mine, PLZ TO HALP".
Great coincidence that I'm currently researching this same issue with my own laptop and your video pops up in my notifications! I'd love to see a video in the future of you upgrading older machines and making them functional again.
You could upgrade the cpu too. As aide project I had an old dell xps m1330 from circa 2009. I upgraded the hdd to sdd, went from 2gb of ram to 4gb (actually 3.5gb), and I looked up the best cpu for that time period that the mobo supported (like $40 on ebay.) Went from unusable piece of crap to a usable piece of crap.
If you have windows 10 home, windows will still install the security updates automatically. Setting to metered connection only prevents major updates from automatically downloading. Also, more modern dells are actually very easy to service. Pretty much anything from 2014-now is pretty easy, especially the inspiron gaming prior to the "g series" was literally one screw. But recently low end inspiron and even a good portion of the xps line are super easy to crack into.
I had a similar problem with a Toshiba laptop (3 years old, i3, 4gb, 128gb ssd) yesterday, which hung for hours and took about 15 mins just to show the Windows 10 logon screen and another 30minutes to show the desktop fully loaded. It already had a M.2 (sata) ssd so the disk itself wasn't the issue. Eventually (after several HOURS) i was able to access my USB drive (where i had put some updated firmwares and files) and updated the Bios to a more recent version 5.4 (laptop came with a factory 1.1 bios and was never updated). After waiting 45 minutes for the update to run and shutdown the machine, i turned it back on and voila it only took 12 seconds to boot. After that: I cleaned off the useless applications updated the drivers ran the latest Windows updates installed a different AV (a less taxing one) disabled a lot of automatic start-up stuff and Windows services (which got the default memory usage down to under 2GB) removed the Windows update download cache and temporary crap trimmed the SSD screwed it open to remove any built up dust finally added another 4GB SO-DIMM. Now the laptop is fast again and the 15yr old owner can play fortnight again, with much less effort than before(also due to the added memory).
Kind of sad to see how serviceability is getting less and less important to manufacturers. I got an old Dell Inspiron 500m from my aunt to throw away but decided to keep it. There's an official Dell service manual detailing how to exchange almost anything. I was able to add a Bluetooth module, replace the HDD, RAM and even the CPU. Try that on a modern laptop...
Would like to see a video where you clone the existing install to the SSD rather than do a clean install. If the person you're doing this for has apps installed, cloning will save them and you a ton of time with reinstalling and patching everything. On top of that, with a clean install, you have to patch the system from whatever the base level of your install media is. That generally will take a while. ALWAYS use a wired connection when patching, unless you somehow have no access to a wired connection. In which case, go visit a friend who does and bring them food and drinks. Another thing is before working on or buying parts for ANY Dell, get the service tag off of it and look it up on the Dell support site. This will get you the specs of the machine, including how many RAM slots it has so you buy the correct RAM kit, and in some cases the correct SSD type (some machines may have SATA and mSATA or M.2 SATA, giving you the possibility of a dual drive setup, leaving the spinning rust for storage. Also, in addition to BIOS updates, (which for a Dell you definitely want to apply), you'll get drivers and firmware for any tweaked components they may have.
I keep mentioning cloning esp with the last fixer upper video. I use macrium reflect. disk cloning programs are great. I do periodic backup of my entire C drive and so I'm pretty certain if everything went to hell one day I can just get up and running in 30 minutes
I do a fresh install for any computer not my own. Just too much crap to go through. On my personal machines, all that is curated and cloning works great.
@@00O3O1B and @Aloiamoa Anesi If the system is simply slow, as was the case once Jay resolved the issue with Windows Update and the AV software, then cloning is a more efficient way to do it. You avoid a massive amount of patching (particularly if you haven't slipstreamed the latest updates into your install media, app reinstall and packaging, then restoring user settings and data. Like moving to Linux, it should be discussed as an option, listing the pros and cons. Obviously for a system with Malware or data corruption, or corrupted OS install, then a clean install is the way to go, but (like Linux) it's NOT always the best option.
Cloning adds the risk of unintentional behavior, like defragmenting an SSD which is something that you really don't want and can be hard to fix for novice users.
Even before you said it was windows update, I was thinking on putting some lightweight linux like ubuntu mate or similar. Most of the average users only need the browser and maybe office. Chrome/firefox + LibreOffice and you're done. It's even better for kids or computer newbies since it's harder to get viruses or malware (though not impossible). I've switched about 30ppl to linux and most of those started with "hey I need a new computer, mine is super slow". I install Ubuntu Mate or ElementaryOS to the same machine and they go on using it without dumping a ton of money on a new rig.
@@EvilTurkeySlices Someone speaking sense. The vast majority are using Windows and practically everywhere runs it. Libraries, cafe computers, school computers, etc etc. I don't know anybody who doesn't have experience with Windows. Even I cannot use Linux, wouldn't expect someone who knows less than me to understand it either.
I have a serious problem with this approach I know a guy in the GTA who does this. I've had to tech support an acquaintance (an older lady in her 60s) several times because he put her on various Linux distros (probably with the same reasoning as you.) the problems is she gets home and doesn't know what she's doing. So when she does accidentally turn on something or turn off something or get something weird from some weird website. She doesn't know what to do in linux to fix it herself. And finding quick easy to follow trouble shooting guides online is difficult. Even getting someone like a son or a nephew who knows computers well enough is less likely to be familiar with linux and thus harder for them to help such a person also. My best advice for anyone who uses a computer mostly for internet browsing/watching some netflix/youtube, and emails. Is to get them a refurbished Mac lol --seriously that's about all they good for. Or in all honesty, go disable windows updates, enable defender, put an ad blocker and maybe something like bit defender on it. At least if they call nephew jimmy when she can't download her favourite tv show, he'll be able to help her out with it... as windows is the most widely used universal platform that the majority of the world interacts with in some capacity whether work, school, etc.
Nice video and very relatable! This is what life as a computer technician looks like most days. People bringing old laptops and generally balking at spending on upgrades or being constrained by non upgradable models. You just don't see that many desktops outside business environments anymore and the enthusiasts tend to do their own maintenance.
Yeah I have a 15 year old "netbook" that I installed Ubuntu on to it... I used it as a media "server" for my entertainment center, running an external 24TB NAS through it, loaded with all of my media... It really is a great way to make an old obsolete machine good again. PLUS with Ubuntu being a well supported Linux GUI... makes things simple to install and keep current.
Resident hardware guru here to expand on some of the things Jay said in passing with my personal experiences. To dual drive your laptop: Modern machines: Many computers include an NVMe port and a SATA port. Just put your "spinner" in the SATA bay. This may require significant disassembly. Any computer with a CD drive: Remove one screw, usually marked, from the bottom of your laptop. Slide your CD drive out. Go to Newegg or Amazon and purchase a hard drive to CD drive adapter bay*. Transpose any mounting hardware from your CD drive to your adapter bay. Install your "spinner" into the adapter. Slide it into your laptop. Snap the original CD facade onto the front of it, so it matches. Reinstall the one screw you removed at the start to secure your adapter. *Most full-size laptops will use a 12.7mm CD drive. HOWEVER, thin-and-light machines will use a slimmer 9.5mm drive. A 12.7mm adapter will NOT fit in a 9.5mm machine! (As I learned the hard way.) **Very old computers may require a PATA to SATA adapter in order to fit a modern hard drive into them. "Desktop Replacement": Many 17" class laptops include a second hard drive bay, often behind a "service door" marked with the hard drive symbol. You may need to buy the mounting cables and hardware brackets though. As for upgrades and servicability, I've had very good luck with my computers. My Dell D620 (and most machines of its vintage that I have): RAM upgrade: Trivial (open a small door on the bottom with one screw, remove the keyboard via three screws and a pop door) Hard drive upgrade: Trivial (two screws to free the drive, a third to remove the little door) PCIE minicard access: Trivial (Three screws to remove the keyboard, there they are) CD drive: Toolless. (One optional screw that hasn't been installed in years, and a push latch) Battery: Toolless. (Two latches on the front) Anything else: Complete disassembly. (I had to replace a failed cooling fan. You have to pull the entire motherboard out of the frame to reach it.) My newer Lenovo i330: CD drive: Trivial (one screw, slides out) Anything else: Involved (11 screws, snap off the bottom pan, grants access to HDD, RAM, fan, battery, and PCIE minicards) As for crazy deals: *points up at the D620* If I see a laptop at a yard sale that's semi modern for $20, I can't walk away from it. I buy it, tune it up, clean it up, and add it to the "collection".
Hey Jay. I have been a big fan of your channel. I enjoy watching these videos as it helps me help others with their tech related issues and advise them how best to fix their computers. I love you idea of taking PC’s and making them usable again. I think it would make for a fantastic series!
Some laptops have socketed CPUs! Shocking, I know, but I'm about to upgrade a first gen i3 laptop to a first gen i7 for less than $15 on Ali Express. Always dual-core (there are quads, but you start gambling with wattage and heat). Also, I had the impression you can't get wired (or dongle'd) internet to metered mode without having to play with registry. My long term project is trying one of those external GPUs using mini PCI-e (the WiFi card is already screwed) or the useless PCI-Express, like the GDC Beast
Yeah my old Toshiba A300-15J has socketed cpu too, even its ati gpu is replacable because its pci express 16x, i never seen like that on a laptop before and today all laptop's have soldered cpu and gpu rather than swap for an upgrade.
I have one as well, and i upgraded it to an i5-540m because it wasnt that much different from the i7 one and much cheaper. The quads has power but it has no iGPU and may not have video output depending on the laptop (There are some laptops that wont work even with dedicated gpu). Not sure if the GDC Beast will allow it to have output though.
Be careful doing this. A lot of laptops have really, really shit UEFI/BIOS firmware that can give you tons of problems if you upgrade CPU or GPU. Try to find a compatibility list if you can
Seriously? Put an 8GB stick in there, a 120GB SSD, and load ChromeOS from Cloudready and bam. Instant ChromeBook. If it's just for schoolwork that's more than enough.
A little while ago, I pulled my 2009 15" MacBook pro 2.66ghz core 2 duo out and put an ssd in the computer to try using it as my daily laptop for a couple of weeks. It was actually a pretty good experience. I was able to get the computer that had been dead for two years up and running for less than $150.
Hello Majin Gamer! Thanks for your concern. Yes I can confirm it works with both! But due to a recent patch it has been nerfed so it might take a while. -Sam
Just updated a 5 year old Asus laptop to a SSD. Used to take 5+ minutes to start, now less than 20 seconds. It was a 1 TB HD with 700 GB used, so not a $40 upgrade, but caught a crucial 1 TB drive on a black Friday sale at microcenter. Cloned the drive using the downloadable software from crucial, so I didn't have to spend hours setting up the PC like I had it. Cloned, swapped drives, and off it went. I was about to build a new PC to replace the laptop, but this will do for a while more.
*FYI* -- Setting a _'Metered Connection'_ to stop Windows Updates over *ethernet* is not done the same way as shown in the video, it's a little more complicated but nothing too serious. It requires a minor _'Registry Edit'_ to enable a metered connection over ethernet, but while you're doing that you can just as quickly edit the _Auto Update_ registry and stop it completely on any connection. [edit] -- P.S. For anyone wanting to know how - www.windowscentral.com/how-stop-updates-installing-automatically-windows-10
THANK YOU!!! I was sitting here for over an hour trying to work out why Jay's way wasn't showing for me. Thank you dude, really appreciate the help. DAMN YOU JAY! ;) xx
WOAH WOAH WOAH!!! Let me get this perfectly straight: You comment something that is completely unrelated to the fact that I have two HAZARDOUSLY HOT girlfriends? Considering that I am the unprettiest RUclipsr worldwide, it is really incredible. Yet you did not mention it at all. I am VERY disappointed, dear sin stalker
Thank you for covering more basic stuff as well! I know most of us won't need it but it will also be really nice for people who don't know a lot about it and stumble upon this video! The rest of us will be entertained by you anyway! Top marks as always!
@JustStat Yeah, and i believe that arriandale was the first to have HT on more than just i7. And i can see that the i7 wouldn't have it because of the i9.
9:12 don't assume. go over to Dell's website and look up the model of your computer to be assured technical specifications by downloading the service manual.
6 лет назад+3
That windows update "virus" can make my i5-4690K system unusable using the mysterious system process. Also metered connections only stop updates for a time.
6 лет назад
@@00O3O1B how can I get that? I have windows pro, so I have a lot of control over it, but still not as much I'd like to have
@ Ok I am not there jet,... i have too many games to play list that are not CPU limited jet,..
6 лет назад
@@marianmarkovic5881 for me it's just cause 3, but I finished that. And weirdly Forza Horizon 3. It used to run great, but after the recent updates it has big stutters occasionally.
The SSD factor is especially true on laptops that are on a power budget, so the laptop hdd's are not optimized for speed. It's my belief that you can add an SSD to a laptop that's 5 years old and it will immediately feel new again.
A month ago, I Scored a Dell Latitude D630 (built in 2007)on eBay for $20 bucks! No HDD, No OS, & only 2gb ram! Dropped in a $20 SSD, got 4gb of Ram from China, off eBay, Loaded Win 10 Pro,...now she's Running like a Champ! I don't have Cable/Internet,...but I tether in thru my Cell Phone, keep updates paused until I can Update from a Fast Food free Wi-Fi Connection in there parking lot!
what if I have a hard drive with 930 GB used space. is there a way I can transfer just the os to the 128GB SSD and be still be able to run my programs?
Probably -- what you would want to do is first move all the other data elsewhere (or delete it if you're getting rid of it I guess). Then resize the partition with the OS on it to a size that would fit on your SSD, and clone that partition over. Normally I recommend the Samsung Migration tool, as it's very easy and user friendly, but I'm not 100% sure it's smart enough to move just the partition over to a smaller drive. If not, there are infinite free ways to do this. I like to do from HBCD PE edition (google hbcd) because it's easy, but so is Clonezilla or a number of other options.
@@diab0liK at that point I might as well just do a clean install on the SSD and just use the old hardrive as a secondary boot device so I can keep all my programs and data. I was hoping there would be some way I could still run programs on the old drive from the clean install SSD?
Jay, make that series. Oh my god that would be awesome! High quality budget builds are always in style. Doesnt have to be just hardware focused. Show the kids how to collect a ton of junk parts and build a caching server running Linux! The sky is the limit with this idea.
Wow, a system that forces you to update and then that update just ruins your pc. How great is Windows 10. Im glad I have 7 running, and hopefully soon will move to Linux
You don't know much about software do you......Its OK, them damn windows environments are tough. -.- Always wondered why you would build thread ripper builds then speak NOTHING on setting affinities after launching or speak about the windows kernel bug due to the direct access to the memory on only a set amount of cores vs all. Again, should call this a hardware channel not a tech channel.
I have a lenovo w500 and is not handled with the most care, I built it from parts. A low hour 1tb started making noise so is the reason why it has a 1tb ssd. A laptop not optimised for a ssd will still get a increase in boot time, its less than a minute for win 7.
I am a noob when it comes to making a PC. I watched tons of Jay's and Linus's videos to learn how to upgrade. I did it to my older gaming PC and added an SSD, installed Windows 10 and added a new GPU. It fly's now and I probably added 2 more years of life to it. Amazing.
At the end of the video, he mentions finding "junk yard computers" and fixing them up. I've done this a number of times. When taking aluminum cans to the recycling center, they also recycle computers. I'd trade in my cans and get maybe $15-$20. They were willing to sell the computers for $5 each..didn't matter what the computer was (it could be a 286 beige box tower or it could be an all in one iMac, flat rate of $5). I was fixing them up and selling them. I'd buy 4 or 5 of the most complete computers, take 'em home and check them out. Most would at least POST, but some may have bad hard drives, some may have bad RAM, but i'd swap parts around, install a clean copy of whatever OS the COA was for (9 out of 10 had a Windows COA on them) and sell 'em. $40-$50 each, depending on the specs. Most the time I got lucky and all I needed to do was reinstall Windows and the computers were fine. But I'd end up turning that $15-$20 worth of cans into $160-$250...I'm sure if I really wanted to get more for them I could, but I was pricing them to sell fast...Even offered a 30 day warranty on them, not a single person returned one.
LOL when I built my new PC in 2013 I opted for 120Gb SSD for the OS and everyone thought I was mad, my PC killed everyones' with load time and instillation . I only have changed the SSD now 5 years on. It was so worth the expense, highly recoment SSD every time for OS
7:34 - If you are not 100% sure on the upgradability of a laptop's memory, check out Crucial's site. You can either run a discovery tool or enter the make/model in their database. Even though I haven't bought from their site, they saved me so much time and guesswork on some repairs. Now I feel guilty.
Good video, I just had a 4th Gen i7 computer that I hadn't ran for like 6 months take forever to get to the desktop and then it was still not usable. After several hours of updates and reboots, it was back to its normal usefulness. The boot drive is a SSD. So basically what I am saying is those Windows 10 updates can take a toll on even a relatively fast computer.
I'm a former computer salesman and I gotta go on a rant here for a second. The problem here is PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF COMPUTERS TO BUY THEIR DAMN KIDS. They just come in like "yes I'd like to buy this $200 computer I saw in your ad" and only think about the price, never actually considering whether or not the computer even deserves to exist, these people don't know the difference between a celeron and an i3 or 4gb and 8gb of RAM do you have any idea how many times I've heard "that's not very much storage" TOO DAMN MANY. I spent most of my work days explaining the difference between an SSD and an HDD and why you probably shouldn't own something with a celeron, and I upsold A LOT, and I had a lot of satisfied customers, but the thing is if a parent comes in and says "hey I want this $150 computer (celeron, 4gb, 32gb) for my college student" they have to be told NO, either open your damn wallet a little so your kids have an actually usable computer for school, OR if you just can't afford something good and new, stop being afraid of the word REFURBISHED and BUY REFURBISHED. Old business laptops like thinkpads, probooks, or latitudes with i5s and SSDs are cheap too, yes their old but they're comparatively much faster than newer garbage with a celeron, 4gb of RAM, and a hard drive. You know what else? THEY'RE TOUGHER BY DESIGN so your kids can't break them as easily, and you know what usually breaks easiest THE HARD DRIVES THAT THEY DON'T HAVE. I know I'm preaching to the choir here but FFS. /rant
A month ago, I Scored a Dell Latitude D630 (built in 2007)on eBay for $20 bucks! No HDD, No OS, & only 2gb ram! Dropped in a $20 SSD, got 4gb of Ram from China, off eBay, Loaded Win 10 Pro,...now she's Running like a Champ! I don't have Cable/Internet,...but I tether in thru my Cell Phone, keep updates paused until I can Update from a Fast Food free Wi-Fi Connection in there parking lot!
@@NervousNick I mean the core 2 duo is celeron~ish in the performance department, but for a lot less money that isn't bad, not exactly what I was thinking, but I can dig it.
ssd upgrade is what i always recommend to everyone i know asking for a cheap upgrade. It used to be pricey, that is why some are still skeptical about this simple upgrade which you can use for a very long time, it is really worth it.
The timing of this upload is uncanny! My desktop is a monster, while my laptop is 10 years old and starting to show signs of slowing down. Last night, I committed to upgrading the i3-330M to the same gen i7-varient (i7-640M) and swapping in an SSD for my boot drive. Orders were placed the morning before this upload! Haha. $40 CPU upgrade + $50 SSD = Under $100 refresh that should make things feel much better. I'm stoked after seeing this reaffirmation of my theory! Userbenchmark shows effectively a 50% improvement over the previous CPU, as well, which should also help and was a cheap upgrade. I could just go out and buy a laptop, but for what reason? My laptop works fine, and I game on my desktop. It's pretty much just casual Netflix usage, watching movies, etc. Maybe some light-work usage at times when traveling.
Out of interest, were you sure you could upgrade the processor? Most companies restrict the upgrading you can do on a laptop's processor through the motherboard
For me reapplying the thermal paste for the CPU and cleaning the inside helped a lot. My laptop (HP Probook) is like 10 years old ran really hot and still had the manufacturers thermal paste applyed. The paste wasn't really fluid anymore so pretty much no heat transfer.
“Friends don’t let friends boot off hard drives” is what it says very fast at the end.
You’re welcome.
Corey Alpago I have plenty of systems that boot of hard drives.
I would love to see Jay ACTUALLY do a video on the 100% disc usage bug in Windows 10. $100 bucks says he doesn't even realize that's a thing.
I'm legit pissed at this one, just because I've had to fix it so many times on older laptops and PC's. It isn't a harddrive problem. It is a Windows on a harddrive problem.
Do your damned research Jay.
Close, but this saying is better.
"Friends don't let friends run windows." :)
Ryan Gillette nah, I let all my friends and family run Windows.
@@EvilTurkeySlicesYou are EVIL Turkey Slices though...
Jay is that family member everyone relies on.
That fucked up because he failed to educate about using 3 different antivirus solutions...
@@ManIkWeet From experience, I can tell you that you can shout from the rooftops that running multiple antivirus programs is more harmful than helpful, and people will still slap every one they can find on there either because they want to try a different one and don't uninstall the current one, or they get paranoid because a fake popup spooked them, or because well it's free so what's the harm?
That's why there's always going to be a need for a "computer guy" in every family, even the most locked-down system is still going to get trashed by people who don't have that ounce of common sense.
I'm Jay in a 12 year old form in my family.
@Neckslit lol... I've exceeded the knowledge of my father which used to work in tech support.
My pops is totally one of those. My grandpa has a tendency to "accidentally" click on settings configurations (we can't decide if he does it intentionally or not) and gets confused on why things aren't working the way they should. I gave him my old ASUS gaming laptop for free because I never used it anymore and the audio driver stopped working for whatever reason and all he had to do was simply restart the machine and it worked like normal. Of course he just blamed my grandma (yeah, he's THAT old school) meanwhile my pops and I are in the background just chuckling at ourselves. Don't even get me started on the phone stuff.
I have an ancient laptop at work, a Lenovo Thinkpad T61, with a Core 2 duo, 4gb of ram and a Quadro something, and with a SSD is still a great office/web browsing machine. The best way to give extra life for a old computer is with a SSD and more RAM.
Got the same, I've upgrade the CPU from T7100 to T9300 with Middleton BIOS flash and 10 bucks the T9300 from Aliexpress. Do it!
I have a Dell laptop from 2009, finally put an SSD in it this summer what a difference that made, it's still fully capable of doing light work like using Office and browsing online and with the SSD now everything loads nice and fast. I was thinking of getting a new laptop or even a tablet, but the SSD upgrade is good enough for me. I have a nice desktop for gaming and whatnot only use the laptop when going on trips and such.
In some cases you can do a simple motherboard swap.
T61 is still faster than those cheap craps with celeron or atom in the market today.
I still use T61 with T7300 at 2,0GHz with 2GB RAM at 667MHz, 320GB HDD. How much it will cost me to upgrade it? Is it possible?
I would love to see the “fixer upper” videos. That is just my style.
SSD, fresh install of os, maybe moar ram. Boom problem solved
that celeron n3060 though....
fresh install of chromeos. there problem actually solved. chromeos runs great on that cpu
I would say new os on this one... Some linux distro with XFCE or LXQT would run so much smoother...
Lol no. Celeron is trash. Better advice for the niece and just get a chrome book for $150.
@@myaccount__7269 A lot of Chromebooks in that price range are Celeron based.
A computer restoration series would be pretty damn cool, especially since there's so much perfectly good hardware just being dumped out because so many people think computers are like toasters and you just throw them away when they stop working.
yes
yes
I love your end of video idea.... Look forward to it...
me too!
Cannot agree more!
Jay, DO IT ! Do a series about old PCs being repaired and upgraded ! Looking forward to it :)
1. Before you disassemble a laptop/notebook to upgrade the hardware have a look online so that you know the amount of so-dimm slots and harddrive slots the device have. Quite a few of the cheaper ones will only have one of each.
2. Since most cheaper laptops got only one harddrive slot make sure you get a 240/250Gb SSD or they will run out of space in no time. The 120/128Gb will not be enough for most users unless it can take a secondary mechanical drive.
3. I would also advice after installation and updates of windows that you permanently disable windows updates on cheaper laptops under windows services.
4. Leave Windows Defender if you don't have anything better together with addblock and the average user will be fairly safe online. Do not leave it without antivirus.
5. I would advice anyone doing a clean install of Windows 10 to download it for free from Microsoft as it will get you the latest build saving you hours on windows updates using an older build.
obviously make a backup before installation of any data you want to save to an external drive, usb stick or whatever you prefer.
If the laptop is an old one, most likely they will have a dvd drive, might as well pull that out and put an hdd caddy for secondary storage
I would advice agains any antivirus because it TANKS an HDD just with the default antivirus windows gives you. The amount of viruses in the web is way low now, and the average user might never see them. They will browse the web on the main sites of choice (Facebook, youtube and what not) and chrome does a good job of keeping the user out of phising sites. Maybe malwarebytes helps but that's as far as I go
@@cgd07 And here I thought I was the only one using the HDD caddies. Super cheap option and not really hard to install.
Well said. Im looking into a laptop for my daughter who is almost 11yo. But theres a couple games she likes playing that i have so Im looking at making sure it can run those games.
@@marinell06 agreed. You don't need an extra anti-virus if you're not doing sketchy stuff.
I think that video series would be good. I learned a lot about computers by essentially doing that as a kid with hand-me-down machines and parts I acquired from friends/family/used parts stores. It’s great to spread that kind of knowledge and show people just how much can be accomplished with minimal resources.
Good tips Jay, I hate that manufactures still install 5400rpm hard drives it boggles my mind. These are great tips for people who are looking to try and attempt this themselves. Have a good evening!
Hey jay! You should make a step-by-step guide on how to migrate an OS to an SSD. Seems kinda daunting to me.
back up the files you want to keep, swap the drive, then load the new OS with a usb boot loader. Lots of info online how to do this, then copy the files you backed up to the new drive.
I had very good sucess with a program called "Paragon Migrate OS to SSD". It does all the work for you and basically mirrors your existing OS with all the files you have to that SSD. After that is finished you just set the SSD as your Main Boot drive in your Bios and you are done! (Of course you can do it as the poster above me said, but this is a super easy way without you worrying to break anything).
It can be daunting if your SSD is smaller than your HDD, because then you have to partition the HDD until the OS is on a segment smaller than the SSD. But if you get a nice 2TB SSD, it's basically just point and click, just follow the prompts and it'll do it all for ya.
I just did a fresh install on my SSD, and then hooked the HDD up as storage. Started over. I figured if i ever needed something from the old OS, i could just boot from HDD real quick, but i was surprised how rarely i needed to do that. At this point, i haven't booted from the HDD in years.
@@BothHands1 Thats very true. But I think a logical step in the first place to be is that you buy an SSD with a bigger capacity than what you had before. Especially since your C: drive can run full over the years, at which point you might as well just do a fresh install :D
In my case it just was easier that way and sort the files out after.
MsToshi1990
Yeah for sure, though back when i upgraded, 2TB SSDs didn't exist yet. My HDD is full to the brim with torrented movies and shows, so there really was no need to put any of that stuff on SSD anyway. The 500GB SSD was plenty for OS + games, and still left a good 250GB for whatever might come my way in the future.
While 2TB SSDs exist now, i still feel like i don't have much use for one that size, and instead made my 3rd drive another HDD just for extra torrent storage lol
that laptop might have 2 sodimm slots, but some models have the other sodimm under the keyboard instead of in the back. ive also had a laptop with 1 sodimm slot and 1 memory channel worth of memory soldered onto the board. its best to check to make sure.
My HP Elitebook 8440p has dual channel exactly what you have described except for soldered on RAM.
From the looks of it he would have seen the second one if it were there. I have a Dell Precision M4800 with this (two slots on each side in fact) and a Lenovo ThinkPad T520 with one on each side.
@@IanBPPK That Dell Precision has 4 so-dimm slots?
Taking a look at the amount of startup programs could be usefull as well. My parents always have things like Skype, Onedrive and other garbage running at startup, slowing it down massively.
How to trick Windows on a Laptop ... Install Linux!
That will really get his knickers in a bunch 😂
I'd love to see a refurbished/ bring older computer back to life series
The statement about Dells not being user service friendly is not 100% true. Consumer models maybe. We own many Latitude models where you just open the bottom panel and have access to HDD, RAM, wi-fi card, and more.
tastyfish1 older sells are much better, ultra books are a pain though. Why can’t manufacturers add convenience doors for the ram and hard drive like they used to?
@Polaris Lakewell The Optiplexes are the same way, though i assume they mostly meant laptops
Inspirons are the pain, Latitudes are not
last latitude i had i opened 1 screw and the whole bottom came out...
The inspirons are aweful. I had one, and to get at the hard drive you had to remove the keyboard/trackpad, motherboard, speaker, and usb3/ethernet daughter board. All to get at the hdd which was directly against the bottom of the case where a panel could have gone if they weren't pinching pennies so hard.
Another hint. If possible, change the old thermal paste. Helps a lot too.
I get the feeling of taking apart a Dell laptop. My old laptop (daily from 2010-2015, secondary from 2015-2016) I put a SSD in it for it's last year of use and I didn't get why the keyboard had to come off to change the drive.
Whereas now my Helios 300, all I have to do is take a door off for the 2.5" bay (1tb HDD in there) and take the whole bottom panel off to access my m.2 SSD (256gb). I had to take the bottom panel off once because the wifi card became lose and it needed a reseat.
I rebuild old laptops all the time, and Dell is definitely not the worst when it comes to replacing a ssd drive or memory. Not even on the old ones, try that on an older ibm or Lenovo laptop, you would be ripping your hair out.
Where's the skillshare link!?
I thought it's just me who can't find it
I was looking for it as well
I had the same question.
google.ca
I still use a 32 bit laptop running windows 10 from about 10 years ago as my other computer, old machines can withstand a lot if you push them close to the edge
The vast majority of laptops sold in the last few years come with a mechanical hard drive and a single band wireless card. Best way to get a usable machine without buying a new one is buy a cheap 120 GB SSD and dual band wireless card and swap them out. This can be done for less than $50 and the wireless card is only really necessary if you live in an apartment or somewhere else with high WiFi density. And if you need a larger drive and an external won't do then you have to choose, money or drive space.
Great vid and you mentioned doing older builds or fixing junk computers, I was reminded of all the old desktops that people always sell. Ya know like the Dell towers and stuff that businesses push out and somehow end up on craigslist for like 20 bucks. I think its be cool to see a couple of those reworked on a budget. I know I almost (stupidly) thought bout buying one before I built mine but figured I wouldnt know enough to actually make it awesome. Bright side, much happier with my own build and this is the year of upgrades and fine tuning
The first thing I did on my mom's laptop was remove McAfee, what a piece of crap. And i did it by reinstalling Windows on a new SSD...lol..You would think after all these years they would have improved.
Then you come back the next day and they are angry, because you uninstalled McAfee. How else are going to be 'protected' like the constant ads tell them. Then they install McAfee again because they "need" it and the pc is even slower because McAfee came bundled with Babylon search and "disk cleaner".
The McAfee bundles really piss me off. They pay other companies to default the user to install McAfee when installing their program, and McAfee in turn comes bundled with a bunch of crap. Several times I nearly installed McAfee and another program because I was in a rush and almost forgot to deselect the box.
Get "Unchecker"
@@kupertjerobin I installed a better antivirus, obviously
Who would have improved, Windows or McAfee? Haha.
I would love to see something like you were talking about, where you take a computer that is at "end of life" for someone, and seeing what you could do to extend that life for someone. You could find what would be an old pre-built and see what you could do to extend it's life, as well as something that was built like 8 or more years ago.
Showing people how they can get more life out of their old computer is something I think a lot of people would benefit from, as it's not always just put in a new graphics card and you're done.
I had just put in a cheap 120gb sata ssd in my computer as a boot drive and It feels like a completely different system. I've been using a sata 3Gb/s hard drive for years and I finally figured out what ive been missing! Best 20 dollar investment in my computer hands down.
2:36 look at the shelf... all those high end parts... mouth-watering. Really like these videos where you repair and boost old computers. I am fixing my 81 year old dad's desktop from 2007. He will get an AMD Athlon 64 x2 5400+ 2.8 Ghz, 8 gigs ram, a Samsung EVO 860 SSD (500 GB), new OS, Nvidia GeForce GT 730 silent, Corsair CX450W PSU, a 24 inch screen and a new mouse. He is by no means a gamer ;-)
A month ago, I Scored a Dell Latitude D630 (built in 2007)on eBay for $20 bucks! No HDD, No OS, & only 2gb ram! Dropped in a $20 SSD, got 4gb of Ram from China, off eBay, Loaded Win 10 Pro (Free Upgrade),...now she's Running like a Champ! I don't have Cable/Internet,...but I tether in thru my Cell Phone, keep updates paused until I can Update from a Fast Food free Wi-Fi Connection in there parking lot!
@@00O3O1BWat's LTSC?
Awesome video, Jay! I do computer repairs for a living and I’ve seen people going about increasing the RAM and upgrading the whole platform when really the trouble was the old hard drive with a bloated Windows install.
I suggest you take a look at Tech Yes City’s video about Windows 10 optimization. I find it REALLY makes the system snappier, especially on budget machines that can’t really handle loads of background processes and services plus the Windows 10 graphics, which do take a good bite off of slower CPUs.
A month ago, I Scored a Dell Latitude D630 (built in 2007)on eBay for $20 bucks! No HDD, No OS, & only 2gb ram! Dropped in a $20 SSD, got 4gb of Ram from China, off eBay, Loaded Win 10 Pro,...now she's Running like a Champ! I don't have Cable/Internet,...but I tether in thru my Cell Phone, keep updates paused until I can Update from a Fast Food free Wi-Fi Connection in there parking lot!
advice: dont upgrade to windows 10 if your laptop is that old, unless you know what are you doing.
That laptop shipped with 10, the celeron n3060 came out in 2016. It's unfortunately just trash by design
could have been forced update since Microsoft claims it works on anything
@@bootlegscarce0844 Is that what they're calling the really shitty ones with Windows 10 S? I hate the world of OEM computers man... If people want to buy a book I have a recommendation "Laptops for Dummies"
Yeah, my dual core travel laptop still has Never10 installed on it. I upgraded my main setup to windows 10 without any issues at all, but when my roommate tried on her laptop, she lost all her drivers, and while i tried reinstalling them all, for some reason the laptop still had a bunch of issues. Network drivers weren't working, video drivers weren't working, it was a mess. Might have been because windows 10 just came out a week or so before that, but after that experience i was damn sure i wasn't going to let my laptop even think about upgrading lol
advice: try Linux.
We all remember those moments where you parents told you not to fiddle around with the PC too much to eventually evolve into "child of mine, PLZ TO HALP".
My new years resolution are 1920x1080
Great coincidence that I'm currently researching this same issue with my own laptop and your video pops up in my notifications! I'd love to see a video in the future of you upgrading older machines and making them functional again.
You could upgrade the cpu too. As aide project I had an old dell xps m1330 from circa 2009. I upgraded the hdd to sdd, went from 2gb of ram to 4gb (actually 3.5gb), and I looked up the best cpu for that time period that the mobo supported (like $40 on ebay.) Went from unusable piece of crap to a usable piece of crap.
If you have windows 10 home, windows will still install the security updates automatically. Setting to metered connection only prevents major updates from automatically downloading.
Also, more modern dells are actually very easy to service. Pretty much anything from 2014-now is pretty easy, especially the inspiron gaming prior to the "g series" was literally one screw. But recently low end inspiron and even a good portion of the xps line are super easy to crack into.
I had a similar problem with a Toshiba laptop (3 years old, i3, 4gb, 128gb ssd) yesterday, which hung for hours and took about 15 mins just to show the Windows 10 logon screen and another 30minutes to show the desktop fully loaded.
It already had a M.2 (sata) ssd so the disk itself wasn't the issue. Eventually (after several HOURS) i was able to access my USB drive (where i had put some updated firmwares and files) and updated the Bios to a more recent version 5.4 (laptop came with a factory 1.1 bios and was never updated).
After waiting 45 minutes for the update to run and shutdown the machine, i turned it back on and voila it only took 12 seconds to boot.
After that:
I cleaned off the useless applications
updated the drivers
ran the latest Windows updates
installed a different AV (a less taxing one)
disabled a lot of automatic start-up stuff and Windows services (which got the default memory usage down to under 2GB)
removed the Windows update download cache and temporary crap
trimmed the SSD
screwed it open to remove any built up dust
finally added another 4GB SO-DIMM.
Now the laptop is fast again and the 15yr old owner can play fortnight again, with much less effort than before(also due to the added memory).
Looking out for more videos like this, love seeing upgrades on older systems. Keep it up!
would like to see that series you mention
Kind of sad to see how serviceability is getting less and less important to manufacturers. I got an old Dell Inspiron 500m from my aunt to throw away but decided to keep it. There's an official Dell service manual detailing how to exchange almost anything. I was able to add a Bluetooth module, replace the HDD, RAM and even the CPU. Try that on a modern laptop...
Would like to see a video where you clone the existing install to the SSD rather than do a clean install.
If the person you're doing this for has apps installed, cloning will save them and you a ton of time with reinstalling and patching everything.
On top of that, with a clean install, you have to patch the system from whatever the base level of your install media is. That generally will take a while. ALWAYS use a wired connection when patching, unless you somehow have no access to a wired connection. In which case, go visit a friend who does and bring them food and drinks.
Another thing is before working on or buying parts for ANY Dell, get the service tag off of it and look it up on the Dell support site.
This will get you the specs of the machine, including how many RAM slots it has so you buy the correct RAM kit, and in some cases the correct SSD type (some machines may have SATA and mSATA or M.2 SATA, giving you the possibility of a dual drive setup, leaving the spinning rust for storage.
Also, in addition to BIOS updates, (which for a Dell you definitely want to apply), you'll get drivers and firmware for any tweaked components they may have.
I keep mentioning cloning esp with the last fixer upper video. I use macrium reflect.
disk cloning programs are great. I do periodic backup of my entire C drive and so I'm pretty certain if everything went to hell one day I can just get up and running in 30 minutes
I do a fresh install for any computer not my own. Just too much crap to go through. On my personal machines, all that is curated and cloning works great.
@@00O3O1B and @Aloiamoa Anesi
If the system is simply slow, as was the case once Jay resolved the issue with Windows Update and the AV software, then cloning is a more efficient way to do it. You avoid a massive amount of patching (particularly if you haven't slipstreamed the latest updates into your install media, app reinstall and packaging, then restoring user settings and data.
Like moving to Linux, it should be discussed as an option, listing the pros and cons.
Obviously for a system with Malware or data corruption, or corrupted OS install, then a clean install is the way to go, but (like Linux) it's NOT always the best option.
Cloning adds the risk of unintentional behavior, like defragmenting an SSD which is something that you really don't want and can be hard to fix for novice users.
@@MozzarellaBasket You can prevent that by having it not defragging new drives (even current drive) before you clone it.
Jay keep making those budget repair vids. It’s awesome that you keep it real no matter what build you are working on. 👍🏽
Even before you said it was windows update, I was thinking on putting some lightweight linux like ubuntu mate or similar. Most of the average users only need the browser and maybe office. Chrome/firefox + LibreOffice and you're done. It's even better for kids or computer newbies since it's harder to get viruses or malware (though not impossible).
I've switched about 30ppl to linux and most of those started with "hey I need a new computer, mine is super slow". I install Ubuntu Mate or ElementaryOS to the same machine and they go on using it without dumping a ton of money on a new rig.
Willdrick great advice. Agreed, this celeron sucks
I don’t want to give anyone Linux, it would just be nonstop questions about it.
@@EvilTurkeySlices Someone speaking sense. The vast majority are using Windows and practically everywhere runs it. Libraries, cafe computers, school computers, etc etc. I don't know anybody who doesn't have experience with Windows. Even I cannot use Linux, wouldn't expect someone who knows less than me to understand it either.
cool dude It’s easy to use in some ways, but is unnecessarily complex in others.
I have a serious problem with this approach I know a guy in the GTA who does this. I've had to tech support an acquaintance (an older lady in her 60s) several times because he put her on various Linux distros (probably with the same reasoning as you.) the problems is she gets home and doesn't know what she's doing. So when she does accidentally turn on something or turn off something or get something weird from some weird website. She doesn't know what to do in linux to fix it herself. And finding quick easy to follow trouble shooting guides online is difficult. Even getting someone like a son or a nephew who knows computers well enough is less likely to be familiar with linux and thus harder for them to help such a person also. My best advice for anyone who uses a computer mostly for internet browsing/watching some netflix/youtube, and emails. Is to get them a refurbished Mac lol --seriously that's about all they good for. Or in all honesty, go disable windows updates, enable defender, put an ad blocker and maybe something like bit defender on it. At least if they call nephew jimmy when she can't download her favourite tv show, he'll be able to help her out with it... as windows is the most widely used universal platform that the majority of the world interacts with in some capacity whether work, school, etc.
Nice video and very relatable! This is what life as a computer technician looks like most days. People bringing old laptops and generally balking at spending on upgrades or being constrained by non upgradable models. You just don't see that many desktops outside business environments anymore and the enthusiasts tend to do their own maintenance.
I put Linux on my old laptop.
Yeah I have a 15 year old "netbook" that I installed Ubuntu on to it... I used it as a media "server" for my entertainment center, running an external 24TB NAS through it, loaded with all of my media... It really is a great way to make an old obsolete machine good again. PLUS with Ubuntu being a well supported Linux GUI... makes things simple to install and keep current.
Resident hardware guru here to expand on some of the things Jay said in passing with my personal experiences.
To dual drive your laptop:
Modern machines: Many computers include an NVMe port and a SATA port. Just put your "spinner" in the SATA bay. This may require significant disassembly.
Any computer with a CD drive: Remove one screw, usually marked, from the bottom of your laptop. Slide your CD drive out. Go to Newegg or Amazon and purchase a hard drive to CD drive adapter bay*. Transpose any mounting hardware from your CD drive to your adapter bay. Install your "spinner" into the adapter. Slide it into your laptop. Snap the original CD facade onto the front of it, so it matches. Reinstall the one screw you removed at the start to secure your adapter.
*Most full-size laptops will use a 12.7mm CD drive. HOWEVER, thin-and-light machines will use a slimmer 9.5mm drive. A 12.7mm adapter will NOT fit in a 9.5mm machine! (As I learned the hard way.)
**Very old computers may require a PATA to SATA adapter in order to fit a modern hard drive into them.
"Desktop Replacement": Many 17" class laptops include a second hard drive bay, often behind a "service door" marked with the hard drive symbol. You may need to buy the mounting cables and hardware brackets though.
As for upgrades and servicability, I've had very good luck with my computers.
My Dell D620 (and most machines of its vintage that I have):
RAM upgrade: Trivial (open a small door on the bottom with one screw, remove the keyboard via three screws and a pop door)
Hard drive upgrade: Trivial (two screws to free the drive, a third to remove the little door)
PCIE minicard access: Trivial (Three screws to remove the keyboard, there they are)
CD drive: Toolless. (One optional screw that hasn't been installed in years, and a push latch)
Battery: Toolless. (Two latches on the front)
Anything else: Complete disassembly. (I had to replace a failed cooling fan. You have to pull the entire motherboard out of the frame to reach it.)
My newer Lenovo i330:
CD drive: Trivial (one screw, slides out)
Anything else: Involved (11 screws, snap off the bottom pan, grants access to HDD, RAM, fan, battery, and PCIE minicards)
As for crazy deals: *points up at the D620*
If I see a laptop at a yard sale that's semi modern for $20, I can't walk away from it. I buy it, tune it up, clean it up, and add it to the "collection".
Fresh install makes every computer into Sonic :D
SSD's make every computer into Super-Sonic :D
When you mix the 2.. ??? profit or something XD
@Maksim Radevski Combine and we get Ultra Super Sonic? USS Enterprise, calling in.
Hey Jay. I have been a big fan of your channel. I enjoy watching these videos as it helps me help others with their tech related issues and advise them how best to fix their computers. I love you idea of taking PC’s and making them usable again. I think it would make for a fantastic series!
Some laptops have socketed CPUs! Shocking, I know, but I'm about to upgrade a first gen i3 laptop to a first gen i7 for less than $15 on Ali Express. Always dual-core (there are quads, but you start gambling with wattage and heat). Also, I had the impression you can't get wired (or dongle'd) internet to metered mode without having to play with registry.
My long term project is trying one of those external GPUs using mini PCI-e (the WiFi card is already screwed) or the useless PCI-Express, like the GDC Beast
GnZ a lot of older laptops have them. I’ve upgraded the cpu on three laptops now.
Yeah my old Toshiba A300-15J has socketed cpu too, even its ati gpu is replacable because its pci express 16x, i never seen like that on a laptop before and today all laptop's have soldered cpu and gpu rather than swap for an upgrade.
Some BIOs won't let you do the egpu, what brand?
I have one as well, and i upgraded it to an i5-540m because it wasnt that much different from the i7 one and much cheaper. The quads has power but it has no iGPU and may not have video output depending on the laptop (There are some laptops that wont work even with dedicated gpu). Not sure if the GDC Beast will allow it to have output though.
Be careful doing this. A lot of laptops have really, really shit UEFI/BIOS firmware that can give you tons of problems if you upgrade CPU or GPU. Try to find a compatibility list if you can
Yesss do that series... It's very educational!
Seriously? Put an 8GB stick in there, a 120GB SSD, and load ChromeOS from Cloudready and bam. Instant ChromeBook. If it's just for schoolwork that's more than enough.
The word online version is not good, and chromebooks are very limited. You might as well just install win10?
A little while ago, I pulled my 2009 15" MacBook pro 2.66ghz core 2 duo out and put an ssd in the computer to try using it as my daily laptop for a couple of weeks. It was actually a pretty good experience. I was able to get the computer that had been dead for two years up and running for less than $150.
Just hit it
Works with wife or gf too
Hello Majin Gamer! Thanks for your concern. Yes I can confirm it works with both! But due to a recent patch it has been nerfed so it might take a while. -Sam
Just updated a 5 year old Asus laptop to a SSD. Used to take 5+ minutes to start, now less than 20 seconds. It was a 1 TB HD with 700 GB used, so not a $40 upgrade, but caught a crucial 1 TB drive on a black Friday sale at microcenter.
Cloned the drive using the downloadable software from crucial, so I didn't have to spend hours setting up the PC like I had it. Cloned, swapped drives, and off it went.
I was about to build a new PC to replace the laptop, but this will do for a while more.
*FYI* -- Setting a _'Metered Connection'_ to stop Windows Updates over *ethernet* is not done the same way as shown in the video, it's a little more complicated but nothing too serious. It requires a minor _'Registry Edit'_ to enable a metered connection over ethernet, but while you're doing that you can just as quickly edit the _Auto Update_ registry and stop it completely on any connection.
[edit] -- P.S. For anyone wanting to know how - www.windowscentral.com/how-stop-updates-installing-automatically-windows-10
THANK YOU!!! I was sitting here for over an hour trying to work out why Jay's way wasn't showing for me. Thank you dude, really appreciate the help.
DAMN YOU JAY! ;) xx
@
STOP PRE-ORDERING VIDEO GAMES!
You beautiful bastard, thanks man.
^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^ I thought that as Jay said it that it didn't sound right or how I had to do it. Good job :)
@STOP PRE-ORDERING VIDEO GAMES!
Nice one thanks dude. Awesome username by the way.
Love these types of videos. Keep it up Jay
I see the shower curtain in the reflection....
WOAH WOAH WOAH!!! Let me get this perfectly straight: You comment something that is completely unrelated to the fact that I have two HAZARDOUSLY HOT girlfriends? Considering that I am the unprettiest RUclipsr worldwide, it is really incredible. Yet you did not mention it at all. I am VERY disappointed, dear sin stalker
@@AxxLAfriku dude I see you too many places please get some help
First thing I noticed.
@@someguy6857 he has help: 2 hazardously hot girlfriends.
@@AxxLAfriku stop, get some help
I love these videos! Please make that series you were talking about!
Jay and BitWit Colab? Ever happened? If not it needs to.
Thank you for covering more basic stuff as well! I know most of us won't need it but it will also be really nice for people who don't know a lot about it and stumble upon this video!
The rest of us will be entertained by you anyway!
Top marks as always!
That laptop isn't that old though...
Wel, or I am just outdated.
@JustStat My laptop is running i5 520m. It's still usable, and it has the same hyperthreading feature like the i7.
@JustStat Yeah, and i believe that arriandale was the first to have HT on more than just i7. And i can see that the i7 wouldn't have it because of the i9.
9:12 don't assume. go over to Dell's website and look up the model of your computer to be assured technical specifications by downloading the service manual.
That windows update "virus" can make my i5-4690K system unusable using the mysterious system process.
Also metered connections only stop updates for a time.
@@00O3O1B how can I get that?
I have windows pro, so I have a lot of control over it, but still not as much I'd like to have
Thats quite question. my i5-4570s is usable to point where i dont even consider upgrade.
@@marianmarkovic5881 me too except in some cpu limited games
@ Ok I am not there jet,... i have too many games to play list that are not CPU limited jet,..
@@marianmarkovic5881 for me it's just cause 3, but I finished that.
And weirdly Forza Horizon 3. It used to run great, but after the recent updates it has big stutters occasionally.
The SSD factor is especially true on laptops that are on a power budget, so the laptop hdd's are not optimized for speed. It's my belief that you can add an SSD to a laptop that's 5 years old and it will immediately feel new again.
A month ago, I Scored a Dell Latitude D630 (built in 2007)on eBay for $20 bucks! No HDD, No OS, & only 2gb ram! Dropped in a $20 SSD, got 4gb of Ram from China, off eBay, Loaded Win 10 Pro,...now she's Running like a Champ! I don't have Cable/Internet,...but I tether in thru my Cell Phone, keep updates paused until I can Update from a Fast Food free Wi-Fi Connection in there parking lot!
*There's no link!*
Werz da Link?
Hell yeah I want to see troubleshooting/rebuild old system videos. Definitely make those videos...
what if I have a hard drive with 930 GB used space. is there a way I can transfer just the os to the 128GB SSD and be still be able to run my programs?
Probably -- what you would want to do is first move all the other data elsewhere (or delete it if you're getting rid of it I guess). Then resize the partition with the OS on it to a size that would fit on your SSD, and clone that partition over. Normally I recommend the Samsung Migration tool, as it's very easy and user friendly, but I'm not 100% sure it's smart enough to move just the partition over to a smaller drive. If not, there are infinite free ways to do this. I like to do from HBCD PE edition (google hbcd) because it's easy, but so is Clonezilla or a number of other options.
You could also put the hard drive into an external cage and you can still access the storage.
Bhavikh you can install the os on the ssd and then make it the primary boot drive. Then you can still use the hdd
@@diab0liK at that point I might as well just do a clean install on the SSD and just use the old hardrive as a secondary boot device so I can keep all my programs and data. I was hoping there would be some way I could still run programs on the old drive from the clean install SSD?
Yes. Please make a series of the idea you mentioned at the end! Would love to see that.
Needs linux
Jay, make that series. Oh my god that would be awesome! High quality budget builds are always in style. Doesnt have to be just hardware focused. Show the kids how to collect a ton of junk parts and build a caching server running Linux! The sky is the limit with this idea.
Install vanilla Arch and give it back.
Nice and fast.
No bloatware.
And the best of it: You'll never be again the tech support guy
Let me help you...she was asking for a new computer in the nicest manner possible.
Wow, a system that forces you to update and then that update just ruins your pc. How great is Windows 10. Im glad I have 7 running, and hopefully soon will move to Linux
Windows 10 didn't install 3 different antivirus software. The user did.
Absolutely awesome video! More of these!
You don't know much about software do you......Its OK, them damn windows environments are tough. -.- Always wondered why you would build thread ripper builds then speak NOTHING on setting affinities after launching or speak about the windows kernel bug due to the direct access to the memory on only a set amount of cores vs all. Again, should call this a hardware channel not a tech channel.
I have a lenovo w500 and is not handled with the most care, I built it from parts. A low hour 1tb started making noise so is the reason why it has a 1tb ssd. A laptop not optimised for a ssd will still get a increase in boot time, its less than a minute for win 7.
Do those vids man. Its always interesting to see more ways of bring old hardware to life!
Thank you for the support video. Cool to learn these things.
yes! do the series Jay!
I am a noob when it comes to making a PC. I watched tons of Jay's and Linus's videos to learn how to upgrade. I did it to my older gaming PC and added an SSD, installed Windows 10 and added a new GPU. It fly's now and I probably added 2 more years of life to it. Amazing.
Love these types of videos, Please turn it into a series! Its very informative and fun to watch.
Thanks a lot Jay2cents! This video is very helpful to me!
Ohh yes, please do that video series, it would be awesome!
At the end of the video, he mentions finding "junk yard computers" and fixing them up. I've done this a number of times. When taking aluminum cans to the recycling center, they also recycle computers. I'd trade in my cans and get maybe $15-$20. They were willing to sell the computers for $5 each..didn't matter what the computer was (it could be a 286 beige box tower or it could be an all in one iMac, flat rate of $5). I was fixing them up and selling them. I'd buy 4 or 5 of the most complete computers, take 'em home and check them out. Most would at least POST, but some may have bad hard drives, some may have bad RAM, but i'd swap parts around, install a clean copy of whatever OS the COA was for (9 out of 10 had a Windows COA on them) and sell 'em. $40-$50 each, depending on the specs. Most the time I got lucky and all I needed to do was reinstall Windows and the computers were fine. But I'd end up turning that $15-$20 worth of cans into $160-$250...I'm sure if I really wanted to get more for them I could, but I was pricing them to sell fast...Even offered a 30 day warranty on them, not a single person returned one.
This reminds me of my old Sony Vaio...
It was an i5-2400u, 4 GB ram
It used to take 3-5 minutes to boot (timed).
LOL when I built my new PC in 2013 I opted for 120Gb SSD for the OS and everyone thought I was mad, my PC killed everyones' with load time and instillation . I only have changed the SSD now 5 years on. It was so worth the expense, highly recoment SSD every time for OS
Drop a larger SSD in there now, and more Ram!
I did 500Gb now and I am looking at a new chip so I'll up to 32Gb Ram when I do that. Need the ram for video editing
Yes, that idea at the end, do that, please that sounds great. Thanks, Jay.
We do wanna see that series ( or at least i do...
7:34 - If you are not 100% sure on the upgradability of a laptop's memory, check out Crucial's site. You can either run a discovery tool or enter the make/model in their database. Even though I haven't bought from their site, they saved me so much time and guesswork on some repairs.
Now I feel guilty.
Please do more videos like this!
I would love for a series like that!!!!!!!!
Good video, I just had a 4th Gen i7 computer that I hadn't ran for like 6 months take forever to get to the desktop and then it was still not usable. After several hours of updates and reboots, it was back to its normal usefulness. The boot drive is a SSD. So basically what I am saying is those Windows 10 updates can take a toll on even a relatively fast computer.
I'm a former computer salesman and I gotta go on a rant here for a second. The problem here is PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF COMPUTERS TO BUY THEIR DAMN KIDS. They just come in like "yes I'd like to buy this $200 computer I saw in your ad" and only think about the price, never actually considering whether or not the computer even deserves to exist, these people don't know the difference between a celeron and an i3 or 4gb and 8gb of RAM do you have any idea how many times I've heard "that's not very much storage" TOO DAMN MANY. I spent most of my work days explaining the difference between an SSD and an HDD and why you probably shouldn't own something with a celeron, and I upsold A LOT, and I had a lot of satisfied customers, but the thing is if a parent comes in and says "hey I want this $150 computer (celeron, 4gb, 32gb) for my college student" they have to be told NO, either open your damn wallet a little so your kids have an actually usable computer for school, OR if you just can't afford something good and new, stop being afraid of the word REFURBISHED and BUY REFURBISHED. Old business laptops like thinkpads, probooks, or latitudes with i5s and SSDs are cheap too, yes their old but they're comparatively much faster than newer garbage with a celeron, 4gb of RAM, and a hard drive. You know what else? THEY'RE TOUGHER BY DESIGN so your kids can't break them as easily, and you know what usually breaks easiest THE HARD DRIVES THAT THEY DON'T HAVE. I know I'm preaching to the choir here but FFS.
/rant
A month ago, I Scored a Dell Latitude D630 (built in 2007)on eBay for $20 bucks! No HDD, No OS, & only 2gb ram! Dropped in a $20 SSD, got 4gb of Ram from China, off eBay, Loaded Win 10 Pro,...now she's Running like a Champ! I don't have Cable/Internet,...but I tether in thru my Cell Phone, keep updates paused until I can Update from a Fast Food free Wi-Fi Connection in there parking lot!
@@NervousNick I mean the core 2 duo is celeron~ish in the performance department, but for a lot less money that isn't bad, not exactly what I was thinking, but I can dig it.
Uncle Jay should buy her niece new laptop instead. Every single gpu box in shelf behind costed more than the laptop.
Love making stuff run great again. Do make those video's!
You should do this more often. I really loved it, thank you!
Great idea about making this a series, I for one would definitely watch it, along with all of your awesome content
ssd upgrade is what i always recommend to everyone i know asking for a cheap upgrade. It used to be pricey, that is why some are still skeptical about this simple upgrade which you can use for a very long time, it is really worth it.
The timing of this upload is uncanny! My desktop is a monster, while my laptop is 10 years old and starting to show signs of slowing down. Last night, I committed to upgrading the i3-330M to the same gen i7-varient (i7-640M) and swapping in an SSD for my boot drive. Orders were placed the morning before this upload! Haha. $40 CPU upgrade + $50 SSD = Under $100 refresh that should make things feel much better. I'm stoked after seeing this reaffirmation of my theory! Userbenchmark shows effectively a 50% improvement over the previous CPU, as well, which should also help and was a cheap upgrade.
I could just go out and buy a laptop, but for what reason? My laptop works fine, and I game on my desktop. It's pretty much just casual Netflix usage, watching movies, etc. Maybe some light-work usage at times when traveling.
Out of interest, were you sure you could upgrade the processor? Most companies restrict the upgrading you can do on a laptop's processor through the motherboard
For me reapplying the thermal paste for the CPU and cleaning the inside helped a lot. My laptop (HP Probook) is like 10 years old ran really hot and still had the manufacturers thermal paste applyed. The paste wasn't really fluid anymore so pretty much no heat transfer.