Woe to throw away the old PC too lightly. Has he become slow and awkward? Does it look outdated? Ten years ago he was a marvel and now he's transformed into a panting little pachyderm? It is partly the fault (it seems paradoxical but it is) of the progress of technology and IT solutions: the software has evolved but it has also become heavier and requires more IT resources. Browsing websites has also become more greedy for processing power. We need ever-increasing memory capacity (system and mass memory) and more reaction speed. But is our computer tool really to be thrown away? It's not for sure. Often, much more often than you think, a few can be enough simple and relatively inexpensive intervention on the "mechanics" of our technological companion to make him gain new and very useful life. Maybe as a spare PC, or as a second PC for the holiday home. Especially if it is a PC with a Microsoft operating system (on which it is easier to intervene) and not an Apple one (much more complicated to update).
The trick? Let's focus on the three interventions that we can carry out separately, or perhaps combine them together. They concern the mass memory, or the hard disk that stores all our files (texts, data, photos and so on); there system memory (Ram), the one that immediately manages our operations in sync with the microprocessor; The operating system, the "language" allows us to operate with our computer machine.
First step: let's check if our laptop or desktop computer can actually be conveniently brought back to life. A first general criterion for orientation concerns age: if you are over 10 years old, you should leave it alone immediately. Otherwise we can move on to the next step: the verification of the minimum characteristics the processor, the hard disk interface, the operating system it is equipped with.
It can be done? Let's find out like this
Let's arm ourselves with the instruction manual, or otherwise let's search the Web for the technical characteristics of our PC, and make an initial check on the basic requirements that our old PC must have in order for the operation to be feasible and convenient.
The processor must be at least one Intel Centrino Core Duo (in the case of a laptop) or Pentium 4 (typical of desktop computers) or i3 (there are versions for both laptops and desktop PCs). In the case of branded processors AMD we can do a web search to verify the equivalence of the characteristics with Intel processors (we suggest the search key "AMD processor specific name vs Intel").
The hard drive must have the latest system interface, i.e. the one named Sata (serial Ata), and not that "Pata" (parallel Ata) of the PCs of the past. To understand this, we can take a look at the connector of our mass memory (if it looks like the one you see further on, you're good to go) or consult the instruction booklet that we have kept or that we can try to obtain by searching the web.
The ideal operating system is the most recent Windows 10, but Windows 8 or even better Windows 7 can also be fine, also because they can be upgraded to Windows 10 relatively easily and cheaply. If your PC still has the old Windows XP operating system, the "revitalization" is not convenient.
So here are the interventions that we can do, even alone, in full autonomy. Three, indeed. Which we can conveniently modulate according to one scale of priorities. The first intervention, the priority one, concerns the replacement of the mechanical hard disk (hard disk) with a modern solid state drive (SSD): a move which, by itself, will more than halve the startup time of our PC and make it much faster and more responsive. The operation, with the drastic SSD drive price drop, it's decidedly convenient: on e-commerce sites you can find excellent 500 gig SSDs (enough capacity for most uses) at 70/80 euros, half if we are satisfied with 240 gigs. If we want we can add the increase in system memory, the Ram. And if we really want to do the big things we can try to upgrade the operating system to Windows 10, if we don't already have it.
So let's see how to do it, after having carefully checked the characteristics of our PC. To check the disk capacity hard double click with the left mouse button on the "This PC" icon and check what is written under the C disk icon. To check the type of processor, the amount of RAM memory and the operating system we always go on "This PC", click once with the right mouse button, go to "properties" and click with the right button.
How to install the new SSD
Laptop or desktop PC? The procedure varies, even if only slightly. If we have a laptop we have to focus on an SSD with sufficient capacity to manage all our programs and all our data (which, however, should be duplicated, remember, in a backup copy on another external medium). If we have a fixed PC we can instead adopt a very useful trick: we will transfer the content to the new SSD but we will mount the old hard disk inside the computer, after restoring it to its original state (reformatted) but not before having verified that the entire procedure cloning to the new SSD was successful (see below). We will thus be able to use it as a container for our data, leaving the new SSD only the management of the operating system and programs, i.e. the tasks they have really need the maximum speed to make our PC as fast as possible: an operation that can be done easily, because all fixed PCs have the option and connectors already set up to mount at least a second mass memory.
Both in the case of a desktop PC and a laptop we also have another brilliant possibility: to use an external box (see below) to be connected to the PC via a USB socket in which to insert our old reformatted disk to have an external mass memory on which perhaps to observe the copies of our most important files. So here's how to proceed.
Let's get the SSD. Physical store (if you prefer) or e-commerce site (now the prevailing solution): in any case, choose an SSD with sufficient capacity to contain and better manage the volume of programs and data that we have or expect to need. Let's consider that for correct management of the disk, the latter must keep a free part corresponding to at least one third of its total capacity. With SSD prices falling, we recommend getting an SSD at least equal to the one you're going to replace. Second essential trick: our new solid state drive must be equipped with a cloning software of the old disk onto the new one, because it is not enough to copy the content with the classic procedure we use to copy files. Creating a faithful copy of a disk is the task of specific software, which also provideoptimization of the operating system based on the characteristics of the new SSD. Most SSDs from leading manufacturers (among them Samsung, Kingston, SanDisk) offer this possibility.
Let's get one too external USB box in which to temporarily install our new SSD. We strongly recommend this solution as an alternative to a cable-interface dedicated only to this purpose, because we can then use the box to "build" our external disk using the old unit that we will replace.
The temporary installation of the SSD in the box is a matter of seconds. Once the cloning program has been installed on the old hard drive, we can connect the external box to the PC and start the cloning program.
We install the cloning program on the old hard drive, connect the box to the PC and start the program.
The cloning program itself will confirm the successful completion of the operation after a few minutes. At this point, turn off the PC, disconnect the external USB disk and proceed with the disk replacement operation. Be careful when handling the internal components of a PC. The hidden enemy is called static electricity. Use insulating gloves or more simply touch a metal part from time to time with a finger connected to a ground device capable of discharging our static electricity: for example the pipe of a radiator. At this point we can proceed.
These are the images of the sequence for a ten-year-old Lenovo portable PC, which at the end of the operation will be able to work brilliantly for a long time again, also thanks to the installation of the latest version of Windows 10 and the doubling of the Ram.
If we have a fixed PC, in most cases we need an extra accessory: an adapter to insert our 2,5-inch SSD into a fixed PC slot, which especially in old PCs has a 3,5-inch hard drive . The sequence of images is this.
If everything has gone the right way, turn our PC back on and everything will work exactly as before, but with a significant gain in terms of speed and responsiveness.
Do we want to do more? Here's how to proceed with the other two operations: upgrading the RAM and possibly updating the operating system.
Let's boost the Ram
For the Ram, the operation (always with the PC not only turned off but also with the power cable disconnected from the network) is really simple. In many slightly dated laptops, it will be enough to uncover a flap or unscrew a few screws from the cover that acts as a base. In fixed PCs it is necessary to remove a door or the whole of the "body" (in the technical language we use the English term "case"). For updating or upgrading the Ram, adding one or more modules, it will take a few seconds. After we have sourced, of course, the right components. Both in the case of the desktop PC and the laptop we must read up on the specifications of the original Ram in detail, choosing whether to replace the module or modules with larger specimens, or add other similar ones based on the available slots.
The Ram modules of the laptops are removed and placed by clicking two side levers with the fingers. The module will automatically rotate out 45 degrees allowing it to be removed. We can replace the existing module with a larger one or add other modules (which must be similar to those already present) when there is the possibility to do so.
In the case of a desktop PC, the shape of the RAM and the installation procedure are different. The modules, longer and narrower (always to be chosen according to the right specifications) are disengaged and inserted by operating on a lever at one of the ends.
We update the operating system
This is where things get a little more complicated. But the procedures provided for the latest Windows 10 make it much easier for us. First you need to get one installable copy of Windows 10 and the thing is decidedly simple: it is sufficient to type the phrase "Media Creation Tool Windows 10" on our favorite search engine and we will be directed to the procedure prepared by Microsoft to correctly create installation (or update) media of the operating system.
At the same time we would have obtained a license, or a activation code. To do this we have two alternatives. The first: try the free upgrade procedure from Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 that Microsoft made available up until a few months ago as a promotional item but which in many cases continues to work today by simply entering, at the Windows 10 activation request, the product code obtained from the plates on the PC or on the packaging of our old operating systems (be careful to update the Home or Pro versions with the corresponding versions of Windows 10). The second alternative: buy a new Windows 10 license, either in the home version or in the Pro version, perhaps trying to find discounted licenses on the Web compared to the original price which is well over 100 euros, after making sure full regularity and legality (if we have doubts we can contact the Microsoft call center) of what is sold to us.
Final recommendation: whichever solution you choose (replacement of the hard disk only with an SSD or even upgrading the Ram and updating the operating system) also take a look at the tutorial on the best procedures for maintaining your PC over time and the relative software in full efficiency (click here).
