6 Ways to 'Regenerate' Old Laptops

This guide explains 6 ways to 'regenerate' old laptops with practical context and clear actions. Use the points below to avoid common mistakes and make better decisions.

Refresh the Operating System: 3 Options

Backup first! Before changing the operating system, you must back up the data to an external hard drive and make sure you can easily reinstall the apps.

1. Reinstall Windows: When used for too long, Windows will naturally slow down. Use a system recovery disk or a pre-installed system recovery program on your laptop to reformat or reinstall Windows. After refreshing the system, your computer will run much faster.

You can also use some apps to remove unnecessary programs such as Revo Uninstaller Portable, this program is free and easy to install, or Total Uninstall, has more features, it can control and rooted programs. If you want a tool that automatically searches unnecessary or redundant software or files, you should try using the free PC Decrapifier software.

2. Upgrade to Windows 7: If you are running Windows XP or Windows Vista, please upgrade Windows 7. To see if your device can install Windows 7, download and install Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor for information.

3. Try using Linux: Free, lightweight, and easy to upgrade, especially you should try Puppy Linux, very suitable for older computers, this operating system helps your computer boot faster.

Hardware Upgrade

1. Add memory: The fastest, cheapest way to help your computer run faster is to install more RAM. If your laptop has memory equal to or less than 512 MB, you need to upgrade to 1 GB. RAM prices are also very cheap, 1GB of RAM only costs about $ 20, so you should upgrade RAM to the maximum 'load' level of the machine.

2. Upgrade your hard drive: Replacing your laptop hard drive not only helps you get more storage, but also helps your device run faster. Hard drives of old laptops often have a very low turnaround speed of 4200 rpm; So if you upgrade to 5400 or 7200 rpm, the boot speed, data transfer and usage speed will increase significantly.

For about $ 50 you can buy a 5400 rpm 320 GB hard drive or 7200 320 GB rpm.

Upgrading the hard drive is also easy and fast. Before replacing the hard drive, you must pay attention to the type of current hard drive, the type of interface, the height, or the model number of the hard drive and check the information on the hard drive manufacturer's website. The hard drive upgrade for notebooks, like Apricorn's, costs $ 19, which can resemble your old hard drive and you can easily transfer data to a new hard drive.

3. Upgrade Wi-Fi to Wireless-N: If your home line has Wireless-N (802. 11n protocol), you can connect faster on your laptop by upgrading your wireless network card to a notebook from 802. 11b standard. 802. 11g to this latest 802. 11n protocol. Wireless-N products can connect up to 7 times faster than 802. 11g. Moreover, older wireless devices can reduce the speed of Wireless-N, so upgrading your laptop can speed up network access.

Although you can upgrade the wireless network card inside the laptop, you can also buy the 802. 11n adapter to plug in the USB port. An adapter costs about 20 USD.

These upgrades are straightforward but can make your old laptop perform much better.