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Minimum Requirements

When buying new computer hardware or software it is imperative that you read the side of the box at the minimum requirements. Some products will even offer recommended requirements above the minimum requirements. The truth is that a vast majority of products (software and hardware) are designed to run on the latest hardware and operating system (Windows XP).

Minimum requirements that say the newest photo printers or games will run on a Pentium II machine running Windows 98 are put there to simply sell products. Yes, they may run after hours and hours of getting the installation right, but they will slow your computer down to a crawl and cause other programs to have errors as well. If you are using older hardware/software, stay with older versions of printers, scanners and other hardware and software to keep your frustration levels down and your computer running well.

Count your processes

"My computer is running slow." This complaint tops the list as the number one computer owner complaint over the past few years. Once an infliction for older computers only, slow computer syndrome (SCS) can affect even the newest and most powerful of computers. With Windows XP, there is one quick barometer that you can use to test the health of your computer; the Processes list. Too many processes running automatically at startup can indicate either a poorly configured machine or sign of a serious computer problem related to viruses, spyware or both.

In the Windows world, a process is a program (or part of a program) that is currently running. Microsoft Windows itself starts at least fifteen to twenty processes when we turn our computers on for the day. Over the years, I have developed a mental chart that allows me to quickly assess a computer health just by looking at the processes running upon a fresh boot (start) of a computer:

  • 25-34 Processes – Excellent
  • 34-39 Processes – Good
  • 40-44 Processes – OK
  • 45-49 Processes – Fair
  • More than 49 Processes – Poor

The numbers are purely anecdotal based on my experience with thousands of computers. However, they also offer a good way to quickly get a handle on where to start with a computer.

To view which processes are running on your computer (Windows XP or 2000 only), push Ctrl+Alt+Delete on your keyboard OR RIGHT Click on a blank part of your taskbar then click Task Manager. After the Task Manager appears, Click the Processes tab. In the lower left corner of the Processes tab window, the total number of processes will be shown.

Windows Processes

Use my chart to gauge the health of your machine right at startup before you open any programs. If your system has more than 45 processes running at startup, you should search our site for two different terms: Spyware and MSCONFIG . You can use the tips listed under these topics to reduce the number of processes that start automatically with your system. In some cases, you may need to employ the help of an experienced computer professional to help safely reduce the number of processes (thus increasing the health and speed) of your computer.

For those that like to tinker with their computer and want to know what some of the cryptic names you will find in the Process list are, use the following sites to sleuth out the Processes listed in your Task Manager:

Future proofing your new PC

We have talked at length about the upcoming Windows Vista on our show and eluded to it here on the site. Microsoft says that it will come out in the first quarter of 2007 which leaves us about six months give or take. Adam and I had our first look at Vista during this year's Consumer Electronic Show (CES). We weren't impressed. Since then, I have read many Vista articles, reviews, blogs and even downloaded the beta version of Vista. I'm still not impressed.

All that being said, at some point you may want to upgrade to Vista (or its upgrade). I don't recommend waiting for Vista before buying a new PC because I truly believe that Vista will be a flop for the first six or so months (putting us into 2008). BUT, when you are buying a new computer or laptop, you might as well plan a little for the future. Here's what I'm telling callers and clients this month about what to look for in a new computer.

Windows 98 vs. Windows Vista

I've seen a fair amount of Windows 98 machines lately and read many, many articles and reviews about the upcoming (six months?) release of Windows Vista. If a computer user doesn't load a Windows 98 machine with bloated security software (Norton) or too many background programs and utilities, it runs pretty darn well…even fast! Windows Vista, on the other hand, continues to baffle industry experts on exactly what the purpose of the 'upgrade' is. After simplifying the operating system choices and essentially having one version of Windows, there will be at least five versions to choose from next year!

I should have trusted my instincts

I teach my kids to trust their instincts when making decisions, taking tests, and dealing with people. I try to do the same, but sometimes my brain (or maybe ego and curiosity) gets in the way. Over the past few years, we have talked at length about computer security and the dangers of not being secure.  After spending many hours hunkered down over an infected computer and trying to get overwhelmed computers fixed, we have come to a conclusion about fixing some of these problems. In some of the worst cases, it is cheaper and quicker to backup up the necessary user files then format the hard drive and start over with a fresh install of Windows, its updates and the proper security software.

Ordering HP – Compaq Recovery CD’s

Few computer manufacturers include the original installation disks or even recovery disks for new computers today. Almost every computer user will have a need to access these important disks over the life time of the machine. Most computer makers' web sites allow you to order these recovery CD's via their support sections. Also, you can (and should) make your own set of recovery CD's or DVD's through tools installed by your manufacturer on your computer. These tools can usually be found on the desktop or the Programs menu.

If you own an HP or Compaq computer, however, finding where to order these disks online is fruitless.

So, what’s wrong with AOL?

Everybody is picking on AOL this week. MSNBC had a huge story on the poor quality of AOL's customer service and (as Rick pointed out) AOL made it to number one on PC World's "25 Worst Tech Products of All Time."

So, what's wrong with AOL? I will use an analogy to explain. Imagine a small pioneer road in the early 1800s. In the early days of roads the shortest distance between two points was any path that started and ended in convenient locales. How fast the road was to travel, the smoothness of the road, and the incline made little difference.

Why I don’t like custom built computers

I have seen a lot of custom built computers lately. By custom built, I don’t mean Dells or HPs that are ordered custom configured. I am referring to computers that are built by friends, family members or computer shops using parts that are purchased separately then assembled like an Erector set.

Most computer geeks will likely prefer custom built comptuers because the parts are non-proprietary and they can be more easily worked on. These are valid arguements, but I will argue that most custom builts need worked on more often than off the shelf systems.

When you buy a custom built computer there are a few factors to consider.

Dell Onsite Support?

I’m curious how other folks are getting along with Dell support lately. Many of my clients are becoming increasingly disillusioned with Dell’s support. Not only do they not like trying to communicate with the nice, but difficult to understand phone tech support, but they also are not impressed with the onsite service.

Today, one of my long time customers had to have a hard drive replaced. The tech who showed up was in his house less than 15 minutes. He screwed in the new drive, started the machine and said good luck. This doesn’t seem like good service to me. Do you have any stories about tech support from Dell or any other manufacturer?

Make sure you have the disks

I do my best to support small local businesses, because I own and operate a small, local business. However, when it comes to purchasing a computer, too many times I have seen the small computer shop put together a machine that is more expensive with less features than a name brand computer. And worse, the computer does NOT come with the original Windows CD and accompanying license.

If you aren’t given and can’t obtain the original Windows installation disk when you purchase a computer, then the copy of Windows on your computer (and probably other software as well…think Microsoft Office) is illegal. The software will work fine, but when it comes time to reinstall after a hard drive crash or if you want to upgrade, you are stuck with having to purchase full versions of these programs.