Computer Questions (formally Your Desktop)

I there really that much difference between the various brands of laptops?

No apples.

After 6 hours of the PC running a CHKDSK, it seems to have sorted itself out.

There were a couple of files that it flagged up as being "unlinked" and that it seemed to fix.

The problem has been traced to a bad motherboard. I am not going to take the gamble and just replace it - who know what else might show up. And the laptop is getting on a bit. So, going to try and get some data off the hard drive that wasn't backed up and get a new laptop.

Not sure what to get though. I liked my Dell Inspiron so may try and get another. Or maybe an HP - some good deals about. Looking to spend £400-450 (max).

I would recommend Acer, personally (affordable and stable computers). I've had a HP, and while it was OK to use, it had ONE big issue -- the fan was only at the bottom of the laptop, causing constant over-heating. My Acer model, however, also has a fan on the side, which makes everything smoother. Maybe this is customary by now (and perhaps even HP has adressed this issue), but worth thinking about.

Thanks guys. I am no gamer either and wouldn't be putting any computer under too much strain.

I used to have a Dell Dimension PC which lasted seven years (nearly to the day). I also used to have a Dell Inspiron laptop, which died after nearly a decade, but only because I fried its brain - it was entirely my own fault.

I now have an Acer PC, which has been pretty good. It doesn't always boot first time, but I think that's because I've got an external drive hanging off it permenantly, and I think it gets confused as to which drive to boot from. Otherwise it's performed splendidly and reliably. (That said... whilst I believe in the brand, I bought it because I ran out of choice and time. My pc had been struggling so I started looking online to buiy a new one; either directly from Dell or one those build-your-own-pc websites. But then my old pc stopped working altogether at a very crucial time and I simply drove to PC World and bought the best thing I could afford. No regrets though. I have since doubled its ram and have upgraded to an ssd drive.)

At work we have Lenovo laptops. Very reliable but (much like HP and Sony) I think they are relatively more expensive than Dell or Acer.

I lied earlier... not deliberately. I don't have an Acer, I have an Asus, LOL. Close though.

The irony of all this pc shopping is that, whilst we attribute great value to the name Dell or Asus or Sony... ultimately the processor is Intel, the memory is Kingston, the harddrive is Western Digital, the cd rom probably HP or something.... end o' day, all pc's are a medly of different brands.

My computer knowledge stops at a certain point.

Now, for example, I turn it on only to discover that the damn "Update to Windows 10" logo is jammed back in the taskbar! And now I don't remember what I did the last time, to remove it.

I made the mistake thinking that my Dell laptop would be shipping from somewhere relatively close by...but shipping from China.

I upgraded my Laptop to Windows 10 this morning. So far everything is fine. Yet I never had much trouble with any Win version in contrast to others.

Volker

I have (another) question about updating to Windows 10.

I've just got my new Windows 8.1 laptop up-and-running, having re-installed most of the software (free and paid-for). If I update to Windows 10 will I have to re-install the programs again, or does the new OS just replace the old OS and leave my files and programs intact?

I'm on 10 already and rather happy with it.

My problem was Spotify, which I uninstalled through the Safe Mode, though maybe a (highly difficult to go into) Control Panel would do the trick...