Dell laptop problems

[hifi_dave]

I am on my third Dell laptop and it's giving me trouble after approx. 4 years use.

Each one has started to play up after 4 years or so, all three with similar faults. This one started around 2-3 weeks ago by displaying a message from 'Dell' that there are problems with the hard disc. I have deleted this each time and not clicked on any link - just in case. Following this, I have been having various minor problems, requiring me to turn off and restart.

This laptop runs a full McAfee scan each day - always has done but now it stops at 87% and won't allow me to do anything at all, not even turn it off. I have to turn off by pushing the power button and re-starting. I have run a fill Malware Bytes scan which shows nothing.

I have been told that Dell computers are built to 'self destruct' so that you have to buy a new one. Is that true ?

[skimminstones]

I have been told that Dell computers are built to 'self destruct' so that you have to buy a new one. Is that true ?

no manufacturer is going to build something to specifically break after a certain time frame. Why would they? Even if they did so as to force you to buy a new laptop why would you continue to buy that manufacturers product if it kept breaking? Youd buy one of their competitors surely.

[StanleyB]

I am on my third Dell laptop and it's giving me trouble after approx. 4 years use.

Each one has started to play up after 4 years or so, all three with similar faults. This one started around 2-3 weeks ago by displaying a message from 'Dell' that there are problems with the hard disc. I have deleted this each time and not clicked on any link - just in case. Following this, I have been having various minor problems, requiring me to turn off and restart.
Hard disks have a finite life span, and laptop hard disks tend to fail even more so. Once you start getting warnings that there are problems with the hard disk, get a new hard disk next week and copy an image of the existing one over to the new one. Then swap the drives over. If you keep ignoring the warnings, don't be surprised if the HD eventually fails within the next month. Four years is about what I would expect from a regularly used laptop HD.

[Tim]

I have been told that Dell computers are built to 'self destruct' so that you have to buy a new one. Is that true ?
Well all I can say is I have a Vostro on my desk at work and its worked very hard for over 40 hours a week, every week and has done for nearly 6 years now, however I have put a new hard drive in and upgraded the O/S to Windows 7 from XP. I had an Inspiron for around 5 years and that got humped over to a tropical climate and gave great service there for 3 years and 2 back in the UK. I also have a D600 at home that is still good after nearly 10 years, so I have not found one yet that has given me a problem after a 4 years use. I do however have a habit of refreshing the O/S regularly from images I create when new and I suspect your problem is either the hard disk or your O/S is getting clunky and could perhaps do with a fresh install. Truth be told I have never ever had a problem with any laptop I have owned, apart from an Advent which was rather nasty.

I have owned and used countless machines, but I always clean off all the crap when I buy them and do a fresh install of just the Windows O/S alone and nothing else - third party software is the devil and often the cause of many problems. Free software should carry a Government health warning!

Might be an idea to take the back off and check for any dust build up around the fan too, hard drive problems in laptops can often be heat related? Easy for me to say, but I would try a fresh install of Windows and maybe a new hard drive, perhaps an SSD, which would make you think you had a new computer ;)

[MikeMusic]

I buy Lenovo and currently run MS Essentials
Heard too many problems with Dell and i think McAfee also cause problems, can't remember for certain

[hifi_dave]

Thank you all for the good advice. As you may have gathered, I am a complete computer numpty and just about get by but nothing technical.

I have heard a rumour that Dell do build in a time limit on their computers but it's more likely, I guess, that the laptop is wearing out. Externally it looks as good as new and I have fitted a new battery but perhaps, it is the hard drive. It is switched on and in use for 10 hours/day so it's had a reasonable life.

I do have a newer Sony Vaio, so might take this Dell down the road and see how much it will cost for a new hard drive to be fitted. Are they all the same inside ?

[walpurgis]

Before spending money on repairs, try clearing out any file clutter and defragmenting the hard drive. Both options accessible in 'Programs' in 'Accessories' under 'System tools' (disk cleanup & defragmenter). If that fails to help, get a Windows 7 reinstall/repair disc off eBay for a couple of quid and do a reinstall of the operating system. It's simpler than you'd imagine. I've just done one on a Dell Inspiron Zino, which uses laptop components in a mini desktop PC. What can you loose?

[hifi_dave]

OK. With great anticipation, I opened up the 'defragment' thingy and it is scheduled to do it every couple of days and did so today. So that should be OK ?

I also did a 'clean up' but not sure what that actually did. I will see how that goes.

On a different note - My Wife has a new Sony with Windows 8. Is it safe to upgrade to 8.1 yet ? Have they sorted the bugs ?

[Tim]

OK. With great anticipation, I opened up the 'defragment' thingy and it scheduled to do it every coupld of days and did so today. So that should be OK ?

I also did a 'clean up' but not sure what that actually did. I will see how that goes.

On a different note - My Wife has a new Sony with Windows 8. Is it safe to upgrade to 8.1 yet ? Have they sorted the bugs ?
There aren't bugs with 8 (or 8.1) David, it's just divided opinion on usability. If you are think of putting 8 on, buy an SSD at the same time and you would be amazed at how speedy your old DELL would become ;)
Assuming your hard drive is SATA that is and has connectors like this;

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRrvprF9m91aowvo_nYaW_jhzw_aHxFH qiJdHxG7GwYzxNLhCgj

[The Barbarian]

I have three Dell laptops. I fitted new HDD in all of them..

[hifi_dave]

My Wife's Sony is Windows 8 and we were going to do the 8.1 'update' but found lots of negative comments.These appear to have abated, so we were wondering about doing the 8.1 thingy now ?

OK, now I'm going to show my ignorance - what is SSD and SATA ? I won't be putting Windows 8 on this oldish Dell because I think the touch screen is part of the fun and I haven't got one.

[walpurgis]

This tells you what drive types are:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/262323/what_do_hard_drive_related_words_like_sata_ide_and _raid_actually_mean_.html

If you have no specific need to 'upgrade' your wife's Sony to 8.1, I wouldn't bother. Any initial bugs with 8.0 are likely to have been sorted in automatically downloaded Windows Updates by now anyway and although I don't use 8.0 myself I'd imagine it is pretty stable and it will be supported by Microsoft for many years yet.

Me, I only moved from XP to windows 7 recently. I'd have been perfectly happy to carry on with XP, but there's no MS support now.