When should a Windows laptop be replaced or upgraded
Deciding to upgrade or replace a laptops is a big decision. And it can be hard to know when or even if you should. You have to consider whether the work is worth it. If it is cheaper to replace or rebuild it. And whether you really need to do it.
It’s not as easy to replace the different components on a laptops as it is on a desktop computer. But it’s certainly possible to upgrade a laptops if you have the patience and the right tools. In some cases. However. External components can replace or supplement old. Damaged or missing internal components. Skip to the section below about your reason for wanting to upgrade or replace your laptops. There are options and suggestions for how to proceed in each scenario.
Tip: By following a few simple how-tos. You can avoid spending a lot of time upgrading or replacing your laptop if it’s not working. See how to fix a computer that won’t turn on if that’s what you’re dealing with.
Note: If you decide to have your computer repaired by a professional instead of replacing the parts yourself or buying a brand new system. See Getting your computer fixed: a complete FAQ for some tips.
My laptop is very slow
The primary device that determines the speed of a computer is the CPU and RAM. You can upgrade these components but it is not easy to do in laptops. In fact. If you find that it is damaged or does not meet your requirements. Then perhaps replacing the laptops is a wise decision.
However. Of the two. Memory is the easier to deal with. If you need more RAM or want to replace bad memory sticks you are fine to do it yourself. You can often open the bottom of your laptopss to do so.
See How Do I Replace Memory (Random Access Memory) in My Computer? If you need help
However. Before you destroy your laptop and replace something. Or dump the whole thing and buy a new one. You should try some of the easier and less expensive things first. Even though it just needs some TLC. A slow laptop makes it appear to need an upgrade or replacement.
See how much free space you have
If your laptops hard drive is running low on free space, it can definitely stop things and make programs open slower or files being saved forever. See How to Check Hard Disk Space in Windows to make sure. If you need to move some large files from your hard drive to quickly free up space to see if it helps overall performance. Use a disk space analyzer tool to see where all of your used space goes.
Delete unwanted files
Temporary files can take up large amounts of free space over time. Contributing not only to a full hard drive but also maximizing the performance that comes with making programs work harder or take longer to do their daily tasks.
Your browser’s cache should be cleared first. These files are safe to remove. But when you leave them. Over time. They will slow page loads and certainly even your entire computer. Also delete any temporary files that Windows may keep. Often several gigabytes of storage can be used .
Defrag your hard drive
As more and more files are added and removed from a laptops’s hard drive. The overall data structure becomes fragmented and reading and writing slows down. Defragment your hard drive with a free defrag tool like Defraggler . You can skip this step if the hard drive on your laptops is an SSD.
Check for malware
It may seem strange to check for viruses when you think about whether to replace or update your laptop. But malware can absolutely be the cause of a slow laptops. Install an antivirus to always stay protected from threats. Or scan your computer for viruses before turning it on if you are unable to log in.
Theoretically a laptop
If your laptop fans’ vents have dust, hair, and other dirt, the internal components can heat up much faster than is safe. This can force them to work overtime which can take away their primary purpose of keeping your laptop in top working order. Cleaning these areas of the laptop can cool the interior as well as help prevent any devices from overheating.
I need more laptop storage
If doing the above tasks doesn’t make enough storage or if you need additional hard drives in your laptop to back up files or store data, consider using an external hard drive to expand your laptop’s storage space.
The best thing about external devices is that they are external , connecting to the laptop via USB rather than sitting inside the laptop’s casing like a primary hard drive. These devices provide additional hard drive space for any reason; Software installation files, collections of music, video, etc. Buying an external hard drive is much cheaper and easier than replacing the internal one.
My laptop hard drive is not working
In general, you should replace your hard drive by not buying a brand new laptop. You should only decide to do this after ensuring that the drive is irreparable. If you think you need to replace the hard drive on your laptop, first do a free hard disk test on it to make sure there are really issues with it.
Some hard drives are in perfect working condition but just give an error that stops the normal operation and looks bad and in need of replacement. For example, your hard drive might be perfectly fine, but your laptop is set to boot to a flash drive every time your computer starts, which is why you can’t access your files or your operating system.
On the other hand, some hard drives are actually defective and need to be replaced. If your laptop hard drive is bad, consider replacing it with a working one.
bad laptop screen
A shattered laptop screen or at least generally may make it impossible to do anything. Repairing or replacing a laptop screen can be accomplished for less than the cost of replacing the entire laptop.
Visit the iFixit website and find your laptop, or at least a laptop similar to it (here’s an example). If possible, you may be able to find a step-by-step procedure on how to replace your laptop screen, or at least one you can use to do it yourself. However, an easy solution if your laptop is more stationary than a mobile, is to simply connect a monitor to the video port (e.g. VGA or HDMI) on the side or back of the laptop.
My laptop is not charging
Replacing your entire laptop when it won’t turn on is usually overkill. You may have a problem with charging. The problem could remain with the power cable, battery, or (less likely) a power source (such as a wall). In the event of a bad laptop battery or charging cable, it can simply be replaced. However, you may confirm that the battery is the problem by attaching the laptop to the wall without having to connect the battery; If the laptop turns on, the battery is to blame.
You can remove the battery from the back of your laptop to see what type of battery your laptop is using and use that information to find a replacement. It’s best to try someone else’s charging cable, if you can, before you buy your own replacement, just to make sure your cable is actually faulty.
If your dead or dying laptop isn’t caused by the battery or charging cable, consider plugging it in somewhere else, such as in a wall outlet or battery backup. If you find that the internal components are to blame for the laptop not holding a charge, the laptop should be replaced.
I want a newer operating system
In most cases, it is absolutely not recommended to buy a brand new laptop just to upgrade the operating system. While it is true that newer laptops come with the latest operating system, you can always install or upgrade a new operating system on your existing hard drive without replacing anything.
For example, if the computer is a laptop running system running Windows XP and you want to install the Windows 10 , already there is a good chance that your laptop supports upgrade, and in this case you can only buy the Windows 10 , and scan XP from the hard disk drive , and install the latest operating system. The only thing to consider is what system requirements for the operating system you want.
If you find that your operating system requires at least 2 GB of RAM, 20 GB of free hard drive space, a 1 GHz or faster CPU, and your laptop already has these things, it’s perfectly fine to upgrade the Operating system without the need to upgrade the laptop.
However, not all laptops can meet this requirement. If you don’t have it, think about what was said in the sections above about the hardware you need – if you need more RAM you can replace it just fine, but a faster CPU you probably need to buy a brand new laptop. You can use the free System Information tool to check what kind of hardware is inside your computer.
My laptop is missing CD/DVD/BD drive
Most laptops today do not have an optical drive . The good thing is that for most of you, you don’t need to upgrade your drive or replace your laptop to fix that. Alternatively, you can buy a relatively small external optical drive that plugs in via USB and lets you watch Blu-rays or DVDs, copy files to and from discs, etc.
Tip: If you have an optical drive but it’s not working properly, see How to Fix a DVD/BD/CD Drive That Won’t Open or Eject before considering replacing the entire system or buying a new disc .
I just want something new
Well don’t let us stop you! Sometimes it’s a good time to move on, if you’re ready for something new and better. Check out our latest in laptops: what you should buy for a roundup of the best out there right now.
