The Hoover Factor

(Alternative Title: "The Heat Is ON")

The CPU (processor) in most contemporary notebook computers gets hot. Very hot. So hot that, left alone, the processor would self-destruct in under a minute. Computers are therefore equipped with elaborate systems of temperature-controlled fans, heat sinks, thermal conduits, radiators, and cooling ducts, whose sole purpose is to keep your computer nice and cool. In most cases, these cooling systems work quite well - at least for a while.

But after a few years of use, your laptop's cooling system might become completely choked with dust. Mr. Hoover would be proud. Don't believe me? Here's a photo I took of a cooling radiator removed from a failed Dell notebook computer. You can see a thick layer of dust is completely blocking the radiator inlet. This blockage literally resembled a piece of felt glued across the inlet:



The majority of notebook computers that fail in service, fail due to thermal stress caused by overheating. Over time, this excess heat will shorten the life of various components in your computer, and can even affect the solder points on a motherboard, causing a circuit to disconnect or become intermittent. If you're lucky, your cooling fan may continue to provide adequate cooling by spinning continuously at its maximum speed, reducing its lifespan while making lots of noise.

To ensure your notebook computer lasts for as long as it was designed, regular maintenance of the cooling system is a must. While a few computers have small access panels that enable the owner to clean out the accumulated dust and pet hair, most require nearly a complete dis-assembly by a service technician. In either case, I'd recommend having your notebook's cooling system cleaned every year or so, depending on how dusty your environment is. It's worth every bit of your time and money.

Does My Computer Have A Bad Motherboard?

(For those of you for who are already familiar with this subject, please fast-forward to the third paragraph)

A motherboard is a thin circuit board slightly smaller than the dimensions of your computer, that electronically and mechanically integrates the various components of your computer into a functioning system. It contains thousands of etched copper 'wires' (called traces), in multiple stacked layers; most traces are thinner than a human hair. Each trace begins and ends with a microscopic solder point.

The motherboard typically has either a socket or a plug-in connector for your computer's CPU (processor), hard disk, memory, wireless adapter, modem, battery, LCD video display, keyboard, touchpad, CD/DVD drive, and external power jack. It also contains sockets for the USB, audio, speakers, microphone, webcam, and Ethernet ports. One customer recently likened it to a map of a major city, as viewed from a high elevation. It's a complicated component, to be sure - and the heart of any computer.

What happens when something goes wrong with your notebook's motherboard?

The symptoms are varied and often random. Most frequently, you might discover your computer has stopped reacting when the power button is pressed. It might also power on but not be able to load Windows. Or it might not display any video. It could also exhibit any combination of literally hundreds of different and often conflicting symptoms, from erratic operation to system hangs and freezes. Or no email on humid Tuesdays.

In general, motherboards cannot be repaired by mere mortals like myself. While there are a few shops around the country that have the highly specialized equipment and skills needed to diagnose and repair a motherboard problem, in 99.99% percent of the time, the motherboard is simply replaced because that is the more economic option.

The sad truth is that once a computer is out of warranty, it is not always cost-effective to replace the motherboard. Nearly every computer manufacturer charges far more for a new motherboard than your computer could possibly be worth. Generally, manufacturers price new motherboards at around 50% of the computer's original manufacturer's suggested retail price. Nobody's going to pay towards $400 to repair a $250 computer - I wouldn't do it even if you insisted. Well, I might.

What remains is basically eBay, where professional (and some not-so-professional) computer dismantlers congregate to sell used parts. While many of them are a pleasure to deal with, and sell well-tested parts, you are nonetheless receiving a used part that carries a very short or perhaps even no warranty. There is little assurance that a replacement used part won't also fail in the near future. I personally feel that used motherboards are overpriced, with sellers usually asking (and getting!) nearly 70% of the value of your used computer for the motherboard alone.

Despite all this, I replace motherboards frequently. Usually everything works out quite well, and the used board lasts a reasonable amount of time, often a number of years. Used motherboards cost from between $80 and $140 on eBay, and can always be installed in under two hours. One of the most significant advantages of replacing a motherboard -- and I can't overemphasize this -- it that once the motherboard is successfully replaced, your computer picks right up where it left off. No configuration is needed, no data recovery is needed, and there are no programs to reinstall and no need to learn new programs or a new operating system, or adjust to a new keyboard. Your computer will behave as if nothing had ever gone wrong. That is a clear advantage for people who just want to get back in the driver's seat.

Ultimately, of course, the decision to replace a defective motherboard is yours. Before making such a decision, be sure to factor in the risks as well as the realistic present value of your computer. In some cases, it can be less expensive in the long run to simply replace your computer with a new one.

The Myth of Virus Protection

(Alternate title: "Zen and the Art of Virus Protection")

In my service business, I've seen computers with no antivirus software installed that had remained largely virus-free after many years of use. I've also seen computers seriously infected with all sorts of virus or malware, despite being festooned with nearly every anti-virus, -spyware, -malware, and -trojan software extant. Even worse, I've seen computers so occupied with fighting off imaginary foes that insufficient resources remained for the computer to smoothly perform even the most basic of functions.

So I'm going to stick my neck out and suggest that, like flying cars, dark matter, and airport security, there's no such thing as complete antivirus protection.

While nearly all antivirus systems do a competent enough job of eradicating problems that have already occurred — perhaps months ago — their very nature renders them largely 'blind' to those threats which have not yet occurred. Said another way, antivirus software can only detect threats it already knows about. The corollary, of course, is that it simply isn't usually possible for antivirus software to detect new viruses. Sometimes I liken this situation to driving while looking out of the rear-view mirror: You can see precisely where you've been, but you have no idea where you're going. And that's a problem.

To make matters worse, the vandals out there who spread this kind of destruction are smart, and getting smarter all the time. They know nearly all of us have antivirus software running on our computers. What's a well-organized criminal to do? Exploit the system, that's what.

How? It's easy: Obtain the latest copy of all the major antivirus systems, and test that new virus you're about to release against them. If the virus gets detected, go back to the drawing board and re-write and re-test the virus. Before that virus is released, make absolutely sure it is known to be undetectable by all major antivirus systems.

Is this scenario something you should worry about? Well, yes and no. Yes, in the obvious sense, but no, in the sense that it's pointless to spend time and money trying to solve a problem that can't be fully solved. What's even more foolish is to deny this truth, and instead layer your computer with multiple heavy-duty, resource-hogging, performance-sapping 'protection' schemes that accomplish little else but reduce your computer to an expensive paperweight.

Until, oh, around five minutes ago, you might have been resting comfortably, assuaged by the knowledge that your computer was protected against all threats. Now what should you do?

(1) accept that your computer may inevitably get infected with a virus of some sort despite your best efforts to prevent it
(2) install a lighter-weight ("weight", in the sense of the computer resources it consumes) antivirus product, perhaps an inexpensive or free one
(3) focus instead on being able to easily recover from any disaster that might occur.

Watch this blog for a future post on my least-favorite subject: disaster recovery.

Why Has My Computer Slowed Down?

The truth is, your computer probably hasn't slowed down at all. Except under very unusual circumstances, computer hardware does not slow down with age. Your computer is capable of running only at its designed speed; no slower, no faster. So why then does it seem so slow?

There are many, many answers to this question. Here's the best answer I can give you: Your computer is probably doing a significant amount of additional (and unnecessary) work.

What kinds of work?

To simplify greatly but meaningfully, your computer is either attempting to exceed the computational speed of its processor (CPU load), attempting to exceed the performance limits of its hard disk, or attempting to download data from the Internet faster than your Internet connection permits. Or all three.

Why would that be?

The list is nearly endless, but here are most of the primary causes:

• Automated antivirus scans
• Automated antispyware scans
• Automated hard disk defragmentation (Windows Vista and 7 only)
• Automated Windows Updates (security updates)
• Automated Windows Updates (feature and product updates)
• Automatic updating of installed Application software
• Excessive hard disk access (reads and writes) due to hard disk fragmentation
• Excessive hard disk activity due to insufficient installed memory
• Poor or degraded wireless connection quality
• Poor or degraded Internet connection speed

What can I do about it?

I plan to move this topic to another article entitled "How Can I Increase My Computer's Speed?", but in the meantime, here are some quick answers:

1. Install additional memory. Windows XP should have between 512MB and 1GB of RAM, and Windows Vista/7 should have between 2 and 4GB of memory.
2. Replace the hard disk with a faster and higher-capacity drive. This is one of the best and most frequently overlooked upgrades.
3. Reschedule antivirus scans for a different time when computer is lightly used.
4. Reschedule Microsoft Windows updates for a different time when computer is lightly used.
5. Defragment your hard disk, preferably when the computer is not being used for anything else.
6. Perform a good antivirus and antispyware scan, and eliminate all malware found during the scan.
7. Analyze your wireless connection speed and make sure it exceeds that of your Internet connection.
8. Uninstall all the programs you're not using and the pre-installed programs you have never used.
9. Reduce or eliminate all programs that automatically start up when your computer starts.
10. Install a different antivirus program. Many older antivirus programs significantly degraded the computer's performance, especially Norton, McAfee, and Symantec (the newest versions are fine).
11. Use a faster web browser, such as Mozilla Firefox 3.5 (there are many others, too).

One last thing:

Windows XP has a reputation for degrading over time. This should not happen, and does not make complete sense -- but it appears to be true nonetheless. If you'd like, I encourage you to Google this subject and read the various theories which might explain this phenomenon. But the bottom line is this: Some experts recommend re-installing Windows XP every few years, especially if you've (1) installed, uninstalled, or reinstalled a significant number of different programs; and (2) installed, uninstalled, or reinstalled a number of different devices, such as printers and scanners.

Which is Better, PC or Macintosh?

I'm not going to touch this one -- but I will give you some information to help you decide for yourself.

One important fact that many people are not aware of is that computer manufacturers do not make their own parts or components. Inside a typical laptop, you might see a Toshiba or Sony LCD panel, a Seagate or Hitachi hard disk, a Samsung CD/DVD drive, an nVidia or ATI graphics chip, memory by Samsung or Hynix, and of course a processor manufactured by Intel or perhaps AMD. The vast majority of these components will have been made in China. While there are clearly some differences in quality, each of these manufacturers has its reputation to protect, and none of them intentionally sells problematic components.

And here's the real kicker:

Internally, Macintosh computers are made with virtually the same components as a PC. In fact, these days, most PCs can be made to run Mac OS-X, and most Apples can be made to run Windows. Apple computers now use the same kinds of Intel CPUs, memory, displays, and hard disks as PCs.

The evidence suggests you will experience little if any difference in hardware reliability between a PC and a Mac.

So are there any differences at all?

Absolutely. Simply stated, Mac OS X is a fundamentally different operating system from Microsoft Windows. There are numerous arguments on both sides, but in general, Macintosh computers are considered to be easier to learn, more intuitive, more stylish, less popular -- and more expensive, albeit with a higher resale value. With the recent release of Windows 7, some pundits are claiming that even those differences are beginning to evaporate.

It should be noted that Apple's service and support are often superior, though with higher out-of-warranty repair costs. For the vast majority of computer users, the higher purchase cost of a typical Macintosh (often at least double) is the deciding factor.

Should I Buy a Laptop or a Desktop Computer?

There is no one correct answer to this question. The decision depends entirely on your needs and preferences. Here are some guidelines to help you decide. Please keep in mind that these are useful generalizations, but generalizations nonetheless. You may discover some exceptions. Here's the list:

Advantages of Desktop Computers:

• Faster
• More reliable
• Less expensive
• Lower maintenance
• More easily upgraded
• Larger screen display
  
• Greater hard disk storage capacity
• Less attractive to thieves

Advantages of Laptop (Notebook) Computers:

• Portable!
• Smaller
• Wireless
• Usable where there is no electricity (at least for a while)

Disadvantages of Laptop (Notebook) Computers:

• More likely to be damaged due to mishandling
• Inherently less reliable due to greater heat generation
• Higher maintenance costs (battery needs to be replaced every 2 years or so, at an approximate cost between $45 and $85)
• More likely to be lost or stolen

My favorite combination is to own a relatively expensive, higher-capacity desktop computer that has a relatively large display, and a lightweight, wireless laptop that's a bit older and not too valuable. How about you?

Should I Upgrade to Windows 7?

I am asked this question nearly every other day. There is no single answer that applies to everyone. Windows 7 is a fine product, perhaps one of the better ones to have come out of Redmond in many years. While upgrading can be quite rewarding for numerous reasons, I would recommend caution be exercised, especially if you are contemplating upgrading from Windows XP. Here's why:

The majority of computers originally shipped with Windows XP simply may not have the ability to smoothly run Microsoft's latest operating system, in part because it can be difficult to find Windows 7 device drivers for certain XP machines, and in part because Windows 7 has a significantly larger memory 'footprint' than Windows XP. At minimum, you may need to upgrade your computer's memory to between 1.5 and 3 gigabytes. Consider the fact that Windows 7's resource requirements are nearly identical to those of Windows Vista, which has a reputation for consuming excess computer resources.

Consider, too, that your Web browser, the Internet, and word processor are all the same. As important as your computer's operating system might be, your computing experience is likely framed by your web browser, which many people use to access their email, in addition to viewing web pages. The web browser in Windows 7 is identical to the web browser used in Windows XP and Windows Vista. Once you're on the web, you may not notice much difference at all.

Microsoft has incrementally fixed nearly all the flaws in Windows Vista by issuing Vista Services Packs 1 and 2, which are available as free downloads from Microsoft. Once installed, these two service packs should enable you to enjoy a nearly flawless Vista experience.

Windows 7 isn't a free upgrade for most computers. If you are currently running Windows XP or an earlier release of Windows Vista, it will cost you at least $100 USD to purchase an upgrade license for Windows 7. If you choose to have a third party install it for you, that of course will cost you even more.

Having said that, most reports indicate Windows 7 is an improvement in nearly every way, and offers some appealing new features as well. Most Windows Vista machines are excellent candidates for this upgrade, especially if they are equipped with a dual-core (or better) CPU. If you are willing to purchase a Windows 7 license and upgrade your hardware as needed, you may truly enjoy the freshness and novelty of the new operating system.

Then again, you may find it more cost-effective to simply purchase a new computer with Windows 7 pre-installed, especially if your computer is more than 3 - 4 years old.

Or, you could do nothing.

Is Windows Vista Really As Bad As They Say?

Few software products have endured as much disparagement as Microsoft Windows Vista, with the possible exception of Windows Me. How well-deserved that animosity is is the subject of another post. While I am far from a Microsoft apologist, I have to emphasize as strongly as I can that there is nothing inherently 'wrong' with Windows Vista. Most of Vista's ignominious reputation was the result of one or more of the following factors, none of which likely apply to you:

1. You upgraded your Windows XP or Windows 2000 machine yourself. Such a procedure is fraught with peril, and can challenge even the most experienced IT professional. However, if you purchased your computer with Vista pre-installed by your computer's manufacturer, you should trust that the manufacturer has installed and configured Vista properly, and will run reliably. It usually does.
   
2. Your have Windows Vista Home Basic installed on your computer. Vista Basic was forced into the market by Microsoft, and was initially installed on machines which did not have the capacity to run Vista smoothly. This is not an inherent problem with Vista, and can usually be remedied by installing additional memory in your computer - an easy and inexpensive fix.
3. You are running the original release of Windows Vista. Microsoft has subsequently issued two service packs for all editions of Windows Vista: SP1 and SP2. Each fixes a number of security vulnerabilities and stability problems, and is available as a free download for all licensed Vista installations. If you haven't upgraded your Vista machine to at least the Service Pack 1 level, I strongly urge you to do it or have it done for you - today.
4. You are attempting to run legacy (i.e., old) software that has not been updated by the vendor to work under Windows Vista. If the vendor hasn't abandoned this software, it is very likely you can purchase or download an update for Windows Vista. If not, you may have to look into using a different program that performs the same function.
   

There is truly no need to avoid the purchase of a computer that came pre-installed with Windows Vista.

Laptop Battery Life

Customers are often surprised at how short-lived laptop batteries are. Laptop batteries function by consuming themselves chemically over time. Therefore, it is normal and expected for a laptop battery to gradually lose capacity. In fact, after around two years of use, most laptop batteries will barely be functioning at 50% of their original capacity. If your laptop battery is 3 years old or older, and is still working well, you might well consider that a gift. The bottom line is that a laptop battery must be considered a normal wear item, like the brakes on a car.

There isn't very much you can do to extend the useful life of your laptop battery. At one extreme, you can remove the battery entirely, and run your laptop directly from its AC adapter. The downside to this approach, of course, is that your battery will fully dischange in a few weeks. Then, if you suddenly need your computer to run on battery power, you'll have to wait 2 or 3 hours to recharge the battery. Most people are better off just leaving the battery installed.

Remember to properly dispose of any used computer batteries so they don't end up in landfills contaminating our drinking water.