Windows 7, total crap, new OP system recommendations? [Archive] - Colorado AR-15 Shooters Club Discussion Forums

brianakell

01-29-2014, 11:36

Ive got windows 7 on 2 computers. Both absolutely suck goata$$. Slow as can be, and for stupid stuff. Like saving a word document, here's you blue swirly thing. Want to open UPS software, oh another blue swirly, yay! Worse is, Ive got an old XP laptop that smokes the windows 7 machines for responsiveness. I run autocad on a silly old laptop, that's had repair, and the brand spanking new desktop, I won't even load it on! Web pages, holy hell, whole 'nother story. WAAAAY better on the XP machine. Literally took 10 second to just log in to this website on the 7 machine!

Bottom line, Im so sick of this Microsoft utter POS, I want to drag it to the range and pickup some tannerite on the way. What OP systems are good these days? And do I have to re-buy all the programs for a mac or something else, or are those companies likely to help me out in some form?

Other than CAD, paper beat computer every day of the week. Gates you suck miserably. Great marketing and taking majority of consumers money, but your software is utter crap! [Mad]

kawiracer14

01-29-2014, 11:45

What are the specs on these computers? Are they too old to run Windows 7?

7 is light years better than Windows 8.

Delfuego

01-29-2014, 11:51

Something is wrong with your stuff brother. I have no issues with Win7, it flies. You probably have a root-kit or something is wrong with the system.

I'm sure Apple will just give you everything you need, they are so very helpful [facepalm]

No trying to be a dick, but I give your rant a 2 out of 10. I have been hearing the same thing for a decade now. WinXP (Windows 2002) is officially done in a month or two. It is end of life and will be the biggest virus magnet ever soon enough. I have deployed Windows 7 in many, many offices, and homes and it works great. If yours is having problems it isn't the OS, it's something else. If you want to bring it to me I will sort it out for you...

And Bill Gates doesn't run MS anymore, not since 2008. [Beer]

Teufelhund

01-29-2014, 11:54

What are the specs on these computers? Are they too old to run Windows 7?

7 is light years better than Windows 8.

+1

Windows 7 is very stable and runs fast on everything I have it on. It outperforms Vista and Windows 8 in my experience. I would take a look at your hardware specs, and then what else you have running in the background. Anti-virus scans will make most PCs unusable while they are running, and a majority of software that you install also installs an "always on" service for no good reason (e.g. my Epson printer software seems to think it needs several monitoring services running all the time; those get shut off permanently on my PCs).

Aloha_Shooter

01-29-2014, 12:08

Win7 is to WinVista as Win98 Second Edition was to Win95 but your computer does need to meet some minimum specifications or it'll run like a drunk two-legged dog.

Win8 is just total fecal matter so I've eliminated the use of Windows at home and even convinced my workplace to get me a MacBook Pro instead of a Windows box when they did lifecycle replacements to get me off WinXP.

If you want to reuse the hardware you have then switch it to Ubuntu or some other flavor of Linux or FreeBSD.

spqrzilla

01-29-2014, 12:09

On older hardware, I put a Linux release on them and get a lot more life out of them. However, if you are dependent upon specific software, you will probably not find it in Linux versions (although you could be surprised).

In most cases, if your system really is a dog with Windows 7 you might look at its installed RAM. These days, if not already maxedout, RAM can be the cheapest upgrade to PC hardware.

sellersm

01-29-2014, 12:09

Agree with all that's been said. It's gotta be something with the hardware specs or some kind of malware/rootkit or something. Win 7 is the best OS in a long time (well, since XP). Windows 8? I'll wait.

sellersm

01-29-2014, 12:10

On older hardware, I put a Linux release on them and get a lot more life out of them. However, if you are dependent upon specific software, you will probably not find it in Linux versions (although you could be surprised).

+1 to this suggestion as well! I've got some very old hardware chugging along with Linux... For just web surfing or basic stuff, it works fine.

Zundfolge

01-29-2014, 12:10

Windows 7 is the best OS Microsoft has made ... I have to agree with Delfuego (and damn you for making me agree with Delfuego) but either something is wrong with your Windows 7 machines or they're old.

Maybe invest in some RAM?

+2 for Linux if you can get away with it.

Ah Pook

01-29-2014, 12:25

I'm still running XP. I feel like a Ludite. [Shy]

"puter specs would really help. As others have said, sounds like a horsepower issue.

UrbanWolf

01-29-2014, 12:29

I think Win8 is bad, but Win7 is pretty good. Get someone who knows computer to install Linux Zorin for you, maybe you'd like it.

Danimal

01-29-2014, 12:41

1) clean and de-frag the hard drive
2) Get a registry cleaner (http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-pctuneup) and run through to fix registry errors. (Really running the free trial should do the trick)
3) clean and de-frag the hard drive again
4) if you are happy with the performance stop here
5) If not purchase an SSD and clone your old hard drive onto the SSD. This will require software like Shadow Project (http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-free-and-reliable-cloning-tools/#.)
6) Clear and format your original HDD to be used as your volume storage.

Your computer will feel like a super computer when you are done. Also the SSD should be used for the OS and programs only. All data should be saved on the old hard drive when you are done. This will save some room on the SSD and allow you to purchase a smaller one. With Win 7 I would recommend at least 120 GB SSD (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147247) even if you are not using that much of your hard drive currently. It will allow for trim and growth as the SSD ages and you get new software. You should be able to get the software and SSD for less than the cost of two licenses for a new Win based OS, and Window 7 really is about as good as it gets in terms of being compatible with everything and cost. Just be aware sometimes there are problems when cloning a larger HDD to a smaller SSD, so verify that your copy is bootable prior to formatting your old drive. You need software to copy the hard drive to maintain drive tables or everything will go haywire.

Macs are great if you buy into their proprietary everything bullshit and pay out the ass for it.

Zundfolge

01-29-2014, 12:43

If we're recommending Linux Distros I'll put my $.02 in for Mint (http://www.linuxmint.com/) or Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/) (haven't tried Zorin).

KestrelBike

01-29-2014, 12:46

I'm placing $5 that he actually has win8 and not win7.

sellersm

01-29-2014, 12:57

Macs are great if you buy into their proprietary everything bullshit and pay out the ass for it.

Yeah, but you feel so much better... [Coffee]

Gman

01-29-2014, 13:09

Win7 is the best MS OS since XP.

Sounds like you might have an issue with your hard drive.

crays

01-29-2014, 13:12

I'm still running XP. I feel like a Ludite. [Shy]

"puter specs would really help. As others have said, sounds like a horsepower issue.

There's 2 d's in Luddite, pook.

Sent via my Mobile Work Avoidance Device

crays

01-29-2014, 13:15

Not to highjack, but any of you Linux gurus in Aurora available for some info?

Sent via my Mobile Work Avoidance Device

ray1970

01-29-2014, 13:26

My company recently upgraded to some newer version of windows. I think it is 7. It's been a pain in my butt. But I'm not real tech savvy so that might be the problem.

crays

01-29-2014, 13:34

Danimal - "Macs are great if you buy into their proprietary everything bullshit and pay out the ass for it."

Yeah, but you feel so much better than everyone else... [Coffee]

FIFY

Zundfolge

01-29-2014, 13:34

The biggest problems caused by Windows 7 and 8 is the transition from a 32bit OS to a 64bit one ... older software written for 32bit Windows often doesn't quite work right when it finds itself installed in C:\Program Files (x86) instead of C:\Program Files

I also think the 32bit flavors of Windows 7 (is there a 32bit Win8?) don't work quite as well as they should. ESPECIALLY when installed on a 64bit machine.

This is unfortunate, but necessary. The advantages of 64bit are just too great (ability to use more than 3.5GB RAM alone).

nynco

01-29-2014, 13:46

How old is your computer? Because at a certain point, its just best to upgrade it all. You can a screaming good system that will put anything older than 3 years to shame from Microcenter for around 400. Just custom build one and shop the sales there. No matter how good or bad you think Windows 7 is, if the system is older than dirt, well there is no helping that.

If you can't afford to upgrade then look into a Linux distro. I personally favor Mint now over Ubuntu (unity can suck it). But if you have a really old system, then even Mint might be too much.

nynco

01-29-2014, 13:52

If price is a concern then the AMD stuff is cheaper but still way better than older anything. Get a chip and mother board combo for like 160. Add 8 gigs of RAM for like 80, DVD drive for 20, Solid State HD (BEST UPGRADE EVER) for like 80, 1tb storage hard drive for music or movies 80, case for like 40 and yer done. Reuse your old monitor and keyboard if you want or buy a new one for cheap too.

http://www.microcenter.com/site/products/amd_bundles.aspx
(http://www.microcenter.com/site/products/amd_bundles.aspx)
I also know you said your computer was new, but new is relative to some people. If you computer is new then you might have a virus or a root kit going on. You need to get some virus scanners to fix that. As another poster suggested, registry cleaner too.

Gman

01-29-2014, 14:26

(is there a 32bit Win8?)
Yes, there is. It's part of the 'being able to load that turd on anything' strategy from Microsoft.

MarkCO

01-29-2014, 14:40

We just put W7 on a computer to test compatibility and such...runs like a champ. When I put a 64bit system on a computer 6 years ago, nothing would run, had to go back to a 32bit. I got a bunch of tweaks from a MS employee. I retried the 64bit OS last year and man on man did it run better.

MED

01-29-2014, 14:40

Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS loaded with Wine for your windows aps. If you have a licensed copy of windows then configure VirtualBox and run a VM. This is the setup I use at work. If you are not familiar with the Linux environment, it takes some time and patience, but it runs great without the overhead of windows. If you are building a gaming machine, Win8 with the Start8 add on and fix the mess Microsoft created.

cstone

01-29-2014, 18:06

Back up your data, wipe the drive and load Linux Mint - http://www.linuxmint.com/

Find a replacement program for every program you used to pay for on your M$ box and know that if you have problems with it you can easily find help on the web. Only one box I use at home has WinXP on it so that I can access work related stuff, but every other machine (except for the old PowerBook running OSX) I use is running a Linux distro.

Holger Danske

01-29-2014, 18:10

It is too bad OS2 Warp never took off...

cstone

01-29-2014, 18:21

It is too bad OS2 Warp never took off...

I liked OS/2. Compared to the DOS/Windows shell combination that most computers came loaded with, OS/2 was a much better OS. BeOS was even better but was tougher to get running and NeXT Cube was probably one of the best systems available in the early 1990s. Does anyone remember CP/M DOS?

wctriumph

01-29-2014, 18:26

We have all of our computers at work on Win 7 and my home laptop is as well, no issues to speak of other than at work we had to (finally) replace some of our printers as Win 7 could not get drivers to support them. I liked XP but no complaints about 7.

TEA

III

Aloha_Shooter

01-29-2014, 18:52

CP/M was certainly better than MS-DOS but so was DR-DOS. I really liked OS/2 Warp -- it was a better Windows than Windows by the time they got to V3 and V4. I tend to think that was one of the reasons MS pressed so hard to get a crappy version of Win95 out the door since IBM had no rights to the extensions MS added for Win95. I was laughing at the guys who stood in line for a midnight copy of Win95 and then bitching about how bad it was the next day. My OS/2 system was more stable and user friendly than the Win NT 3.5 systems at work -- but IBM had really crappy marketing for PC-related products.

blacklabel

01-29-2014, 18:59

The only trouble that I've had with 7 was using massive Excel sheets. It's not stable at all.

trlcavscout

01-29-2014, 19:07

What are the specs on these computers? Are they too old to run Windows 7?

7 is light years better than Windows 8.

Agreed 8 is like a teenage girls wet dream Iphone yet worthless as fuck as a PC OS.

ANADRILL

01-29-2014, 19:31

Windows 7 is evil....

rondog

01-29-2014, 19:32

Aloha_Shooter

01-29-2014, 20:32

The only trouble that I've had with 7 was using massive Excel sheets. It's not stable at all.

How massive? Mine were 45 MB with tons of data, formulas and graphs and I never saw stability problems. Took a while to open them but no stability problems.

ZERO THEORY

01-29-2014, 20:35

What are the specs on these computers? Are they too old to run Windows 7?

7 is light years better than Windows 8.

This. If you're having issues with W7...YOU are havng issues.

colorider

01-29-2014, 22:03

I'm still running XP. I feel like a Ludite. [Shy]

"puter specs would really help. As others have said, sounds like a horsepower issue.

I'm still on XP too. .And use a computer ever day. I can't switch. I have a plotter that I use and the software will not work with any other windows. New software is over $800. I am quite fond of xp. Never crashes or hangs on me.

cstone

01-29-2014, 22:15

I'm still on XP too. .And use a computer ever day. I can't switch. I have a plotter that I use and the software will not work with any other windows. New software is over $800. I am quite fond of xp. Never crashes or hangs on me.

WinXP is just fine for what it is. Just FYI, M$ has milked every dime it could from WinXP and they have decided to cut it loose and no longer support it, so as of April 8th, M$ will no longer provide updates and patches for WinXP and Office 2003. What does M$ suggest you do to insure you have an OS which is patched to any flaws or exploits? Give them money and upgrade to Win7 or Win8 and Office 2013.

One of my biggest beefs with M$ is that they won't release MS-DOS into an open license like GNU. M$ won't release any of their old, unsupported software into open licensing so that computer enthusiasts could continue development on older platforms. I guess in a way it has been good because it has forced developers to create new and innovative solutions, however, it would garner just a small amount of goodwill if M$ would throw a bone to people who just like to tinker with older systems. Rant off.

clublights

01-30-2014, 00:34

1)

Macs are great if you buy into their proprietary everything bullshit and pay out the ass for it.

What "proprietary everything bullshit" do you mean?

I'm seriously curious here....

00tec

01-30-2014, 00:45

Gman

01-30-2014, 01:27

Take a look at the capacitors on the motherboard. Most are close to the ram. Are they swollen? If so, it can be repaired. I'm fixing mine once I decide to get off my ass.The caps that blow most often are usually around the CPU socket.

blacklabel

01-30-2014, 07:13

How massive? Mine were 45 MB with tons of data, formulas and graphs and I never saw stability problems. Took a while to open them but no stability problems.

Definitely not that big.

rondog

01-30-2014, 13:13

Take a look at the capacitors on the motherboard. Most are close to the ram. Are they swollen? If so, it can be repaired. I'm fixing mine once I decide to get off my ass.

Uh, hmmm. I'll have to take a looky!

What's happening is the machine works fine for awhile but then the video display gets all wacky looking, multi-colored and speckled. No matter what monitor or drivers. Micro Center messed with it for weeks, finally throwing in the towel and giving my money back for the diagnostic work.

Could capacitors cause this? The PC doesn't die, just the display becomes unusable. Sometimes a reboot will fix it, but usually not. I haven't even hooked the bastard back up since MC gave it back.

MED

01-30-2014, 13:57

Uh, hmmm. I'll have to take a looky!

What's happening is the machine works fine for awhile but then the video display gets all wacky looking, multi-colored and speckled. No matter what monitor or drivers. Micro Center messed with it for weeks, finally throwing in the towel and giving my money back for the diagnostic work.

Could capacitors cause this? The PC doesn't die, just the display becomes unusable. Sometimes a reboot will fix it, but usually not. I haven't even hooked the bastard back up since MC gave it back.

Do you have integrated video or is it a card? If it is integrated, disable it If you have an AGP or PCI express expansion slot...put a cheap card in it. I put different video cards in the kids P4 XP era machines and they all worked well.

rondog

01-30-2014, 14:12

Do you have integrated video or is it a card? If it is integrated, disable it If you have an AGP or PCI express expansion slot...put a cheap card in it. I put different video cards in the kids P4 XP era machines and they all worked well.

Uhhh......

Danimal

01-30-2014, 16:24

Any of you computer savvy fellers work on them for hire? If so, send me a PM willya? Being unemployed I'm gimping along with an old corporate laptop running XP. Ain't much of a computer, but still works fine. It has a bunch of old corporate BS software cluttering up the drive that I'd love to get shoveled out. Basically a cleanout and tuneup, something to keep it alive until we can replace it. Not looking for free work, but affordable.

Also have a Dell desktop that's newer and better, but Micro Center says the motherboard is getting flaky and can't be fixed. I'm a total computard when it comes to working on them.

It sounds like your graphics processor is failing. First thing that I would do is pull the whole thing apart, blow all the dust off of everything and then clean and re-apply thermal paste on the heat sinks for the cooler. Depending on the age of the computer, the processor and the configuration of the mother board there are a lot of different things that could be going wrong with it. Thermal paste is like $1 and available at best buy and most computer stores. I would start there and then when it is not thermally shutting down then you can move to software related issues.

Hound

01-30-2014, 17:06

I prefer anything Unix so Mac/linux/BSD are the answer for me but many things still require Win. Most of the input here has been spot on. You are probably either running old hardware or infected. Either way your gonna have to start from scratch if the memory upgrades don't work. The whole win7 vs win8 argument... I run both and they are both solid if setup right. Win8 is built on the code just a different frontend that takes some getting use to. My password cracker is running on win8 doing over 1.2 Trillion hashes per min and 21billion per second. I have setup far less capable systems with win8 and have no problem. Get somebody who breathes this stuff to take a look if need be.

Holger Danske

01-30-2014, 19:36

It sounds like your graphics processor is failing. First thing that I would do is pull the whole thing apart, blow all the dust off of everything and then clean and re-apply thermal paste on the heat sinks for the cooler. Depending on the age of the computer, the processor and the configuration of the mother board there are a lot of different things that could be going wrong with it. Thermal paste is like $1 and available at best buy and most computer stores. I would start there and then when it is not thermally shutting down then you can move to software related issues.

Ive heard of folks using a penny (pre 1984 or whenever they changed to copper content) between the GPU and heatsink to fix flakey video issues. But it would be much easier to buy a cheap pcie card to replace the integrated graphics controller.

cfortune

01-30-2014, 20:59

Uhhh......

Do you plug your monitor in the back of the computer near where all the USB ports and such are? Or do you plug it in below that in a more isolated area? Integrated meaning its built into the motherboard. If it's PCI(e), it'll be in one of the expansion slots below the other plugins. I'll post a picture of the back of mine in a sec to help explain further.

cfortune

01-30-2014, 21:28

Here, found this on google

http://kbase.vectorworks.net/images/img_20131011_103511.jpg

Blue circle = integrated video
Red circle = PCI video

ben4372

01-30-2014, 21:55

What are the specs on these computers? Are they too old to run Windows 7?

7 is light years better than Windows 8.
I like 7 too.

Danimal

01-30-2014, 22:09

Ive heard of folks using a penny (pre 1984 or whenever they changed to copper content) between the GPU and heatsink to fix flakey video issues. But it would be much easier to buy a cheap pcie card to replace the integrated graphics controller.

That was going to be my next suggestion, but if the mother board and PSU are a dust plug that wont last long either. I find that with 99% of the machines that I work on, getting proper cooling and thermal seating on the CPU and GPU makes all the difference for reliable operation and most of them have never been cleaned out ever. Then from there if the issues have not resolved themselves I look at hard drive issues because somehow they affect everything else no matter how unrelated they seem. Then as a final solution or to gain performance that the machine never had I turn to hardware. Start with a clean cool motherboard/CPU/GPU/PSU and any other problems will become easier to find.