Tuesday was a typical morning for me. I stumbled into my local coffee shop around 9:30 and ordered my extra large black decaffeinated coffee. The barista, not knowing I was half awake, told me she was ready to buy a new computer because software had killed it.
Normally I don’t like talking shop before I have a chance to wake up and gather my wits. But Tuesday was different; I rubbed my eyes and forced myself to wake up. I explained that just because the computer has viruses doesn’t mean it’s time for new.
This wasn’t the first time I’d heard this. In fact, I hear this quite a bit more than one would ever suspect. So many people say “software killed my computer” that I adopted the phrase around two years ago. Truth is, software didn’t actually kill the computer and most of those ailments can be fixed.
There is some minor truth to the statement, but really it can all be rectified. And before I get too far into the behind-the-scenes stuff it’s important to know that computers can and will break for many reasons. Also, it’s possible for a computer to simply become too old and therefore too slow for daily use.
An operating system is the most basic piece of software that is necessary for other pieces of software to be installed. Browsers, virus software, and office suites are all good examples of software. Each has its own purpose and each runs on top of the operating system.
By itself an operating system has very little useful functionality, and a computer with nothing more would be useless. Add an internet browser and, voila, you have a computer with functionality. If you open too many pieces of software the processor will become bogged down as it tries to keep up.
Usually when I explain this to customers their retort has something to do with how they don’t have much installed on the computer. In fact, most people have so much garbage running in the background they have no idea. Many brand new computers have tons of extras running in the background that aren’t necessary.
Compound viruses and junk software into the mix and your computer just went from OK to molasses. As I explained to my barista, all of this junk makes the computer feel slower than it should making it almost unusable. It’s all repairable.
A simple fix for a computer without viruses is to use the MSCONFIG command and turn off all unnecessary software. With the exception of virus software, most of the programs in MSCONFIG are not necessary. I’m willing to bet most of the software listed there originally came preinstalled on the computer.
Disabling stuff from starting is half the battle and will yield the quickest results. Junk that will kill a computer include virus titles like 24X7, MyPCBackup and a host of others designed to essentially take over the computer rendering them useless. These can be removed in any number of ways and once gone will make the computer a lightning bolt again.
If you have a computer that seems to be killed from too many software bugs, chances are it just needs to be cleaned. Turning off programs is a great starter. You can also try uninstalling the pesky ones but keep in mind that some modern titles do not come off using the traditional uninstall method. While software may be responsible for killing computers, daylight savings time will be responsible for killing me.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can text him directly at (978) 413-2840 or visit www.LocalComputerWiz.com.)