Laptop - what to do? Update - a good one!

[jacinabox]

Bit of a quandry over a laptop - Dell Latitude E5440 running Window 7 still albeit very sluggishly.

I use it for running Audi and BMW diagnostic software, CD ripping and wife uses it occasionally for letter writing and other "wordy"stuff. For ferreting on the web we use iPads and Chromebooks.

Considering upgrading the ram to the maximum 16gb (running 4gb just now) - that'll cost around £70.

Also the operating system needs updating; seems buying Win 10 from MS will cost around £90 but I've come across sites selling "digital downloads" for around £20. Unity is one I recall...are these legitimate?
Likewise similar sites selling these downloads for Office for a lot less than from MS.

I'm an absolute numpty when it comes to computer "faffing" I need it to be simple, easy and straight forward just to preserve what little hair I have left!

Or, with Black Friday coming up would I be better just investing in a new laptop. Seems a shame to bin what seems to be a perfectly decent and lightly used laptop?

Thoughts appreciated :)

David

[blackal]

I would leave Win 7 on it.

If you have a local computer service Co - they can do a fresh install using either your existing license or they usually have them spare.

OR - does it have a "return to Factory settings" function?

Whichever, it will clean out the registry which by now is probably huge. This will also speed boot-up.

Once you have the fresh install - fit some extra RAM (8, 12 or 16) and then start reinstalling software.

You could install Office 365, if you have other machines, this becomes a reasonable cost. Or - get a copy of Office 2013-2019 for a once off cost.

BUT - downsides to this:
1) The HDD might have limited lifespan left, and if it fails...................... (you could get a cheap SSD of 500gb and get the shop to fit it)
2) Your battery might not now be in the best of condition.

Me - I'd throw a little bit of cash at it, but not get carried away.

[alzone]

Bit of a quandry over a laptop - Dell Latitude E5440 running Window 7 still albeit very sluggishly.

I use it for running Audi and BMW diagnostic software, CD ripping and wife uses it occasionally for letter writing and other "wordy"stuff. For ferreting on the web we use iPads and Chromebooks.

Considering upgrading the ram to the maximum 16gb (running 4gb just now) - that'll cost around £70.

Also the operating system needs updating; seems buying Win 10 from MS will cost around £90 but I've come across sites selling "digital downloads" for around £20. Unity is one I recall...are these legitimate?
Likewise similar sites selling these downloads for Office for a lot less than from MS.

I'm an absolute numpty when it comes to computer "faffing" I need it to be simple, easy and straight forward just to preserve what little hair I have left!

Or, with Black Friday coming up would I be better just investing in a new laptop. Seems a shame to bin what seems to be a perfectly decent and lightly used laptop?

Thoughts appreciated :)

David

Although the free upgrade from w7 to win10 has officially ended, if you upgrade to w10 still actually activate apparently. There hundreds of sites reporting this (recently too) so have a google to see how to do it (basically just download w10 from MS site and upgrade - activation is automatic if your w7 install is legit. Haven't tried it myself but it's worth a go to save £90.

Do a clean install (don't choose keep all you data and apps) and assume even if you do, that it will wipe all your data so - BACK UP ALL YOUR DATA FIRST!. You may also want to see if your BMW diagnostic software version is a w10 compatible version. You definitely want to upgrade to w10 anyway since s7 is no longer supported.

The cheaper office download sites are 'legit' in a sense it will work and no-one will be knocking on your door - MS licensing is a complicated minefield of student licenses, corporate licenses, multi-volume licenses, upgrades etc..., and essentially MS don't care or police it. I understand some of these cheaper downloads take advantage of these various license versions and upgrade options.

As for upgrade options - RAM would help - 8Gb will be fine for what you're doing, You'll see a huge speed improvement if you put in an SSD hard drive if it doesn't already have one. You'd have to upgrade with your old harddrive first, then swap HD and install windows again (since MS will now have a w10 license activated to your profile), so it's a bit of a faff.

[Captain Morgan]

Likely you can still upgrade to win10 for free.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-...ws-10-upgrade/

Also if it doesn’t have a ssd I’d consider upgrading that before ram.

[xellos99]

you can download W10 from windows website, burn it onto a data disk and install it on to the PC.

Go on ebay, buy a one time W10 key for about £3 or £4 once you know you are capable of doing the first stages.

I have done it many many times with zero issues ever.

4GB RAM is bad, i remember back in 2012 8GB was considered ok back then but most of us on the computer forums wanted minimum 16GB even 8 years ago.

[PhilipK]

You may also want to see if your BMW diagnostic software version is a w10 compatible version.

You definitely want to check this.

I keep one of my laptops on Windows 7 just so that I can use legacy software - including BMW coding and diagnostics - on it. (It's only used for this, and never connects to the internet, so I'm not worried about lack of updates or security patches).

[Mr Pointy]

How old is the laptop & what processor does it have?

By the time you have bought more RAM & an SSD you would be some way towards a refurbished laptop. 4GB is definately not helping but £70 is quite a sum to spend on RAM for an old laptop.

You can still upgrade Winows 7 to 10 for free - Microsoft haven't stopped the upgarde process working.

[JohnnyE]

The last 2 times I've added ram to a laptop, you wouldn't notice a difference.

SSD on the other hand.... Worth every penny and has revived fresh life into a couple of older HPs that I use.

[blackal]

Likely you can still upgrade to win10 for free.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-...ws-10-upgrade/

Also if it doesn’t have a ssd I’d consider upgrading that before ram.

Well - I've learned something!

Cheers!

[hogthrob]

Firstly, if your Windows 7 is a 32 bit installation, it can't use more than approx 3GB of RAM.

If necessary, you can buy Windows 10 Pro from theunitysoft.com (formerly softwaregeeks). They are quick and reliable.

[jacinabox]

Thank you for your replies...food for thought (and potential despair!) with the suggestions.

I have seen various sites suggesting that Win 10 can still be downloaded for free, but from an initial read it seems a little daunting. This computer stuff really isn't my forte. I suppose that even if I bought a digital download from the likes of Unity I'd still be taking a step into the unknown. We'll see.

As for the Audi & BMW software I'm going to probably go for a new version which needs Windows 10 pro 64 bit - it has the full official workshop repair procedures which I really need.

Memory. Rather than go for the full house 16gb I'd do just as well with 8gb. More affordable and should give a useful boost over the current 4gb?

It's got a i5 processor and I think the machine is around 6 or 7 years old...came to us via a family friend. Battery life hasn't proved an issue so I don't think there will be any immediate concerns on that side. The current software Win 7 Ultimate is genuine and authenticated.

SSD hard drive will be a noticeable improvement? OK, I'll go for that. Currently have a 500gb drive would like (need?) to replace with similar size. Any brand you'd recommend or are they all much the same...rather spend a little extra for long term reliability.

Office software. Don't really want a subscription, an older version with a one off payment will suit much better considering it'll be a low use thing.

I'll pluck up courage and give it a go in the next few days...if I get into difficulties I'm sure someone will point me in the right direction! :)

David

[hogthrob]

If you do go for Windows from Unity, pay close attention to their installation instructions - in particular, you don't enter the serial number when prompted during the installation routine; it is entered after installation is completed.

[catflem]

You definitely want to check this.

I keep one of my laptops on Windows 7 just so that I can use legacy software - including BMW coding and diagnostics - on it. (It's only used for this, and never connects to the internet, so I'm not worried about lack of updates or security patches).

There is a similar problem with Volvo diagnostics. It runs fine on XP or 7 (64 bit ?) but many people have a nightmare running it on windows 10. Although I think they have now worked out a way to run it on 10 as a VM - which is apparently a virtual machine.......but as an IT numpty I haven't got a clue what that is.

[kace]

SSD hard drive will be a noticeable improvement?

Massive difference. I switched an old laptop that was incredibly sluggish to SSD and it was like a new machine, in fact it was better than it ever was new.

[Bazzman]

Massive difference. I switched an old laptop that was incredibly sluggish to SSD and it was like a new machine, in fact it was better than it ever was new.

Seriously, do this, you won't regret it.

[Mr Pointy]

SSD hard drive will be a noticeable improvement? OK, I'll go for that. Currently have a 500gb drive would like (need?) to replace with similar size. Any brand you'd recommend or are they all much the same...rather spend a little extra for long term reliability.

Samsung SSDs are very good & the 860 EVO 500GB version is priced at £52.99 in today's Black Friday sale:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-MZ-.../dp/B078WQT6S6

It doesn't seem to have ever been cheaper so it's a genuine saving.

[jacinabox]

Thanks again for the useful snippets of info'

I'll definitely be shopping for a SSD, thanks for the Samsung link.
Looking around at the mechanics of upgrading, some online videos show the new SSD being in a caddy and using cloning software to make an image of the outgoing HD. Put the SSD in the laptop and away I go - or is that an over-simplification?!

Should I replace the HD before upgrading to WIN10 or do the Windows update first? Last step would be to upgrade the ram?

Feeling a little more confident about stepping into the unknown! :)

David

[Mr Pointy]

I'll definitely be shopping for a SSD, thanks for the Samsung link.
Looking around at the mechanics of upgrading, some online videos show the new SSD being in a caddy and using cloning software to make an image of the outgoing HD. Put the SSD in the laptop and away I go - or is that an over-simplification?!

Should I replace the HD before upgrading to WIN10 or do the Windows update first? Last step would be to upgrade the ram?

I haven't done a 7 to 10 upgrade myself, although I have cloned a HDD insatallation onto an SSD. Do you particularly want or need to keep your existing programs etc or can you do a clean Windows 10 installation & then re-install your programs?

[classics]

If you are looking for a bigger SSD, Crucial MX500 1TB is only £79.99.

[damperman]

I recently had a SSD 256 from a old computer, I checked if this would fit in my old i3 laptop. Searched the internet and found instruction to clone the old hard drive. Changed the drives over and surprised how much faster the laptop loaded. All worked fine. Ive never done this sort of thing before, but found it relatively easy.


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[jacinabox]

Got a SSD, 8gb chunk of memory and a Black Friday discounted digital download of Win10 Pro inbound - looks as though I'll be giving it a go myself (gulp)
also found a forgotten gen' copy of Office 2010 which will more than suit letter writing needs. Works fine on the Win7 hope it will work with Win10

Think I understand the difference / benefits between a clean install and a mirror image of current HD - clean install it'll be.

RAM question - with two memory slots, can I use the old 4gb in one slot and the new 8gb piece in the second slot giving me 12gb or do both slots have to hold the same size memory?

Appreciate all the guidance and suggestions made...not out of the woods yet, but v. mildly confident! Thanks all:)

David

[Wyley]

Got a SSD, 8gb chunk of memory and a Black Friday discounted digital download of Win10 Pro inbound - looks as though I'll be giving it a go myself (gulp)
also found a forgotten gen' copy of Office 2010 which will more than suit letter writing needs. Works fine on the Win7 hope it will work with Win10

Think I understand the difference / benefits between a clean install and a mirror image of current HD - clean install it'll be.

RAM question - with two memory slots, can I use the old 4gb in one slot and the new 8gb piece in the second slot giving me 12gb or do both slots have to hold the same size memory?

Appreciate all the guidance and suggestions made...not out of the woods yet, but v. mildly confident! Thanks all:)

David

Hi Mate,

Not sure how much of this is still relevant, however, if you're looking to complete a fresh install of Windows and are also looking at purchasing a new SSD, wait until you have your SSD installed and then ensure that you install Windows on to the SSD as opposed to the HDD that I'm guessing it was already installed on, I say this as SSD speeds are much quick than traditional HDD write speeds so it will ensure everyday browsing and work will be much improved. You can install Windows on to another drive within the advanced installing options when going through a Windows installation, there a tons of guides online for this.

In terms of RAM, you can mix and match brands, size, and type of RAM sticks in your open RAM slots on the motherboard however it is not recommended. When buying RAM, the frequency of the RAM is just as, if not more important than the size of RAM stick you are buying (For example, a 8GB DDR4 3200MHZ stick will run a lot faster and healthier than a 16GB DDR4 1600MHZ stick.) This comes at a cost however, as the higher data frequency RAM you buy, the more expensive it will become.

Give me a shout if you need any questions answering.

[jacinabox]

^^^ Thanks Wyley; while I'd like to think I can do this (jast waiting for RAM) It's good to good to know help will be available if needed:)

[Tony]

I'd be interested to know if you find that the investment has been worthwhile. Please report back.

My wife has a Dell that I upgraded the RAM in, and installed an SSD. It's still painfully slow.

By the way, Windows 10 is, in practice, free nowadays. Unactivated copies will work and update forever with a few minor cosmetic limitations. Just download it from the Microsoft site and use it. Here's an annoying shouty video on the subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYaRzp--xyk

[jacinabox]

Worth an update...

Bought a 500gb SSD and 8gb of ram from Crucial together with a Win 10Pro download from Unitysoft...read and watched lots, probably confused myself but stuck with download info' from Unitysoft which was simple'ish to follow.

As suggested on here went for a clean instal, seemed to have managed to get it onto a USB key OK. Swapped out the hard drive, held my breath, and pressed start - not sure what all my anxiety was about...absolutely painless and it works perfectly!

RAM; before all the messing about with updating, the computer told me it had 4gb. A little surprised to find there was 2 x 4gb modules. I'm guessing one might have duff if the computer reported 4gb? Both different brands too. Fitted the 8gb chunk which the computer see's now, so that was a win.

We found an old genuine copy Office 2010 and that was installed painlessly and despite being old is more than adequate for our needs. Still some faffing about to do get both our email address's to work, but that can be sorted out in time and we both have phones and ipads etc for that anyway.

Couldn't help but time how long it took to start-up...6 seconds. That's quite astonishing in comparison to the old set-up, and for less than £100 too!

Finally, I hugely appreciate the advice given here. Couldn't have done it without the pointers and tips - thank you all :)

David

I'd be interested to know if you find that the investment has been worthwhile. Please report back.

My wife has a Dell that I upgraded the RAM in, and installed an SSD. It's still painfully slow.

By the way, Windows 10 is, in practice, free nowadays. Unactivated copies will work and update forever with a few minor cosmetic limitations. Just download it from the Microsoft site and use it. Here's an annoying shouty video on the subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYaRzp--xyk

See my story above Tony!

[kace]

That's good to hear. Should give a few more years use.

[W124]

Rather than invest in Msft Office, may I recommend Libre Office www.libreoffice.org

This is a hugely popular, and well supported branch of the OpenOffice open-source software project.
I began using StarOffice back in 2000, when I worked for Sun - I have used it ever since on Windows and Linux, without issue.

Unless you are a true power-user of excel or ppt, this will work for you.

Libre doesn't have a bundled email client - if you are using yahoo or gmail today, that won't be a problem.
Thunderbird or SeaMonkey are the leading open-source email clients.

I would also concur that an upgrade to SSD is a no-brainer - buy it with the cash you save by not buying Msft Office.

If your laptop case has two disk bays, retain the legacy disk for scratch storage and backup snapshots.

[Carlton-Browne]

Unless you are a true power-user of excel or ppt, this will work for you.

I'm sort of with you there but I also find that, if you regularly exchange documents with users of MS Office, issues can start creeping in. My wife started to use one of the open source products when she first started as a freelance but had to move to a paid version of Office after a month. Admittedly there can also be compatibility issues between different versions of Office.