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Is my laptop DEAD???

TUGfan

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My ASUS K55a laptop with Windows 10 is 6 1/2 yo. I realize that is ancient! It has suddenly begun to disconnect from wifi any time I try to watch a video. I can surf internet pages quickly & without disconnecting, but videos of any kind are a NO GO!

I have tried every trick in the book (from days of google searches) to adjust/reset or turn off/on all the various computer settings, but nothing seems to work.

AND.....the battery life is shot...only lasts a little more than an hour before needing to plug it in!

Is it time for a new laptop??? I know I am stubborn. but I don't want to give up until I absolutely have to do so!

Thanks for any opinions expressed!
 

OldGuy

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It's time for a reasonable techie to take a look at it.
 

Marathoner

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Buy a new laptop with windows 10 and ssd instead of your hard drive. You will amazed at the huge performance improvement as well as a much better screen for reading and watching videos. Just pull the trigger and improve your quality of life by getting a better laptop.

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk
 

artringwald

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Buy a new laptop with windows 10 and ssd instead of your hard drive. You will amazed at the huge performance improvement as well as a much better screen for reading and watching videos. Just pull the trigger and improve your quality of life by getting a better laptop.

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk
I agree that SSD drives make a huge difference, even when installed in old computers. You can get a 250GB internal SSD drive for under $40. I'm amazed that they're still selling computers without SSD's for the boot drive. If you're buying a new laptop, I'd recommend looking for one with a PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD. It's the size of a stick of gum and installs on the motherboard. On most laptops it will leave room for a second SATA drive, which could be very large capacity if that's what you need.
 

OldGuy

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I mentioned techies because mine have transferred all my crap over to 2 new-to-me laptops now. I got them both refurbished from Amazon third-party vendors, and am 100% satisfied.

WIN 7 Pro on the last one, because I was advised of problems with WIN 8. WIN 10 Pro on this one, with an SSD. I had to have some of the WIN 10 stuff disabled so I could keep running programs I am accustomed to. The WIN 7 was a breeze, and the WIN 10 took some getting used to.

Sufficient for my needs, this one is a Dell E6440. My last one was a similar Dell.

$300-ish, and about $100 to the techie.

Wanna get a new laptop? Dump your coffee on it.

:confused:
 

MULTIZ321

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+2 for SSD.

Time for a new laptop to handle your streaming and give you much better battery life.

Richard
 

PigsDad

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It's time for a reasonable techie to take a look at it.
I would never spend money on a 6 1/2 year old laptop -- they are basically expendable now. Any "reasonable techie" would charge $50-$100 just to look at it. That is throwing good money after bad, when a decent new laptop can be bought for under $500.

Kurt
 

Passepartout

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I agree with Kurt. That old Asus probably came with Windows 8 or 8.1 ( maybe 7) and was upgraded to 10. The battery had been charged enough times that it won't hold a charge. Put it out of it's misery and get a new machine with a SSD. You'll wonder why you waited so long. Have someone knowledgeable move the apps you use onto the new one and delete the bloatware the mfr put on it. You'll be glad you did.

Jim
 

easyrider

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I have 5 old laptops and a couple of ipads that still turn on, lol. The laptop I am using now is at least 4 years old so I'm thinking I get a new laptop about every 5 years or so. This one doesn't have the ssd but does work well anyway.

Bill
 

bbodb1

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My ASUS K55a laptop with Windows 10 is 6 1/2 yo. I realize that is ancient! It has suddenly begun to disconnect from wifi any time I try to watch a video. I can surf internet pages quickly & without disconnecting, but videos of any kind are a NO GO!

I have tried every trick in the book (from days of google searches) to adjust/reset or turn off/on all the various computer settings, but nothing seems to work.

AND.....the battery life is shot...only lasts a little more than an hour before needing to plug it in!

Is it time for a new laptop??? I know I am stubborn. but I don't want to give up until I absolutely have to do so!

Thanks for any opinions expressed!

Now on a more serious note, let me take this thread in a different direction.

Before you plop down money on a new laptop, answer this question - what do you want to accomplish with it?

Also, the disconnecting from Wifi might be a result of something you have clicked on. If you still like the laptop, one of the first things to try AFTER YOU MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A COPY OF ALL CRITICAL FILES is to reformat the hard dive and reinstall the software that came with the unit.

Yes, you will have some updating to do - but if you want to hold out any hope of this unit working again this is worth trying.
 

Talent312

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DW has an ancient laptop that she special ordered to include a blu-ray player.
It was upgraded from Win-8 to 10 and the HD was replaced with a larger one.
Her primary use is for simple, easy games. 14 million of 'em on there.
You can't see the desktop thru the game icons. It plays 'em just fine.

But if the OP's laptop doesn't do what he wants to use it for, yes, replace.
.
 

OldGuy

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But if the OP's laptop doesn't do what he wants to use it for, yes, replace.
.

& vice versa, if anyone's computer, or anything, does do what they want it to, that's all that's important.
 

Big Matt

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Do you do a lot of heavy duty stuff with the laptop or could you get the same benefit from a tablet. Many few moving parts with a tablet.
 

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We do basic web surfing, watch youtube and TV shows I miss on TV. We download our photos. No gaming at all! No other complex programs. We are both retired.

I have found 2 Lenovo laptops at Best Buy. Both are $220. One with 500 GB hdd. The other with 128 sdd. Reviews are good on both. Did not know about the sdd so I am already ahead of the game thanks to suggestions here!

I have been moving important items to google drive so I don't lose things when my current laptop dies for good! Might give the reboot back to basics a try! I love learning and playing around with the computer stuff.

Thanks to all for advice and the humor!!!
 

bbodb1

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We do basic web surfing, watch youtube and TV shows I miss on TV. We download our photos. No gaming at all! No other complex programs. We are both retired.

I have found 2 Lenovo laptops at Best Buy. Both are $220. One with 500 GB hdd. The other with 128 sdd. Reviews are good on both. Did not know about the sdd so I am already ahead of the game thanks to suggestions here!

I have been moving important items to google drive so I don't lose things when my current laptop dies for good! Might give the reboot back to basics a try! I love learning and playing around with the computer stuff.

Thanks to all for advice and the humor!!!

If it were me, I would NOT purchase another device with a traditional hard drive because SSD's are that much better. The down side (as you are discovering) is SSD's will NOT hold as much data for the same price as traditional hard drives.

You said you are moving many things to Google Drive - with that in mind, you might want to consider a Chromebook as well as you are playing to many of its (the Chormebook's) strengths. They are very light and portable. One drawback to a Chromebook is the need for internet access wherever you are in order to make the most use of the Chromebook BUT you may be able to use your cell phone as a hotspot to address that issue IF your cell phone's data plan is unlimited. And since Chromebook are coming with more storage these days, you might be able to download some programming for offline viewing.

The most useful suggestion I can offer is this - read a bit on CNet or PCMag (there are others but these two have been around a long time) about the strengths, weaknesses of each device you are interested in.
PCMag on Chromebooks: https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/305859/the-best-chromebooks
Cnet on Chromebooks: https://www.cnet.com/topics/laptops/best-laptops/best-chromebooks/

Don't eliminate laptops entirely, but add Chromebooks to your list to research.

Best of luck with this, TUGfan and keep us posted on how this goes for you.
 

geekette

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I would do a full virus scan, use something like Malaware (someone will correct me if I buggered that). The symptoms are just odd so it's worth a shot. You could potentially get a new battery, but someone would have to carry it, and I fear that parts are where you will hit a problem.

Good luck. I understand how it's hard to give up the trusted gadget. I recently had to replace hard drive in my 3 yo Toshiba, way too early, as my last one lived 8 years and the one before that was nearly 10.
 

OldGuy

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You could potentially get a new battery, but someone would have to carry it, and I fear that parts are where you will hit a problem.

Plenty of battery sources . . . under $20

https://www.google.com/search?sourc....0j1......0....2j1..gws-wiz.....0.orI4lxM7WCs

I'm wondering how the computer got WIN 10, and is 6 1/2 years old:

Windows 10/Initial release date
July 29, 2015

- - - - - -
Also, my new-to-me Dell E6440, with WIN 10 Pro and 250 SSD, is older than the OP's computer, and it does way more than I need.
 

artringwald

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I'm wondering how the computer got WIN 10, and is 6 1/2 years old

Win 10 is still a free update to Win 7, and many old computers are capable of running Win 10. Performance may be rather sluggish, mostly due to insufficient RAM, but an old computer with 4 GB RAM will run reasonably well. The computer manufacturers will say they don't support Win 10, mostly because they didn't want to spend the money to test it thoroughly.
 

TUGfan

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FROM OP.....

I was able to install windows 10 when it came out as free upgrade.

I have looked at installing a new battery, but it looks more complicated than I want to take on .... and I don't want to do that if I cannot watch videos and my computer is DYING!

My ASUS laptop has been on for 2 hrs this morning and no problem at all surfing around the internet. I have not tried to watch any videos yet today.

Last night DH watched videos on youtube for over 30 minutes twice before it disconnected each time. We have a very dependable tablet as alternate choice for viewing videos!

One question about SSD.....will 128GB laptop be OK if we do very little storage on the HDD/SDD of the computer? I use google drive/photos for essentially storing everything we need.

Thanks again for all the advice! Stay tuned!!!
 

bogey21

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...You might want to consider a Chromebook as well as you are playing to many of its (the Chormebook's) strengths.

I'm no computer whiz but switched to a ChromeBook after being frustrated by Microsoft issues for years. My computer needs aren't great but my ChromeBook satisfies all of them without any issues or problems...

George
 

bbodb1

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FROM OP.....

I was able to install windows 10 when it came out as free upgrade.

I have looked at installing a new battery, but it looks more complicated than I want to take on .... and I don't want to do that if I cannot watch videos and my computer is DYING!

My ASUS laptop has been on for 2 hrs this morning and no problem at all surfing around the internet. I have not tried to watch any videos yet today.

Last night DH watched videos on youtube for over 30 minutes twice before it disconnected each time. We have a very dependable tablet as alternate choice for viewing videos!

One question about SSD.....will 128GB laptop be OK if we do very little storage on the HDD/SDD of the computer? I use google drive/photos for essentially storing everything we need.

Thanks again for all the advice! Stay tuned!!!

TUGFan,

OldGuy is spot on correct when he notes there are many sources for parts and upgrades (i.e. additional memory and/or new hard drives) these days. In the Windows comparable world, you will find a larger number of choices than those of us who live in the world of Apple.

Generally speaking, what is usually the easiest upgrade to a computer that puts some pep back into the computer is a RAM upgrade. In Windows land, memory can usually be purchased cheaper than in Apple land because of supply and demand. The next best (but not as easy) upgrade to reinvigorate a unit is the hard drive upgrade (to SSD).

I am typing all of that because I want to suggest this: if you consider the cost of those upgrades, that is money that could be put toward a new laptop or Chromebook.
When you upgrade an old unit, you may indeed have more memory and/or a better hard drive - but all of the other components will still be those same (aging) components.

Just food for thought....
 

bbodb1

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I'm no computer whiz but switched to a ChromeBook after being frustrated by Microsoft issues for years. My computer needs aren't great but my ChromeBook satisfies all of them without any issues or problems...
George

Hello again George! Your post reminds me that I am getting near the point of having to decide on a new solution to my computing needs as well. The thing that really catches my attention these days is when I consider how I actually use my computer these days (as opposed to what I think I want to use it for.....)...

While I have a backup HD for archival purposes, an increasing portion of my stuff is moving online - so much so that all I really need is a decent keyboard and display. It's nice to have the choices we have these days because it really is NOT necessary to spend hundreds (or a couple of thousand) for a computing solution that can work well. If we look at an accurate representation of how we actually use our computers, Chromebooks (and / or similar devices) are likely to become more common. I suspect my next purchase will see me getting away from Apple (still overpriced) because these days I can find similar software solutions online. The times, they are a changin'!
 

OldGuy

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One question about SSD.....will 128GB laptop be OK if we do very little storage on the HDD/SDD of the computer? I use google drive/photos for essentially storing everything we need.

Depends on your use. From the shopping I did recently, and the checking I did yesterday, that's a pretty common SSD size.

I got a 250, and when I look at my "storage", it says "237 GB, 58.4 GB Used, 178 GB Free." I'll never come close to using it.

Repeating:

Sufficient for my needs, this one is a Dell E6440. My last one was a similar Dell.

$300-ish, and about $100 to the techie.
 

artringwald

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One question about SSD.....will 128GB laptop be OK if we do very little storage on the HDD/SDD of the computer? I use google drive/photos for essentially storing everything we need.

If you were buying a SSD to upgrade, there would only be a $10 difference between a 128GB and 256GB SSD drive. A 128GB is plenty of storage if you don't take many pictures and rarely save videos. However, if you take as many pictures as I do, you might fill up a 128GB SSD before you're ready for the next upgrade. Over the years I've accumulated over 80 GB in photos and another 80 GB in videos, so I got a 960 GB SSD so I don't have to worry. They're only $60 on Amazon.
 
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