Time For New Computer Or Repair?

[woodbine]

I have an Acer Aspire T120e Desktop with XP, bought new Mid 2007. It has been reliable uo to now, and after I increased the DDR memory, suits my needs. However, recently a few things have started happening;

1) The Cd re-writer has stopped working

2) Sometimes I get a loud whirring noise, mainly after start up, which either lasts a few minutes or stops if I tap the grille where the fan blows out on the back. I suppose its a noisy fan(??) What else can it be?

3) Several times during a session, the tab I am using on Internet Explorer will minimise itself, as if I had clicked to minimise on the top right of screen. Clicking at the bottom of the screen brings it up again. Only happens twice per hour, so not a major problem.

I don't know much about pcs. How long do they last? In my situation (not exactly loaded!), should I be looking to fix these faults, or would I be wasting my time? Is my pc on its way out?

 

[Diyisfun]

First thing..Have you got everything backed up?.
If you have use it till it wont work then get a new one, it may go for years.
The longer you hold on the beter they get.

 

[woodbine]

Thanks for replying.

No I haven't got everything backed up. Due to CD r/w failure, I can't put anything on discs. Will have to invest in a flash drive for now.

 

[Monkeh]

A flash drive is not a backup method.

It is very easy to change the optical drive. You could also buy an external hard drive.

 

[cumbriahandyman]

A flash drive is not a backup method.

It is very easy to change the optical drive. You could also buy an external hard drive.

I backup to an external hard drive and also backup my business folders to a flash drive using briefcase. Why is a flash drive not a backup method?

 

[Monkeh]

A flash drive is not a backup method.

It is very easy to change the optical drive. You could also buy an external hard drive.

I backup to an external hard drive and also backup my business folders to a flash drive using briefcase. Why is a flash drive not a backup method?

Because they're slow, unreliable, and easily lost.

 

[Richard C]

The faults are not serious & it should still be OK for a couple of years yet; they usually get outdated rather than fail completely these days. You can get a new optical drive on-line for less than 20 quid now & a Blue Ray drive for not much more but it might just be the driver given up the ghost or needs updating. A new case fan will set you back a whopping 3-7 quid depending on which you buy & your other problem sounds more software related, either a problem with IE or your settings. If you have an XP install disc rather than a backed up image, a fresh install of the OS around every 18 months does wonders & your PC will run just like the day you first turned it on; you will have to re-load all your software though.

 

[cumbriahandyman]

A flash drive is not a backup method.

It is very easy to change the optical drive. You could also buy an external hard drive.

I backup to an external hard drive and also backup my business folders to a flash drive using briefcase. Why is a flash drive not a backup method?

Because they're slow, unreliable, and easily lost.

Cheers.