Nah, laptops usually don't have a cable... You probably need to crack it open to see if something's just loose, then try testing the hard drive in another PC to figure out if the issue is actually the drive, the laptop itself, or maybe just the OS...
Yeah, a CRC error basically means there's a communication breakdown. If this were a desktop, I’d probably just tell you to swap out the SATA cable, but since it's a laptop... maybe try unplugging and replugging the HDD to see if it's seated properly? Though, most laptops use four screws to keep things tight, so it shouldn't be wobbling much. Did the laptop come from the factory with that drive bay, or did you swap out the optical drive for a hard drive? If it's the latter, that adapter might be acting up...
You could also just pull the drive and test it in a desktop PC.
cosmiclynx57 said:Quick follow-up, and maybe this sounds totally dumb: Since my PC should have USB 2.0, I'm assuming I can just plug in an external hard drive without any issues, right?
Like a Seagate one, for instance, ?
Because even TVs usually come with 2.0 ports, and since I’m planning on starting my shopping spree tomorrow, a hard drive is at the top of my list. I’m just terrified some tiny little technicality is going to screw me over, so I figured I'd ask here. I could always ask the guy at the store, but honestly, I trust you guys way more—sometimes those sales clerks will just tell you, "Oh yeah, don't worry about it, it'll work," when really it might be a total disaster, 😁
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Alexander Moore67 says: You can find a used GTX 1050 on eBay for $67 and it'll handle 4K just fine; that's probably your cheapest way to get an upgrade right now without breaking the bank much.
Everything’s lagging a bit here. Honestly, you probably need a GPU that can actually handle 4K decoding, then a beefier CPU, and maybe some extra RAM too. Even if you do all that, you’ll likely realize everything is still sluggish and you really need an SSD 😬 You could drop $100-$67 on this, maybe $100-$67 on that, and then toss another $100-$333 into the rig, but you'd still be stuck on ancient architecture using a decade-old PC.
If I were you, I'd just start looking toward a new build or at least most of the parts. For about $500, you can grab a new PC that handles basically anything you throw at it and runs several times faster...
You can't just copy and paste files like that. The whole process of moving music from an audio CD to, say, an MP3 is actually called ripping. I guess if you Google "how to rip an audio CD," you'll find a tutorial that works for you.
People always say repairs aren't worth it unless you're doing component-level work—because otherwise, you're just swapping out the whole motherboard—but this guy actually works at the component level... So, if you aren't ready to just toss the laptop in the trash, maybe give him a shot.
Since the specs aren't actually terrible, maybe they could try getting it looked at by a pro. It might just be some minor fix for a few bucks, though I guess it could end up being more than the machine is worth. For example, this shop handles motherboard repairs on laptops:
I guess you didn't clear out all those partitions or the old OS when you were installing Windows.
That noise you're hearing might just be the hard drive—assuming it's an old-school HDD and not an SSD—or maybe the fans are just spinning up fast at startup before the laptop throttles them down...
Maybe try jumping into the BIOS and loading the optimized defaults? Just reset everything back to factory settings and see if it starts acting right then...
What components are we looking at here? You got a multimeter on hand? I guess you could try powering up the PSU to see if you're getting those key voltages—like 3.3V, 12V, and 5V. Maybe just crack the casing open and check the capacitors for any bulging or leaks,
So you have to shell out another $200 over those five years just to keep the warranty valid? I guess it makes more sense to just pay for 🤦 instead. Besides, it probably comes with some bottom-of-the-barrel EVGA 400 W power supply and the cheapest ASUS Prime B450M-A motherboard you can find...
Gmail is probably one of the best options out there, if not the absolute gold standard for security. Yahoo is basically just a toy and feels pretty unprofessional. You constantly run into issues where emails are delayed or just don't show up at all, whereas with a massive, mainstream provider, the chances of that happening are way lower...
I’d say Windows 7 64 is probably your safest bet. Home Premium is fine; I guess Ultimate and Professional just come with extra features most people don't even touch anyway.
Maybe try Windows 10 first and just see how it holds up? I don't know what else you're running in that rig, so who knows how the drivers will behave...
Weird, those games are pretty demanding too... What kind of drives are you running? I hear an IBM clicking on and off? Is the game installed on that IBM?
Maybe try downloading OCCT and running a power supply test for a few minutes. See if it does the same thing as in the video.