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What do you do with a worn out computer?

By
Real Estate Agent with Fredericksburg Realty, Inc.

Just went through a terrible experience.  The hard drive on my trusted laptop crashed.  Should have known it was coming though.  It (the laptop) began making some funny noises; sort of like a rubbing or grinding noise.  Having been very fortunate in the past in never having a hard drive crash, I did not recognize the signs.

Called the manufacturer and they gladly sent me (under an extended warranty) a new hard drive.  Before it arrived I sent the old hard drive to my local computer guru to see if he could save data on it.  You guessed it, no help there.

Now the good news.  I had, at the urging of my friend Angus Woodbury, backed up the data on my hard drive to a great program called Carbonite.

Given all that, I was faced with the question of whether or not to keep my laptop or get a new one.  What can you do with an outdated laptop anyway?

Man with laptop umbrella

Decided to give it to my grand daughter who was about to graduate from high school; she will be attending college in the fall.  She could put it to good use and her parents had enough expenses to think about in addition to buying her a laptop.

Am sure that there are some other suitable uses for a "used" laptop; other than being used for an umbrella that is.  What have you done with any computers you have decided to replace?

David A. Podgursky PA
THE PODGURSKY GROUP @ Re/Max Direct - Boynton Beach, FL
THE PODGURSKY GROUP - Make the Right Move!

oh man....

Techs are the WORST... I had a tech tell me my hard drive was dead and didn't even offer to look at it. 

I had several arguments with local techs because I lost 2 hard drives inside a year and my business partner lost 4.  I had a chat with a Dell Level 4 tech and pitched the below idea at him.  I ended up calling him back to tell him it worked... not just on my drive - but on all but one of the 6 hard drives that techs said were irreparable... it was actually full which means the worst case.

Here is my advice

for about $20 you can go to CompUSA, BestBuy, Circuit City...pick up a 2.5" (notebook size - 3.5for desktop) Hard Drive Enclosure.  Pull the hard drive out of your notebook and put it in the enclosure.  Connect the enclosure to power and USB on another computer. 

The hard drive will no longer need to boot to be searched.  Unless you had a MAJOR burnout, you should still be able to get to your files.

After that, you should go get an external hard drive and back EVERYTHING up

The most expensive part of a computer to replace is not the hardware.... or even the software .... it is your DATA.  Your Book of Business is on there... your calendar, your contacts and eek - personal info on your clients!!

Jun 28, 2007 02:13 AM
Margaret Woda
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. - Crofton, MD
Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation
On more than one occasion, I had a competent tech salvage my computer and my data - even when the manufacturer help desk was telling me it was a lost cause.  I think the key is to find the "right" tech guy.  David is soooo right about the data.  This posting is a good reminder to do a fresh update... mine is about 3 months old.
Jul 02, 2007 04:26 PM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA
Ed!Good post! How is real estate in Fredericksburg? My laptop that I normally take when I'm on the road started acting up with a power problem.  I changed teh power source adn battery.  I was facing the same dilemna as you, when I decided to fo some more research.  I found the DC power connector on the rear of the laptop became loose.  It had to be soldered.  The cost was $170.  It is workign fine right now, and I saved myself at least 1K to replace.
Jul 03, 2007 01:43 AM
Ed DeChristopher
Fredericksburg Realty, Inc. - Fredericksburg, VA
CRS Fredericksburg VA

David: You hit the nail on the head; the data retrieval is the most critical element.  That is why I was so thankful that I subscribed to Carbonite!

Margaret: If any of us does not have a "go to" techie we are making a big mistake.  Mine is great and amazes me with his abilities.  If you have not backed up your data . . . shame on you!

Jim: Real estate in Fredericksburg Va still is not like we would like it to be.  You sure did luck out when you found that the power connector was faulty.  Great troubleshooting my friend.  Hope that Atlanta real estate picks up.  What's a goatnut?

Jul 03, 2007 02:10 AM