By John Murray:
After reading about Max’s recent predicament with his new PC and operating system, I thought it might be helpful to write an article on the subject as I’m sure there are quite a few readers who will find themselves in the same position at some point. Buying a new PC or laptop can be a daunting prospect if you’re not familiar with computers; with row after row of shiny new machines on display it can leave you somewhat bewildered when trying to pick the right one for you. And then there’s the operating system (OS) itself, which in nearly every case will be the latest offering from Microsoft which comes pre-installed along with copious amounts of useless ‘bloatware’ prompting you to ‘sign up’ after the 30 day trial ends; McAfee anti-virus comes to mind. So what is one to do?
The first thing to decide is whether you need ‘portability’ from your new machine and if you do then you should really consider a laptop/notebook. If you only plan to use your computer at home and in the same spot then go for a proper PC which will invariably last longer than a laptop. You should now think about what you’re going to be using the machine for, for example, do you want a machine that will run the latest games at 60 FPS (frames per second), or maybe you do a lot of video editing and rendering which require huge amounts of RAM (random access memory) and a fast CPU (central processing unit)? You may just need a modern computer to handle everyday tasks such as checking your email, browsing the web, making Skype calls, visiting YouTube, listening to music and watching films, which would negate the need for a dedicated GPU (graphics processing unit). These are some of the things you need to consider before parting with any money.
Purchasing a pre-built Computer
This is the ‘easy’ way to acquire a new machine but in my opinion this option has many drawbacks. The first that comes to mind is that along with your new purchase the sales assistant is likely to pick up from your questions if you don’t know much about computers and could then try to sell you all manner of things that you don’t need to pay for, like anti-virus and the Microsoft Office suite. They could also offer you some type of ‘cloud’ storage which again, you might not need. The ‘cloud’ is just a fancy name for a server. By storing your information in the ‘cloud’ you are basically just storing it on someone else’s server. The best way to back up your own files is to either burn them to a disc or purchase an external hard drive and just copy everything to that. (If however you do have a lot of data which you might need to use on a multitude of devices perhaps at different addresses, cloud storage might be right for you – but there are reliable solutions out there which you don’t need to pay for with your computer).
I have already mentioned above how you have an array of different machines to choose from when it comes to buying from a high street or an online retailer, along with the fact that somebody else has chosen your operating system for you and clogged up your new hard drive with bloatware. You will also find that the components have been chosen for you too and although they will all be compatible you might find that not everything under the hood is ideal for your needs.
If you choose a laptop you’ll find that in most cases it will have a ‘glossy’ screen, the same as most monitors as they ‘look better’ on the shelf, however, I would go for a ‘matt’ screen every time to avoid the horrible reflection you get from the glossy screens. It can also be hard for people to determine which are the better machines as even the cheaper models can convince you they are quite good, with the use of clever marketing on the packaging. An example of this would be RAM. It might say on the box that a machine has 4GB of RAM, but it won’t tell you if that is 800, 1600, or 2400 MHz, and the cheaper machine will contain the slower RAM. One of the cheaper models out there even had “approachable design” printed on the box. What does that mean? Nothing, but it might make you part with your money. As a rule you will generally pay more in a shop and get less for your money than if you consider the alternative which I will get to shortly.
The obvious benefit of purchasing a new machine from a shop or an online retailer is that it’s quick, it’s easy and you can be up and running relatively quickly. You can also easily take it back and get customer service face-to-face with a human being if something is wrong with it. For me though these things are minor, as when spending a few hundred pounds on something or even a couple of thousand in a lot of cases, you want to get the best bang for your buck. If you are determined to purchase your new PC/laptop from a retailer then it pays to learn about the various components, what they do and also the companies that produce them, as different companies produce the same product but to differing standards and specifications. Nvidia for example, make the best graphics cards and will release their latest card which will be the ‘reference’ model. Other companies like ASUS, MSI, EVGA etc. will then take that card and customise it in different ways, in some cases making the card run faster with a small overclock and with better cooling, as ASUS have done with their ‘STRIX’ and ROG series of cards.
The same can be said of RAM. It may say on the box that your machine has 4 or 8GB of RAM but who made it? Was it Kingston? Or maybe it’s from Corsair’s ‘Vengeance’ range, or G Skill’s ‘RipJawsX’ series? The point I’m trying to make is that buying off the shelf can be hit and miss for the novice, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Building your own Computer
When it comes to buying a new PC then my advice to everyone would be to look into building your own. You really can’t beat choosing the parts and building it yourself, or maybe paying a little bit extra to get someone like ‘PC specialist’ or ‘Dino PC’ to build it for you. When you have all the parts, actually building the PC is a very simple process that shouldn’t take you more than a couple of hours to do at most. The benefits of doing your own build are that you can choose the case and all the parts to fit the specifications that you require, such as the CPU (central processing unit), the motherboard, the amount and speed of your RAM, whether to fit an HDD (hard disk drive) or an SSD (solid state drive), or multiple drives in a RAID configuration etc. You can choose whether to fit a basic optical drive that will burn/play CDs/DVDs or opt for a more expensive drive that will also copy to and play Blu-ray discs. You can choose the right power supply to match the other components and last but not least, you can fit the graphics card of your choice which in my case would be Nvidia’s new 980ti from ASUS (I wish!).
There’s an excellent website called ‘PCPartPicker’ where you can build a machine from scratch, choosing everything from the case to the operating system. PCPartPicker will automatically let you know if a part isn’t compatible so even a novice can’t really go wrong there. PCPartPicker also displays a huge range of manufacturers for each part. My advice would always be to choose your case first, and consider things such as how many USB ports do you require on the front and back; do you want a window in the side to show off your build to others? Is noise going to be an issue, what size and how many fans does the case have, etc. Also bear in mind that the larger the case, the easier it is to work on and the cooler it will run. After picking a case, choose your motherboard and the CPU (the chip which sits in the motherboard), then the RAM, hard drive etc. I would consider going for an SSD if the increased price isn’t an obstacle as they are so much faster than the traditional mechanical hard drives.
When building your own PC you can keep it very simple with around 6 or 7 parts in total to fit, or you can opt for a more extravagant build such as adding water cooling for the CPU if you plan on overclocking it (overclocking the CPU means running the processor of your computer at a speed higher than that intended by the manufacturers) which is something people do to squeeze that little bit extra out of it for high end gaming. When overclocking a CPU you want to make sure you have the ‘k’ version of the chip, for example, the Haswell range of chips, such as the Intel Core i7-4790K combined with an ASUS motherboard will give you access to ASUS’s top notch BIOS (basic input/output system) which allows for one click automatic overclocking.
There are two main manufactures of CPUs which I’m sure many of you would have heard of and they are Intel and AMD. Intel chips are regarded as the best but they are more expensive. Incidentally, Intel have recently bought the rights to McAfee anti-virus so expect a name change there soon. McAfee is associated with the annoying ‘extras’ you get offered when installing a program so I can’t see Intel keeping that name for fear of damaging their own brand.
How to build your own Computer
There are some excellent channels on YouTube showing you how to build a PC and you’ll be surprised at just how easy it is. It is also fun to do and you’ll understand how your machine works far better after building it yourself, including having to replace a part if something ever fails. One of the greatest benefits of building your own PC is that you will end up with a much better machine for less money than you will find in PC World or in Currys. You will also have a nice clean install of the Windows operating system of your choice on the hard drive, instead of a shop bought one that’s pre-loaded with a ton of ‘bloatware’ that you really don’t want.
Carey Holzman and PCDIY are two of the best build channels on YouTube so be sure to watch their build videos if you’re interested in going down this route – I have included links at the bottom of this article. I think you will be confident enough to do your first build after watching just one of Carey’s videos, although I would recommend watching two or three different ones before you take the plunge.
A good idea is to watch some build videos on YouTube, then look at the various manufacturers’ websites, like ASUS, Gigabyte, Corsair etc. and familiarise yourself with what they produce. When you’re ready to put a build together you can visit PCPartPicker and start putting a machine together to fit your required specification and price range.
ASUS make excellent motherboards, monitors and graphics cards.
Gigabyte make excellent motherboards.
Corsair make superb cases, RAM and power supplies.
Samsung make some of the best SSDs along with Intel.
There are also the excellent PC Specialist and Dino PC websites as an option for those who would like to build/design their own PC/laptop but not actually put it all together. PC Specialist seems to be the favourite of the two and on their website you can choose to configure a PC or a laptop. As you choose your parts you will see the price displayed on the right hand side, so you’ll know exactly where you are. Just click the order button when you’re finished and PC Specialist will do the rest. They will then deliver your new PC direct to your door. They also have an excellent help service so just give them a call if you have any queries and they will help you choose the right parts for your requirements. The site also has a forum full of people willing to help you out with a build. After your new machine arrives you’ll have peace of mind with their after-sales service, should a part fail.
Setting up your new Computer
If you have purchased a new computer from a shop/online retailer, or had one built to your specification by PC Specialist then Windows will already be installed, along with the required drivers (you purchase Windows with your build at PC Specialist and can ask them not to install it if you so wish – some people prefer to do it themselves). A driver is software that allows your computer to communicate with hardware or devices. Without drivers, the hardware you connect to your computer – for example, a video card or a webcam – will not work properly. In some cases you may have to look online for a particular driver if it’s missing.
If you have built your own PC then upon finishing the build you will do what is known as ‘POST’. This is the Power On Self Test a computer runs through each time the computer is turned on to make sure all the hardware is properly working before trying to load the operating system. If the computer does not pass POST, it will not boot.
Now as you’ve just built the machine you won’t have Windows installed yet so when you push the power button you’ll see a blank screen with a short message. This is fine, you have power so the next step is to insert your Windows disc/USB and install the operating system. Installing Windows correctly, along with the drivers, is covered in depth in Carey Holzman’s Windows 7 and 8 installation videos that are linked below this article.
Now, whether you have built your own PC, had it built by PC Specialist or purchased a new machine from a shop, you need to take it from the ‘raw’ state it’s in, to a fully functioning machine.
If you have a shop bought machine then to be honest, the first thing I would do is to do a clean install of Windows. This will wipe the hard drive clean and remove all the bloatware and partitions that came with it. There are many things to consider when doing this including possibly invalidating any warranty but for me the benefits far outweigh any negatives. There are lots of videos and websites explaining in great detail how to go about this process if that’s what you choose to do so I won’t go into that here. The other option is to go to your control panel and start uninstalling all the ‘crap’ that has been loaded on there. This is one of the downsides of pre-built machines that are sold in shops and online I’m afraid. On a Windows 8.1 installation disc there are only a few apps which are part of Windows, nothing like the array of bloatware that you’ll find on a shop bought machine.
Assuming you’re now in the position of having a fresh copy of Windows installed on your newly built machine, or you have been busy deleting all of the bloatware that came with your retail machine, you’re going to need to get your computer into what I call a ‘usable’ condition.
Windows Update and a few basic personalisation settings are covered nicely in Carey’s Windows installation videos, so let’s look at some of the essential programs you’re going to need.
I think Windows 8.1 comes with Flash Player but I prefer to install the proper programs and bypass the apps. So here is a list of programs that I would install as default:
AVG Free: A good anti-virus program that’s free (only ever have one anti-virus program installed on your machine as two will conflict with each other)
Adobe Flash Player: Allows Flash videos and apps to work
Java: Allows Java applets to work in your browser
Adobe Reader: Will open all your PDF files
WinRAR/WinZip: Allows you to unRAR or unZip compressed files
Skype: Keep in contact with friends and family and make free calls to other Skype users
Open Office: A free alternative to Microsoft’s Office suite
QuickTime Player: Some videos require QuickTime to play
VLC Player: The best audio/video player in my opinion. VLC will play anything you ask it to
Speccy: A nice free program giving you the full specification of your machine in one easy window
Recuva: Can recover some deleted files and also shows you what could be recovered by third party software (files you thought you had deleted)
CCleaner: PC maintenance, de-cluttering etc.
Malwarebytes: Scans for and removes malware that might be missed by your anti-virus
TOR Browser: Browse the web anonymously and access the dark web
Firefox and/or Chrome: Popular web browsers as alternatives to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer
Securely File Shredder: Overwrites files securely so they can’t be recovered
Dropbox: A great way to send yourself or friends and family files, pictures and videos (this is an example of free cloud storage as discussed earlier)
PerfectDisk: The best defragmenter on the market as far as I’m concerned
There are of course many other programs you can add which will be down to personal choice. The above programs will ensure that anything you need to do or open will work. AVG and Malwarebytes will ensure your computer stays virus and malware free, whereas CCleaner and PerfectDisk will keep Windows free of clutter and registry problems and keep the hard drive in order. (PerfectDisk is a paid program). There are many free defragmenting programs out there, including the built in Windows defragmenter. I just prefer to use PerfectDisk. Note: you only ever defragment HDDs; you never defragment SSDs.
Assuming you now have all the Windows updates installed and the required programs to make stuff work, it’s worth spending some time going through each program’s ‘options’ and setting them up to your liking. AVG for example, set it to scan at the time of your choosing and decide what you would like it to scan, etc. After setting AVG up properly, it literally runs in the background and you can forget about it. Browsers can be customised, Skype privacy settings should be checked, CCleaner’s options can be set to do the job you want it to do. Just go through each program to make sure you’re happy with the settings. I would also configure Java and Flash Player to automatically update themselves, especially Java as hackers like to use that as an entry point to your computer if you’re running an outdated version.
Always update your programs to the latest version if prompted to do so, for security purposes and avoiding bugs in older versions.
I should mention as well, when installing any program or updating one, go slowly and read what each screen says, carefully. It is so easy to just click ‘next’ when installing something and before you know it you’ll find all manner of adware has sneaked onto your machine, such as McAfee anti-virus, various toolbars and search engines and other offers that you don’t want. This is how companies that make free programs such as CCleaner make their money, they get paid by third parties to include their offers during the installation process. You used to be able to just un-tick an obvious box if you didn’t want the Yahoo toolbar but they have become a lot cleverer these days and quite often there will be small print in the installation process that states “by clicking next you accept the offer”, so what you actually have to do is click ‘decline’ instead of ‘next’ which would seem like you’re cancelling the install, but you’re not, just click ‘decline’ and the installation will proceed without the free offers.
There are plenty of free programs such as AVG and CCleaner which will prompt you to upgrade to their paid version of the program. There is usually no need to do that as the free versions offer the vital features already and paid versions rarely have anything that useful in addition. I have used the free version of everything for years and never had any problems.
You should have everything installed now, all your updates done and programs configured so you’re good to go.
Computer maintenance
The first thing I would like to explain is that everything you see on your computer screen is information contained on your hard drive/SSD, the BIOS aside. The Windows operating system, your programs, files, photos, videos, PDFs etc. are all on your hard drive. Some people think that when their computer is playing up, running slowly or maybe has a virus, that it is broken or worn out and they need to purchase a new one. This is almost always not the case. In nearly every case their computer just needs a good ‘clean up’ but sometimes the best option can be to re-install Windows itself which cures just about everything. If you’re unlucky, your hard drive might be failing which just means you need to purchase a new drive and re-install windows, then your machine will be as good as new.
Windows will start to slow down over time as the registry becomes cluttered and sometimes corrupted. A clean install of Windows every now and then will return your computer almost back to how it was when you first purchased it. However, there are some things that you can do on a regular basis to delay that scenario for years.
The following is what I do when I decide to do a ‘clean up’ of my machine.
The first thing I do is to check all my files and folders for anything that I don’t want to keep and send it to the recycle bin, also delete any icons on your desktop that you don’t really need, keep things clutter free.
The next thing I do is to check programs like CCleaner, Malwarebytes etc. to see if I’m running the latest version and if there’s a newer version available then I install it. You can check most programs for updates by clicking ‘help’ or ‘about’ on the menu bar at the top of the window; most programs will prompt you to update automatically however.
Next I’ll open AVG and Skype and delete all the history. You can also delete your cookies and empty your caches manually on your web browsers although I tend to let CCleaner take care of that. Next up is Malwarebytes, I’ll do a full scan to check for any malware on the machine and remove anything if found.
Now open up your file shredder and ‘shred’ the contents of your recycle bin. Note: deleting something from the recycle bin doesn’t actually delete it, all it does is delete the pathway to that program or file. Somebody else could potentially recover what you have ‘deleted’ which is why ‘shredding’ is a much better option. Shredding a file simply means that your file shredder will overwrite the space occupied on the drive by that file with zeros so that the file can’t be recovered by third party software.
Now that you’ve got rid of any clutter, open up CCleaner. It’s down to personal choice which boxes you tick to clean, for example, you may wish to keep your passwords etc. I obliterate everything but that is just me. CCleaner is extremely simple to use but I will link you to Carey’s video on how to use it below this article.
I like to set CCleaner to do ‘3 passes’ when erasing stuff, although 1 pass is apparently enough.
After running the cleaner and also cleaning the registry I will open PerfectDisk and defragment the hard drive, followed by an ‘offline’ defrag (certain files can’t be defragmented whilst Windows is running). Finally, after a reboot I will do a full optimization scan of the hard drive and then you’re finished with PerfectDisk.
Remember, never run a disk defragmenter program on a Solid State Drive (SSD)
The very last thing you can do, although not needed with every clean up, is to go back to CCleaner and do a ‘free space wipe’. I do this with 3 passes. This will take around 4 hours to do, depending on the size of your hard drive and how much free space you have. The ‘free space wipe’ will overwrite the empty areas of your hard drive with a series of zeros, in the same way that the file shredder works. This will ensure that should anyone untoward have access to your PC and decide to install some recovery software, they won’t find anything lurking on your hard drive that you thought you’d removed.
Maintaining things is relatively simple. Keep everything updated, be careful when installing a program to avoid unwanted malware and do a good clean up at least once a month.
Operating Systems
Windows XP: Hopefully none of you are still running Windows XP as Microsoft stopped the security updates for it back in April 2014. You can still use XP, just don’t connect a machine that’s running it to the Internet.
Windows Vista: Vista was the successor to XP and plagued with problems after Microsoft released it. Most of those problems have been ironed out now but Vista is nearing the end of its life as support for it ends on April 11, 2017. After this date do not connect a Vista machine to the Internet.
Windows 7: Windows 7 was everything Vista was supposed to be. It’s a good operating system that many people think is the best yet. If you’re running Windows 7 then you have nothing to worry about until 2020, which is when Microsoft will end support for it (support means Windows updates). I still run Windows 7 and will probably keep running that until support for it ends.
Windows 8: The successor to 7 was a disaster for Microsoft. They tried to create an all-in-one operating system for PCs, tablets and phones, and it failed. The biggest issue was the new ‘Metro’ interface which was universally hated, so much so that a program called ‘Classic Shell’ was written by open source writers and has been download and installed by literally millions of users now. Classic Shell gives you the Windows 7 start menu back instead of a desktop filled with annoying apps. I will link you to the Classic Shell download at the bottom of the article.
Windows 8.1: 8.1 was an improvement on Windows 8 and they did give you your start button back, but after pressing it there wasn’t really anything there. It was like Microsoft were trying to wind you up “you can have your start button back but not the traditional start menu”. Again, Classic Shell alleviates this problem. In fact, 8.1 is a good operating system once Classic Shell has been installed. There are one or two bugs but overall it’s faster than 7 and support will continue until 2023 so if you’re happy with 8.1 then you have a good few years yet before you need to think about upgrading.
Windows 10: What can I say about an operating system that hasn’t been released yet? Well, many people have been testing it for Microsoft for a good few months now and the feedback is generally good. There are certainly lots of new things in 10 and I particularly like the ‘multiple desktops’ feature. We apparently have our start menu back too, although I still see ‘apps’ on it which I don’t like the look of. Overall, most reviewers are positive about Windows 10 and it will be released on July 29th 2015.
If you’re running 7, 8 or 8.1 and your machine has the latest updates then you will see a new icon near your clock at the bottom right hand side of your screen. You can use this to sign up for a free copy of Windows 10, which will automatically be downloaded via Windows Update on July 29th. I think I’ll grab the free copy but will continue with Windows 7, as it does everything I need it to do and I’m happy with it.
There is one big issue with Windows 10 that I don’t like the ‘sound’ of. The new ‘Cortana’ feature, which seems to be some kind of AI that’s built in to the operating system that talks to you, offers you advice and asks how you are, etc. I think this is part of the softening up process for the masses to accept AI and I know that Artificial Intelligence is one of the topics on the Bilderberg meeting’s agenda this Summer, along with ingestible microchips. The reader will have to make his/her own mind up in that regards.
Linux: There are other operating systems out there, such as Linux for example. Having never used any of them though, I can’t really comment. The thing I like about Windows is that a lot more software is written for it because of its bigger user base. I hear this is a problem with Linux so I wouldn’t recommend anyone going down that route unless they’re already very knowledgable with computers and enjoy trying to get stuff to work on their PC. There are fewer compatibility issues with Windows operating systems.
Summary
Max asked me to write something about computers after suffering the headache of buying a new machine and trying to make it all work as he would like it to. I realise that everyone will have different levels of understanding when it comes to these things and I’m sure some of you will already know most of the above, however, there are plenty of people in our movement, especially among the older generation who don’t know very much about computers and find that just keeping them working properly can be quite confusing, so it’s those people that this article is really aimed at, but hopefully everyone can take something away from it that will benefit them in the future and make the day-to-day use of their computer a lot easier.
By John Murray (c) 2015
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Links:
Carey Holzman
Windows 7 installation part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQGcjnnT2Dk
Windows 7 installation part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlJ6mwC9dvo
Windows 8 installation and configuration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzI8xh5XXnw
Carey’s most detailed build ever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zOYdNEHDQo
November 2013 computer build
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erUCNV2KGPU
August 2013 computer build
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDxT8bSR3co
How to use CCleaner and Glarey Utilities
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZeYRYJWgOU
HDD vs SSD what’s the difference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4ykrNhI5xk
PCDIY
Build a Z97 Gaming PC (incredible build)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TB5MgI16I8
Programs
AVG
http://free.avg.com/gb-en/homepage
Malwarebytes
https://www.malwarebytes.org/mwb-download/
CCleaner
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download
TOR Browser
https://www.torproject.org/download/download-easy.html.en
Open Office
https://www.openoffice.org/
Classic Shell for Windows 8.1
http://www.classicshell.net/
Adobe Flash Player
https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
Adobe Reader
https://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/
Java
https://java.com/en/download/
Skype
http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-computer/
Speccy
https://www.piriform.com/speccy
Recuva
https://www.piriform.com/recuva
VLC Player
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.en_GB.html
Other links
PC PartPicker
http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/
PC Specialist
https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/
Dino PC
https://www.dinopc.com/
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