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 Post Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2020 2:39 pm 
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I have a six-year-old laptop which I admit has screen issues (a few pressure marks along one side) but I'm not quite ready to replace it. I paid extra to get Windows 7 on it back then because Win 8 was the standard and :roll:

So all these years I have been using Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes as I was advised here. Recently, I realized that I should be changing to something else and I downloaded Kaspersky. My machine started running really slowly, and I finally decided that might be the culprit. I just uninstalled it and it is definitely running faster. But what should I be using?

And actually, a lot of my speed issues are just because my hard-drive is FULL. It had 40% free a couple years ago, and it's down to about 3% now. I did install the new MS Office within the past two years, but surely it's not just that. How do I figure out what has bloated it so?


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 Post Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2020 2:54 pm 
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A LOT of the slowness is the drive only having 3% free space. A drive needs a minimum of 10% free to function properly. I suggest that you go to the properties of the drive and select disk cleanup. After the first scan select to include system files. Let it delete everything it wants. I would also backup any old data that you can to other media such as CD/DVD or an external drive. Try to get to over 10% free; 15% would be better. You MAY have to remove data to get to 10% before disk cleanup will function. I know that would be the case for defrag.

On to the AV... Even though Windows 7 is past its end of life Security Essentials is still active and receiving signature updates for virus and malware. I don't know how long Security Essentials will remain active.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5201

Other than that I'd suggest Avast free.
https://www.avast.com/en-us/index#pc

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 Post Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2020 2:59 pm 
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Oh, okay. I really thought that MSE was not supported any more and might not be doing anything. Thanks!

I am in the process right now of putting some old video files on an external hard drive, so hopefully that should help a lot. Thanks for your advice.


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 Post Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2020 3:15 pm 
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Sounds good. :) Like I said though, I don't know how long Security Essentials will remain active but most reports seem to indicate sometime in 2023. If/when it stops remember Avast.

After you get your drive down to a usable size and then run disk cleanup the drive will likely be heavily fragmented. I'd followup by manually running disk defrag. Analyze first and only optimize if the drive is at 10% or more fragmented. to get to disk defragmenter just click start and type in 'defrag'. Make sure to select disk defragmenter, not just defrag. At the very minimum the drive needs 10% free for disk defragmenter (and mayhaps disk cleanup) to function.

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 Post Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2020 3:35 pm 
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Okay. Thanks so much. This is very helpful!


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 Post Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2020 4:15 pm 
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You're quite welcome. :)

Let us know how things go.

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 Post Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 8:59 pm 
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Well, I worked on it for awhile and got things down to about 13% free, which helped. I've been doing okay with everyday stuff. But I really need more than that. I use an architectural drawing program fairly frequently and have now decided I would like to install Photoshop, which is probably going to be a bit much. So I am probably in the market for a new machine, and I have no idea what I need. It's been so long, and I feel a little overwhelmed. honestly. Any tips on what I should get?


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 Post Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 9:09 pm 
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If you are going to use PhotoShop heavily I'd have to recommend getting a system with the strongest CPU (Intel I7/9 or AMD Ryzen 7 with at least 8 cores) that you can afford along with as much memory as possible. I would also go with as large of an M.2 SSD drive as you can manage.

This may sound odd but take a look at gaming rigs as they tend to be very strong as to graphics.

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 Post Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 10:47 pm 
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I don't honestly know whether I will use PS heavily, but I have done a bit in the past and the architectural program is also quite a big user of resources, so I think the idea on a gaming machine is not a bad one. The big question is whether I want to spend the money! :) Thank you.


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 Post Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 11:12 pm 
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YW. :)

Just keep in mind that, with graphics software, the video is often more important than the CPU. This is what makes a gaming system a possible solution. If you intend to stay with a laptop try to get dedicated video instead of integrated on the mother board. Integrated video is going to use system memory which is going to be slower than the memory on a dedicated card.

Some don't like this idea but you can also get more bang for your bucks by getting a re-certified or refurbished system through https://newegg.com or https://www.tigerdirect.com . Of course there is a bit of a risk going this way but my 8 year old Asus laptop was a bit over $1000.00 new but I paid $479.00 re-certified. 2 or 3 of my hard drives, along with my router, are also re-certified or refurbished. I have had zero issue with any of the items.

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 Post Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 10:14 am 
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Thank you again! That is helpful.


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 Post Posted: Fri May 15, 2020 3:20 am 
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Actually this conversation reminds me of something that happened with me way back in the days of Windows Vista. There was a playable free demo of the game Halo. The minimum requirements called for at least a 1.5 GHz. CPU and I was only running a 1.0 GHz. CPU. I decided to try it anyway and was able to play the demo with all settings set to the max. without issue. The thing was that I was running a superior video card which more than made up for the CPU being under the minimum requirements.

The above does not mean that you would see the same results with a lesser CPU but using a good video card but the odds are that it would be the case. Graphics are graphics whether a game or your drafting software of Photo Shop. With anything that is heavy on graphics I would take a lesser CPU with a high quality graphics card than the other way around.

I will also add that you would probably do better with a desktop system rather than a laptop as to what you can get for the same money.

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 Post Posted: Fri May 15, 2020 3:58 am 
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homefire wrote:
... I downloaded Kaspersky...

Homefire, which version of Kaspersky did you try? Did you know that KAS now also has a free "cloud" version. I have no idea if that would impact your system the same way because that may be the one that you already tried. Please note: I have never tried this product so I cannot vouch for it, but some folk at Wilders Security like it.

https://www.kaspersky.com/free-cloud-antivirus

Good luck, Bill

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 Post Posted: Fri May 15, 2020 9:17 am 
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Y'all are just full of great advice! Yep, that's why I love this place! :D


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 Post Posted: Fri May 15, 2020 9:19 am 
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jaylach wrote:
I will also add that you would probably do better with a desktop system rather than a laptop as to what you can get for the same money.


Even if I have to buy a monitor? I hadn't even thought of that.


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 Post Posted: Fri May 15, 2020 3:14 pm 
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homefire wrote:
jaylach wrote:
I will also add that you would probably do better with a desktop system rather than a laptop as to what you can get for the same money.


Even if I have to buy a monitor? I hadn't even thought of that.

Yes, quite possibly even with buying a monitor if you even have one. As long as the video card has an HDMI port you can just plug it into an HDTV. I run dual displays on my main system and both are HDTVs.

While a laptop is nice if you need a mobile system a desktop is much more versatile as to updating. Say you wanted to initially save some money and went with integrated graphics. As long as the mother board has a PCIe slot you can add better video at any time. You just need to get a system with a decent power supply to start with.

Also, going with a desktop, you can add hard drives as you need storage where, with a laptop, your only option is externals which are much slower than internals. My main system has a total of ~13 TB of internal storage.

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 Post Posted: Fri May 15, 2020 3:36 pm 
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Hmmmm. This is a whole new consideration for me. Thinking! :)


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 Post Posted: Fri May 15, 2020 7:28 pm 
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homefire wrote:
Hmmmm. This is a whole new consideration for me. Thinking! :)

LOL! I hate it when I think! It tends to give me a headache and get me in trouble... :mrgreen:

If you want to state your budget for this we MAY be able to make some system recommendations. A short list of other software that you run would be helpful in this. Of course, if you were to go with such a recommendation it is your responsibility if you end up not happy. We are not you and can only recommend according to the info we have. We cannot be held responsible for the results.

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 Post Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 2:19 pm 
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Jay, you said:
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If you intend to stay with a laptop try to get dedicated video instead of integrated on the mother board. Integrated video is going to use system memory which is going to be slower than the memory on a dedicated card.


I don't really know what this means. How do I tell? I don't really know what is good in a graphics card. I think I need a crash course! :) I've been looking at an i7 with 16 G RAM, 1 T SSD, screen res 1920x1080, but no idea what I need for graphics card! And not finding much in refurbished. :/

I have just been shopping on newegg. SO much easier to find what you want there than most places! Love that! I recognize the name from years ago, but had forgotten about it.

A desktop, though obviously more customizable, doesn't seem to me to be less money up front. Am I missing something? You say you use a HDTV for a monitor-- you mean like all the TVs people are getting rid of to get smart TVs?? Would that work just as well? Because I might possibly be able to get one of those free. Which would definitely make a difference!


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 Post Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 3:05 pm 
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Let's go with the HDTV as a monitor first. As long as the system's video has an HDMI output port, and the HDTV has an HDMI input port, it should work. Of course you would need an HDMI cable. Most laptops will have an HDMI output which means that you could even connect a laptop to a HDTV for a larger display.

Dedicated video means that it is a separate card that plugs in a slot on the mother board and has its own 'dedicated' video memory. Integrated video means that it is a chip on the mother board and uses system memory. There are two main differences.
1) Dedicated video memory on a video card is going to run much faster than system memory. Today's newer video cards are running what is called DDR6 memory while the fastest system memory that I know if is DDR4. DDR6 is 2 generations beyond DDR4 and runs much faster.

2) While a system CPU can have up to, at least, 32 cores a dedicated video card will have well over 1000 cores. Integrated video will tend to have much fewer cores. Also, since it uses system memory, you won't have all the system memory available for application use.

Don't get me wrong! Integrated video can be just fine. My laptop has integrated video made by Intel and does fine for what I do with the system. It is just that dedicated video will almost always outperform integrated.

Most laptops use integrated video but some DO have a dedicated video card. The laptops with dedicated video are pretty much high end gaming rigs and are pretty costly.

If you want you can post a link to the I7 you are looking at and we can take a look at the video.

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 Post Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 4:52 pm 
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Just as an example here is the last laptop that I purchased. It not only has what is listed in the title but it also has an empty bay in it to put an additional HD in. (PS: my last two laptops have had extra bays for upgrades for a second HD).
ASUS - ROG G531GT 15.6" Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7 - 8GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 - 512GB Solid State Drive - Black

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 Post Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 6:46 pm 
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Nice looking system Bill. Even if only 2 MB at least it is dedicated video and the second drive bay is nice. I also like the DDR4 system memory. The fact that the 512 GB SSD is PCIe, not SATA, is also a plus.

I found it on Amazon for $880.00 with free shipping. From New Egg it is $999.00 but the video is 4 MB. I don't know that the extra 2 MB video memory is worth the price difference... Do you use a cooling pad for your laptop? I use one on my Asus laptop which I think is part of the reason it has gone ~8 years without issue. I also like the 4 extra USB ports my cooling pad includes and the fact that it has a few different angles to make the keyboard easier to use even if I use a wireless mouse/keyboard when it is on my desk. I also have a 24 inch Asus monitor connected via HDMI. The only real issue with my laptop is that it uses an I5 CPU. I'll never use another I5. ;)

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-ROG-G531GT-i7-9750H-1650-8GB/dp/B07RKSNCT6

New Egg:
https://www.newegg.com/black-asus-rog-gaming-entertainment/p/1TS-001A-00J97

The only downside that I see is the lack of a CD/DVD optical drive but that can be overcome with an external optical drive or copying CD/DVD install media to a thumb drive on another system; not a really big deal.

@ homefire: Make sure to scroll up to my previous post to see answers as to dedicated versus integrated video and using a HDTV as a monitor.

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 Post Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 7:42 pm 
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I have 4G in my 1650.
No I do not have a pad for it. Since SETI has gone into hibernation I am no longer running it on my laptops. My other main laptop finally fried the power brick. I have had that problem a few times along the way using the laptop at max 24/7. Oh, and the CPU fans seem to have their bearings go bad as well. I have replaced a number of them along the way.
As for no DVD, I have not had one in a laptop for years now. The USB ones work just fine for me.

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 Post Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 8:32 pm 
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What about this one? I'm still trying to figure out my budget. My husband didn't choke to death when I mentioned this, but I'm still not sure. :lol:
https://www.newegg.com/silver-hp-premium/p/1TS-000D-09EP1?Item=9SIA65EB7V7092&quicklink=true

Is that a good video card? And what else should I be looking for that I'm not seeing? I miss the DVD drive (mine went bad recently) but mostly just because I used it for my exercise videos in the basement. :) But hardly any have them any more, it seems.

Though I think that I will probably go with a laptop again, I like the idea of plugging in to a bigger screen when I'm working on a graphics project. I'm definitely going to keep my eyes open for a spare TV. We just got one free, and though it's too big for my desk, I bet I can find another one if I keep my eyes open. :)

And tell me about the cooling pad. Is that a good idea for me?


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 Post Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 9:04 pm 
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homefire wrote:
What about this one? I'm still trying to figure out my budget. My husband didn't choke to death when I mentioned this, but I'm still not sure. :lol:
https://www.newegg.com/silver-hp-premium/p/1TS-000D-09EP1?Item=9SIA65EB7V7092&quicklink=true

And tell me about the cooling pad. Is that a good idea for me?

Looks like a really nice system. The CPU is slower as to normal speed but can go faster if demand calls for it than the one Bill and I were discussing but costs $200.00 more than the one I linked from New Egg.. The graphics should be fine although I'd like to see more video memory. The main issue I see with the video is that it only supports a screen resolution of 1366 x 768. The Asus system linked supports a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 which could be a big deal if you attached an external HDTV as a monitor as either things would be overly large on the external screen or it would not fill the entire screen with the HP. The system memory on the HP is also much slower than the Asus. If I were given the choice between the two systems I would pick the Asus from New Egg without a second thought. Yes, the Asus is less expensive through Amazon but has half the video memory and I trust New Egg more than I do Amazon. Shoot, you could add an external CD/DVD burner to the Asus and still be less as to cost in relation to the HP.

As to a cooling pad I think that you should use one since you use demanding programs. The more demanding the program the hotter the system runs and heat is the main enemy just short of throwing it against a wall. ;) My laptop, just sitting, runs ~15-20 degrees F cooler with my cooling pad than without.

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