What can you do to bring your old system up to date?
There's something wasteful about old computers. Most of us know that under the right circumstances our old PCs could be coaxed back into life; we just don't have the time or the means to get it back into working order. But maybe that's just an excuse. Maybe, without a little polish, a PC destined for the tip could be turned into something useful to someone once more.
In actual fact, it's relatively simple to turn an old, unwanted system into one that would be useful for someone. Once it's repaired, you might be able to use it as something useful - a media centre, a minecraft server or a practise Linux box. If not, you could sell it on or donate it to someone who can't afford a new PC of their own.
In real terms, getting a system into working order again isn't that much difficult from upgrading an existing one; you're just not replacing the old parts with new ones. In fact, the hardest part of the entire process is figuring out where you should even start. Luckily, we have that covered for you.
1 Check It Works
Before you do anything with an old system, it's worth checking whether it still works. You may not be able to because it's missing a component or two, in which case that's fine, but if at all possible you want to make sure it still operates to the maximum capable extent.
That might be as simple as plugging in an old monitor and powering it up. It might be as complex as transplanting a PSU into the case temporarily. Either way, the time to discover that it's broken is before you do any work or spend any money on it - and at least if you know it worked before you took it apart, you'll know that it should be possible to make it work again.
At this point it doesn't matter whether it boots into a usable copy of Windows or not. You just want to make sure that the hardware will at least try to boot. If the CPU is dead or the motherboard is fried, no amount of restoration will turn that around except total replacement.
The minimum a basic system needs to work are a PSU, CPU, motherboard, RAM, something to provide graphics output (whether on-board graphics or a video card) and ideally some form of internal storage such as a hard drive. If any of these are broken or missing, you'll have to replace them as part of the refurbishment process.
But at this point, concentrate on what happens when you press the power button. As long as you get a single short beep from the POST (power-on self-test) and the storage is detected (even if an operating system isn't), then you're good to continue. If not, you may have some problems to solve before you can continue.
2 Dismantle It
As part of the refurbishment process you should give the system a good clean inside. To do that properly, you first have to take it apart. If you're not confident doing this, take some reference photos before you take it apart, just to make sure you can reassemble it when you're ready.
When you're ready, shut the PC down, unplug it, and then press the power button on and off a few times just to make sure it's discharged. Ground yourself by touching the metal part of a radiator. If you're really careful, you can use an anti-static wristband, but as long as you don't spend all day rubbing balloons on the carpet, you probably won't have enough static to shock anything fragile anyway.
Once the system is discharged, you must start to dismantle the components. Start by unscrewing the expansion cards in the PCI slots, then removing them. Place them to one side on a non-static surface (i.e. not carpet or plastic). A wooden table will be fine. Next, disconnect all the internal cables, then unscrew and remove any CD/DVD drives, hard drives and any other pieces.
Finally, unscrew the motherboard and remove it last. If the CPU fan and RAM banks are relatively clean, you may want to leave these seated; removing them is probably more likely to damage them than the alternative.
As you remove pieces, it's a good idea to check the system for wear and tear. Like anything, computer systems are likely to pick up damage as they age. A refurbished system shouldn't necessarily be in completely pristine condition, but if you spot frayed cables, broken plastic and rattling fans, it might be a good idea to replace them before they become a serious problem. A rattling fan could easily become a broken one, and broken fans lead to overheated components.
At the same time, it's worth checking the status of things like screws and blanking plates, especially if your system has had upgrades over the years. Unblanked PCI slots let masses of dust in and out, and missing screws can cause annoying vibrations at best and allow components to slip out of place at worst.
Replacing any of these items shouldn't cost more than a few quid, but they'll make an old system look like new and potentially extend its lifespan.
3 Get Dusting
Even a PC system that's been used regularly will have a lot of dust inside, so one that's been lying fallow for any length of time is going to be caked in the stuff. Cleaning dust out of a system is essential for two reasons.
The first is that it just makes the system feel newer. Nothing says 'old computer' like the acrid stink of rapidly toasting dust wafting out of the PSU.
But dust and debris doesn't just look and smell bad. It interferes with the performance of a system too. Dust insulates hardware, trapping heat and making internal air flow virtually useless. It also clogs fans and heatsinks, reducing their ability to shift and disperse heat. In the worst cases, stray hair might get tangled in fans, causing them to seize up completely.
Regardless of a system's age, hot components perform badly and are more prone to failure, so if you're refurbishing a computer, then making sure it's completely clean is the best way to give it a better chance at survival.
To clean a system properly, you need three things: a lightly damp cloth, a dry cloth, a small brush and a can of compressed air.
First, wipe any dust off the components using the damp cloth, using the dry cloth to mop up any water. Be careful you don't snag the cloth on jagged wires or bits of solder! You don't have to get every last speck off, but it shouldn't be difficult to get most of it, especially if it's already quite furred up. Don't try to get the cloth into the nooks and crannies; you can use the brush for that later. For now, concentrate on the surface.
Once you've cleaned off the bulk of the dust and dried the components with the cloths, you need to clean things like fan blades and heatsinks, which are too small or fragile to stick a cloth inside. Compressed air will make short work of the most stubborn pieces of dust that cling to components. You might want even want to take them outside to avoid spraying dust all over yourself and/or your room.
One of the hardest components to clean is the PSU. It's easy for PSUs to pick up dust, but they're difficult to get clean inside, not least because you should never open a PSU. The components can be dangerous to the untrained individual, so unless you're an electrician, you don't want to go near the interior. To clean a PSU, wipe damp cloths down the vents to get the dust out, but avoid using compressed air - you'll only blow the dust back into the unit. If the PSU looks like it needs a lot of cleaning, it might be a better idea to simply replace it. When PSUs fail, they fail catastrophically, so it's probably not worth the risk.
Finally, you need to clean out the case. Again, wipe dust off with a damp cloth and use compressed air and/or the brush to clean out the nooks and any clogged vents. Remember to clean the internal cabling as well as the side panels and base. When the case is tidy, you can move onto the next step: reassembly.
4 Put your System Back Together
Once your hardware is clean, you need to put it back where it belongs. While you have the hardware accessible, you might want to do things like replace the CMOS battery on the motherboard (it's the large, round battery that helps keeps the BIOS settings saved and the internal clock running) or replace heatsinks and fans with newer models.
To reassemble your system, start by installing the motherboard, RAM and CPU, then install the PSU. If you need a separate graphics card, install that as well. For now, don't install a hard drive - or if you do, don't connect it up just yet. Before you go any further, you want to test that the critical components are working. Reconnect the system and turn on the power. If it boots up normally (up until it can't find a boot disk), then great. If not, you'll have to chase beep codes and check connections until you spot the problem.
Once you know the bare bones of a system are working, you can start to reinstall the other components. Test it at each stage to make sure the hardware is working properly, and remember to cover any unused expansion slots and drive bays with blanking plates to prevent dust getting in.
Connect the hard drive up last. Now that the system is physically clean, it's time to wipe the data as well.
5 Fresh Install
Assuming you have a legal copy of Windows that you're licensed to install, you should be able to use it to wipe the existing data off the PC and install a fresh copy of the operating system. Simply boot from the installation disc and choose the relevant options. Alternatively, if you want to install an OS but haven't got one spare, you could download and install a copy of Linux.
If you're planning to give the system to someone else without an operating system installed, you can use the free utility DBAN (www.dban.org) to securely wipe the entire contents of a hard drive, leaving it with nothing but empty space and no possibility that your data can be retrieved. That way, whoever receives the system can choose to install their own operating system.
Whatever you install, make sure it fits your system's capabilities. Old systems may not have enough RAM to run Windows 10, for example. Ubuntu Linux is a good free choice precisely because its requirements are very low.
When your OS is installed, check that the hardware has been detected properly and, if necessary, install any missing drivers to make sure the system is still in full working order.
6 Finish The Job
Now that your system has been fully refurbished, you need to add the finishing touches by equipping it with the essentials. All systems need a keyboard, mouse and monitor to be properly operational, so if you have old ones available, clean them up and pair them with the system. If you haven't, new ones can be picked up relatively cheaply. You can sell a system without the peripherals, but if you're giving it away, you want it to be complete.
If you plan to sell the system, be aware that you probably won't get a lot of money for it. Donating it to a person or organisation might make it seem like you're making a loss, but on the other hand, you get the warm fuzzy glow of helping people out to reward you.
Either way, once you've decided what to do with your system, the job is over. Not only have you saved on wastage, you've also provided the world - or yourself - with one more useful computer. Take pride in that, if nothing else!
Top Refurbishment Tips
1 lf you're refurbishing a system for yourself, remember that you might still have a restore disc from when you originally bought it. These can restore a PC's software to the condition you bought it in, operating system, applications and all. You'll have to download a few updates, but at least you don't need to buy a fresh copy of Windows!
2 Don't spend too much. Old PCs aren't worth a lot of money, so the last thing you want to do is throw away money trying to bring them up to standard. If you need a part for it, don't buy a new one; see if anyone you know has one going free, or at the very least pick it up second-hand. Online groups like Freecyde might be able to hook you up with someone who has one they want rid of. There are plenty of alternatives to buying new components!
3 Get your hardware in order. Chances are if your system is old, then the drivers you have for it are out of date and the manuals you need are banished to some forgotten drawer. Luckily, most manufacturers keep archive copies of documentation and the latest drivers accessible on their websites in perpetuity. As long as you can locate a model number, you can have the latest drivers and firmware for even ancient hardware available to you in seconds.