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What you can do with an old laptop or desktop computer

Do you have a laptop or desktop computer you don't use anymore? Maybe it got really slow or even stopped working altogether. It seems like everyone has at least one nowadays. I'm talking about the one in the garage or closet that's doing nothing but taking up space and collecting dust. Here are a few ideas on what you can do with an old computer, working or not.

A laptop and desktop computer ready for recycling
A laptop and desktop computer ready for recycling

What you can do with your old computer if it does work

Give it away

If your old computer is still working reasonably well, giving it to a family member or friend is a great idea. I recommend that you get all your data off of the computer and then create a new user with administrative privileges. Log off and then log back in as the new user and delete your original user profile. If you want to be sure your data cannot be recovered, run a disk defragmenter like Defraggler and then use CCleaner to wipe the free space.

Sell it

eBay and Craigslist can be great places to sell your old computer. If you have the original installation media or have made the recovery media, you can just reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows. Just make sure you securely erase all of your data first. If you don't have the original installation media, you can clean it up. Just like giving it away, create a new administrative user, log off, and back on as a new user. Then delete your old user account and uninstall any software you don't want going with the computer.

Donate it

As long as your old computer runs reasonably well, why not give it another life by donating it to your local school, church, or senior center. Or you can donate it to a non-profit organization like Goodwill and get a tax write-off. Either way, it will get reused. Just make sure you have or make the installation/recovery media, securely wipe the hard drive(s), and reinstall the operating system before donating it.

What you can do with your old computer if it does not work

Recycle it

Just tossing your old computer in the trash is a no-no. In fact, in some states, it's illegal. The materials used to construct it, like lead solder, can contaminate the ground in which it's buried. There are companies that will recycle the materials from your old computer. Just do a search for 'pc recycling' for a company in your area.

Part-it out

The odds are there are some parts of your old computer that can be reused. Here's a list of some of the components that could easily be reused:

Desktop computers
Hard Drives There are two types of hard drive interfaces, SATA (7 pin connection cable) and PATA (40 pin ribbon connection cable). SATA is the de facto standard and is supported by modem motherboards. You can easily add a SATA hard drive to a new desktop, provided you have a place to mount the drive in the case, a spare connection on the motherboard, and an extra power connection. PATA is a different story, as most motherboards nowadays do not support this type of hard drive. The best bet is to find an external enclosure for it and use it as an external hard drive.
CD/DVD Drives There are two types of CD/DVD interfaces, SATA (7 pin connection cable) and PATA (40 pin ribbon connection cable). SATA is the de facto standard and is supported by modem motherboards. You can easily add a SATA cd/dvd to a new desktop, provided you have a spare 5.25" expansion bay in the case, a spare connection on the motherboard, and an extra power connection. PATA is a different story, as most motherboards nowadays do not support this type of CD/DVD drive.
Memory Odds are any newer system will be running faster memory, and you won't be able to use it. But there may be someone who can. eBay or Craigslist would be a good place to sell it if you cannot use it yourself.
Expansion cards PCI, PCI-E, and PCI-X expansion cards can be reused if you have a spare slot on your motherboard and panel on the back of the case. Research the device first to find out if there is a driver for your operating system. With the change from 32-bit to 64-bit operating systems over the last few years, if the hardware has been discontinued, odds are there won't be a 64-bit driver for it.
Laptop computers
Hard Drives There are two types of hard drive interfaces, SATA (7-pin connection cable) and PATA (40 pin ribbon connection cable). SATA is the de facto standard and is supported by modem motherboards. Most laptops only have space for one hard drive internally. If your laptop does have a second hard drive bay, all you need is the hardware and cable to add it in. If your laptop doesn't have a second hard drive bay, you can always put it into a case and use it as an external hard drive.
Memory Odds are any newer system will be running faster memory, and you won't be able to use it. But there may be someone who can. eBay or Craigslist would be a good place to sell it if you cannot use it yourself.

How to tell if your hard drive is SATA or PATA
How to tell if your hard drive is SATA or PATA

Creating stunning documents, spreadsheets and slide-shows with OpenOffice 4

With the cost of Microsoft Office going up, not to mention the subscription / non-subscription thing, it's nice to know there are alternatives out there. One of the best office alternatives has to be OpenOffice. And it just so happens that the Apache Software Foundation recently released a new version of their free productivity software, OpenOffice 4.

The main screen inside of OpenOffice 4
The main screen inside of OpenOffice 4

For those who are not familiar with it, OpenOffice is a suite of office productivity programs that rivals Microsoft Office. It has everything you could need for creating great-looking documents, spreadsheets, and slideshow presentations. Here's a complete list of all of the programs included in OpenOffice 4.

Program Equivalent to Program type
Writer Microsoft Word Word processor
Calc Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet
Impress Microsoft PowerPoint Multi-media slideshow presentation
Draw Microsoft Paint Graphic design
Base Microsoft Access Database
Math Design Science Mathtype Formula creation

OpenOffice 4 has some significant improvements over previous versions. A new Sidebar contains the most commonly used functions for that program, which can be docked, floating, or completely hidden. There is also much improved compatibly with Microsoft Office documents. The drawing, graphics, and gallery functions have also been enhanced, along with the copy & paste and drag & drop functionality.

The new Sidebar inside of OpenOffice 4 shown docked and floating
The new Sidebar inside of OpenOffice 4 shown docked and floating

OpenOffice does use Java, but it's not required for installation, as it can be added later on. Compatibility with other document formats is pretty impressive, but Star Office is no longer supported. OpenOffice can automatically load/convert and convert/save Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Design Science Mathtype documents. The only file types that it cannot save to is the Microsoft Office 2007 - 2019 .???x formats.

And since OpenOffice is open-source, there are hundreds of third-party extensions to expand on the functionality of the applications. Add in a copy of GIMP or Paint.NET, and you have a complete and free desktop publishing package.

OpenOffice 4 is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems. For more information on OpenOffice 4, just follow the links below:

Apache OpenOffice Open Source Project

Download OpenOffice 4

Six ways to make Windows 8 easier to use

Repairing computers for a living requires working on different versions of Windows. Windows 8 must have the most changes out of all the Windows releases I've seen in the last decade or so. It seems like what worked in previous versions of Windows doesn't work in Windows 8. So here are six ways to make Windows 8 easier to use.

1. Create Shutdown, Restart, and Logoff shortcuts

Microsoft made shutting down and restarting Windows 8 kind of hard. You have to go to the Start screen and log-off before you can get to these options. It just seemed like too many steps for me, so I just created my own shortcuts and toolbar for shutting down, restarting, and logging off.

How to create log-off, restart, and shutdown shortcuts on the Start screen in Windows 8.

2. Start menu replacements

Windows 7 style Start menu in Windows 8 using Start8
Windows 7 style Start menu in Windows 8 using Start8

If you're a die-hard Windows user and find the Start screen just doesn't work for you, there is hope. There are numerous third-party shell menus out there like Start8, Open Shell, and Pokki's Windows 8 Start Menu. Get one, and Windows 8 will feel just like Windows 7.

3. Power users command menu

The desktop and laptop versions of the Windows 8 Power User command menu
The desktop and laptop versions of the Windows 8 Power User command menu

This is one of the Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 8 (see below), but I think it deserves to be listed separately. It contains links to some of the most used programs inside of Windows. From the Control Panel, Computer Management, and an Admin Command Prompt, if it's a commonly used Windows program, you'll probably find it here. Add it works on both the Desktop and Start screen.

Press To
Windows logo key + X Open the Power User command menu. There are over a dozen different apps you can run from this menu.

4. Start screen hidden search feature

Most people find it hard to find programs on the Start screen (Windows RT). But there is one cool feature that actually will help you search for programs. If you go to the Start screen and just type the first couple of letters of the name of the program you're looking for, Windows RT will bring up the Search charm with Apps pre-selected. Remember that there is no box or form field associated with this feature; you just type.

5. Windows 8 Keyboard shortcuts

The Windows logo key Windows logo key has been around since Windows 95, and with every new version of Windows, Microsoft just adds more key combinations. There are now forty (40) different Windows logo key shortcuts in Windows 8.

Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 8.

6. Windows 8 restart options

Windows 8 restart option screen
Windows 8 restart option screen

It used to be when you had a problem with Windows, you could press F8 at startup and get to the boot options. This was the primary way to start Windows in Safe Mode or boot to other media. But with newer computers using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and Windows 8 booting faster, pressing F8 at boot is hard, if not impossible. But there are a couple of ways to get there once Windows 8 is started. Note: If you want to boot from removable media, make sure that the media you want to boot to is attached (USB) or inserted (CD/DVD) before proceeding.

If you are logged off:

  1. On the logon screen, in the lower right-hand corner, tap or left-click the Power Icon. Hold the Shift key down while you tap or left-click on Restart.
  2. On the restart options screen, tap or left-click Troubleshoot.
  3. Tap or left-click on Advanced options.
  4. From here, you can choose what startup settings you want to use or boot to a bootable CD/DVD or USB drive.

If you are logged on:

  1. Press the Windows logo key Windows logo key + C to bring up the Charms bar.
  2. Tap or left-click Change PC Settings.
  3. Tap or left-click General.
  4. Scroll down to Advanced startup and tap or left-click Restart now.
  5. On the restart options screen, tap or left-click Troubleshoot.
  6. Tap or left-click on Advanced options.
  7. From here, you can choose what startup settings you want to use or boot to a bootable CD/DVD or USB drive.

And if you would like to enable the Advanced Boot Options menu, you can do that too. Just remember that there is no timer on the Advanced Boot menu anymore. If enabled, Windows 8 will wait for user input every time the system starts. How to enable the Advanced Boot Options menu at start up in Windows 8.

How to check your desktop computer for failed capacitors

Is your desktop computer running slower than usual? Does it randomly or frequently freeze up or restart? Or maybe it doesn't boot to the operating system or even boot at all. If so, your computer could have a failed capacitor.

Every computer repair shop has its own set of standard procedures, and we are no different. The very first thing we do when someone brings in a desktop computer is check for blown capacitors. With a quick visual inspection, we can spot a costly computer repair. And you can too. Here's how to inspect your desktop computer for failed capacitors.

Symptoms of bad capacitors

Now before you go and take your system apart, let's take a look at the symptoms of a failed capacitor. Does your computer have any of the following problems?

  • Runs slow
  • Randomly freezes up
  • Randomly / constantly restarts
  • Won't boot to an operating system
  • Won't start at all

If so, it might be worth the time to take a look inside your computer.

Types of capacitors

Visual differences between water based and polymer based electrolyte capacitors
Visual differences between water-based and polymer-based electrolyte capacitors

There are primarily two types of capacitors used on computer circuit boards (motherboards, graphics cards, etc.), water-based electrolyte and polymer-based electrolyte. I have seen the majority of failures with water-based capacitors, but polymer-based do fail too, just not as often. From 1999 thru 2007, millions of faulty water-based capacitors were produced by some Taiwanese manufacturers. The electrolyte will evaporate and turn into a gas, thus bulging the case and leaking in some cases.

Checking for bad capacitors

Top view of a row of failed capacitors
Top view of a row of failed capacitors
Side view of a failed capacitor
Side view of a failed capacitor

The following can be performed with the computer in-place, provided you have enough room. If not, you will have to move your computer to a location that does. Please take a photo of where everything goes first and completely disconnect all cables attached to it.

  1. Power down your computer and
    • Remove the power cord from the back of the power supply (in-place inspection)
      or
    • Disconnect all cables (relocated inspection)
  2. Open the case.
  3. Remove any obstructions, like fan shrouds, so that you can view the entire motherboard and other add-in cards.
  4. Using a flashlight, visually inspect all capacitors on the circuit boards (motherboard, graphics card, etc.). You may need to remove some of the add-in cards to examine them physically. Visual symptoms include:
    • Bulging or cracking of the vent on top
    • Casing sitting crooked on board as the base may be pushed out
    • Electrolyte that may have leaked out on to motherboard (rust-colored)
    • Case is detached or missing

What to do if you find a bad capacitor

If you do find a bad capacitor, there are three (3) options. First thing, if your computer is still operable, backup your data ASAP (see links below). There are many factors involved in deciding which option to choose, the system's age, and cost being the two major ones.

  1. Repair the motherboard
    You can replace the bad capacitor yourself (see link below) or have a trained professional do it for you.
  2. Replace the motherboard
    eBay is a great place to find a refurbished motherboard.
  3. Replace the computer
    If you've been looking for an excuse to get a new computer, you just found one. Or maybe two or three.

For more information on failed capacitors:

Capacitor plague - Wikipedia

For more information on how to replace failed capacitors:

Recapping your motherboard - Badcaps.net

For more information on how to backup your computer:

Windows XP Backup

Windows Vista / Windows 7 Backup

Windows 8 Backup

Windows 10 Backup

Diagnose computer hardware issues with the Ultimate Boot CD

Updated March 14, 2024

Every computer repair technician has a handful of software they regularly use to diagnose computer hardware issues. They are usually bootable drives and have their operating system included (FreeDOS or Linux). But carrying around all of these drives can be a nightmare. But luckily, there is a solution to this problem called the Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD).

The Ultimate Boot CD main menu
The Ultimate Boot CD main menu

UBCD is a bootable disk image (ISO) containing the most complete computer hardware diagnostic tools I have ever seen. It includes diagnostic tools for testing BIOS, memory, and everything in between. It includes programs like Memteset86 and Windows Memory Diagnostics for testing memory and Data Lifeguard (Western Digital) and SeaTools (Seagate) for testing drives. In fact, it has an extensive collection of drive utilities.

All of the software inside the UBCD is non-commercial (freeware) and free to download. It comes as an ISO image from which you can create a bootable USB drive (see Rufus below) or burn it to a CD. You can even add more programs to it if you like. The UBCD is like the Swiss Army knife for computer hardware diagnostics.

Note: Some of the programs inside of the UBCD can render your drive unreadable or completely erase the data from it. The following is a list of the program categories inside of the UBCD. Please visit their website for a complete list of utilities included in the UBCD (see link below).

  • BIOS (Basic Input Output System)
  • CPU (Central Processing Unit)
  • HDD (Hard Disk Drive)
    • Boot Management
    • Data Recovery
    • Device Info and Management
    • Diagnosis
    • Disk Cloning
    • Disk Editing
    • Disk Wiping
    • Installation
    • Partition Management
  • Memory
  • Others
  • Peripherals
  • System

Now, for all of the Geeks out there, here's the technical information on the UBCD. The UBCD is formatted using the FAT (File Allocation Table) file system and operates one of two Linux boot loaders: SYSLINUX (default) or GRUB4DOS. From there, you can start either a Linux-based or DOS-based utility. UBCD is also customizable, so you can add any floppy or ISO image or FreeDOS-based application to it (see link below).

To boot your computer using the UBCD, you may have to change some settings in the BIOS. Turning off secure boot and enabling legacy boot options in the BIOS will ensure you can boot your computer on the UBCD.

The UBCD is a privately funded project, and donations are encouraged. Please donate if you find the UBCD as helpful as I do (see link below). For more information on the UBCD, follow the links below.

Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD)

Create a bootable USB drive with Rufus

How to customize the Ultimate Boot CD

Donate to support the UBCD project

Free computer diagnostics

Repairing a PC can sometimes be expensive, and that is why we offer free basic in-shop diagnostics. Give one of our professional and experienced technicians a call at (602) 795-1111, and let's see what we can do for you.

Check out our reviews

Geeks In Phoenix LLC, BBB Business Review

Customer service is #1

Here at Geeks in Phoenix, we take pride in providing excellent customer service. We aim to give the highest quality of service  from computer repair, virus removal, and data recovery.

Bring your computer to us and save

Repairing a computer can be time-consuming. That is why we base our in-shop service on the time we work on your computer, not the time it takes for your computer to work! From running memory checking software to scanning for viruses, these are processes that can take some time.

Contact us

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at (602) 795-1111  and talk with one of our Geeks. Or you can send us a message from our contact page , and one of our Geeks will get back to you as soon as possible. Or you can stop by and see us. Here are our hours and location.

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