So I have a really old HP Laptop. (I have no idea exactly what kind it is, tell me how to find out and i'll tell ya. I do not have many games on it, and that's all I use it for. These are Kerbal Space Program, Minecraft, and War Thunder. I recently deleted World of Tanks to see if that would free up some whatever I need on it. I am low on cash (maybe 50-100 bucks), but I could save up 100 or 200 in about half a year if need be. I have all my games set on their lowest graphics settings, but I recently discovered that I could not play the most recent update of Minecraft. (1.7.something). Is there any way for me to upgrade or help out my computer with a low budget? I'd really like to get my games back up and running. Thanks for the help and time.
I'm no expert in optimising game settings to get the most out of a PC, but I'll try and help. I assume that you're running Windows? Right-click on "My Computer" and click on "Properties". Then post what processor and RAM you have, as well as the operating system you are using. Also open up the Device Manager (should be a link in the left-hand list on the system information page), then go to "Display Adapter" and post what you have.
Since you say it's old, I have to ask if you've ever done any Registry clean-up? There are a few programs out there for relatively cheap, ($13/y or so with some of them,) that will run through and fix your registry, as well as take care of any prominent errors in your system files. The registry is usually the reason why computers begin to slow down, and if you were able to run something before, but an update messes it up for you, it could be that the registry for that game on your computer became a little bit... confused... adding a few extra lines for the RAM to run through before returning the information.
Registry optimizers are useless...They're the snake oil of computers. It is common misconception that you actually gain speed by defragging or cleaning your registry. You don't. You can actually put yourself at more potential harm by using them. Registry cleaners scan for orphaned keys and values that are bytes in size. These programs usually are not very smart in how they scan. It happens from time to time that poor scanners will actually remove reg values your system still uses and can brick functionality as a result (though this is usually a rare occurrence). You should also never pay for something like that. You're being scammed basically if you do. Every infomercial you see on TV that claims to fix your computer (My Clean PC as an example) sells you a registry cleaner claiming to fix all problems. They do literally nothing. If you'd like to learn more, read. Anyways...onto the topic at hand. If the computer is old in terms of hardware, you're not gonna be able to do much to get it to run new games unless you or someone you know have the know-how to upgrade physical hardware components...or you buy a new shiny computer. Sorry. If it's slow as in startup speed, laggy or "Not Responding" programs and whatnot try the following: Install CCleaner and use it to clear out your temporary files that clog your hard drive and system RAM. (Ignore the Registry cleaner aspect of the program, the rest is great). Check if Windows is set to defragment your harddrive on a schedule - Click Start, type in Disk Defragmenter into the search menu - Open Disk Defragmenter and check that Scheduling is enabled Turn off unnecessary startup programs - This is the big one and is what causes most of the slowdown in computers. If you notice you have a lot of items running in the taskbar that startup automatically when you boot your PC, you should disable any that you do not need. - Click Start type in msconfig into the search menu - Move to the Startup tab. In this is a list of all programs that automatically start with your computer. Disable any program that you recognize and do not need. DON'T disable programs such as your antivirus, or drivers/software with names such as Intel, NVIDIA, AMD, or ATI as a few examples. If you are unsure of which programs are safe to disable here, ask me. And lastly, if you haven't been running an antivirus. Get one. These are some simple tasks to do to speed up your PC a bit. It can't and won't make your PC magically play games at max settings, but will help you reclaim some speed. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
I'm not quite sure what the name of the program I used was, but it really did help a lot when I used it. Stopped a lot of slowdown and other issues. Just that since I fried the RAM on my old desktop, I haven't looked for the program.
That's good, I just wanted to be clear with what the Windows Registry actually is, what registry cleaners actually do, and how the registry should never be tampered with. (Unless you know what you're doing).
No, I understand that most of them aren't actually good, which is why I don't go for any that are free. Like how most freeware "virus scanners" are more like "virus implanters." I've just had a good experience, so I figured I'd share it. :derpe:
I should also add that re-installing the operating system usually makes your PC run like a new machine. But I highly doubt that you'll want to spend 50 hours re-downloading your games.
Many reputable antivirus vendors provide free versions. You're looking in the wrong area for these things it seems... AVG Avira AntiVir avast! Malwarebytes (not an antivirus, but good for scanning computers already infected) to name a few good ones. Edit: Just wanted to mention one more thing. Having the mindset "if it's payware it's good" is not really great to have in the world of computers where now flourishing computer scams get people just like that. Open Source and freeware developers provide some of the best softwares out there with functionality that companies usually force you to pay for. Why? Because unlike the big guy, us smaller coders love what we do and love to provide for others. You just need to know where to look. In terms of antivirus specifically though, it is usually good to go through larger well known companies (because their teams are trained and prepared to tackle the enormity of the virus world). Learning how to keep your pc secure with limited cost (I do it all for free) does require time on your part to properly learn what is good, what is bad, and how to weed those things out. It's much worth it in the end (in my opinion) to understand rather than just go with based on what they say.
Okay, I've read through these and I could not find where the RAM and whatchmacallits in My Computer are. My computer is old in terms of hardware, so I guess I'll just suck it up for now and save up for a nice computer. Thanks again for the time and help.
