Tips for new PC buyers

Many people prefer getting their PCs from established manufacturers such as Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba, etc., rather than having them built from selected custom parts at the local computer store. This preference is due largely to the good technical support provided by such vendors. However, there are things you should take note of when you buy a new PC from established vendors.

First, in most cases, your PC comes with a single installation disk containing the Windows version installed on your system, drivers for your peripherals, and bundled software. Second, this disk is often proprietary to the PC that you acquired from the vendor, meaning, that if you change even one piece of hardware on that PC, the chances are that the disk won’t contain any drivers for your new hardware. Even changing your hard disk might mean that you won’t be able to install Windows XP, as the CD will detect that the hard disk is not the same as the one the PC came with.

To avoid potential problems associated with just having one CD-ROM containing all the software for your PC, you should do the following:

1. Ask the vendor to give you separate installation and driver CDs for each piece of software, including Windows, and hardware on your PC. The motherboard, video card, LAN, sound card, and other pieces of hardware should each come with their separate CDs. Many vendors will provide you with the CDs for free, but even if they charge you extra for these, just agree to pay for it, considering the trouble you’ll save yourself from later by insisting on this now.
2. If it is not feasible for the vendor to give you separate CDs for your hardware and software, insist on an OEM full or upgrade copy of your Windows version at the very least. In this case, the vendor will give you a separate CD of your Windows version. Thus, if you want to upgrade your hardware later, you can use this CD, instead of the vendor’s proprietary CD, to install Windows.
3. Ask the vendor to give you a copy of the manual for the motherboard that came with your PC. This will allow you to know the specifics of the motherboard, and to know if it will support any hardware upgrade you make later. As mentioned in item 1 above, the motherboard should come with its own CD.
4. Make at least one copy, if not more, of all the original CDs, and use these copies to install software, drivers, etc. on your PC. Keep the original CDs in a safe place and don’t use them for installation purposes to prevent them from getting scratched and becoming unusable later.

Make sure to take note of these tips the next time you buy a PC. They may potentially save you a lot of pain later.

Posted in Categories: General PC Tips, Hardware ~ No Tags ~ Trackback

Related Posts: No related posts