Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

Not sure what to do if you have a dusty old non-working computer? Using the recommendations in this article, you can fix and update it.

Steps

1. 1 Look at him. Yes, look at your computer. Look from all angles.Above: what is the state of the case? On both sides: is the case damaged? Is there a cooler on the left side? Does it work? From the back: what ports does the computer have? Are they all on the motherboard, or are there additional devices? Is there a power supply? Front: is there a floppy drive? Are the USB ports on the front of the chassis damaged (if any)?
2. 2 Try turning it on. Find the power cord and connect it. Turn on your computer and watch. If it doesn't react at all, then there might be something wrong with the case. If it turns on and you can hear the disc working, then it is most likely fine.
3. 3 Unplug it and open the case. Even if there were problems in Step 2, open the case anyway. There are a few things you need to do. If it doesn't turn on at all, then look at the wires going from the power supply to the motherboard. If they are properly connected, then something is wrong with the motherboard or power supply, and if you don't have a replacement then this computer won't be worth the effort. If not, connect the wires. Check the connectors on the hard drive. Are they sitting upside down? Is the hard drive not connected correctly? Fix it.
4. 4 Clean it up. Use compressed air to remove dust from the housing. Clean the motherboard, cards, hard drives, power supply, any coolers (especially the cooler on the processor) and the case.
5. 5 Find the broken pieces. If the drive does not work, disconnect it. If the sound card does not work, disconnect it. If the video card is broken, remove it (and find a replacement). If the BIOS batteries need to be replaced, do so.
6. 6 Replace disconnected items (if possible or necessary). If the RAM did not work, it will be especially important to replace it. If the hard drive is broken, this will also be an important replacement. However, if the 56K modem is broken, then you don't need to worry about it, because most likely you will update it in the next step.
7. 7 Please update. If the part can be updated, then update it. Upgrade your computer as soon as possible. Upgrade your RAM, hard drives, if you can, upgrade your drive (CD-ROM to DVD), and if you had a 56K modem, upgrade it to a modern network card or wi-fi card, and so on.
8. 8 Make sure it works. Make sure that all the previous steps have saved (or restored) the health of your computer. Turn it on and make sure you can go to BIOS and configure hard drives.
9. 9 Install the operating system. Use a modern operating system with good functionality and security.
   • 1 GB + RAM (Minimum) Windows 7
   • 512MB RAM (Minimum) Ubuntu Linux, Windows XP, Windows Vista
10. 10 Install the software. This is not so important, but in this way, the computer will be much more useful and interesting for buyers (if you decide to sell it).
11. 11 If you're selling it, give away extra items. Find a power cord, keyboard, mouse, and possibly a monitor. Include whatever is left over from the time you purchased this computer (unless you need it). If you have something else, try turning on your speakers, printer, modem, joystick, software discs, and more.
12. 12 If you are selling it, then set a reasonable price. A good computer from the mid-90s can cost from 350 rubles to 1,700 rubles. Calculate the repair costs and add labor costs. Perhaps you spent 5 hours working on this computer, for example, 70 rubles per hour and repairing 500 rubles, and you want to add an extra 170 rubles. Adding this amount, you get 1200 rubles. When setting the final price, make sure it's worth it. Nobody wants to buy a computer with 16MB of RAM and running Windows 3.1 for 1000 rubles.
13. 13 If you don't want to sell it, then use it. The only way to appreciate your work is by using this computer. So sit down and play a couple of old games, run old programs that don't work for Windows 7, give it to the kids, use it as a router, give it to school, and so on.

Tips

• If you can find information about your computer and its manufacturer, do so. This information will be very useful for things like what drives were turned on, the maximum amount of RAM, and so on.
• Feel free to use third-party devices if they fit. If you have a printer that you want to try, then go for it.
• This article talks about computers in general. Certain types of computers deserve some attention, such as laptops. If you are looking to upgrade your laptop, you may need to replace the battery, keyboard, broken parts of the screen, including a spare battery or laptop bag, and so on.

Warnings

• Don't forget the location of the parts. If possible, take a photo of the inside of the computer. It can be useful to you during the subsequent work.
• When you add devices or software, make sure it works. Devices must match the overall configuration. The software must run on the installed operating system.
• Be careful when working inside the enclosure.
• Don't spend more money than it's worth. If the motherboard, processor, or power supply isn't working and you can't buy them for $ 200, then the computer might not be worth it. Do not give up, most likely, there are many people around you with old computers, which they will gladly sell or, if you are lucky, give away for free.
• Don't mindlessly buy parts. Not every detail fits the corresponding computer configuration, especially on older computers.