Annie

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Dear Annie,

The answer to your question really depends on your computer. Here are some of the questions I ask my customers before I advise them.

First, what is the age of your computer?

If the computer is more than 5 years old, then you might want to just buy a new one. If the computer is less than 2 years old, I would say it is well worth the money to have the computer repair shop format the hard drive and re-install all your programs. This is a service I provide for my customers quite often, and it usually costs about $135. The cost is more if you have data that needs to be backed up first, and it will also cost more if the original disks can’t be found and I have to research the drivers on the internet.

Second question: Has the computer always been having the problems you are experiencing, or have they developed over time as you have used the computer and installed software programs?

If the computer has always had the problem you are hoping to get rid of, then there is a good chance that formatting the hard drive and re-installing all the programs is not going to fix the problem. If the problems have developed over time, then in most cases, re- formatting will make your computer as fast as it was when you first bought it.

Third question: Are you trying to use software that the computer is not fast enough to run?

Most of the time, people purchase a new computer because they have software programs that require more power than their current computer has. If this is the case then it would be best to upgrade your RAM or purchase a new computer.

Elizabeth

It’s Your Turn: What do you think?
…. Share your experience in the comments box below.

I have a tons of viruses on my computer so I just want to wipe it or reformat it. How should I do this or how much does it cost to just clear the pc and start over?

Thanks, Tyler

Dear Tyler,

When your computer has been compromised by viruses, malware, or just years of use, reformatting and starting over will often add a few good years of life, that it might not otherwise enjoy.

Before I start explaining how, or how much it costs, I want to be sure that you and all the readers understand exactly what reformatting means to your computer, and especially to your data.

When you format your computer, you are erasing the entire hard drive. This means that everything that was on your computer will be erased. All your photos will be gone, along with your favorites, email messages, addresses, documents and music. The hard drive is first erased, then the original content that the computer had on it when it came from the factory is put back on. It will be like getting a new computer all over again.

Since everything will be lost, your first job will be to back up all your important files. If you have photos, music, letters, spreadsheets, slideshows or any other type of information on your computer that you have created or saved over the years, you need to get them copied onto some type of storage. You might be able to save them on CDs or DVDs, or copy them to a USB storage device or external hard drive. If this is not something that you can do, or are comfortable doing, most local computer shops will be able to do this for you, even if the computer is no longer able to run windows.

Once you have everything backed up, it is time to figure out if you want to try reformatting yourself, or have a professional do the job for you. If you are not comfortable backing everything up, then take it to your local computer shop and have them do the entire job for you.

I can’t give you directions for doing this job, since it varies from one computer manufacturer to the next, and sometimes it is a different process for computers from the same manufacturer. Most HP and Compaq computers come with a recovery DVD that will format the computer and put it back the way it was, but other brands often come with several disks that require some extensive technical knowledge on your part.

As far as cost is concerned, I usually charge three hours of labor for re-installing Windows and getting the computer set back up the way it was. It really takes me a full day because I make sure all the security updates are installed and the computer is protected from future malware attacks.

I hope this helps answer your questions.
Elizabeth

Dear Computer Lady,

How does one enlarge the text to print on Word? Please.  I have tried select all and then increased text size, tried to print and it still comes out too small. I’m probably missing an obvious step–that’s why I get a senior discount!! Appreciate any help you have to offer.  

Thanking you in advance, 

Martha

Dear Martha,

I suspect that you are probably increasing the view of your Word document and not the actual text size. I will give you step by step directions for increasing the text size, and your problem should be fixed.

1. Open your word document and select the whole thing by clicking once inside the document. Click on “Edit” in the menu bar, then click on “Select All”. The entire text of your document will be highlighted.

2. Click on “Format” in the menu bar, and then on “Font”. A small font window will appear with options for making changes to your fonts. You want to go to the section labeled “Size” and select the desired size for your font. Just for practice, click on the number 14 and you will see the text in the preview section (down at the bottom of the font window) change in size.

3. Select the size of font that you are looking for and when you are done, click the button at the very bottom of the font window that says “OK”. This will save your changes. Do not close the window using the X at the top, this will discard any changes you have made.

4. Now you should be able to print your document with the larger font size.

Elizabeth