Troubleshooting a Slow Computer
November 29, 2024
Episode Notes
Good morning there, Ed.
Good morning, Les. What's going on?
Well, I was just looking at how I progressed through the week. I'm pretty happy with the results. How about you?
Yeah, same. Got a lot done. What'd you get done this week?
It's not so much what I got done, it's what I got started. It's kind of hard to describe, but I'm using AI.
Yeah. Yeah. You said that uh a few weeks back when we were talking, I think.
Yeah. And I'm using AI to improve improve my website. It's teaching me how to code things better and do the things that I want.
How about you?
Uh, I don't know. I all week just been sort of ticking things off. Done done. Um, got a new computer which we're on right now which I'm testing out still. So that's good.
Hey, tell me about it. I'm curious.
Um,
Windows or a Mac?
Yeah. Okay. So, the problem is um
yeah
we use Ubuntu which is a Linux distribution which is a free operating system.
Okay. So there's Windows,
Mac and Linux.
Yes.
Let's call it Linux for now. Okay.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Gotcha. So did you buy a new computer?
So for years and years and years we've been recycling old computers.
Yes.
We we have a family member, a friend, a student, somebody getting rid of a computer. They say Getting rid of my old computer doesn't work anymore. Do you want it? I say yes. I take it. 10 years old, 15 years old, doesn't matter. With Linux, you can do anything.
Me, too. I' I've got a couple machines like that.
So, we've been we've been uh recycling is not the right word. Upcycling is not the right word. We've been maintaining old computers that Windows can no longer be used. They can no longer be used for Windows,
right?
Um, but there are some problems with Ubuntu. to primarily proprietary software that can only be used in Windows,
right?
And uh recently we've been having trouble with Zoom, which the Ubuntu version of Zoom is not fully functional.
Oh, okay. I didn't know that.
Yeah, there's a few features we can't use which make it a little tricky. So, long story short, we have one Windows computer.
Okay. Yeah.
And it works It works perfectly with Zoom. And so we we decided we need a second one.
Good.
We discussed buying a brand new computer um and looked into that and we're thinking about that. And then I I found one at a used shop that I thought was good.
All of the specs were were excellent. Um and it had Windows 11 installed and it seemed to be good and the price was very reasonable,
so I bought it.
Okay. I got it home and it was slow, slow, slow, slow. Boot up time was almost 3 minutes.
Now that's using Windows, right?
That's with the Windows 11 um um what do they call it? Microsoft uh authorized uh Microsoft refurbished Windows machine.
Okay. Okay.
Um but it was so slow it just it was impossible to use and the graphics were horrible. and it just wouldn't work. So, uh, Chiharu agreed to let me
wipe it inst install Ubuntu on it, which is what I always want to do when Windows machines get slow because Windows is heavy.
Yes.
So, I installed Ubuntu and uh I'm getting it set up now. And this is our first time. So, different computer for for this meeting, the first time.
Okay.
I believe the camera is better.
It looks nice,
but I I need you to tell me that cuz you're looking at me from the other side. But um
yeah,
anyway. So yeah, I'm just getting that set up. So it was purchased as a Windows machine, intended to be a Windows machine, but after two days, both of us were so frustrated with how slow it was that it's it's now an Iuntu machine.
Okay, good for you.
But that still doesn't solve our Zoom problem.
Okay, now one thing that you might might consider
Yeah.
is to wipe the disc and reinstall Windows fresh. That would be nice. However, I don't know how to reinstall Windows. Windows is not free.
Okay, I won't I won't step there.
But but but also just the the place I bought it at, they had wiped it and and reinstalled it. It was a fresh refurbished machine. So,
yeah, I don't know.
But simply put, it's it's not quite as powerful as I hoped. Not quite as fast as I hoped and it can't handle Windows 11. It was built for Windows 10 and it's just a bit bit slow for Windows 11.
Can you upgrade it with memory or anything like that?
I could. It's got 8 gigs of RAM now, but it maxes out at 16. So, I could upgrade to 16, but that would cost more and then we might as well just bought a brand new one.
I see. Yeah, I thought memory was really cheap these days.
Um Um, no. Six. A 16 gig stick is probably over $100. Over 10,000 yen.
Wow.
Or 28 would probably be a little cheaper, but still would be 6,000 or 8,000 yen.
Okay. Okay.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Anyway.
Okay.
It's working fine so far.
Yeah. Well, that's the thing. I I've been I I used uh Linux
for a long time and I I I don't understand what the problem with Zoom is. Like what do you what function do you want?
Uh it won't do screen sharing.
Oh, okay. That's kind of big.
Which has something to do with uh graphics drivers within Ubuntu that that Zoom does not uh connect with properly.
Okay. Okay. Um do you do you do this for classes?
Yeah. Yeah.
Okay. Yeah. I Well, good luck there.
Thanks.
Speaking of being busy, I'm still busy. I better get back to what I'm doing.
All right, take care.
Okay, bye-bye.
See you.
Good morning, Les. What's going on?
Well, I was just looking at how I progressed through the week. I'm pretty happy with the results. How about you?
Yeah, same. Got a lot done. What'd you get done this week?
It's not so much what I got done, it's what I got started. It's kind of hard to describe, but I'm using AI.
Yeah. Yeah. You said that uh a few weeks back when we were talking, I think.
Yeah. And I'm using AI to improve improve my website. It's teaching me how to code things better and do the things that I want.
How about you?
Uh, I don't know. I all week just been sort of ticking things off. Done done. Um, got a new computer which we're on right now which I'm testing out still. So that's good.
Hey, tell me about it. I'm curious.
Um,
Windows or a Mac?
Yeah. Okay. So, the problem is um
yeah
we use Ubuntu which is a Linux distribution which is a free operating system.
Okay. So there's Windows,
Mac and Linux.
Yes.
Let's call it Linux for now. Okay.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Gotcha. So did you buy a new computer?
So for years and years and years we've been recycling old computers.
Yes.
We we have a family member, a friend, a student, somebody getting rid of a computer. They say Getting rid of my old computer doesn't work anymore. Do you want it? I say yes. I take it. 10 years old, 15 years old, doesn't matter. With Linux, you can do anything.
Me, too. I' I've got a couple machines like that.
So, we've been we've been uh recycling is not the right word. Upcycling is not the right word. We've been maintaining old computers that Windows can no longer be used. They can no longer be used for Windows,
right?
Um, but there are some problems with Ubuntu. to primarily proprietary software that can only be used in Windows,
right?
And uh recently we've been having trouble with Zoom, which the Ubuntu version of Zoom is not fully functional.
Oh, okay. I didn't know that.
Yeah, there's a few features we can't use which make it a little tricky. So, long story short, we have one Windows computer.
Okay. Yeah.
And it works It works perfectly with Zoom. And so we we decided we need a second one.
Good.
We discussed buying a brand new computer um and looked into that and we're thinking about that. And then I I found one at a used shop that I thought was good.
All of the specs were were excellent. Um and it had Windows 11 installed and it seemed to be good and the price was very reasonable,
so I bought it.
Okay. I got it home and it was slow, slow, slow, slow. Boot up time was almost 3 minutes.
Now that's using Windows, right?
That's with the Windows 11 um um what do they call it? Microsoft uh authorized uh Microsoft refurbished Windows machine.
Okay. Okay.
Um but it was so slow it just it was impossible to use and the graphics were horrible. and it just wouldn't work. So, uh, Chiharu agreed to let me
wipe it inst install Ubuntu on it, which is what I always want to do when Windows machines get slow because Windows is heavy.
Yes.
So, I installed Ubuntu and uh I'm getting it set up now. And this is our first time. So, different computer for for this meeting, the first time.
Okay.
I believe the camera is better.
It looks nice,
but I I need you to tell me that cuz you're looking at me from the other side. But um
yeah,
anyway. So yeah, I'm just getting that set up. So it was purchased as a Windows machine, intended to be a Windows machine, but after two days, both of us were so frustrated with how slow it was that it's it's now an Iuntu machine.
Okay, good for you.
But that still doesn't solve our Zoom problem.
Okay, now one thing that you might might consider
Yeah.
is to wipe the disc and reinstall Windows fresh. That would be nice. However, I don't know how to reinstall Windows. Windows is not free.
Okay, I won't I won't step there.
But but but also just the the place I bought it at, they had wiped it and and reinstalled it. It was a fresh refurbished machine. So,
yeah, I don't know.
But simply put, it's it's not quite as powerful as I hoped. Not quite as fast as I hoped and it can't handle Windows 11. It was built for Windows 10 and it's just a bit bit slow for Windows 11.
Can you upgrade it with memory or anything like that?
I could. It's got 8 gigs of RAM now, but it maxes out at 16. So, I could upgrade to 16, but that would cost more and then we might as well just bought a brand new one.
I see. Yeah, I thought memory was really cheap these days.
Um Um, no. Six. A 16 gig stick is probably over $100. Over 10,000 yen.
Wow.
Or 28 would probably be a little cheaper, but still would be 6,000 or 8,000 yen.
Okay. Okay.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Anyway.
Okay.
It's working fine so far.
Yeah. Well, that's the thing. I I've been I I used uh Linux
for a long time and I I I don't understand what the problem with Zoom is. Like what do you what function do you want?
Uh it won't do screen sharing.
Oh, okay. That's kind of big.
Which has something to do with uh graphics drivers within Ubuntu that that Zoom does not uh connect with properly.
Okay. Okay. Um do you do you do this for classes?
Yeah. Yeah.
Okay. Yeah. I Well, good luck there.
Thanks.
Speaking of being busy, I'm still busy. I better get back to what I'm doing.
All right, take care.
Okay, bye-bye.
See you.