Will a fresh install sort my laptop out?
Discussion
It's a Lenova Yoga 510, maybe 3 years old? Windows 10 home, SSD, Intel core i7.
It's been a great laptop, best I've ever owned, but it's been misbehaving in the last few months.
For background it recently had a software repair. It would show internet as connected, but not connect to any websites. A guy from an IT company came over, did some stuff, saying something needed resetting, then it worked.
However, it's been doing odd things since. Some examples. These instances are happening at least a few times a day each.
It will freeze, and the touchscreen and mouse wont do anything, only resolve is to hold the power off and re-boot it. It used to go to sleep left unattended or lid closed, now it's pot luck if I can click the mouse and log back on with my password, or if it needs restarting. Sometimes removing or plugging in the power lead causes a freeze. A few times a week (normally after a freeze) I'll get a blue screen of death, 'device ran in to a problem, needs to re-start. Often, a few minutes after start up and connected to the internet, internet will drop (just once) and need reconnecting.
I was wondering, would a fresh Windows install likely sort whatever the issue is, or is it something more sinister?
If yes, what maybe the best way to save everything (files, folders, photos, programs et all) which are currently on the desktop and the like? Or, could it be simpler to give it an IT guy (know someone) and ask them to reinstall it, and hand back with everything how it was?
Any advice is much appreciated, as I may be one crash away from chucking the thing at the wall!
It's been a great laptop, best I've ever owned, but it's been misbehaving in the last few months.
For background it recently had a software repair. It would show internet as connected, but not connect to any websites. A guy from an IT company came over, did some stuff, saying something needed resetting, then it worked.
However, it's been doing odd things since. Some examples. These instances are happening at least a few times a day each.
It will freeze, and the touchscreen and mouse wont do anything, only resolve is to hold the power off and re-boot it. It used to go to sleep left unattended or lid closed, now it's pot luck if I can click the mouse and log back on with my password, or if it needs restarting. Sometimes removing or plugging in the power lead causes a freeze. A few times a week (normally after a freeze) I'll get a blue screen of death, 'device ran in to a problem, needs to re-start. Often, a few minutes after start up and connected to the internet, internet will drop (just once) and need reconnecting.
I was wondering, would a fresh Windows install likely sort whatever the issue is, or is it something more sinister?
If yes, what maybe the best way to save everything (files, folders, photos, programs et all) which are currently on the desktop and the like? Or, could it be simpler to give it an IT guy (know someone) and ask them to reinstall it, and hand back with everything how it was?
Any advice is much appreciated, as I may be one crash away from chucking the thing at the wall!
Edited by Fermit on Saturday 23 October 16:22
colin79666 said:
Yes most likely resetting/reinstalling Windows will sort it. If it doesn’t then you have a hardware fault and I’m afraid on a 3 year old laptop it probably is uneconomical to repair.
Came here to say exactly this.Win 10 has a fairly simple built in 'factory reset', so worth a try.
hersh said:
... and has the option to keep your files if doing a factory reset
But any programs you added yourself will need re-installing
That is really good to hear. Sorting out all my stuff saved would be more of a job than the fresh install, I suspect. But any programs you added yourself will need re-installing
Thank you too to the other couple of posters, I'll look at doing it tomorrow. Hopefully it will sort it, I like this laptop, and behaving itself it should do for at least a few more years (still a very fast capable machine)
Just to add...
It's always worth backing up you files JUST in case
Any programs pre installed when new should be there after a reset
Anything that someone may have added for you, or if it was used when you got it, will NOT be there
It's still a very good spec laptop and should last a few more years
It's always worth backing up you files JUST in case
Any programs pre installed when new should be there after a reset
Anything that someone may have added for you, or if it was used when you got it, will NOT be there
It's still a very good spec laptop and should last a few more years
hersh said:
Just to add...
It's always worth backing up you files JUST in case
Any programs pre installed when new should be there after a reset
Anything that someone may have added for you, or if it was used when you got it, will NOT be there
It's still a very good spec laptop and should last a few more years
I'm going to show myself up as the luddite I'm becoming, but what's the easiest way to back up the files? No external drive or cloud owned. I've had it since new, will note all programs I've added before a reinstall. It still, otherwise, performs fantastically. From powering up to being on the internet takes all of 20 seconds. It's always worth backing up you files JUST in case
Any programs pre installed when new should be there after a reset
Anything that someone may have added for you, or if it was used when you got it, will NOT be there
It's still a very good spec laptop and should last a few more years
The advantage of a ssd hard drive, that's the biggest single speed increase to most computers
As for backing up files, have you got some USB memory sticks ?
All you files "should" be under "My Docs" but no guarantee!!!
Not knowing your data usage, but a 32 gb might be all you need
Feel free to dm if I can be more help, although others might find this type of info helpful to keep this a general thread
No doubt others on the forum will be able to help too
As for backing up files, have you got some USB memory sticks ?
All you files "should" be under "My Docs" but no guarantee!!!
Not knowing your data usage, but a 32 gb might be all you need
Feel free to dm if I can be more help, although others might find this type of info helpful to keep this a general thread
No doubt others on the forum will be able to help too
Sit down and write a list of everything you think is on there that you would miss if someone nicked your laptop.
Then go through and take time to find out where they are and copy them to a usb stick or Google Drive.
This mainly will be documents, photos and config files.
Note down the software you need to keep, but install those from fresh on the new install. Copying over programs file folders is not good.
Also note, that an "IT guy" will not hand back your computer as you gave it to him. I did this exact process for most of the staff of Nuffield hospitals, and believe me most people dont know themselves what they need to keep and where it is. I became an expert at finding stuff they never knew they had or needed.
Its a detailed process but you will be better for it and know more about your computer.
Then go through and take time to find out where they are and copy them to a usb stick or Google Drive.
This mainly will be documents, photos and config files.
Note down the software you need to keep, but install those from fresh on the new install. Copying over programs file folders is not good.
Also note, that an "IT guy" will not hand back your computer as you gave it to him. I did this exact process for most of the staff of Nuffield hospitals, and believe me most people dont know themselves what they need to keep and where it is. I became an expert at finding stuff they never knew they had or needed.
Its a detailed process but you will be better for it and know more about your computer.
The PC might benefit from a nuke&pave which *should* then level the SSD, whether that's enough or it needs something else could be a question......SSDs degrade and sometimes need maintenance.
Relocating docs or copying out to OneDrive would be the way to keep the data safe.
Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool to create a boot USB so that you can format the drive after copying the data out.
Relocating docs or copying out to OneDrive would be the way to keep the data safe.
Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool to create a boot USB so that you can format the drive after copying the data out.
Depending on how much personal stuff you have you could always save it to a onedrive account (basic gives you a gig and a paid version gives an awful lot more). If 1tb is enough then just do that and reset windows (as others have said win 10 has a fairly good reset to standard refresh setting). If it's bigger than that then a non SSD usb external hard drive is only around £40 for 1TB and something like £60 will get you 2TB and well worth having (I use one of those on my tv for movies).
I too have a 4+ year old yoga - 930 and as much as I love tech I can't find anything I'd want to replace it with. Still silent, anodized orange from factory (important when my car, bikes etc are all orange!) and a 4k multi point touch screen. The backlit keys died a while ago as I think a connector came loose. If your 510 is anything like mine the chassis flexes quite a lot so don't be suprised if your wifi antennae and other other peripherals to the motherboard has come loose or disconnect
I too have a 4+ year old yoga - 930 and as much as I love tech I can't find anything I'd want to replace it with. Still silent, anodized orange from factory (important when my car, bikes etc are all orange!) and a 4k multi point touch screen. The backlit keys died a while ago as I think a connector came loose. If your 510 is anything like mine the chassis flexes quite a lot so don't be suprised if your wifi antennae and other other peripherals to the motherboard has come loose or disconnect
Edited by QuattroDave on Monday 25th October 15:39
QuattroDave said:
Fermit said:
Just as an update, I ran Piriform Ccleaner on it, and whilst not 100% behaving it's 90 odd % better. Happy days!
CCleaner is an excellent program. Might have just been some duff registry entries. Either way, happy days.Just to conclude this thread, earlier this week I stumbled across this resolve -
https://www.howtogeek.com/222532/how-to-repair-cor...
https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/veri...
Using the sfc /scannow command mentioned, in about 5 minutes hundreds of corrupt system files were found, repaired, or replaced. The laptop is now performing perfectly. No more blue screens of death, no more intermittent shutting down or refuse to 'wake up'. No more freezing and crashing when being plugged or unplugged.
Delighted!
https://www.howtogeek.com/222532/how-to-repair-cor...
https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/veri...
Using the sfc /scannow command mentioned, in about 5 minutes hundreds of corrupt system files were found, repaired, or replaced. The laptop is now performing perfectly. No more blue screens of death, no more intermittent shutting down or refuse to 'wake up'. No more freezing and crashing when being plugged or unplugged.
Delighted!
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