Buying a used laptop or computer is a perfect way to save money provided you are cautious about which computer you purchase. The biggest concern with buying used computer is that shortly after you get it all set up and running it crashes. Fortunately there are some simple steps you can take to reduce the risk a used computer being a lemon. Getting a used computer is also a great way to get a unit loaded with upgrades such as a USB TV tuner for very little or for free.

Hard drives are probably the most critical component of any computer because a failure can mean losing your data. The mechanical components of a hard drive are virtually impossible to inspect before you a buy a computer. Because of this it can be pretty hard to predict if hard drive in a computer is on the verge of failure. There are a number of mechanical components in hard drives that can fail. Some hard drive failure is due to mechanical failure others are due to ordinary wear and tear. The high speed which modern disk drives spin at mean the read and write head is a common part of a disk drive to fail. Over a time the risk of failure or malfunction of a hard disk increases.

Some potential hard disk failures can be detected by performing a full system scan. The scan can detect faulty sectors of the hard disks. The scanning time depends on the capacity and size of the hard disk of the used computer. Full system scans can take several hours making it difficult to perform before buying a computer in some instances. It is highly recommended that a full system scan be performed before buying a used computer.

Inspecting the CPU is also very important before buying a used computer. CPUs can freeze completely or cease to operate properly. The primary cause of CPUs freezing is overheating. Computers have a fan and heat sink to keep the CPU from overheating but fans can wear out and dust build up can keep them from operating properly. It is fairly easy to check if the fan is functioning properly by listening to it and looking for excessive dust. A properly functioning fan should be a consistent, low hum. Squeaks or variations in the sound or speed of the fan can indicate problems.

If you are buying a monitor it should have crisp colors and be bright. A monitor that is close to failing will often have dull colors and will not be crisp. A fluttering picture and any easily discernible noise are worthy of concern as well. The condition of a monitor is even more crucial if the computer has a USB digital TV tuner.

A computers operating system should be checked as well. An operating systems performance can decline over time. The registry can also become cluttered with deleted programs. Unless you are knowledgeable with such things the best way to test the operating system is reboot the system a few times. It should not take and excessive amount of time to boot up. Probably the best option after you purchase the computer is, if you are comfortable with it, to reformat the hard drive and reload the operating system and all drivers and programs.

Any other hardware should also be inspected. For instance, CD and DVD drives should open and shut easily and your should be able to read and write data to a disk. Other items that should be inspected are the USB TV tuner card, mouse and keyboard.

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