# Computer



## jb44 (May 21, 2010)

My laptop, HP , has failed and I need to get it fixed or buy another one. Is there anywhere in Alicante that is recommended?. 

Thanks . better still is anyone flogging one? Sorry about asking but a used one would do as I'm in a state of flux and travelling some lately. Eventually a desk top will do when permanently settled


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

jb44 said:


> My laptop, HP , has failed and I need to get it fixed or buy another one. Is there anywhere in Alicante that is recommended?.
> 
> Thanks . better still is anyone flogging one? Sorry about asking but a used one would do as I'm in a state of flux and travelling some lately. Eventually a desk top will do when permanently settled


There seems to be an outbreak of laptop deaths lately - I know three people whose hard drives have packed up in the last few weeks. Makes you wonder if there is "built-in obsolescence"?

If you buy a new one make sure they install the operating system in English. Once it's set up it can't be changed.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> There seems to be an outbreak of laptop deaths lately - I know three people whose hard drives have packed up in the last few weeks. Makes you wonder if there is "built-in obsolescence"?
> 
> If you buy a new one make sure they install the operating system in English. Once it's set up it can't be changed.


lol I set mine up in Spanish, as did my kids

my OH isn't too happy that he can't get into the girls' laptops..................


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## Muddy (Jan 14, 2010)

jb44 said:


> My laptop, HP , has failed and I need to get it fixed or buy another one. Is there anywhere in Alicante that is recommended?.
> 
> Thanks . better still is anyone flogging one? Sorry about asking but a used one would do as I'm in a state of flux and travelling some lately. Eventually a desk top will do when permanently settled


How dead is it?
Hope you have a backup of your Data!
If you have the original OS CD and Laptop will boot up you could reinstall from scratch!
But if you need Data/files etc off the hard drive then you might need some help getting them off that drive first or you will lose the lot!!!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> lol I set mine up in Spanish, as did my kids ...


Me too, good for extending the vocab.

Though sometimes it goes all bilingual, as in "apagando Alcalaina's notebook" ...


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> Me too, good for extending the vocab.
> 
> Though sometimes it goes all bilingual, as in "apagando Alcalaina's notebook" ...


yeah - it's weird when it does that

I just spent an hour this morning reminding my students that there are no apostrophes in spanish


my HPmini doesn't seem to know that..........


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## jb44 (May 21, 2010)

Muddy said:


> How dead is it?
> Hope you have a backup of your Data!
> If you have the original OS CD and Laptop will boot up you could reinstall from scratch!
> But if you need Data/files etc off the hard drive then you might need some help getting them off that drive first or you will lose the lot!!!


Pretty dead I'd say,damn. Yes did back up but was downloading a 6.6 GB History channel whatever 99.8 there and it went down.

Have the CD,but will not boot so something serious. See what price they are in few stop offs in duty frees on way to Spain tomorrow,damned awful timing


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## Xose (Dec 10, 2008)

jb44 said:


> Pretty dead I'd say,damn. Yes did back up but was downloading a 6.6 GB History channel whatever 99.8 there and it went down.
> 
> Have the CD,but will not boot so something serious. See what price they are in few stop offs in duty frees on way to Spain tomorrow,damned awful timing


You might find this site interesting. At a time of record company closures, they have some good stock and the price is right + guarantee.

They deliver to you. Recently got the kids a couple of Pentium 3Ghz Dual Core units and they came pre-installed with Vista (unfortunately) but they work a treat. You get the OS that's on there, no customising options other than + RAM as advertised.

No KB etc., with these, but they're cheap as chips in any case.

For you, also a good selection of portables.

Ordenadores de Segunda Mano - Informática de Ocasión y Portátiles Usados - PC-PORTATIL.COM


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## sat geek (May 5, 2011)

Hi jb44.

If you do decide to purchase a new one get one with windows 7 and NOT Vista! Also don't pay €120 or so to have the language changed to English if they offer this, Some Notebooks have this possible from first start up. 

If not You can add an English language pack for free, And it covers 90 percent of the installation!

Pm me if you buy one and i will talk you through it, But depends on your current machine, If its old don't bother with a repair if your quoted more than €80.

Regards,

Carl.


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

I think it is only W7 Premium editions you can change language packs on first installation. Other editions you are stuck with whatever language you purchased it in.

Yes there is vistaliser, which installs langauge packs for vista or w7.
However, it changes things in the w7 registry, and in many cases, it messes up your Windoze Genunie software. It may not do this on all PCs, but I know someone who has vistaliser on his Spanish version of w7 and every 30 minutes gets a "this copy of windoze is not genuine", even tho it is, but he has installed this "unofficial" langage pack, which has meesed up the registry settings so windoze thinks it is now "not official", so now does not update all W7 updates (only the critical ones!).

Remembe that these days not all new pc / lappys come with OS disks., the OS is preinstalled, and you are asked to create your own back up disks, which rturn the PC to factory settings if you have to redo the PC.

(Thankfully W8 is said to have an option for resetting W8 to factory settings, but keeping all your data and programs alone - very useful)

Dont forget that there are many tools available that can retreive data from a knackered hard drive. Had a HDD fail on me, and started the retreival tool, and 8 hours later had all but 1 file back. EASEUS do one, and so does "recover my files".

To the OP:
Althoughthe PC may not boot, if you have the disk you can ask it to boot from the dish into Recovery MOde. It will then go thought all the files and see whats missing or has a problem and copy the original from the disk to the PC.
Of course it does depend what the problems are....not a lot will help if there is a severe HDD problem.


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## sat geek (May 5, 2011)

sat geek said:


> Hi jb44.
> 
> If you do decide to purchase a new one get one with windows 7 and NOT Vista! Also don't pay €120 or so to have the language changed to English if they offer this, Some Notebooks have this possible from first start up.
> 
> ...


Hi,

Language packs are available for ultimate and enterprise! I have installed 200 packs and not had one problem!

Regards,

Carl.


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## jb44 (May 21, 2010)

sat geek said:


> Hi,
> 
> Language packs are available for ultimate and enterprise! I have installed 200 packs and not had one problem!
> 
> ...


Thanks for reply. I have windows 7 on disc,if you do put laptops together I'll be interested ,no bells and whistles needed ,about 350 Gb would be fine. I'll PM u later Thanks


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## sat geek (May 5, 2011)

jb44 said:


> Thanks for reply. I have windows 7 on disc,if you do put laptops together I'll be interested ,no bells and whistles needed ,about 350 Gb would be fine. I'll PM u later Thanks


Hi jb44,

Sorry we do not sell laptops, I can only offer help.

Regards,

Carl.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

sat geek said:


> Hi jb44,
> 
> Sorry we do not sell laptops, I can only offer help.
> 
> ...


so you installed all those 200 language packs for free??!!


_that's_ what I call neighbourliness & community spirit:clap2:


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## sat geek (May 5, 2011)

Indeed I did!

I'm going to heaven, But it was only time, No parts needed!


Regards, 

Carl.


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