Can A Computer Get Worse Over Time??

Can it??

When i first bought it i could play Battlefield 2 on all high settings.....now it cant even handle it on medium......and every time i play i make sure I have no un-needed processes going, so i know its not that...

Or is it that Battlefield 2 just got all these patches which makes it more demanding on the computer?? All i know is I miss playing it.....

To answer your topic question, Yes they can if not properly maintained.

And dont only check your processor but your memory also.

I also have this problem, my solution just format the comp once or twice a year and it'll run like new. Aside from keeping it virus and spyware free, windows seems to oddly implode on it self after a while of use. Take note I'm a power user, comp runs almost 24/7, test all types of beta software/drivers, run different types ofVE tools, build code, make and render graphics etc.

If you don't want to format make sure you check MSCONFIG tool and check what processes start up, alot of crap can pile up there which will result in considerably lower performance. Also check you're task processes to check if you have unneeded tasks, google is a great tool for finding out what specific stuff is.

worst .... well it could, but it won't be a slow performance drop, when the time comes it will get worst you will suddently see a diffence

ECCEPT for the heating, the heat my increase over time if you don't clean it up from time to time

one more thing, today the motherboard and all parts of a computer can be shut and booted over 5k times if it's not 10k ... so if you sometime upgrade your CPU, add more memory, change the graphic card
the parts that stays the same like maybe the motherboard, the power supply, some memory sticks might sometime blow up if you kept them for years ...

Do you maintain your computer? You need to keep it free of malicious programs, background apps that eat up memory, defrag your drives, etc. Do you run malaware programs and such bi-weekly?TheCrazed420

OHHH
but for your specific problem

here it is : your computer is fresh and new, there is almost nothing on it so the few things you have will run really good

but after you start download plugins, softwares, some stuff open at the same time as windows does, so after some time it sure will have its power eaten by other stuff than your video game

here's something you can do
go in start, run, type in : msconfig , go on the Startup option, check off a few that are in it
those are the softwares that starts when your windows boot (they sure will stay opened after and will eat some power of your computer

[QUOTE="TheCrazed420"]Do you maintain your computer? You need to keep it free of malicious programs, background apps that eat up memory, defrag your drives, etc. Do you run malaware programs and such bi-weekly?waza000

OHHH
but for your specific problem

here it is : your computer is fresh and new, there is almost nothing on it so the few things you have will run really good

but after you start download plugins, softwares, some stuff open at the same time as windows does, so after some time it sure will have its power eaten by other stuff than your video game

here's something you can do
go in start, run, type in : msconfig , go on the Startup option, check off a few that are in it
those are the softwares that starts when your windows boot (they sure will stay opened after and will eat some power of your computer

This explains it all. Besides that, when you install/unistall things, the programs usually leave some unneeded registry entries which also slow down your computer. You can perform a cleanup and fine tune the start up with msconfig, though in the end it is very likely that you will end up formatting and re-installing windows. That takes care of everything.

Can it??

When i first bought it i could play Battlefield 2 on all high settings.....now it cant even handle it on medium......and every time i play i make sure I have no un-needed processes going, so i know its not that...

Or is it that Battlefield 2 just got all these patches which makes it more demanding on the computer?? All i know is I miss playing it.....

_MURS_

Techincally, no. In practice? Definitely. A lot goes wrong, little by little, every day. Three factors in particulargrind your system to a halt as time goes by:

1) You file structure gets messed up. Lots of material (useful or not) on your harddrive, particularly when it's not well organized, slows down your drive's read and write times. Loose stuff you don't need, and defrag from time to time.

2) Applications gobble up resources. Some of it is stuff you need or want--like an anti-virus program, or a messenger service. Some of it is extraneous junk that installs itself along with legit programs-- stuff that"enhances" youdesktop, or plugs into your browser, for instance. Some of it is pure garbage--adware, spyware, and hostile crap which monitors your web use, captures data, or generally just screws stuff up. Get acquainted with what's running in the background, and remove what you don't need or want. Some legit stuff can be configured to only launch when needed, as opposed to at startup.

3) Dust and other junk clogs your vents, fans, heatsinks, and other bits, steadily decreasing your machine's ability to stay cool. Hot video cards, CPUs, and other bits are less efficient, and ultimately, are more prone to screwing up or failing altogether. Keep your box, fans, and heatsinks clean by hitting them with compressed air and a soft brush every now and then (more frequently if you've got a hairy pet).

If you got alot of crap on your pc , try to re-install windows/mac again. That will make your pc as newharfsennator

Reinstalling your OS rarely fixes anything. If your computer is truly screwy on a software or filestructure level, you need to wipe the drive completely--back your stuff up, and reformat/repartition the drive(s) before reinstalling your OS. It's an advisable practice for any machine that sees a lot of action (how often? it depends on need. I think once a year is a little excessive for most--maybe every few years, if you keep your machine that long).

But in terms of problem solving, wiping your drive should be a last-ish resort.

O....well i do aboslutely nothing to maintain it.....and i never turn it off...

I dont ever turn my computer off....unless i have to restart it for an install or something.....if that matters at all...

I do a spyware clean, and something called "Registry Cleaner" right before i want to play a game though....

I dont defrag because it takes 3 years, and i dont do those windows updates because i think they are annoying and they dont do anything...

I dont want to reformat though, i have to much on this computer that id lose and not be able to get back.....

CCleaner to get rid of junk files and registry entries

auslogics disk defrag to defrag your computer

startup inspector to block useless programs like itunes helper and adobe reader speed launch

a good spyware,firewall, and antivirus program is needed too.

windows has a version of everything listed above, but these are better, faster, and still free!

O....well i do aboslutely nothing to maintain it.....and i never turn it off...

I dont ever turn my computer off....unless i have to restart it for an install or something.....if that matters at all...

I do a spyware clean, and something called "Registry Cleaner" right before i want to play a game though....

I dont defrag because it takes 3 years, and i dont do those windows updates because i think they are annoying and they dont do anything...

I dont want to reformat though, i have to much on this computer that id lose and not be able to get back.....

_MURS_

Well, to be blunt, those are some of thereasons you're likely to have a slower computer over time. A few thoughts in addition to the 3 points I listed earlier:

1) Defragging is the easiest thing you can do to help keep your computer in good shape. Set it up to go before you go to sleep; if it's not done by the morning, it should be done by the time you get home from work or school. It's worth doing.

2) Those Windows updates? You need them. Ok, as any Microsoft skeptic will tell you, some of them are less helpful than others, and every now and then, some cause problems. But for the casual user, the safest bet by FAR is to permit Windows to update itself. There are lots of important fixes in many of those updates and service packs--some are performance related, and others close serioius security loopholes. Unless you're a hardcore tweaker, you should do them. Period.

3) Leaving your machine on isn't a problem. As you pointed out, letting it reboot for installs is sometimes necessary. Once you start permitting updates (which, again, you should), you'll find that those require updates too. Leaving it on, leaving it off; there's some discussion about pros and cons, but really, it's not a big concern either way.

4) Reformatting is, as a problem-solving measure, a last resort. As a matter of general maintinence, it's a hardcore maneuver, but one that has usefulness every 1-3 years or so. Sometimes, though, with a particularly messy machine, it's the only way to solve issues. You'd be shocked how much crap is worming around in there, jacking up your filestructure, eating memory, wasting drive space, and slowing stuff down. You SHOULD be backing important stuff up anyways; backup drives are cheap. If you're unsure about the process of a drive-wipe/reinstall, there are probably good walkthroughs online. You should consider it.

[QUOTE="_MURS_"]

O....well i do aboslutely nothing to maintain it.....and i never turn it off...

I dont ever turn my computer off....unless i have to restart it for an install or something.....if that matters at all...

I do a spyware clean, and something called "Registry Cleaner" right before i want to play a game though....

I dont defrag because it takes 3 years, and i dont do those windows updates because i think they are annoying and they dont do anything...

I dont want to reformat though, i have to much on this computer that id lose and not be able to get back.....

lokstah

Well, to be blunt, these are all reasons you're likely to have a slower computer over time. A few thoughts in addition to the 3 points I listed earlier:

1) Defragging is the easiest thing you can do to help keep your computer in good shape. Set it up to go before you go to sleep; if it's not done by the morning, it should be done by the time you get home from work or school. It's worth doing.

2) Those Windows updates? You need them. Ok, as any Microsoft skeptic will tell you, some of them are less helpful than others, and every now and then, some cause problems. But for the casual user, the safest bet by FAR is to permit Windows to update itself. There are lots of important fixes in many of those updates and service packs--some are performance related, and others close serioius security loopholes. Unless you're a hardcore tweaker, you should do them. Period.

3) Leaving your machine on isn't a problem. As you pointed out, letting it reboot for installs is sometimes necessary. Once you start permitting updates (which, again, you should), you'll find that those require updates too. Leaving it on, leaving it off; there's some discussion about pros and cons, but really, it's not a big concern either way.

4) Reformatting is, as a problem-solving measure, a last resort. As a matter of general maintinence, it's a hardcore maneuver, but one that has usefulness every 1-3 years or so. Sometimes, though, with a particularly messy machine, it's the only way to solve issues. You'd be shocked how much crap is worming around in there, jacking up your filestructure, eating memory, wasting drive space, and slowing stuff down. You SHOULD be backing important stuff up anyways; backup drives are cheap. If you're unsure about the process of a drive-wipe/reinstall, there are probably good walkthroughs online. You should consider it.

I just dont wanna lose all my music, and a couple of games I have installed on it.....but ive downloaded so much stuff over the years which i dont use anymore, and they have files all over the place.....

I think reformatting would be the best...but i dont wanna do it if its not guaranteed to get my computer to run better....plus the entire reason im doing it is to get battlefield to run...but then id have to go buy battlefield again because i lost the cd's...

I just dont wanna lose all my music, and a couple of games I have installed on it.....but ive downloaded so much stuff over the years which i dont use anymore, and they have files all over the place.....

I think reformatting would be the best...but i dont wanna do it if its not guaranteed to get my computer to run better....plus the entire reason im doing it is to get battlefield to run...but then id have to go buy battlefield again because i lost the cd's...

_MURS_

Well, if you're unable to backup your important stuff, and reinstalling your software is impossible, then yes, you won't be able to wipe your drive without causing yourself lots of pain. That's a tough lesson... down the road, with your next machine, for instance, try to keep your personal files and media organized, your software installation files and/or discs in a safe place, and for the love of Yahweh, get yourself a backup drive.

In the meantime, try the other suggestions listed in this thread. Defrag, update, search and modify/curb/destory background or startup-clogging applications, and clean out the inside of your case.

[QUOTE="_MURS_"]I just dont wanna lose all my music, and a couple of games I have installed on it.....but ive downloaded so much stuff over the years which i dont use anymore, and they have files all over the place.....

I think reformatting would be the best...but i dont wanna do it if its not guaranteed to get my computer to run better....plus the entire reason im doing it is to get battlefield to run...but then id have to go buy battlefield again because i lost the cd's...

lokstah

Well, if you're unable to backup your important stuff, and reinstalling your software is impossible, then yes, you won't be able to wipe your drive without causing yourself lots of pain. That's a tough lesson... down the road, with your next machine, for instance, try to keep your personal files and media organized, your software installation files and/or discs in a safe place, and for the love of Yahweh, get yourself a backup drive.

In the meantime, try the other suggestions listed in this thread. Defrag, update, search and modify/curb/destory background or startup-clogging applications, and clean out the inside of your case.

there is soooo much dust on the back and on the fans and stuff....i take it thats not very good...

Well, NO. As I pointed out earlier, hot components function less efficiently, are more prone to errors, and ultimately, more prone to failure. As dust builds up in important areas (inlets, outlets, fans, and heatsinks, most notably), your computer is less and less able to deal with the heat it generates.

Keeping it clean is important. It's not the answer to all your problems, but it's important.

how often do you lean your pc? the inside that is.. as in applying new thermal paste and cleaning heatsinks and fans? Heat can cause a lot more drag on a pc while operating under heavy loads.

how often do you lean your pc? the inside that is.. as in applying new thermal paste and cleaning heatsinks and fans? Heat can cause a lot more drag on a pc while operating under heavy loads.

Coldsoul9077

never have....and its been 3 years

how often do you lean your pc? the inside that is.. as in applying new thermal paste and cleaning heatsinks and fans? Heat can cause a lot more drag on a pc while operating under heavy loads.

Coldsoul9077

Applying new thermal paste? Where did you get that idea?

Yes, it's wise to clean out heatsinks and fans, but thermal paste (provided it's applied correctly in the first place) wants to be left alone. The paste needs time to "cure" into position; heat, over time, changes its composition and sort of locks it into place, fully meshing into fissures, pits, etc, and stabilizing. Fresh thermal paste does not perform as well as paste that's been in place for months.

If you're removing your heatsink, cleaning it and the CPU die, and replacing the paste, you're never going to have as precise a contact each succesive time. There's always going to be a buildup of residual layers, and that's not what you want.

If your thermal paste is in place and working, leave it alone.

Can it??

When i first bought it i could play Battlefield 2 on all high settings.....now it cant even handle it on medium......and every time i play i make sure I have no un-needed processes going, so i know its not that...

Or is it that Battlefield 2 just got all these patches which makes it more demanding on the computer?? All i know is I miss playing it.....

_MURS_

i guess the patches, but it could be something else - computers don't get worse over time from nothing

Correct be if im wrong, but computers can not only get slower due to the software, but also the hardware. As time goes by, the parts can wear out and start to malfunction. An example being the capacitors on your motherboard (Those battery-looking things). These can start to leak over time, causing system instability.Mr_NoName111

It depends on the hardware... I suppose with some sorts of components, such as those with mechanical, moving parts, it's possible (any engineers out there, feel free to chime in/correct me). But my sense is that a clean piece of purely digital hardware not being dragged down by external stressors, like excessive heat, performs virtually as well over time as when new.

The issue is clouded because so many external factors create slowdowns that are pronounced and measurable--factors like heat, software, and others. Most of us never have the opportunity to test this precisely.

I'd wager that under test conditions,a perfectly clean GPU performs as well at 3 years as at 2.

There are, though, hardware pieces with mechanical components and moving parts--standard hard drives, for instance, Those, I'm sure, can be susceptible to wearing down over time. Most of us have had the pleasure of seeing a harddrive hara-kiri itself before our eyes.

this is a good topic. ilearned a few things by reading it over