It doesn't have to be that way if you have an old computer that does not work.You can upgrade it using the following steps.
Step 1: You should look at it.
Just look at the computer.Ask yourself about it, and look at it from every angle.Does the case have any damage?Is there any damage to the case?There is a fan on the left side.Is the fan malfunctioning?What ports does this computer have?Are they all on the same computer?Do you know if there is a PSU?What drives do I see?Is there any damage to the ports on the front of the case?
Step 2: Try to turn it on.
Plug the power cord in.You can power it on and observe.Something might be wrong if it doesn't power on.Something could be wrong if it powers on and does not stop.It's probably fine so far if it powers on and whines.
Step 3: Plug it and open the case.
If there were no problems in step 2, open the case.You have to do a few things here.If it didn't power on, look at the power cables.Unless you have replacements available, this computer isn't worth it unless they're connected properly.Don't connect them if not.There are disk drive connections.Are they upside down?Is a drive's pin setting wrong?Correct it.
Step 4: It needs to be cleaned.
Dust the case with compressed air.The case around everything should be Dusted, as well as the motherboards, cards, disk drives, power supply, and any fans.You don't want to break the fans if you hold them.
Step 5: Look for broken parts.
The CD-ROM drive should be removed if it doesn't work.Remove the sound card if it's broken.Remove the graphics card if it is broken.Don't replace the battery if it needs to be replaced.
Step 6: If possible, replace what you removed.
It's important to replace broken RAM.It's important if the hard disk was faulty.If the modem was not working, you don't need to worry as you will probably upgrade in the next step.
Step 7: It's time to upgrade.
Don't upgrade things if they can be upgraded.The computer needs to be upgraded as much as possible.If there was a 56k modem, upgrade it to a wi-fi card, if you can, and upgrade from CD-ROM to DVD.Instructions on working inside the case can be found in How to build a Computer.
Step 8: Make sure it works.
Make sure all the steps have worked.If you have a computer that does not allow you to access the bios directly, power it on and make sure you can boot to it.
Step 9: You should install an operating system.
Modern operating systems have better features and security.A minimum of 1 GB of RAM is required for Windows 7.512MB of ram is used for Windows Vista.The minimum amount of RAM is 512MB.The minimum amount of RAM is 128MB.
Step 10: You need to install software.
Installation of software can make it more useful to you or more appealing to buyers.
Step 11: You should include some stuff if you're selling it.
You should find at least a power cord, keyboard, mouse, and maybe a monitor.If you don't need it, include whatever you have left from when you bought it.If you have more, you can include speakers, printers, modem, a joystick, software disks, etc.
Step 12: Set a reasonable price if you're selling it.
A good computer from the late 90's could sell for between $10 and $50.Add your price for labor to the amount you spent on it.If you spent 5 hours working on this computer at $2 an hour and spent 15 on it, you want to add an extra $5.You should sell your computer for $30 if you want to add them together.No one wants to buy a computer that only has 16 megabytes of RAM.
Step 13: Don't use it if you're not selling it.
If you use it, all that work will be worth it.So, sit down and play a few old games, run some older software that was rejected by Windows 7, give it to your kids, use it as a routers, and so on.