Would You Buy a Used Computer? - Comments Page 2

Well, Bob, you naturally have to be cautious when giving advice, as you don't want to get criticised or sued should someone follow it and have problems.
Just as a balance, though, my guess from years of observation is that the proportion of people buying second-hand computers who have malware problems is very small (I have never met one) while the proportion of those buying new computers who have crapware and Windows 10 problems is very large.
If there are comparative studies, I'd like to hear about them!
This is being written on a Dell made in 2002 which is still in everyday use, so old machines can be kept going, but like old cars they need TLC, includung hardware upgrades, especially HDDs and RAM, and the right software.

I've purchased used computers. The first thing I do is wipe the hard drive (if the drive supports internal secure erase, so much the better). Then, install software, download and install patches and updates, and voila!

I've had some negative experiences with peripherals and wouldn't recommend that unless you know what you're doing in terms of ensuring it is malware free.

Thanks Bob, great article today.

Yes, I have bought new and refurbished computers, motherboards, CPUs and so forth. Not memory modules or hard drives. But, it is highly possible that when I purchase a refurbished computer, the hard drive easily could be a used or refurbished one. I do buy from reputable companies, Dell, Newegg, and years ago a company called Computer-Show. Every one that I have purchased as worked properly right out the box. I have also bought refurbished computers for family and friends. In this world today, everyone truly needs a computer and the reality is that most of us can not afford to buy new ones.

The computer I am using right now, I purchased from Computer-Show with a 6 month warranty (which was excellent, at that time). I bought it in 2013 and the bios was also in 2013. A year ago, my Western Digital 1 TB Hard Drive died. So, I got a Western Digital 2 TB Hard Drive to replace it. When I looked at the dead Hard Drive manufactured date, it was dated Dec. 2002. I would say having a Hard Drive last 10 years and 3 months is awesome!!!

I have replaced the power supply, since this Dell model only puts in a 235W Power Supply and I wanted to use a Graphics Card that was definitely upgrading. However, the new card needed at least a 300W Power Supply. I found a used power supply that fits my computer, that is 305W. It handles my Graphic Card just fine. I don't have a massive Graphic Card, but it works great for what I need in computing and gaming!

I have bought used and discontinued motherboards. When one needs to save money, used and refurbished helps. Discontinued computer products have helped me in many ways when I build from scratch. I do look for good deals at REPUTABLE dealers and companies!!! Getting a model that has been replaced by a newer model, has saved me LOTS of money and they still have the original warranty, too. This is really no different than buying the year before model car, when the new ones come out. You get a brand new car and better prices.

Now, what I do is for the geeks, not for newbies or those who barely know their way around a computer. But, I was a newbie at one time and learned my own lessons and how to be cautious. I do believe that it was easier to learn back in the late 90s and early 2000s than it is today. The main reason, yes there were Viruses, Trojan Horses, Worms and Malware, but they honestly were easier to clean and protect, than it is today.

Today I have armed myself and my Hubby's computer with Bitdefender Total Security. It works, has good testing results and I got 3 years service for an excellent price, covering 5 devices. I have learned, the hard way many times, over the years, to read articles by Bob Rankin, and other Geeks that I trust, to know what is coming to pass. Reading is vital to keep abreast of trends, outstanding products and how computers have change over time, as well as the future!

Bob is definitely responsible for what I know today. Not only is Bob knowledgeable but he knows how to explain things, in a simpler way. I have been getting Bob's newsletter since 1997, I still prefer Bob's suggestion and teaching articles to most other methods.

My local independent computer repair shop in Falmouth, UK, sells refurbs. Their general reputation is superb and everyone speaks very highly of them.
A couple of years ago I bought from them a used HP Elitebook with all the bells and whistles including a super-HD screen which had been previously been owned by a business, I don't remember how much I paid but it wasn't very much.
They had replaced the Disk Drive with a Solid State Drive and upgraded the RAM to 8GB. At my request they also installed Windows 7 (which I later upgraded to Win 10).
I have to say it has performed magnificently without any problems, after this experience I wouldn't buy new again, always a professional refurb, you get so much more value for your money.

I am an old retired military IT Security woggie so of course I consider the probable security implications of using recycled computers. Would I buy one? Never. I do though, acquire many discarded computers and re-purpose them for general use but would never use them for banking or business use. The OS on most of the old ones that tend choke and puke with Windows 10 get toasted and Linux installed which gives adequate office productivity and Internet access for folks who need basic services and don't worry about games and crap designed only for MS OS.

Bob is worried about malware and suggested throwing out the hard drive. It seems simpler, and adequate, to delete the partitions on the hard drive and then do a clean install of Windows. I recommend that for new machines too, to clean out the bloatware.

I always buy second hand computers - I don't have money for new kit - and always choose Dell as being dependable and robust.
What I do is simply remove the hard drive and put in my old hard drive, so no virus passes by the hard drive. I'll cross my fingers that there is nothing lurking in the rest of the machine.
Next I put the new drive in the old machine and totally wipe and re-format it, before cloning it from the old drive in the newer machine, then swap drives again.
So please keep buying new y'all, that will drive down the second hand price of my next replacement!

In our town we have a store that ONLY sells used/refurbished computers; BLH Computers. They also have shops in a couple of nearby towns. I've bought 4 or 5 or 6 from them over the years. Great prices. Great people. And they do service in house.
BLH is also very big into recycling anything electronic. Just drop it off.
What a fabulous place. The one time I had a problem with one of the PCs I had bought from them, they simply replaced it AFTER cloning the drive from old to new.

I bought a refurb a year ago for $160 US. I expected it to be about a year old & didn't do my homework. It turned out to be several years older than that & worked fine for what I normally do, except it choked on my favorite online game. So if there's any possibility that you might need to stress your cpu, be sure to do your homework first! If nothing else, the price might tell you that you aren't getting anything current. ; )

About 2 years ago I purchased a refurbished Dell desk top unit from a local, reputable IT business I patronize. It happened to be from a state university turnover, and was part several purchases at the time. It has been no problem, and runs very well for me. In this case I know the seller made sure the unit is clear of problems. I would not consider buying from a private party.

Looks like I'm in the minority. I've bought 2 refurbished laptops and both needed a new hard drive immediately upon receipt. I returned one and kept the other. The only good thing was that I got a fresh hard drive with absolutely nothing on it.

There are 5 computers in this household (just 2 people). One is self-built the other 4 are all refurbished Dell computers - 2 laptops and 2 desktops. Have not had any problems with any of them.

My first used computer was an old 464 from an auction, as is. I knew it was not working. I learned a tremendous amount about how computers physically work. And I used it for many years. Things were simpler, then.

Reading the various comments, it's obvious that the majority that disagree with Bob are people that have either grown up in the digital age or had/needed the opportunity to gain knowledge on the dos & don'ts of PCs.
For older persons such as me, we were given as much info as needed to operate them where we were employed, then learned everything else by trial and error. This is why I'm on Bob's mailing list. (Even so, not a day goes by at work that these digital age whizz-kids don't call IT. They're fooling themselves if they think they know more than how to text on phones.)
I agree with Honest Bob's advice to not trust 2nd-hand etc.