66
Problems Solved
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http://www.snipca.com/38164Q: Can I make my old laptop work
with Windows 10??A: Issue 590, page 66 – find it on
our 2020 Back Issue CDWindows 10 is a free download from
MicrosoftFor those
concerned
about electricity
usage, laptops
will generally
use less power
than a desktop
PCHow do I cut my electricity bills?
Q
I’ve taken your mag since the
days when you once told a
reader that you didn’t cover
Apple devices because these products
had their own mag. That’s not a dig but a
timestamp – I’ve been with you a long
time! I can’t recall you ever advising
whether it would takes less electricity to
use a laptop and a PC at the same time or
two monitors. My memory is now poor,
so switching virtual desktops doesn’t
work for me, as I’ve forgotten the
information from the first before I’ve
copied it to the second. I often need three
documents open at the same time. Please
help as my green electricity is turning my
bank account red.
Pete DanielsA
We're not sure of the precise
nature of your current setup, but
we’ll attempt to offer some help.
We think that you’re running one
desktop computer and one monitor, and
are making use of the multiple-desktops
feature in Windows as an approximation
of having two computers. We also think
you’re wondering whether it’d be
cheaper to add either a second monitor or
a laptop.
If we’re right then the answer is fairly
straightforward. Step back and thinkabout it and, at the moment, you’re
running one computer and one monitor.
If you add a second display, you’ll be
running one computer and two monitors- so that’s three things using electricity.
However, if you were to keep your
current setup but add a laptop then,
conceptually, you’ll have four things
using power: the desktop and its monitor
and the laptop and its screen.
Okay, so the laptop is technically just
one device, but, practically speaking, it’s
a computer and a screen – just like your
current desktop PC and screen.
All of this is complicated by how much
power each device uses, which can vary
considerably depending on any number
of variables. However, typically, screens
draw less power than the PC driving
them (be it a desktop or laptop), so one
computer and two monitors is likely to
consume less power than two computers
each with its own screen.
Moreover, laptops generally use less
power overall than a PC – so a single
laptop connected to an external monitor
is likely to use less power than a PC
connected to two monitors.
Finally, for more advice on reducing
your power usage (and therefore your
electricity bills), see pages 60-61 in
Issue 631.
Should I upgrade
to Windows 10?
Q
I’m thinking of upgrading
my Windows 8.1 laptop to
Windows 10. I don’t think
it can go to Windows 11. It’s an HP
Pavilion 17 with an Intel Core i5-
4210U and 8GB of memory. Based
on that information, do you think
upgrading would be feasible and a
wise thing to do? Also, did you ever
publish any guidance on upgrading
to Windows 10, preferably a step-by
step guide that an an oldie like me
could follow? Your help and advice
would be greatly appreciated.
Bill FarquharA
Your PC can’t run Windows
11, as the processor is not
supported, but it should be
fine for Windows 10. So, yes, it’s
feasible. It’s also wise, as Windows
8.1 officially reaches the end of
support in January 2023.
We imagine Microsoft will
actually patch it up for months or
years beyond that supposed cut-off
point (see our reply to David Roy,
on page 64), but better to be safe
t h a n s or r y.
And yes, we’ve published many
Windows 10-related articles over
the years. Issue 456, for example,
included a step-by-step guide to
installation – so check whether
you’ve still got it in your archive.
Windows 10 (pictured onscreen
below) itself is a free download,
from http://www.snipca.com/41752.Photo by Mateusz Dach from Pexels25 May – 7 June 2022 • Issue 632