Q: Microsoft told me that I need a new hard drive for my Windows 7 laptop. Should I buy a new hard drive or a new computer? I don't want Windows 10.
Alicia Vidal, West Miami, Fla.
A: Buy a new hard drive. It will cost $40 to $60 plus the labor to install it, which is cheaper than purchasing a new computer. And it would be hard for you to find a new PC that doesn't come with Windows 10.
I recommend that a repair shop replace the drive. Once done, there are two ways to install Windows 7 on it.
If the current hard drive is still functioning, the shop may be able to make a "system image" of it and transfer that to the new hard drive. The system image would include both Windows 7 and any data that's on the current hard disk. (For details on how this process works, see tinyurl.com/ycnyg4jk).
If the current hard drive isn't working, you'll have to pay the shop to install a new copy of Windows 7, which either you or the shop can buy online for about $25 (search Google for "buy Windows 7"). Once the new copy of Windows 7 is installed, you can copy any data backups of the original hard disk to the new one. Any programs you used that weren't part of Windows will have to be reinstalled on the new hard drive.
Q: I'd like to dispose of an old desktop PC running Windows Vista. How can I erase or destroy the hard disk drive before recycling the PC? And where can I find a recycler that will take it?
Bill Page, Eden Prairie