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That will help, but trust me - computers on desktops can accumulate dust. You will still need to check them, just not as often.

I think that's a system that should last you a long time.

More importantly you need to run a 64 bit version of Windows 7 to access any memory beyond 4 gigs.

I'll second the notion that its better to buy an external drive CASE and then buy your own hard drive to place inside it. Many of the "external drives" you buy are not designed to be opened, and sooner or later you are going to want to do so. Buying the case and drive separately gives you more...

I'm glad you worked out your hum issues. As you have discovered, not all cables are created equal. This applies to pretty much any type of cable you can buy. While I don't recommend going overboard and buying ridiculously over priced Monster cables, it makes sense to buy good ones. So far as...

You are talking about two different issues. When you install Windows it does tune itself to your hardware, in particular your motherboard / video card / CPU. If you are going to change the entire guts of the system including your motherboard, then yes you will need to (and WANT to) reinstall...

You should be able to get a decent Windows laptop for $600 or less. But forget about finding built-in Firewire; Firewire is disappearing, even from Macs. Look at getting a laptop with an expansion card slot and then buying a Firewire card.

Nothing I can disagree with here. Firewire is disappearing. Any new PC motherboard you buy will have USB 3 (and usually ESATA, but that's another story). But no USB 3 interfaces yet, I'm sure there are a number in development. I don't see Thunderbolt going anywhere, it costs too much and USB...

I second the M-Audio 2496. I have two of them in PCs that I don't use for recording, but where I wanted to be able to play back 2 channel 24 bit audio files cleanly. They are cheap and they sound good. I am curious though - you must have a very old motherboard, or something proprietary like a...

I'll just say that whatever computer you may have used in grade & high school obviously didn't work for you. You might want to learn how to communicate in something that better resembles English. Either a PC or a Mac can help you with that.

Oh and I forgot one more thing - you will have better compatibility (especially with drivers) if you stick with the 32 bit version of Win 7 than with the 64 bit. Providing that you can live with 3.5 gigs or less of RAM, which almost everyone can. Where I work were are switching most people...

While "XP Mode" in Win 7 pro is a useful tool for running some corporate apps, I would not hold out too much hope in it working efficiently for a DAW. Its basically running a software emulation of XP (Like Macs running Parallels) and that is fine for software but once you add hardware & drivers...

I agree that Windows 7 runs very well, and has good compatibility. I also generally agree with the "if its not broke don't fix it" philosophy. You can PROBABLY run Windows XP on any new hardware you buy. It all depends on finding all the drivers you need, and so many people are still running...

I used to use Cakewalk Pro 9 - it ran under Windows 98, but not under XP. :) That was the last music program I had a Windows compatibility issue with. As was said, with old apps you will want to install in compatibility mode, but you will also want to "install as administrator". Between...

oops, double post...

I've thought about that, but I'm not sure it would make a difference. The inside of the drive is going to heat up regardless. If you left it running in the freezer I think it would pretty quickly get wet from condensation, and that's not an ideal situation. Of course you're talking about an...

Well now you are talking about Apples & Oranges. When you say you have an HP I assume its a Windows machine, and pulling that drive and plugging it into a Macbook Pro is not going to sit well. On many levels. First and most obvious, Windows is not simply going to boot up on a Mac without...

Yup, that's "the freezer trick" which I didn't really want to get into, but which has worked for me a number of times. I didn't believe it when I first heard about it, but it can be a life saver. You will need a second functioning computer to try this. Here's the short version: If your drive...

That is not unusual. Your USB interface sends information to your computer, and the most basic message is "I have a hard drive plugged into me". So even an otherwise defective hard drive will still send this message, but your interface will not be able to read or format or do anything with the...

There is absolutely no difference at all between "external" and "internal" drives. I always recommend that people buy an external case and then put their own hard drive in it. Some of the external drives that you buy have cases that are permanently sealed shut. They do this for only one...