Reboot life into your old computers with simple
upgrades
Breathe New Life into an
Old Computer with Simple Hardware Upgrades and Linux
Do you have an old ‘junker’ computer lying around the house that
you have not gotten around to sending to the recycle plant? Don’t get rid of it
yet! Breathe new life into an old computer by installing a new (free) Linux
operating system on it and making small inexpensive hardware upgrades. This
sounds hard but it is really easy. It only takes about 30-45 min and it will
have any older computer (suggest 2003 and later) feeling like new.
Oftentimes as a (Windows) computer ages it will become slower
and slower. There could be many reasons for this but oftentimes it is because
as the computer gets used more files are added that take up space and resources.
Also, as new software comes out it may require more memory than older software
(think running a highly intensive new a new game program on an old machine, it
just does not work). However, one of the main culprits is often the Windows
operating system itself that can take up HUGE amounts of computing power.
Changing over to Linux is one way to get an old machine going fast again. The
computer can have many uses after Linux is loaded including setting up a home
server, hosting a small website, simply having another computer to browse the
web, file backup and many other things.
This post is from Tech4Noobs (T4N)
Caution: If you do a full Linux install it may wipe your hard
drive depending on the exact configuration so make sure that if there are any
important files on the computer they are backed up somewhere.
Step 1: Finding a Suitable Computer
The good news is that just about any PC will do(I have never
tried this with Macs). I suggest using a computer that is not physically
damaged and is not made before 2003. If you do not have an old computer at home
but are interested in doing this fear not because cheap old computers can be
found all over the internet.
Step 2: Decide what variation of Linux you want
If you are a Noob I suggest going with Ubuntu since it is the
most popular are arguably the easiest to use. However there are many others
such as Mint, Fedora, OpenSUSE to name a few.
Step 3: Check to see if your computer is a 64 bit or 32 bit
build
to do this in Windows 7 or Vista click the start button >
right click computer > click properties > a window will pop-up and on the
screen there will be something that says “System Type” and after that there
will be either 32 or 64 bit.
Step 4: Go to Ubuntu.com and download the latest desktop version
for your system type
Or whatever Linux distribution you decided on.
This will download an ISO file to your desktop.
You need to pick the ISO file based on what type of system build
you have 32 bit (these are sometimes listed as x86) or 64 bit.
Step 5: Now you need to decide if you want to use a CD or a USB
stick to boot from
Now you need to decide if you want to use a CD or a USB stick to
boot from. With a USB you will need to download an additional piece of software
called Universal USB Installer
Step 6: Booting Ubuntu
Try inserting the CD or plugging in the USB and restarting the
computer. It may boot directly into Ubuntu if it does skip to step #12 below.
If it does not follow the directions immediately below for booting into the
BIOS.
Step 7: Going into the Computer BIOS
Once you have a CD or a USB with the downloaded ISO on it (and
nothing else) you will need to restart your computer into what is called the
BIOS. To do this look at the list below and find your computer type (if it is
not in the list just type into Google [Computer manufacturer name] boot to
bios.
Dell – When the Dell logo appears on startup hit F2 a few times
Asus – When the ASUS logo appears hit F2 a few times
Step 8: Change the boot order for drives
Once you are in the BIOS you will want to change the Boot order.
You will want the CD-ROM or USB to come first in the list. Depending on your
computers age and who the manufacturer is this may look a little different but
the picture below is what you are looking for.
Step 9: Change the boot sequence
Once you are in the boot section re-order the boot sequence so
the CD (or the USB aka removable media) boots first. It will look similar to
this.
Step 10: Save and Exit
Save and exit with the directions in the BIOS and restart the
computer with the option in the BIOS
Step 11: On restart Ubuntu will start up
If your CD or USB are plugged in it should boot into Ubuntu
Step 12: Install Ubuntu – Guided directions
Follow the directions to install Ubuntu (there is an option to
just try it out as well). The install may take as long as 30 min.
Step 13: Restart the computer when the install completes
Once it is complete it will likely ask you to restart. Once it
comes back up you should be done.
Step 14: Upgrade Hardware
There are multiple small inexpensive hardware upgrades that can
breathe new life into an old computer to get them running faster. I will break
this into Laptop and Desktop upgrades since they can be slightly different.
These are not all of the upgrades that can be done to a computer but are some
of the easiest and cheapest.
Laptops
Upgrade the RAM – As applications use more and more memory extra
RAM is a good thing to have. However if the computer already has 3 gigabytes of
RAM or more you may be okay depending on what you plan to use the computer for.
Get a new Battery – Laptop batteries degrade over time. A new
battery can make a big difference.
Get a Mouse – I have found that track-pads wear out after a few
years. Getting a small portable mouse can save some headaches.
Desktops
Upgrade RAM – Same as above if there is less than 3 gigs in the
computer it may be a good idea to put in some more.
Get a new Video Card – This can be a cheap and easy way to
breathe new life into an old computer that can give an older computer HDMI
capability.
Step 15: Limitations
While loading up Linux, upgrading RAM (memory), upgrading video
cards and replacing batteries is great, on really old computers or computers
that are physically damaged this will only go so far. I suggest looking at the
cost benefit of upgrading old hardware vs. buying new hardware before making an
investment. I am personally getting to the point where I will need something
new to keep up with the times.
source-http://read.plash.in/
Waiting for your comments.
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