New 2nd hand PC

bargainboy

GreenNotM wrote:

A good lesson for your daughter would be to do this http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=310741 the malware sticky - it may speed your pc up.

Then look in the threads for speeding up, defragging the disk, optimising the paging file, correcting drivers, reg cleaning. If you want to install windows fresh do it into c:\windows.test\ - then you can duel boot and explore.

If it is an ex-corp pc then the disks will be available somewhere un-opened have you looked on the disk to see if the install files have been copied there and are already on it ?

HTH

My daughter is only 9 she needs to learn how to open / save a file a first. she is a beginner when it comes to PC's but i want her to understand and learn about them so she can get ahead in life. going into this thread is just a wee bit out of her reach. thanks anyway.

bargainboy

sco0ter wrote:

In fact ... heres a list of things to try...

Some HPs that ship with Microsoft Windows XP do not come with recovery CDs. They use a hidden space (partition) on the hard drive to store the recovery information

this may be the case as there are 2 drives a C' drive that is 69 gb and a d one that is 9 gb but wont let me in to look I have done the F10 thing and pc seems to be running not too bad problem is it still has a load of junk on it that there is no need for. would still like to totally reboot.

-TangleFoot-

bargainboy wrote:

no afraid of change just like most other people probably why windows is so big

Fair enough; I don't like change very much either, but I dislike being inconvenienced even more. That's not the reason Windows is so pervasive though. It arrives pre-installed on most machines, and it is in part because of this that most users are unaware they have a choice!

bargainboy

tanglefoot do you something other than windows? what is the difference between them? do you recommend it?

sco0ter

try getting hold of something like norton ghost to see if you can see whats on the drives... Not sure if theres a demo version

-TangleFoot-

bargainboy wrote:

...do you [use] something other than windows?

I currently use Windows XP, but only because:

1. It was pre-installed on my new PC.
2. I play several games that don't run on anything else.

My previous PC had Windows Vista Beta 2 on it for a few weeks, but before that I'd been using Ubuntu, a Linux variant.

bat999

Hi bargainboy

The other system that people use is Linux. There's several different versions, some are free for home use.

When it's set up and running it's similar to Windows. If you were using it you'd have the hang of it in half an hour or so. You'd just notice that it looked different. Different colour scheme, different desktop. You'd think somebody had been fiddling about moving the icons. The start button is at the top and the recycle bin is in the bottom corner. Things like that.

But it's not easy to install and set up - unless it's your hobby. You need a lot of time and patience. Most people can't be arsed, they just buy Windows.:cool:

If you want to learn about it, you can google 'Linux' and 'Ubuntu'. There's loads of stuff there, it'll blow your mind.:eek:

-TangleFoot-

bat999 wrote:

The other system that people use is Linux. There's several different versions, some are free for home use.

It's not the only other operating system, there are many, many different versions and the majority of them are free for almost any use.

Some resources for the beginner in no particular order:

• TUX Magazine
• A beginner's introduction to the GNU/Linux command line
• The Ultimate Linux Newbie Guide
• tuXfiles
• Linux Distribution Chooser

needaspirin

Not really a good idea for a 9 year old to learn on Linux, then go to school and use XP. OK for us older ones though. Probably best to stick to what has become the 'Standard' (unfortunately, as I hate XP)
If you borrow an XP disk it may not install if the serial number on the sticker on the PC does not match the version of XP on the disk.