Bringing up to date an old notebook laptop

NiftyDigits

Using the keyboard; Press the Flying Windows key and whilst holding it down, pres the Pause Break key.

How much RAM is indicated as to being installed? Which Service Pack for Windows XP?

Do you have a currently working machine and blank CDs and DVDs to hand?

Can you read the Product Key written on the COA on the underside of the laptop?

Gyro

p.s. I go along with 'Bollotom' above.

I downloaded Linux Mint 16 'Cinnamon' recently after comments on these pages and although it IS Ubuntu based it has the non-Unity interface which makes it much more like Windows with click-on menus etc. I think it looks very nice indeed.

If you want to try it on that machine you can download the 32bit Cinnamon ISO from the top line of the list of downloads on this page.

http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

Then you can burn the ISO you downloaded to a DVD image with something like 'Burnaware free'

http://www.burnaware.com/

When you open Burnaware just click on 'Burn Image' then browse to the ISO you downloaded, then click on the red 'Burn' icon and Bob's your Uncle - you will then have a live DVD of Linux Mint, which you can run directly by restarting your machine with the DVD in the drawer - or maybe by tapping F12 as the computer starts up and selecting that option from the Boot Menu which will appear. You can also use the DVD to install Mint to your hard drive if you want to.

If you ever wanted to leave the DVD 'Open' so you could save files to it, you would UNTICK the 'Finalize Disk' box under File > Options of the BURN screen in Burnaware. (BEFORE you burned it of course.)

p.p.s. It DOES take a while to load up Mint from the DVD as it has to load everything into memory, so expect a bit of delay. If you install it to your HDD it will be much faster of course.

EDIT

There's also a Linux Mint User Guide PDF on the download page which includes PROPER installation advice and LOTS of useful stuff.

http://www.linuxmint.com/documentation.php

EDIT AGAIN

Just changed any references in my post from CD to DVD as the ISO download is 1.2GB

- I'm now using the 64bit version of the DVD to run Linux Mint and Firefox as I'm typing this post. My laptop HDD is actually loaded with Win8.

G

Skymist

paddyrg wrote: »

Frankly a 7 year old lappy it may be better to wipe and install a basic Linux build. XP drops permanently out of support in 3 months time

Totally agree with this, as I just did this over the weekend on my old 512MB RAM Starbook Netbook, which was running XP, and therefore soon to run out of support.

After doing some research and coming across and reading this...

http://www.hobo-geek.com/2013/01/the-best-linux-distribution-2013.html

...I installed Linux Mint 13 MATE desktop ( http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=103) ,which is supported untill 2017 and it's fab :T Running really well on my very old laptop.

If you choose this Linux version, just follow Gyro's advice for getting it prepared and installed!

Good luck with whichever way you choose to get the remaining use/life out of your machine!

S

emerald21

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Using the keyboard; Press the Flying Windows key and whilst holding it down, pres the Pause Break key.

How much RAM is indicated as to being installed? Which Service Pack for Windows XP?

Do you have a currently working machine and blank CDs and DVDs to hand?

Can you read the Product Key written on the COA on the underside of the laptop?

Hi yes it's a Clevo based machine. I do have a macbook that works.
windows xp home edition. OEM software, NO9-01152. X10-60274 and 00043-653-397-412.

Service pack 3 and 448 MB of ram

emerald21

Gyro wrote: »

p.s. I go along with 'Bollotom' above.

I downloaded Linux Mint 16 'Cinnamon' recently after comments on these pages and although it IS Ubuntu based it has the non-Unity interface which makes it much more like Windows with click-on menus etc. I think it looks very nice indeed.

If you want to try it on that machine you can download the 32bit Cinnamon ISO from the top line of the list of downloads on this page.

http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

Then you can burn the ISO you downloaded to a DVD image with something like 'Burnaware free'

http://www.burnaware.com/

When you open Burnaware just click on 'Burn Image' then browse to the ISO you downloaded, then click on the red 'Burn' icon and Bob's your Uncle - you will then have a live DVD of Linux Mint, which you can run directly by restarting your machine with the DVD in the drawer - or maybe by tapping F12 as the computer starts up and selecting that option from the Boot Menu which will appear. You can also use the DVD to install Mint to your hard drive if you want to.

If you ever wanted to leave the DVD 'Open' so you could save files to it, you would UNTICK the 'Finalize Disk' box under File > Options of the BURN screen in Burnaware. (BEFORE you burned it of course.)

p.p.s. It DOES take a while to load up Mint from the DVD as it has to load everything into memory, so expect a bit of delay. If you install it to your HDD it will be much faster of course.

EDIT

There's also a Linux Mint User Guide PDF on the download page which includes PROPER installation advice and LOTS of useful stuff.

http://www.linuxmint.com/documentation.php

EDIT AGAIN

Just changed any references in my post from CD to DVD as the ISO download is 1.2GB

- I'm now using the 64bit version of the DVD to run Linux Mint and Firefox as I'm typing this post. My laptop HDD is actually loaded with Win8.

G

This all sounds too much for me.

Gyro

Well it only takes about 5 mins to burn the ISO download to a DVD image, then you've got your copy ol Linux Mint - but it doesn't matter if you don't fancy doing it emerald. Maybe I've done too much description so it LOOKS complicated. It's not difficult at all really. Still, the description might come in useful for anyone else who wants to give Linux a whiz.

Don't worry - you can still reinstall XP again. With all the businesses that are STILL using XP there's always a possibility that MS may give it a life extension again.

"Nurse, bring me another saline drip and some more oxygen for this old codger!"

Maybe they'll change the name to Windows Lazarus.

emerald21

Gyro wrote: »

Well it only takes about 5 mins to burn the ISO download to a DVD image, then you've got your copy ol Linux Mint - but it doesn't matter if you don't fancy doing it emerald. Maybe I've done too much description so it LOOKS complicated. It's not difficult at all really. Still, the description might come in useful for anyone else who wants to give Linux a whiz.

Don't worry - you can still reinstall XP again. With all the businesses that are STILL using XP there's always a possibility that MS may give it a a life extension again.

"Nurse, bring me another saline drip and some more oxygen for this old codger!"

Lol to be honest I don't know what the hell I m doing , it's just trial and error and more error think. I've put the original windows cd in but it won't work because it's an older version that's already in it ATM. First I would like to restore it to factory settings but as it's not f8 that gives me the option I don't know what is

emerald21

Gyro wrote: »

Well it only takes about 5 mins to burn the ISO download to a DVD image, then you've got your copy ol Linux Mint - but it doesn't matter if you don't fancy doing it emerald. Maybe I've done too much description so it LOOKS complicated. It's not difficult at all really. Still, the description might come in useful for anyone else who wants to give Linux a whiz.

Don't worry - you can still reinstall XP again. With all the businesses that are STILL using XP there's always a possibility that MS may give it a life extension again.

"Nurse, bring me another saline drip and some more oxygen for this old codger!"

Doi need to burn this ISO download to a DVD or will a cd do lol

GetRealBabe

emerald21 wrote: »

This all sounds too much for me.

Hi

I've been trying out several versions of Linux. I really like Linux Mint 15 & 16 but couldn't get 4OD to work (some DRM problems and gave up trying to connect my print server).

I'm now using Xubuntu with a cinnamon desktop (similar to Linux Mint). 4OD works and after some printer problems, my printer is now working.

What I like about Linux is you can learn as much or as little as you want and there is a brilliant Linux/Ubuntu community if you need any help.

You can burn the image to DVD and boot to the Live DVD to try it out. I found both Mint/Ubuntu easy to install and I really enjoyed learning how to use Linux.

Give it a go, it's different from Windows and that's what I like about it.

emerald21

GetRealBabe wrote: »

Hi

I've been trying out several versions of Linux. I really like Linux Mint 15 & 16 but couldn't get 4OD to work (some DRM problems and gave up trying to connect my print server).

I'm now using Xubuntu with a cinnamon desktop (similar to Linux Mint). 4OD works and after some printer problems, my printer is now working.

What I like about Linux is you can learn as much or as little as you want and there is a brilliant Linux/Ubuntu community if you need any help.

You can burn the image to DVD and boot to the Live DVD to try it out. I found both Mint/Ubuntu easy to install and I really enjoyed learning how to use Linux.

Give it a go, it's different from Windows and that's what I like about it.

Hi do I need to get xp off the laptop first or not thanks