For FREE
No, but they are less expensive than their PC equivalents.
MY COMPUTER
- Thread starter Ekatarina
- Start date
Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:
No, but they are less expensive than their PC equivalents.
Anyway I am not a tech genius but I am sick to death of Microsoft bull crap
I will go see him soon before I KILL my PC WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER
You should name your PC Justin Trudeau, since it's always doing stupid things letting you down.
Do You have any, and if so, Security Programs installed...
Anti-Virus,
Mal-ware,
AdwCleaner,
Spybot Portable,
SuperSpyware Free,
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware...?!?
Is anything in a USB Port that shouldn't bee in Now...
also, what Version is Windows...?
Anti-Virus,
Mal-ware,
AdwCleaner,
Spybot Portable,
SuperSpyware Free,
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware...?!?
Is anything in a USB Port that shouldn't bee in Now...
also, what Version is Windows...?
I took a pic of what on where I try to see my photos 
Can You get to this one :
For now I wont try anything with that computer except
just what I daily do :
e.mails
photos
my one and only forum= HERE
searches
I dont want to make it worst...I will call him Monday
for a PC fix
I am going to show him what is enrage me on the PM
So he will fix the problem
I have the same guy since I had my 1st computer LOL
He will ask me : So, what is the problem
I will tell him the problem and he will fix it right in front of me
usually he makes me sit by his side and check the computer and
explain me what is the problem
When he fixes it Please let Me know if it was a "System Restore" Trick...!!!
You answered your own question. The only way to get rid of Microsoft is to get rid of Microsoft. That means using a computer that doesn't run Windows. The big players there would be Linux, MacOS, and ChromeOS. You could also move to an Android or iOS tablet rather than a computer.
If you want to do this for free, then your choices are narrowed significantly. Realistically, you're down to Linux. Install Linux on your existing Windows computer. But before doing that, I would recommend that you try running it from a USB3 flashdrive first, assuming your computer is new enough to be able to boot from a USB device, and has a USB3 port. USB2 is too slow. You can also boot from a DVD. But that is slow as well.
Please take no offense to this next comment, but since you currently use "a computer guy" to fix your existing computer issues, moving to a new OS is probably not a task you'll be able to/want to do on your own. I've never used a Chromebook personally, but I'm thinking that might be a reasonable direction for you to research. That might be a decent fit for your needs. A Mac may be the best solution, but it's also the most expensive option. Quite expensive. OK, really friggin' expensive IMHO. But Apple's walled garden and proprietary stuff does make for something that just tends to work. You don't have to worry about getting different things to work together so much, because Apple mostly forces you to use only their stuff. I could not handle that kind of limitation and central control myself, but it does make for smooth sailing most of the time. If you're not a technical person you're probably not going to be wanting to leave a proprietary walled garden in the first place.
Among other things I have a Masters in Computer Science.
About 15 years ago I got tired of being hacked under Windows and also having to purchase Window upgrades.
I switched to Linux, in particular UBUNTU free shareware software.
I would never go back to Windows.
It is compatible with windows so your files are still good.
Ubuntu loads everything on your computer for free.
You can do it yourself or pay a Pro to load it for about $40.
If you use a pro, take your printer with the computer.
Start here: Link
About 15 years ago I got tired of being hacked under Windows and also having to purchase Window upgrades.
I switched to Linux, in particular UBUNTU free shareware software.
I would never go back to Windows.
It is compatible with windows so your files are still good.
Ubuntu loads everything on your computer for free.
You can do it yourself or pay a Pro to load it for about $40.
If you use a pro, take your printer with the computer.
Start here: Link
Best way to start over with your current computer, or even an old one, is have the hard drive wiped clean and install Linux.
Your computer guy should be able to that and save all your files and photos and then install on the new operating system.
I use Lubuntu. It's a very basic operating system without a bunch of extras, designed to work on older computers, the menu and desktop is similar to windows. Learning your way around it relatively easy. But... you might like Mint (also similar to windows) or Ubuntu better. It does take some time and research to learn about all the different 'distros' as they're called. Ask your computer guy about it.
I'm using an old laptop that I programed with Lubuntu about 7 years ago. I get regular security and browser updates and it's been running flawlessly.
Last edited:
In my Computer I want the strict minimum
E.mails---Internet searches---Youtube and stuff like it
I have NO Facebook or crap like it / Social medias
I keep my photos in SD cards
I have old old ones on DVD-R
E.mails---Internet searches---Youtube and stuff like it
I have NO Facebook or crap like it / Social medias
I keep my photos in SD cards
I have old old ones on DVD-R
I forgot I have lots lots of old family photos and animals I had when I was a kid
I kept old family albums with some people I dont even know in it LOL
Since I was not born yet ...but I keep it anyway
I kept old family albums with some people I dont even know in it LOL
Since I was not born yet ...but I keep it anyway
If you have an old computer.... you could learn to install Linux on it yourself. If I could learn how.... anybody can.
All the "how to" info is on the web an easy to find.
I recommend Mint for any common desktop that's not older than 8 years. I'm pretty sure any computer that was designed to run Windows 10 will run Mint easily - without working the hardware resources too hard.
All the "how to" info is on the web an easy to find.
I recommend Mint for any common desktop that's not older than 8 years. I'm pretty sure any computer that was designed to run Windows 10 will run Mint easily - without working the hardware resources too hard.
I would not erase you old hard drive. I would buy a new one. Even better - an SSD. If you have "bare minimum" requirements as you said, you could get by with a very small SSD. A 500Gb SSD is about $30. They still make 250Gb SSD's (which would be more than you need it appears). But a 250Gb would not cost you any less than a 500Gb, so just get the 500Gb one. Here are two examples on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-BX500-480GB-2-5-Inch-Internal/dp/B07G3KGYZQ
https://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS900-500GB-Internal-Solid/dp/B07XZLN9KM
The above SSD's use the "SATA III" interface which your computer will surely support. Newer SSD's are even faster and use the "M.2" interface rather than the SATA III interface. Your computer may or may not support M.2. But given your stated uses, you would never be able to tell the difference between these SSD speeds even though M.2 is significantly faster than SATA III.
If you don't overwrite your current hard drive and instead install a new one (or SSD), then you haven't burnt any bridges and you can easily go back to booting off the old hard drive if you decide to revert back from whatever you install on the new SSD (be that Windows or Linux). Plus, your freshly installed operating system on the SSD will be able to access your old hard drive in case you have something there that you need, but forgot was on there.
If a new hard drive or SSD cost hundreds of dollars, that would be a negative for replacing your old hard drive. But since it should only cost you about $30 ... heck, I challenge two people to go out to dinner at even a mediocre place for that cost. You MAY have to buy an additional mounting bracket to get the SSD into your computer. It may or may not have a bay to fit a 2.5" sized SSD. But a bracket would only cost another $5 or so. And if you're really cheap, just lay the 2.5" SSD down in a 3.5" drive bay and stick it there with a piece of tape to avoid buying a bracket. The things are so lightweight that tape works just fine.
https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-BX500-480GB-2-5-Inch-Internal/dp/B07G3KGYZQ
https://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS900-500GB-Internal-Solid/dp/B07XZLN9KM
The above SSD's use the "SATA III" interface which your computer will surely support. Newer SSD's are even faster and use the "M.2" interface rather than the SATA III interface. Your computer may or may not support M.2. But given your stated uses, you would never be able to tell the difference between these SSD speeds even though M.2 is significantly faster than SATA III.
If you don't overwrite your current hard drive and instead install a new one (or SSD), then you haven't burnt any bridges and you can easily go back to booting off the old hard drive if you decide to revert back from whatever you install on the new SSD (be that Windows or Linux). Plus, your freshly installed operating system on the SSD will be able to access your old hard drive in case you have something there that you need, but forgot was on there.
If a new hard drive or SSD cost hundreds of dollars, that would be a negative for replacing your old hard drive. But since it should only cost you about $30 ... heck, I challenge two people to go out to dinner at even a mediocre place for that cost. You MAY have to buy an additional mounting bracket to get the SSD into your computer. It may or may not have a bay to fit a 2.5" sized SSD. But a bracket would only cost another $5 or so. And if you're really cheap, just lay the 2.5" SSD down in a 3.5" drive bay and stick it there with a piece of tape to avoid buying a bracket. The things are so lightweight that tape works just fine.
I would wait till your 'Puter service guy returns from holiday, and see if he can get things working for you.
Advice to change operating systems is fair enough. but you then have to learn the idiosyncrasies of the new OS,
and it can be a sharp learning curve.
Advice to change operating systems is fair enough. but you then have to learn the idiosyncrasies of the new OS,
and it can be a sharp learning curve.
For the stuff she has said she wants to do, I doubt anybody could tell if they were on a Windows computer or a Linux computer. It's basically identical for web browsing, email, and these kind of things. My mom made the switch when she was 85. The only thing she said about the switch was, "This is so much better. It doesn't get messed up all the time and I don't have to keep calling you to fix it."
The post that started this recent discussion was:
That pretty much directly translates to "How do I switch to a different operating system?" It's impossible to get rid of Microsoft crap while continuing to use Microsoft crap.
I have installed Linux on a few occasions, the most recent time you are right about the differences or "lack of" Previous installs required a lot of time with Samba to get printers working, and also optimizing to get Graphics/Photo Editing software to work correctly within a Windows network environment. Though that is not applicable in these cases. However I feel it is still the "Devil you know, than the Devil you don't know"
