[AT] OT- Computer help please
cgs
oxygenfarm at gmail.com
Tue Feb 18 03:21:24 PST 2020
Linux Mint has an accessory named 'USB Image Writer' which will put the
downloaded image of your new operating system onto your USB. A good
instruction for Mint is at
_https://www.linuxmint.com/documentation/user-guide/Cinnamon/english_18.0.pdf_
I use its Mate version whose latest is 19.3 on older computers.
On 2/18/20 5:13 AM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
> Yes, I have one SATA connector on the old laptop. I am hearing
> several votes in favor of Mint/Mate. Since I don't have a ton of free
> time, hoping maybe someone can provide a decent overview of the
> process. I'd like to ignore the hard drive on the laptop and try to
> boot off a thumb drive as we've been discussing. Basically treat the
> laptop as if it were already dead. I have a fully modern, fully
> functional desktop workstation running Win 10 for downloads and
> manipulations of the thumb drive. So what are the basic steps?
> Download to the workstation and then send files over to the thumb, or
> download straight to the thumb? In either case, how do I make the
> thumb bootable?
>
> Thanks in advance...
> SO
>
> On Mon, Feb 17, 2020 at 9:53 AM cgs <oxygenfarm at gmail.com
> <mailto:oxygenfarm at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> Most versions of Linux are free and legal to download; some charge
> for a prepared thumb drive and/or a phone help service.
> I have several computers that age which will run the lighter Linux
> versions. A new solid state drive (120 GB) can be found online or
> at MicroCenter for $25 (be sure your old iron has SATA connectors!)
>
> On 2/17/20 5:20 AM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
>> Hi Phil:
>>
>> I've got a Dell from about 2009 or so, perhaps a 3000-series (?),
>> running XP. At the time it was a workstation-class laptop,
>> capable of running 3D CAD software. I don't use it much anymore,
>> but it definitely comes in handy sometimes. Nothing important is
>> stored on it. Hard drive has given me a few scares over the last
>> several years, but it comes back every time (on it's own; I have
>> not done anything heroic). This bootable thumb drive thing is
>> intriguing because you don't need any hard drive at all with it.
>> In your scenario, with the hidden partition, you still need a
>> functional hard drive. Plus, there's been enough discussion of
>> Linux here on ATIS (and elsewhere) that I'm curious.
>>
>> SO
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Feb 17, 2020 at 5:08 AM Phil Auten <pga2 at basicisp.net
>> <mailto:pga2 at basicisp.net>> wrote:
>>
>> Hi, Stephen,
>>
>> I don't remember what brand of PC you have, but several
>> manufacturers provide a "hidden partition" on the hard drive
>> that can be used to restore the PC back to factory settings.
>> On both of my Acer laptops the <Alt-F10> keys are pressed
>> together during boot. This enables the restore function.
>> That would, however, wipe out your files. But if there is no
>> other alternative it would be worth a try. The laptop I am
>> using to type this suffered a hard drive crash a couple of
>> years ago. The hard drive was no longer recognized. Using the
>> Acer part number, I was able to find the exact same hard
>> drive on eBay. I had to completely rebuild my setup, but
>> still much less expensive than a new laptop.
>>
>> If that $35 thumb drive is bootable, that would still be a
>> good option for me.
>>
>> My 2¢
>>
>> Phil in TX
>>
>>
>> On 2/16/2020 5:44 AM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
>>> Hi farmer: When you say no reason to buy anything, I assume
>>> you refer to that $35 thumb drive device I mentioned. As I
>>> understand it, the thumb drive is bootable, circumventing
>>> the hard drive and whatever OS is on the machine. The sales
>>> pitch is that it will take a machine that's bricked and
>>> bring it back to life. Do you have a way to accomplish that
>>> for free?
>>>
>>> SO
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Feb 15, 2020 at 10:39 PM Indiana Robinson
>>> <robinson46176 at gmail.com <mailto:robinson46176 at gmail.com>>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> No reason to buy anything, Most distributions of Linux
>>> will read Windows files. You can copy, paste move etc.
>>> and you can download anything for free. I don't putter
>>> with old stuff as much as I used to but I've used
>>> Knoppix for such things for many years. I don't know if
>>> Windows 10 can read Linux files yet or not but I once
>>> read that it was soon to be an option. If you install
>>> Linux as a dual boot with Windows you can just access
>>> your Windows files without having to reboot back into
>>> Windows to find them or work with them.
>>> Half of the Linux learning curve is terminology... If
>>> you have become comfortable using Android you are half
>>> way there. Android is just a mobile (and tablet) version
>>> of Linux. Android is built on and running the Linux
>>> Kernel but your desktop box won't run Android.
>>>
>>>
>>> .
>>>
>>> On Sat, Feb 15, 2020 at 9:33 AM cgs
>>> <oxygenfarm at gmail.com <mailto:oxygenfarm at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Look at
>>> _http://www.linuxandubuntu.com/home/5-best-data-recovery-tools-for-linux-to-recover-data-or-deleted-partitions_
>>>
>>> On 2/15/20 7:12 AM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
>>>> Good to hear it's all set. I've been seeing ad's
>>>> for a device called "XtraPC" which, it turns out,
>>>> is some flavor of Linux burned onto a thumb drive
>>>> for something like $35. You can bring back most
>>>> troublesome old machines from the grave (assuming
>>>> the problem is hard drive/boot software, not some
>>>> hardware failure of course). What I do not know is
>>>> whether you can access your Windows files under
>>>> Linux. Curious about that.
>>>>
>>>> SO
>>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Charlie
>>>
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>>>
>>> --
>>> --
>>>
>>> Francis Robinson
>>> aka "farmer"
>>> Central Indiana USA
>>> robinson46176 at gmail.com <mailto:robinson46176 at gmail.com>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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> --
> Charlie
>
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Charlie
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