[AT] OT- Computer help please

Tue Feb 18 06:11:31 PST 2020

Brad - looks like we both got there within about a minute of each other!

SO

On Tue, Feb 18, 2020 at 9:09 AM <bradloomis at charter.net> wrote:

> Charlie,
>
> Are the three different versions just matters of appearances? I got
> Cinnamon ‘the most popular’ but I didn’t see differences other than
> appearance. In other words, why Mate?
>
>
>
> To Stephen it was dead nuts simple to download and make a thumb bootable.
> I used a program, balenaEtcher which was a three click process to turn the
> thumb and ISO into either a loadable fully functional OS or just to run off
> the thumb to see how it all functions. Very cool, very simple. Linux has
> come a long way. It is the applications that have kept me from fully
> committing. Banking, and Outlook still does more than Thunderbird. Granted
> it is getting increasingly unusable :/
>
> Brad
>
>
>
> *From:* AT <at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com> *On Behalf Of *cgs
> *Sent:* Tuesday, February 18, 2020 3:21 AM
> *To:* at at lists.antique-tractor.com
> *Subject:* Re: [AT] OT- Computer help please
>
>
>
> 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
> <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> 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> 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>
> 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> wrote:
>
> Look at *http://www.linuxandubuntu.com/home/5-best-data-recovery-tools-for-linux-to-recover-data-or-deleted-partitions
> <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
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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> --
>
> Charlie
>
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> Charlie
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