[AT] OT- Computer help please

cgs oxygenfarm at gmail.com
Tue Feb 18 11:23:54 PST 2020


4 GB would be plenty.

On 2/18/20 2:20 PM, Mike M wrote:
> Steve, unless I missed it, what size thumb drive did you need?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike M
>
> On 2/18/2020 9:09 AM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
>> And... it worked!   Just about as simple as it sounded.  Laptop just 
>> boots straight off USB, automatically, no fuss,  no F12 or anything 
>> else needed. And fast!
>>
>> One detail, the "USB Image Writer" runs under Linux.  The equivalent 
>> that runs under Windows is "Etcher"
>>
>> SO
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 18, 2020 at 7:20 AM Stephen Offiler <soffiler at gmail.com 
>> <mailto:soffiler at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>     THANKS!  Will check that out!
>>
>>     SO
>>
>>     On Tue, Feb 18, 2020 at 6:58 AM cgs <oxygenfarm at gmail.com
>>     <mailto:oxygenfarm at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>         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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>>>>>                         AT at lists.antique-tractor.com
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>                     -- 
>>>>>                     -- 
>>>>>
>>>>>                     Francis Robinson
>>>>>                     aka "farmer"
>>>>>                     Central Indiana USA
>>>>>                     robinson46176 at gmail.com
>>>>>                     <mailto:robinson46176 at gmail.com>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>
>>>             --
>>>             Charlie
>>>
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>>
>>         --
>>         Charlie
>>
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-- 
Charlie

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