Upgrading Windows help

[stirlinggaz]

Hi all,
Ok another stupid question from the resident pc illiterate idiot.
I have been given an old laptop which has practically never been used.

I can find a use for it though

BUT it has Windows XP, which I don't like.
I prefer Windows 7, f*ck i would even put up with Windows 10, once I learn to use it.

So, How easy it it to change over.....free? (or as cheap as possible)

Any advice?

cheers,
GAZ

[MarJay]

If it's got XP on it, it's going to be very old. XP went EOS (end of support) a number of years back.

If you really want to upgrade, buy a cheapo Windows 7 license off of ebay from an old Dell or something but if the laptop had XP on it to begin with, it might not be man enough for the job. Even my ten year old netbook came with Windows 7 on it...

Can you post the spec of the current laptop? Right click on 'my computer' and then click 'properties' and take a screenshot.

I doubt it'll be man enough for W10, you might manage to make it work with some flavour of Linux but it depends on spec.
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[M.C]

Google the model number and see what OS it's compatible with and what drivers are available. Being XP I'd be surprised if it'll support windows 10. Also check how much ram it has, as Win 7 whilst an infinitely better O/S than the turd that was XP, is more memory hungry.

You can use a program called Windows Loader to unlock Win' 7. Do not randomly google and download it, it'll be spyware/a virus (don't ask how I know ). There's an official thread or failing that I can upload it for you.

[stirlinggaz]

Hi,
I should have said I got it free.
Some guy bought it to plug 2 video cameras in & record his golf swing, seriously.
He used it 3 times.
It's never had anything downloaded onto it except the video stuff.
It's never even been connected to the internet!.
I can find a use for it 😉.
Downloaded chrome & its fast as f*ck for a freebie.
Ram can be upgraded cheaply, right?
Just a matter of swapping cards, no?

cheers,
GAZ

[CBFcarl]

What was wrong with XP?

Win7 is a solid shout - I recently picked up a disk version for £4, so have a shop around. I wouldn't bother with anything after that on a laptop that age. In fact, my 8 year old Samsung R519 has been running 10 for about 18 months ago, but it is too slow and half of the stuff doesn't work on the laptop, so back to Win7 it is going.

Same as already said - check the spec. It is worth picking up some RAM if it can take more, again, I've just upgraded an old Macbook from 2GB to 4GB and the difference is massively noticeable, and that cost me less than £9.

Linux is possibly an option, but when I tried to install it on an old Aspire One, it kept crashing and messing up the graphics when it didn't crash. I was using a couple of flavours of Ubuntu though, and that machine was about 8 - 9 years old.
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[Pjay]

Sounds like the ideal machine for Ubuntu.
It's never too late to learn new things and you might even like it, especially if you do something like put Emulation Station on it.
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[M.C]

[bugeye_bob]

As mentioned before doing owt go to the Laptops support pages and check there are drivers for your laptop for Win7, if its old then you may be stuck for going to Win7, and even less chance of Win7 64bit.

[stirlinggaz]

hi,
ok, i know this makes me sound even more stupid but f*ck it.
how do i find out the max size of memory card i can swap over to?

& how do i find out if this old thing can run windows 7?

i want to learn!

cheers,
GAZ

[Polarbear]

I liked windows 7. I wish I still had it on this computer rater than 10.
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[RhynoCZ]

[bugeye_bob]

[-]

Seriously, on a laptop built for XP, don’t waste your time. Later operating systems put more load on, not just in RAM. Chances are you’ll not have Win 10 drivers for the old hardware.

Many XP machines where still 32 bit hardware anyway, have you checked this first as to my knowledge Win 10 is 64 bit only.

Many older 32 bit XP machines are also limited to addressing under 4GB if RAM.

I have an old Thinkpad running XP, purely as a Jaguar/Landrover dealer software rig. It definitely won’t run Win 10.
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[duhawkz]

4GB of ram is the most you'll be able to stick in there if its a 32bit CPU. that's if you can find some, that works as I doubt you'll be able to by it new any more.

it's would help if you gave us some more information, make and model of the laptop perhaps.

you can find out a bit more information by running msinfo32, you can run it by going to start > run and typing msinfo32 in the run box.

you should be able to find out from there what cpu it has and how much ram it has.

you can also right click on "my computer" and go to properties that should give the ram and CPU too.

or just post the make and model of the laptop
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[dydey90]

[M.C]

[duhawkz]

I've just bought the wife a macbook air, its not a new one. Its not as old a bodysocket's ST but it not not a new one, it runs the latest version of the OS and it still its runs fast enough for anything she'll ever do and it weighs about a kilo.

I've always a thing against Macs as they seem expensive and attract the dogmatic fan bois but I'm seriously tempted to by a used Macbook pro when my laptop eventually dies.
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[duhawkz]

[M.C]

[-]

[duhawkz]

Jewlio didn't say you can do an inplace upgrade of xp to w10

What he said was if you upgrade a 32bit OS to w10 you will get w10 32bit.
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[-]

[duhawkz]

Ok whatever

You're just making an argument for the sake as you did with your previous post, I'm not going carry it on.
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[Pjay]