When you first bought it, it was near state-of-the-art. You can do plenty of things with an old PC besides sending it to the recycling heap. For one thing, they probably use too much power. Also, the operating system is likely not well suited for storage applications, particularly for multiple users. In some cases, you may want to set storage quotas.
A better solution would be to install a proper network operating system. One choice is Windows Home Server. An alternative is FreeNAS. This is an ISO file which, when burned to a CD, will boot off an optical drive and run completely from memory. Worst case, it could go to the high school computer lab most schools have one and be used as a test bed, to take apart and reassemble.
If you donate it to a daycare or child development center, consider buying some low-cost educational software packages and preinstalling them before handing the system over. Try out Ubuntu, the most popular Linux distro. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. But the thought of trying to create a dual-boot system on your primary PC leaves you a little green around the gills.
Check out Ubuntu , the sexy Linux distro that geeks love to, well, love. The neat thing about Linux is all the built-in support for older hardware, so installation is usually easy. In fact, installing Ubuntu is sometimes simpler than installing Windows. It can be done, but it does take a fair amount of effort. The main hackintosh site is a good place to start, but expect a long and somewhat bumpy trip.
I do this all the time. One of the coolest trends right now is wall-mounted PCs. PC builders everyone have taken on the challenge of creating a unique and powerful custom wall-mounted computer. You can buy a case separately and transfer the components from your computer to the new case.
The case is open-sided to allow for free airflow. Hanging the case on the wall creates an aesthetically pleasing set up that showcases your old PC. Many organizations and individuals from local to international will greatly appreciate having your old PC. Some use computers in various fields such as education. If you would like to donate your old PC to science, connect it to the internet and install a program such as Proteins home or SETI home , and run them all day and night.
Looking for a media center? Robert has a knack for the written word and an unquenchable thirst for learning that he applies wholeheartedly to every project he tackles. His eight years of freelance writing experience spans a range of web content, tech product reviews, blog posts, and SEO. He finds technological advancements and DIY projects quite fascinating. Watching movies is his thing so he is always up-to-date with netflix series. Wondering how to get started? Here are 10 easy and budget-friendly old PC projects.
Home Security System. Upgrading your processor is a keystone change that will likely require a motherboard swap. Typically every few years, new processors come out that require a new and completely different socket. Processor sockets have a specific number of pins making contact with the motherboard and this arrangement is different for every type of CPU.
Before you start putting any new components on your shopping list, check your current build. If your PC power supply outputs enough juice to keep everything running without stability problems, and if it's 80 Plus Bronze or better efficiency, there's a good chance you can keep it. A good watt power supply unit should be more than enough to drive a single video card system.
Another upgrading concern is whether the video card will physically fit inside the computer case. Measure it out to make sure there are no conflicts with your drives or front-mounted fans. If there are, add a new case to the shopping list.
Salvage what you can. These are typically interchangeable parts and should work with a new processor or in a new case, since sizes and shapes are standardized. Sell them on eBay or Amazon to help offset the cost of a new computer. Give away your old computer. But before you give the computer away be sure to completely wipe any personal information still on it. Firstly, you should back up any files you want to keep around and also deauthorize any software attached to the machine.
Windows 8. This OS-level tool can refresh the PC and remove all the files on it in one go.
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