Turning a Slow Windows Laptop Into Linux?

[paulyron]

3 hours ago, Franck said:

1 - Yes. I did a couple convertion of 10-15 years old laptop to Linux Mint just to using them as casting device or light work computer

 

2 - You typically download the iso and then on windows use a tools called Rufus. Rufus allow you to create a boot disk from an iso onto the usb

 

3- Yes. You can use any other windows computer to create a usb installer to reinstall whatever version or version that chromebook can support. could be windows 12 in the future.

 

4 - Linux Mint is much faster than ChromeOS. Mint is specially design as a lightweight OS but there is even lighter ones just not that "GUI" friendly. Mint is probably the best solution for a windows user that want performance.

 

5 - Technically as long as you control the boot sequence on the laptop and can pick "boot from usb" you have total control over what OS you want to install since most if not all OS can be installed from USB drive. In chromeOS you might not be able to create a boot device for another OS but you can always borrow a buddy computer to make the one you want if your in a pickle.

 

 

Note : Do not expect miracle. Your storage is still running on emmc which is extremely slow. I would make sure there is no option to add a normal drive beside that emmc storage and switch the boot drive to that new drive (hopefully a simple SSD)

 

Okay so whether I make this slow windows laptop linux or chrome... better linux then correct?

 

What is the exact program I need to download on a usb flash drive?  How much gb does it take?  Flash drive has 32gb.  So this entire process of downloading it and all that... should take how long?  So download linux mint but also other program?

 

Now do i need to wipe my windows computer clean first before I do this?  I assume not?  Do I reset it clean?  Is it better If i do?  If so, better to just reset it right?  Would everything on the windows machine get deleted?  I don't need anything on it.

 

[Franck]

12 minutes ago, paulyron said:

 

Okay so whether I make this slow windows laptop linux or chrome... better linux then correct?

 

What is the exact program I need to download on a usb flash drive?  How much gb does it take?  Flash drive has 32gb.  So this entire process of downloading it and all that... should take how long?  So download linux mint but also other program?

 

Now do i need to wipe my windows computer clean first before I do this?  I assume not?  Do I reset it clean?  Is it better If i do?  If so, better to just reset it right?  Would everything on the windows machine get deleted?  I don't need anything on it.

 

A light linux is probably the best here yes.

 

The program is "Rufus" how big it is i don't know but it is no where near Gibibytes range. Maybe couple mebibytes. Linux mint is just above 2gb. Download speed that depend on your disk speed to write and your download speed. that is not something someone else other than you would know that.

 

As for wiping that is again a case of "it depend". You will always get a prompt anyway before doing anything that can erase data (that's true for windows or linux). You want to keep your stuff ? it has to be on a separate drive or partition so you don't have to format it. Is it currently like that on a partition ? we can't tell. Currently having windows it is very likely partitioned somehow. But again the seller of the device might have not created extra partitions.

 

Anyhow if you want to clean everything it's as simple as deleting all partition and making a single volume during the step of selection the drive to install the OS. That will clear everything to 1 partition and just format it clean.

[cretsiah]

On 9/22/2022 at 2:29 PM, paulyron said:

A while back, I purchased a cheap windows 11 home laptop.  It is an HP and specs are very bad.

 

 

Windows 11 Home 

 

1366x768 resolution

 

Intel Celeron N4120

 

4 GB ddr4-2400 MHz

 

64 GB emmc

 

Intel UHD Graphics 600

 

 

 

This windows laptop is very slow when you open chrome tabs.  I bought it a while back because I wanted a cheap laptop because I needed another laptop to to do a few things.  But if you want to use this laptop even as an entertainment laptop, it is way too slow.

 

 

Now I want to get another chromebook because my old chromebook that I use no longer has any more auto updates, but screen has issues, keyboard issues and all that.  However, what about turning this slow windows 11 hp laptop into a linux and use it as a chromebook.  Would that work or not?  Could I always go back to Windows 11 Home in the future?

 

 

The thing is I would be using the laptop as an entertainment laptop.  By that i mean web browsing forums, visiting streaming sites... that might have malware and viruses.  I would also be downloading videos and files that might have viruses/malware.  This is for watching adult videos and streaming etc.  I always did this on my old chromebook and this was never an issue because I don't use that chromebook for anything important.  

 

 

So should I just buy a new chromebook for these activities.... or turn this Windows 11 Home HP Slow Laptop into linux?  Now I would be planning to download videos and files though... and will then either keep it in the laptop or move it to an external hard drive which I have tons of videos/files though.  But is that still safe on linux or not?  Because on chromebook, there is no concern of that.  Also I know i could always powerwash chromebook but never had to do it.  Would this windows 11 laptop be okay to turn into linux?  Or its not that safe and might as well get a new chromebook for these activities?

 

 

Now with a chromebook with similar processor and 4gb ram, I know that is more than enough to open a lot of chrome tabs etc.  But will these specs of the slow windows laptop be fast with linux?  

 

Maybe this will help similar specs (although it had win10S not win11 ( specs are listed in description ) 

@RollyShed

[RollyShed]

19 hours ago, paulyron said:

Okay so just to confirm.

1.  There is zero purpose of keeping this slow windows laptop as a windows laptop right because of how slow it is?  Make it linux?

 

Yes, make it Linux Mint Cinnamon.

 

2.  I have a usb flash drive.  So download linux mint to it?  I don't have anything on this slow windows laptop that is important so do I need to wipe the windows machine clean first or it doesn't matter?

NO. It doesn't matter as wiping is one of the options during installation. READ what has previously been written.

19 hours ago, paulyron said:

  Do I need to reset this pc first?  I want to make sure my windows is wiped before I install linux.

No, just install. Repeat, "just install", Repeat, "just install" Repeat, "just install" Repeat, "just install" How many more times do you need to be told?

19 hours ago, paulyron said:

3.  After installing linux, I always have the option to go back to windows 11 home correct as long as I have the windows 11 downloaded on a usb stick?

If you know how to do a Windows installation.

19 hours ago, paulyron said:

4.  Do you recommend me use linux or chromeOS on my laptop for what I want to do in my situation?  Will be using it to download adult videos and pictures and stream from those sites and web browse on it.  

You've been told and told and told, put Linux on it.

19 hours ago, paulyron said:

5.  I can always go back to windows even if changing laptop to chromeOS?

Why put ChromeOS on it?

[Herr.Hoefkens]

depending on what purpose the laptop will serve there is also the reactOS option: https://reactos.org/

https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=reactos

 

 

wich isnt linux , its a complete rewrite of the ntkernel , and windows compatible (to the point that drives can just be installed using the windows drivers, and it works even for really old ones.

 

and its light enough that it can run inside a javascript virtual machine inside your browser (if you want to give it a testride) :https://copy.sh/v86/?profile=reactos

[paulyron]

On 10/7/2022 at 4:33 AM, Herr.Hoefkens said:

depending on what purpose the laptop will serve there is also the reactOS option: https://reactos.org/

https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=reactos

 

 

wich isnt linux , its a complete rewrite of the ntkernel , and windows compatible (to the point that drives can just be installed using the windows drivers, and it works even for really old ones.

 

and its light enough that it can run inside a javascript virtual machine inside your browser (if you want to give it a testride) :https://copy.sh/v86/?profile=reactos

I'm going to do this later today.  I see all the instructions.  But is there a recommended youtube video for this so i could follow it exactly step by step?

[paulyron]

On 10/6/2022 at 11:59 AM, Franck said:

1 - Yes. I did a couple convertion of 10-15 years old laptop to Linux Mint just to using them as casting device or light work computer

 

2 - You typically download the iso and then on windows use a tools called Rufus. Rufus allow you to create a boot disk from an iso onto the usb

 

3- Yes. You can use any other windows computer to create a usb installer to reinstall whatever version or version that chromebook can support. could be windows 12 in the future.

 

4 - Linux Mint is much faster than ChromeOS. Mint is specially design as a lightweight OS but there is even lighter ones just not that "GUI" friendly. Mint is probably the best solution for a windows user that want performance.

 

5 - Technically as long as you control the boot sequence on the laptop and can pick "boot from usb" you have total control over what OS you want to install since most if not all OS can be installed from USB drive. In chromeOS you might not be able to create a boot device for another OS but you can always borrow a buddy computer to make the one you want if your in a pickle.

 

 

Note : Do not expect miracle. Your storage is still running on emmc which is extremely slow. I would make sure there is no option to add a normal drive beside that emmc storage and switch the boot drive to that new drive (hopefully a simple SSD)

Hey again.  I am planning to install linux soon.

 

You mention it is using a emmc which is extremely slow.  Well doesn't a chromebook also use that as well?  This hp windows 11 laptop has 64gb of space.

 

My confusion here is the needing to use Rufus for this.  I would plug my empty usb flash drive to the windows 11 laptop for it right?  That flash drive must be empty and cannot have any other files or even say a windows 10 or 11 installation files on it right?  I do not plan to install any hard drive into it.  I am fine with the 64gb because any files I want to download, it would be connected to an external hard drive.  That is what I did with my chromebook that only has 32gb.  But that chromebook I can't use it much anymore because of the screen and because no more updates.  

[Franck]

7 hours ago, paulyron said:

You mention it is using a emmc which is extremely slow.  Well doesn't a chromebook also use that as well?

Yes but i don't see the link here between a device and a storage speed ?

 

7 hours ago, paulyron said:

My confusion here is the needing to use Rufus for this.

For the N times you need to use Rufus to create the boot usb drive. Just open ANY guide about rufus and there is like 6 buttons in the app it's not that difficult

[paulyron]

Ok will have to do this soon.  Last time i didn't and continued to use an old chromebook that not only has no more updates, the screen is basically unusable unless you put it flat on a table because the screen has issues.  Also several keys on the chromebook no longer as well.

 

 

Would prefer to buy a new chromebook but prices are pretty high and i would want one that has eight gb ram but those cost a lot now.  They had sale last time on few chromebooks like that but didn't buy.  So you all suggest to turn my slow windows eleven laptop to linux right?

 

 

The one negative however is this windows laptop has horrible resolution and not hd.  But it should be okay until sales come later for chromebook?  i don't want to pay more than two hundred or so for a new chromebook now.  There is one on sale on best buy now but is old celeron processor and four gb ram like the broken chromebook im using now.

[ryd994]

On 4/27/2023 at 12:31 PM, paulyron said:

an old chromebook that not only has no more updates,

You can install ChromeOS flex on old Chromebooks too. That will get you latest security updates. Flex is just the not-quite-supported version. By using flex, you acknowledge that the ChromeOS is no longer tailored to the specific hardware, that all.

 

On 4/27/2023 at 12:31 PM, paulyron said:

 i don't want to pay more than two hundred or so for a new chromebook now.  There is one on sale on best buy now but is old celeron processor and four gb ram like the broken chromebook im using now.

Maybe that's your problem. If you buy a decent laptop, it can last many years. But if you buy the cheapest, then the spec won't be usable very soon. Not just the build quality, but the performance too.

[dragonfly43]

Puppy Linux (ex. Fossapup) run in RAM, so they can turn thrashes into gold.

4G RAM is definitely good enough for Puppy.

I recommend EasyOS.