#Windows 7 mini laptop for free
#Windows 7 mini laptop how to
#Windows 7 mini laptop install
#Windows 7 mini laptop upgrade

People who are out of work or need training carry out the refurbishment or dismantling of the computers. It says it reconditions and resells the ones that are usable, and responsibly recycles the ones that donвЂ™t make the grade. One is Weeecharity, which accepts electronics in any condition. While most charity shops probably wonвЂ™t accept old laptops, some charities that specialise in handling old electronics do exist. See our guide to factory resetting your computer to find out how. This will avoid your personal data getting into the wrong hands. If youвЂ™re donating a device to charity, trading it in or selling it on, remember to wipe your data from your computer before passing it on. And donвЂ™t forget that both Firefox and Google Chrome have Linux versions, so youвЂ™ll easily be able to run your favourite web apps, such as Google Docs or Office Online, much like a Chromebook. For your documents, try OpenOffice or LibreOffice, and try GIMP for image editing. You wonвЂ™t get access to the same programs as you do on Windows, but the upshot is that most are free and open source. Some require a bit of experience with a вЂcommand lineвЂ™, where you enter commands using text instead of simply clicking.

#Windows 7 mini laptop install

Where they differ is how you install programs. At the most basic level, though, programs in Linux open in windows that can be moved around the screen, resized and minimised, and most of them have a desktop in the traditional sense. How does Linux compare to Windows?Дepending on which distro you choose, it could be quite similar or very different. Ubuntu is another common choice thatвЂ™s also worth looking at. The fact that Linux is much less common than Windows makes it a much less obvious target for nefarious would-be hackers than Windows.

#Windows 7 mini laptop how to

ThereвЂ™s detailed online documentation on how to install and use it, including how to create USB/DVD drives (known as installation media), so you can try it out without having to commit to it.ДЄnd while security is never guaranteed, it does appear to be updated with security fixes. ItвЂ™s frequently updated, and will look familiar to anybody whoвЂ™s used to Windows.

One particularly easy-to-use distro is called Mint. Many are so simple and lightweight you can simply run them off a DVD or USB without having to replace Windows on your device. ItвЂ™s completely open source вЂ“ therefore free and developed by a community вЂ“ and comes in a variety of so-called вЂdistrosвЂ™, or versions. Linux is an alternative operating system that can be installed on practically any computer. If youвЂ™d prefer to go back to Windows 7, you can do so by searching for вЂupdatesвЂ™ in the start menu, then clicking on вЂGo back to Windows 7вЂ™. If your Windows isnвЂ™t activated, youвЂ™ll need to buy a licence. Search for вЂactivationвЂ™ in the Start Menu and click on it to see whether your Windows 10 licence is activated.

#Windows 7 mini laptop for free

Follow the instructions, and when Windows 10 has been fully installed you can check whether youвЂ™ve managed to get it for free or whether youвЂ™ll need to pay to activate it. Then head to the Windows 10 download site to get the installation started. Otherwise, it may end up being painfully slow.

YouвЂ™ll need to be on Windows 7 Service Pack 1 вЂ“ if your PC is up to date, this should already be the case.Д¬heck your PC exceeds the minimum requirements here. At the bottom, it will say if the licence is activated. Check this using Control Panel from the Start Menu, clicking on System and Security, and then System.

#Windows 7 mini laptop upgrade

It is possible to upgrade Windows 10 for free, and itвЂ™s worth a try if you havenвЂ™t already.ДЇor the best chance of getting a free upgrade, your current version of Windows 7 must be legal and activated with Microsoft. Ready to upgrade? Browse all the best laptops from our tests. If you canвЂ™t вЂ“ or donвЂ™t fancy вЂ“ paying for a Windows 10 licence, donвЂ™t consign your machine to the scrapheap. Microsoft will stop supporting the 10-year-old Windows 7 operating system with security updates on 14 January 2020.