How to clean this thing up?

[Ruptga]

Not too long ago I found an old computer on the curb waiting for the trash man, but I was bored so I picked it up as a small project. There's actually nothing wrong with it, it's just old and slow, and it's running ME. I'd like to install win2k to get rid of the previous owner's junk (and to get rid of ME) but the cheapest I saw for a copy was $80, so I've given up on that. There are no system restore points either, what's the easiest way to wipe this thing clean without an install disk?

Also, I'm kinda cheap, and am thinking of just adding a 128 stick to the existing two sticks of 32 for a total of 172, or I could spend another fifteen bucks and make it a total of 288 (since there's only three memory slots on this board). What do you think?

The rest of the system is a PII 233, Riva 128, 440LX mobo, 8Gb HDD, DVD burner, and dial-up modem, no NIC.

Edit: It's not for me, it's for someone that has no computer at all, and I think we all can agree that a junker computer is better than none at all, especially if it's basically free

edit2: The memory and HDD just got here, but I got high density sticks, not low density like I thought I was getting. This chipset supports up to 64Mbit densities, could someone help me out with a link here?

edit 3: I think I found what I (really) need here, will this work?

 

[bendixG15]

Best deal ----->> Put it back on the curb.

 

[RyanW2050]

Why do you want it? Waste of space.

 

[Jiggz]

Originally posted by: bendixG15
Best deal ----->> Put it back on the curb.

You can find something a lot better than that and probably cheaper than FREE! Put it back on the curb!

 

[Soundmanred]

I agree, that's like finding a Pinto with no axles in a scrapyard and wanting to keep it.
Toss it!

 

[Ruptga]

It's not for me, it's for someone that has no computer at all, and I think we all can agree that a junker computer is better than none at all, especially if it's basically free

 

[mizzou]

i would be more worried about the germs and or/ child porn found lurking in that thing.

smash it for all of our consuming glory

that thing is a DINOSAUR. I remember my brother upgrading to the pii 200 and being amazed at how aweseome Tie Fighter and Duke Nukem 3d ran.

 

[Soundmanred]

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger
It's not for me, it's for someone that has no computer at all, and I think we all can agree that a junker computer is better than none at all, especially if it's basically free

I hear this all the time, and I don't think it's true.

 

[MegaVovaN]

Originally posted by: Soundmanred

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger
It's not for me, it's for someone that has no computer at all, and I think we all can agree that a junker computer is better than none at all, especially if it's basically free

I hear this all the time, and I don't think it's true.

It's true. A friend of mine who had to feed family and worked shit job used P233 with 768mb RAM and Win98 for like 2 years before finally buying an HP pre-built computer with Pentium 4. It wasn't very long ago - at the time I was sporting AMD 3200+, 1 GB ram, 6800GT.

No computer <<<< Slow computer

edit: 1900 post


OP - put Linux on this thing...winME will get all the viruses and trojans off the Internet real quick.



edit2:
Hell, my very own first computer was Pentium 1 at 133mhz with 16mb RAM and 1mb video card with 15" CRT!!!
I remember installing Windows 95 on it from like 50 floppy disks because the CD drive did not work.
This was when walmart-bought HP computer was blazing fast (1.3 ghz celeron, 128 ram, xp home) and I was a complete computer noob.

I had tons of fun with that lovely P1. I submerged in a world of DOS commands and awesome DOS games, as well as various Win95 tweaks, from simple to complex registry edits to make it run faster.
I remember downloading web pages, games, programs on floppys on HP computer and taking them to my P1 to read and play with for hours.
Even Linux gfx interface would not run on that thing, yet I had hundreds of hours of fun. Hell, having that computer probably pushed me to be a computer nerd I am today!

So giving someone that can't afford it a computer, no matter how slow, is very honorable! Kudos to anybody doing that! :beer: :thumbsup:

Just because the computer won't run Crysis it does not mean it's trash :|

 

[Roguestar]

If you're a student, get Win2k free off MSDNAA like I did . I'm using it to overwrite the Mistake Edition on the shared family PC I use when we need dialup (long story...).

Otherwise sounds like more hassle that it's worth .

 

[Ruptga]

Originally posted by: Roguestar
If you're a student, get Win2k free off MSDNAA like I did . I'm using it to overwrite the Mistake Edition on the shared family PC I use when we need dialup (long story...).

Otherwise sounds like more hassle that it's worth .

Ah, how could I forget MSDNAA. But it looks like all I can get is XP pro or Vista Biz. Did my school get the minimum package or am I just looking in the wrong place?

 

[Jiggz]

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger
It's not for me, it's for someone that has no computer at all, and I think we all can agree that a junker computer is better than none at all, especially if it's basically free

If such is the case, you can find something better than that to give away, especially to a friend! Installing an OS on that dinosaur other than DOS based windows will crash or bring that system to a crawl.

Anyways, to clean that system, you do not even need to format, just go to explorer and start deleting files other than the OS. For if you format and re-install, locating drivers will be another PITA!

 

[Ruptga]

bump

 

[Ruptga]

oh come on people

 

[Goldfish4209]

Put linux on it, get as much memory as possible (debatable), and put in a new, better (not so crappy) HD and you'll be good to go.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger

Originally posted by: Roguestar
If you're a student, get Win2k free off MSDNAA like I did . I'm using it to overwrite the Mistake Edition on the shared family PC I use when we need dialup (long story...).

Otherwise sounds like more hassle that it's worth .

Ah, how could I forget MSDNAA. But it looks like all I can get is XP pro or Vista Biz. Did my school get the minimum package or am I just looking in the wrong place?

Well, my university's access portal is at http://msdn62.e-academy.com/UNIVERSITY_NAME so make sure you're trying to access the official MS one and not one your uni has set up on the intranet. Other than that, all I can say is that win2k SP4 appears in the list of available software for me, I don't know if there are budget deals your uni might have gotten hold of .

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger

The rest of the system is a PII 233, Riva 128, 440LX mobo, 8Gb HDD, DVD burner, and dial-up modem, no NIC.

The LX chipset supports up to a P2-333 (66MHz FSB), and 384MB SDRAM (128MB each, low density).
Go with some Linux version for this beast! :laugh:

 

[Ruptga]

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger

The rest of the system is a PII 233, Riva 128, 440LX mobo, 8Gb HDD, DVD burner, and dial-up modem, no NIC.

The LX chipset supports up to a P2-333 (66MHz FSB), and 384MB SDRAM (128MB each, low density).
Go with some Linux version for this beast! :laugh:

Actually I believe it supports up to 512, but I only have three slots to work with so that's a bit moot

I've decided on Linspire since I have a disk of it laying around here, and the new memory and HDD are on the way already. I'd kinda hoped to use some version of windows just so it's more idiot friendly, but it seems my school is cheap and the lowest I can get is XP pro. Ah well, this should work at least as well, and they can hardly complain since it's free to them

 

[thorin]

Use DBAN to nuke the HD(s) then install Ubuntu on it.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger
I've decided on Linspire since I have a disk of it laying around here, and the new memory and HDD are on the way already. I'd kinda hoped to use some version of windows just so it's more idiot friendly, but it seems my school is cheap and the lowest I can get is XP pro. Ah well, this should work at least as well, and they can hardly complain since it's free to them

The CPU speed and limited memory would choke XP.
True about the 512MB support with the LX. I edited it down for the three slot limitation.
I didn't want you trying to shove a 256MB stick in one of them.

 

[soccerballtux]

Salvage the DVD-Burner for yourself, make a keychain or single rear-view-mirror dice out of the processor, and dump the rest.

 

[JackMDS]

A computer like this with 172MB and 8GB HD can run functionally Windows 2000 Pro.

Any other plans are waste of time, and money.

 

[MegaVovaN]

Originally posted by: thorin
Use DBAN to nuke the HD(s) then install Ubuntu on it.

Ubuntu is gonna choke on this, unless you want pure console, no X-server :laugh:

Something really barebone like DSL (Damn Small Linux) maybe...

Seconded Win 2000.

 

[thorin]

Originally posted by: MegaVovaN

Originally posted by: thorin
Use DBAN to nuke the HD(s) then install Ubuntu on it.

Ubuntu is gonna choke on this, unless you want pure console, no X-server :laugh:

Something really barebone like DSL (Damn Small Linux) maybe...

Seconded Win 2000.

Ok I can agree with that, but, with all the variants out there kubuntu, nubuntu etc there has to be a small footprint one for older systems.

 

[Ruptga]

Dangit, dangit, dangit

The memory and HDD just got here, but I got high density sticks, not low density like I thought I was getting. This chipset supports up to 64Mbit densities, could someone help me out with a link here?