Reviving an old PC

Hey there...

I've got this ancient rig from 2002 that's completely dead. I want to slap a new operating system on it—specifically some version of Linux—just so it can act as a basic machine for browsing the web. Nothing fancy.

The issue is, I'm totally clueless about this stuff and don't know anyone who actually knows what they're doing. Does anyone have a recommendation for a decent repair shop or somewhere that won't rip me off to get this sorted? I realize the computer is basically worth nothing, so I'm not looking to sink a fortune into it. Honestly, if I had the cash, why would I even be messing around with this piece of junk in the first place?

So, what should I do? Any advice?

Thanks! 🙂

Paul White80 said:Hey there...

I've got this ancient rig from 2002 that's completely dead. I want to slap a new operating system on it—specifically some version of Linux—just so it can act as a basic machine for browsing the web. Nothing fancy.

The issue is, I'm totally clueless about this stuff and don't know anyone who actually knows what they're doing. Does anyone have a recommendation for a decent repair shop or somewhere that won't rip me off to get this sorted? I realize the computer is basically worth nothing, so I'm not looking to sink a fortune into it. Honestly, if I had the cash, why would I even be messing around with this piece of junk in the first place?

So, what should I do? Any advice?

Thanks! 🙂

I'm sorry, but I'm going to need a bit more info here—is the computer failing to power on entirely? Are you getting any specific beep codes from the motherboard, or maybe some error messages popping up on the screen? If we're looking at a hardware failure, it might not even be worth trying to fix it. $1.75 Just save it to that. And honestly, if you just need a fresh operating system, why not just ask a friend or a neighbor who knows their way around a computer to format the hard drive and install Windows or Linux? Just buy them a beer—it’s usually much easier than trying to figure it all out yourself.

If the computer is actually working fine, I don't think it's worth dragging it down to a repair shop just to get hit with those high service fees—maybe find a local college student to take a look at it instead.

The real question is whether you'll even be able to browse the web with it—I guess you'd need to know what kind of processor or how much RAM you're dealing with, since those specs pretty much dictate the whole situation.

Larry Ortiz5 said:I'm sorry, but I'm going to need a bit more info here—is the computer failing to power on entirely? Are you getting any specific beep codes from the motherboard, or maybe some error messages popping up on the screen? If we're looking at a hardware failure, it might not even be worth trying to fix it. $1.75 Just save it to that. And honestly, if you just need a fresh operating system, why not just ask a friend or a neighbor who knows their way around a computer to format the hard drive and install Windows or Linux? Just buy them a beer—it’s usually much easier than trying to figure it all out yourself.

It boots up fine, no errors whatsoever. It's running a Celeron 1200, has a little over 1 GB of RAM, and an Nvidia 64 graphics card. That's the extent of my knowledge.

It's got a floppy drive. There's also a DVD drive that supposedly works, and even a burner that won't open its tray.

I don't have friends or neighbors nearby to help me out, so finding someone to handle this is a bit of a headache. 🤷

If you're just surfing the web, the processor is probably going to be your biggest bottleneck here. You might run into some lag when trying to handle things like YouTube, Facebook, or Flash games—it'll likely struggle a bit there.

George Sanders37 said:If you're just surfing the web, the processor is probably going to be your biggest bottleneck here. You might run into some lag when trying to handle things like YouTube, Facebook, or Flash games—it'll likely struggle a bit there.

I guess I could swap it out for something else, but honestly, who do I know that actually knows how to do that? I'll figure it out later.

Yeah, look, the Celeron 1500 MHz is pretty much the ceiling for that socket—not like you're going to see any massive leaps in performance once you swap it in. And honestly? Spending a few hundred bucks just to get an upgrade installed feels like a losing game when you consider what else that cash could do. You’d be much better off grabbing a used rig on Craigslist or eBay that’s actually a generation or two ahead of what you've got now, something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/example-link

Benjamin King2 said:Yeah, look, the Celeron 1500 MHz is pretty much the ceiling for that socket—not like you're going to see any massive leaps in performance once you swap it in. And honestly? Spending a few hundred bucks just to get an upgrade installed feels like a losing game when you consider what else that cash could do. You’d be much better off grabbing a used rig on Craigslist or eBay that’s actually a generation or two ahead of what you've got now, something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/example-link

I agree, that junk is basically ready for the scrap heap. It's nothing but trouble.

Regarding that link, is that actually a good deal, or can I find something even better for the same cash? I'm not exactly a hardware expert, so I could really use some pointers on what to look for.

Thanks... 🙂

The setup Benjamin King2 linked is honestly ten times better than that old junk you're running. Honestly, I think spending those $167 is totally worth it. If you happen to have a bit more cash—maybe around $667—you could actually jump up to the latest socket available on the market right now. We're talking about a completely fresh build from Best Buy with a full warranty on every single component..

EDIT: Since I had some downtime, I did a little digging through the Best Buy inventory.

HTML Code:

So, what you're looking at is an Intel processor with integrated graphics—you just plug into the motherboard via DVI or VGA to get your display going—plus 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, an optical drive, and a brand new case that comes with its own power supply. Since your current setup doesn't pull much power, this supply will handle it without breaking a sweat. Like I mentioned, the price is $556; but if that's a stretch, feel free to stick with the Craigslist option I suggested earlier..

Honestly, you're better off just buying this instead of trying to upgrade that junker..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12208961

Paul White80 said:I agree, that junk is basically ready for the scrap heap. It's nothing but trouble.

Regarding that link, is that actually a good deal, or can I find something even better for the same cash? I'm not exactly a hardware expert, so I could really use some pointers on what to look for.

Thanks... 🙂

From what I can tell, the price is alright—I ran a search limited to the $300 to $500 range, and honestly, that $300 option is technically better than your current rig, but it’s still pretty much useless. It’s worth shelling out $67 more if you want something that actually works. Try setting your search filter to something like $500-$200, and look for something with at least a Core 2 Duo processor and 2 GB of RAM—that should be plenty for just browsing the web and watching videos.

Benjamin King2 said:From what I can tell, the price is alright—I ran a search limited to the $300 to $500 range, and honestly, that $300 option is technically better than your current rig, but it’s still pretty much useless. It’s worth shelling out $67 more if you want something that actually works. Try setting your search filter to something like $500-$200, and look for something with at least a Core 2 Duo processor and 2 GB of RAM—that should be plenty for just browsing the web and watching videos.

Fine, I went ahead and grabbed that Black machine you all recommended. The guy delivered it to my place today, got it hooked up, tested it, and everything seems fine.

To make matters even better, it came with a totally fresh installation of Windows 7 Ultimate. Everything loads instantly and runs fast—it's a complete miracle compared to that absolute piece of junk I was using before. 👍

Glad you're digging the new rig 👍

Enjoy rocking 😉

Just one more thing before I go...

I see Microsoft security essentials came pre-installed on this machine. Is this actually a decent antivirus for keeping parasites out, or am I better off installing something else?

It might be enough, though nothing really keeps you 100% safe. Just watch what you're doing and you should be fine...

Go ahead and keep that one from Microsoft—you can always toss Malwarebytes on there alongside it if you want...