Operating system for older low spec laptop

[CamiKaze]

Puppy Linux or Elementary.
Then libre or open office.

 

[AstroTurf]

Just a suggestion.

Uninstall unneeded software.

Windows update.

Run disk cleanup twice (once normally second time for all the system crap).

Go to c:\windows\temp and delete everything you can.

Go to %temp% and delete everything you can.

Move all the **** off the desktop that does not need to be there, even if you only put it into a sub folder.

Run msconfig and turn off all non Microsoft services that you do not need, disable all startup crap you do not need.

Go into system/advanced and set the PC to performance.

Defrag.

PC will be better than it was.

BTW get the dust out of the heat sinks...

 

[AirWolf]

1. Upgrade to Win 10 Pro (search how) and activate each computers on MS servers. You can do it for free till 2018. Then
2. Reinstall Windows 7 and see whether is not sluggish anymore. Disable aero effects too.

If you install other Windows version, you may have false impression that is faster. Over the time it will get slower again, it is normal for Windows.

Free upgrades expire 31/12/2017.

 

[agentrfr]

Fresh windows 10 (from the windows website please...), kill all MS services and use the shell to nuke every appxpackage

I have an old 1.2GHz Intel atom single core from like 2007 netbook with 2GB of RAM. It has never run faster. Office and Firefox work perfectly too. It only struggles to play youtube at 720p or higher

 

[leonb]

kill all MS services and use the shell to nuke every appxpackage

How do I do this.

Thanks for all the other recommendations

 

[LCBXX]

I'm with the Win10 brigade. The O/S breathes life into aged hardware and keys, if you really want to activate it, are dirt cheap on Bidorbuy.

 

[agentrfr]

How do I do this.

Thanks for all the other recommendations

In the control panel under administrative tools is the services manager. Have a read through each one and disable anything that looks suspicious... also run msconfig from cmd and kill the ones you dont need there too. Also remove things like Onedrive from your startup processes if you dont use them

WARNING: Killing stuff from the shell is more or less irreversible. If you like the calculator, Windows Store or Cortana then dont do this.

This will remove *all* app packages from your windows. Things like the weather app and those stupid flash-esque games that come with a fresh install tend to bog your resources especially on slower machines.

Please note that some things like the windows calculator, windows microphone recorder and windows webcam recorder are classified as apps and will be removed. You will need to install other software like Microsoft Mathematics, Audacity and OBS to be able to do those sorts of things.

Windows store will be permanently removed. Anything you may have bought through the store will not work.

When I say this will revert the machine to a bare bones state in terms of programs, I mean it.

To do so, let the machine go through normal windows update and click on one of the bloatware games in the start menu to have them all download and refresh so you can kill everything in one go.

Next type "power shell" into your start menu, right click and run as admin. Then insert these commands one at a time (copy paste from here if you can. The commands are case and punctuation sensitive). Dont worry if some of the services scream as they die as it is normal (that is you will probably see some errors show up so dont worry)

Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage

Then restart your machine and bask in the bliss of a bloat free windows 10 install