old dell desktop recycling

[Ridg]

RAM is definitely the solution to ensuring it runs along nicely.

And a clean install as already proposed.

If you can get your grubby mitts on Win7 then run that - we've installed it on loads of old kit here and it flies along very very well.

ideally i would.. but its finding a copy of win7 for nada that is the issue... what is the minimum spec for win7 pleasings? 

finding win7 for nothing is easy, it's activation it that's the hard part.

If you're trying to do this as cheaply as poss why not install ubuntu, it's free and has lower requirements.

[Guy]

RAM is definitely the solution to ensuring it runs along nicely.

And a clean install as already proposed.

If you can get your grubby mitts on Win7 then run that - we've installed it on loads of old kit here and it flies along very very well.

ideally i would.. but its finding a copy of win7 for nada that is the issue... what is the minimum spec for win7 pleasings? 

finding win7 for nothing is easy, it's activation it that's the hard part.

If you're trying to do this as cheaply as poss why not install ubuntu, it's free and has lower requirements.

i did think about an OS OS but the small person is being indoctrinated/mindwashed into the world of windows so its probably easier if she has that on her pc

[Ridg]

RAM is definitely the solution to ensuring it runs along nicely.

And a clean install as already proposed.

If you can get your grubby mitts on Win7 then run that - we've installed it on loads of old kit here and it flies along very very well.

ideally i would.. but its finding a copy of win7 for nada that is the issue... what is the minimum spec for win7 pleasings? 

finding win7 for nothing is easy, it's activation it that's the hard part.

If you're trying to do this as cheaply as poss why not install ubuntu, it's free and has lower requirements.

i did think about an OS OS but the small person is being indoctrinated/mindwashed into the world of windows so its probably easier if she has that on her pc

fair shout, guess it depends on they are going to be doing in there lessons.

ubuntu and open office will give a very similar feel to win7 and office 2003 (doubt the schools will be running the latest versions with the ribbon).

If you're going down the msoft route you might want to check out the student / teacher deals, just make sure you've enough RAM for the OS and office.

[Jay]

I have a boxed (but opened and used many moons ago) version of Office XP Student edition if you need it, and want to stay legit? Only collecting dust at home.

[Guy]

thanks for your offers and help thus far... aim is to have a proper look at the weekend and see what I can break! 

[Dan34]

If you do go Win7 and your struggling to activate it drop me a PM 

[Guy]

If you do go Win7 and your struggling to activate it drop me a PM 

gotcha 

[Guy]

right!!

have reformatted and reinstalled xp and installed ms security jobbie and peerblock

its taken nearly all day to do this but all seems ok

tried installing a netgear wg311v3 wireless card but every time I try to do this it throws a wobbly and will not let it acquire an IP address from the BT router

so i de-install and take out the wireless card and re-insert the ethernet card and then that too decides that it cannot acquire an IP address either    (need the wireless card as it will be upstairs) so now at the moment the pc cannot get internet (which was working fine through the ethernet card before)

whats the fix for this please as I just want to get the wireless card working 

[Jay]

repair / reinstall the drivers, are you using the drivers from the  Dell website? Also right click the network card choose repair, this refreshes the IP address and clears out the network cache, may help and is quick to do.

[Guy]

repair / reinstall the drivers, are you using the drivers from the  Dell website? Also right click the network card choose repair, this refreshes the IP address and clears out the network cache, may help and is quick to do.

yeah did all that... although the network card was from netgear

followed some problem solving bits and did it under the cmd prompt with a bit of ip releasing/renewing

the install of that card though has bought up one thing... it changed the log in profile from the original xp one to more of a windows NT stylee one.. very odd :/