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Forums - PC Discussion - Windows 7 is running slow on my friend's PC. Any good alternative?

barneystinson69 on 08 May 2016

Please dont bother with linux. I remember a friend trying it out, and I laughed at how such basic things were so complicating on it. Go with Windows 10, or better yet buy a new computer (mac or windows, preference is all that matters). 1GB of ram just isn't sufficent for anything these days.



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SvennoJ on 08 May 2016

I still have XP on one of my old machines, and it still gets virus updates for windows defender.
XP uses less than 300MB system memory, perfect for an old 1 GB machine.



TheTruthHurts! on 08 May 2016

Windows 10!



pokoko on 08 May 2016

If you're serious about another OS, look up Linux Mint.  It's based on Ubuntu but it's more Windows-like.  

I have a friend who bought a used laptop (and got ripped off) that came with a bad HDD and no discs or documentation of any kind.  Since he only cares about browsing the web, I installed Linux Mint for him and he loves it, since Windows was kind of sluggish on that piece of junk to begin with.

Linux looks modern, yet it works great on old and low-spec hardware.  It's excellent for reclaiming computers that are long past their prime.



AsGryffynn on 08 May 2016

What's up with everything going to shit recently... As a lot have said, I'd rec more RAM and a dual core CPU if supported and Windows 10...

Your problem is still better than my irreplaceable rebel keyboard...



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1337 Gamer on 08 May 2016

Seriously you need a newer PC. Your friend doesnt sound like someone who knows much about computers so i doubt he built this pc 10 years ago when it was obviously built so i doubt you can just add another cpu. Sure you could add some more ram but to what end? Websites are getting ever more cluttered and resource intensive, youtube videos are probably unplayable on a machine of that type. There is no getting around it. No operating system out there is going to make a huge difference in usability for that system. Linux can be a pain to learn for the first time especially those small distros that rely on greater user knowledge to do things.

My advice is deal with a slow pc for a while and save up $100 or so and get an old core 2 duo machine. Doesnt matter which one as long as it works because anything will be better than what he has currently. Go find a business that is getting rid of their old PCs and buy one from them for cheap. Or find an old laptop or desktop on ebay etc etc. Spending any money on this pc is just money wasted.



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Jizz_Beard_thePirate on 08 May 2016

If you want to switch to a differnet OS, I suggest Elementary OS. Its linux but for beginners essentially and it is based off of Mac OSX

https://elementary.io/

I know their site says paid but if u click the custom button and put in zero, it will get you to a download link where you can install it for free

You could also try and see if the PC is compatible with Hackintosh build guides cause then, you can just run Native OS X on it

http://www.hackintosh.com/

Other than that, I would upgrade the ram if possible and get windows 10 or if you can find the drivers, windows xp but of course, xp is no longer supported by MS so...



                  

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3sexty on 08 May 2016

Windows 10 should make it run heaps faster. Upgraded a cheap 2gb ram acer pc from 7 to 10. It went from constant freezing and really slow processing to working like a dream. W10 is much less resource intensive than 7.



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Azzanation on 08 May 2016
Hiku said:
fatslob-:O said:

Common sense is the best form of antivirus, doing something stupid will get you viruses and malware even if you get Windows updates to patch up exploits ... 

Most people in developed countries use Windows 7 or above so unless you visit some sites located in developing countries like China your friend doesn't have anything to worry about when sooner or later Windows XP will get the fabled level of security that Macs do since hardly anyone will target it ...

Sidenote: The Pentium 4 is a 64-bit CPU ...

Seems like there are both 32-bit and 64-bit Pentium 4's.
"They had a seventh-generation x86 (32-bit) microarchitecture, called NetBurst,
In 2004, the initial 32-bit x86 instruction set of the Pentium 4 microprocessors was extended by the 64-bit x86-64 set."

Azzanation said:
Windows 10 is alot more efficient than 7 so i recommand 10. You wont go back.

System requirements for 10 are even higher than 7. (2 GB instead of 1GB.)

SvennoJ said:
I still have XP on one of my old machines, and it still gets virus updates for windows defender.
XP uses less than 300MB system memory, perfect for an old 1 GB machine.

Odd, I thought it was announced that there would be no more Windows updates for XP as of a few years ago.
I'll look into that. That same computer ran XP well with only 500 MB of RAM.

For Gaming Win10 is a far better option for PCs. So if he wants to game with the up coming PC games, he will be missing out because of 1 key factor.. DirectX12. Games run better on Win10 so theres really only one option.



Zeroroute on 08 May 2016

I'd say go mint or buy a new computer