blizzardfromoz
Member
You can use FAT32. If you use the raspberry imager its the only option there.
Can I convert old Win 7 computer to Linux?
- Thread starter Sam999_984
- Start date
Welcome to the Forum.
I have a 13 year old Laptop that came with windoze 7...it's now running Mint Cinnamon 21.1.
It has an i5 CPU...4GB of Ram and a 500 SSD I put in some years ago but it's slow because the CPU is 13 years old and there's nothing you can do to make it as fast as a new i5 CPU.
You could try Mint XFCE or Linux Lite...it's up to you.
You could download the windoze version of Ventoy...install it on a Flash Drive and just drag the ISO in...then boot to Ventoy then the ISO.
I have a 13 year old Laptop that came with windoze 7...it's now running Mint Cinnamon 21.1.
It has an i5 CPU...4GB of Ram and a 500 SSD I put in some years ago but it's slow because the CPU is 13 years old and there's nothing you can do to make it as fast as a new i5 CPU.
You could try Mint XFCE or Linux Lite...it's up to you.
You could download the windoze version of Ventoy...install it on a Flash Drive and just drag the ISO in...then boot to Ventoy then the ISO.
@Sam999_984 ; try to intall ligt weight os ,
Puppy Linux
- RAM: 256 MB (runs from RAM!)
- Size: ~300 MB ISO
- Based on: Ubuntu / Slackware
- Best for: Extremely old PCs
Very fast, runs from USB- https://puppylinux.com/
As the poster is a Windows user and seems a little scared of Linux, I will throw another distro into the mix,
www.windowscentral.com
download from
github.com
A Microsoft engineer made a Linux distro that's like a comfort blanket to ex-Windows users — I finally tried it, and I'm surprised how good it is
AnduinOS is the brainchild of Anduin Xue, a software engineer at the company famous for not building Linux distros. It's not Windows, but it has that familiarity.
www.windowscentral.com
download from
GitHub - Anduin2017/AnduinOS: AnduinOS is a custom Ubuntu-based Linux distribution that offers a familiar and easy-to-use experience for anyone moving to Linux.
AnduinOS is a custom Ubuntu-based Linux distribution that offers a familiar and easy-to-use experience for anyone moving to Linux. - Anduin2017/AnduinOS
github.com
Sherri is a Cat
Well-Known Member
No. Use EXFAT or FAT32. NTFS is a Windows file system, incompatible with Linux file systems. EXFAT and FAT32 are compatible with both of them.
Mmm. Good idea in theory, but perhaps not so in practice.@Sam999_984 ; try to intall ligt weight os ,
Puppy Linux
- RAM: 256 MB (runs from RAM!)
- Size: ~300 MB ISO
- Based on: Ubuntu / Slackware
- Best for: Extremely old PCs
- https://puppylinux.com/
People have this idea that because Puppy is designed to work with older hardware, it must be built with older software.....and if that was the case, why would anyone bother with it in the first place? People want NEW software, not old.
Puppy uses the very same up-to-date kernels as anybody else.....and the kernel is what provides the interface between your hardware and your distro. Sure, you could 'downgrade' to an older kernel if current ones no longer support that GPU, but just as there's a limit to how new you can go when upgrading kernels, there's also a limit to how OLD you can go when downgrading them.
The system software has to match the kernel.....to a point. So there's still only a certain range within which downgrading would be 'workable'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Above all else, despite running Puppy myself, I don't recommend her as a "first distro" for Linux noobs. She does too many things differently enough to the mainstream that when the user invariably wants to try something else, they're going to have to learn how to do most things all over again.
That's no good to anyone. So; my advice is to get used to the mainstream first.....well enough so that you at least feel comfortable with it. Then, if you're still of a mind to take Puppy out for a spin, by all means do so; if you decide you don't like her, you can return to what you now already know. No harm, no foul.
(This isn't me being 'elitist'. This is me trying to give advice that makes sense to anybody with more than two brain cells...)
Mike.
Last edited:
OP
Sam999_984
New Member
The old Win7 computer I'm placing Linux on has an AMD Athlon 2 CPU (2.8 GHz), a 500GB hard drive and only 4GB RAM -- which is why I choose to try Linux Mint Afce, and not Linux Mint Cinnamon, Zorin, or Ubuntu. .. Any other suggestions for an older computer with only 4GB RAM?
OP
Sam999_984
New Member
What confuses things is a non-answer
The answer is yes. MX Linux, EndeavourOS, ParrotHome Edition, Mint LMDE just to name a few.
Burn an USB and fire up your machine. Or search this forum for that info if you don't get an answer "fast". It's all here.
And starting a second topic is indeed very unnecessary.
He has a w7 desktop with an Athlon x2 CPU, Up to the beginning of covid I was running an Athlon x2 set up for both my daily machine and with 5 hard drives testing Linux distributions, with some distros it used to run hot so i installed 2 extra 4 inch fans, [it died when we had a power surge which took out the PSW and motherboard]
I have made suggestions more suited to older kit, plus a new one especially for windows escapees.
This thread wil probably be merged with your other one, when a mod comes on duty
This thread wil probably be merged with your other one, when a mod comes on duty
@Brickwizard :-
Do we know for sure just what the OP is running here, Brian? He says "an Athlon 2" running @ 2.8 GHz, but.....are we talking about a first-gen Athlon 64 X2 5600+ (from around 2004-5; I had a 3800+ X2 myself), or are we looking at a second-gen Athlon II X2 240? There IS a difference; not huge, it's true, but it's noticeable.....
Mike.
Do we know for sure just what the OP is running here, Brian? He says "an Athlon 2" running @ 2.8 GHz, but.....are we talking about a first-gen Athlon 64 X2 5600+ (from around 2004-5; I had a 3800+ X2 myself), or are we looking at a second-gen Athlon II X2 240? There IS a difference; not huge, it's true, but it's noticeable.....
Mike.
@MikeWalsh
Mike, its an Athlon 2 [W7 was not released till 2009] mind you we all know it would have been supplied with 32 bit windows to make it cheaper to buy.
Mike, its an Athlon 2 [W7 was not released till 2009] mind you we all know it would have been supplied with 32 bit windows to make it cheaper to buy.
Last edited:
I know it's hard to believe that an old Laptop could run like new but it's just happened to me.
I installed Mint XFCE on my old Laptop and it now runs like lighting...type in my password..hit Enter...5 seconds to the Desktop...my Tower running Mint Cinnamon 22.1 takes 3 to 4 seconds and that has an i5 12th gen CPU with 6 cores and 12 threads which is only 2 years old.
Beside mint and Ubuntu, have a look at Garuda, Manjaro,MX-linux , and Parrot home edition
Anduin os , i haved tried, and is so lag (heavy), my specs ryzen 3 4350g ram 16gb , no GPU just SSD + hdd 500gb, maybe not my luck but i tried nobara, bazzite, mint cinnamon, cachyos , opensuse tumble, fedora 42 all fine (not lag), btw i'm still in the distro hop way ... For my pleasure (gaming and virtualbox) not for working because i'm a farmer , and still looking the best experience with Linux systemAs the poster is a Windows user and seems a little scared of Linux, I will throw another distro into the mix,
A Microsoft engineer made a Linux distro that's like a comfort blanket to ex-Windows users — I finally tried it, and I'm surprised how good it is
AnduinOS is the brainchild of Anduin Xue, a software engineer at the company famous for not building Linux distros. It's not Windows, but it has that familiarity.
download from
GitHub - Anduin2017/AnduinOS: AnduinOS is a custom Ubuntu-based Linux distribution that offers a familiar and easy-to-use experience for anyone moving to Linux.
AnduinOS is a custom Ubuntu-based Linux distribution that offers a familiar and easy-to-use experience for anyone moving to Linux. - Anduin2017/AnduinOS
Condobloke
Well-Known Member
No, it is better to either format it to ext4 or leave it alone and making a bootable .iso on it will automatically do the formatting for you.
Similar threads
