Six of one…
…half a dozen of another.
This is a sorta halfway almost compgeeky post, so if that’s not to your taste, read on down the page… And yeh, yeh, I know: two days in a row for computer-related posts. What can I say except, “[I] don’t get around much any more… ” *heh*
Oh, it’s also the weekend linkfest post, so I hope you know how to handle that. If not, read the foot of the post.
So, Lovely Daughter dropped off a discarded computer a friend of hers was trying to dump. Not much of a comp, frankly. 450Mhz box that doesn’t even have a couple hundred megs of memory, a 20GB HD and an apparently 8-year-old AGP 1X vidcard. And someone had loaded WinXP Pro on it… IOW, it’s a tad of a slug, but in a nice way. 
.
“Well,” thought I, “Why not try to see if it can be made usable?”
First off: scrubbing the former user’s personal data. It looks like they made a stab at deleting personal documents, but lots was left behind, and a quick check reveals the empty space was NOT erased with a good DoD or other compliant eraser software, so… overwrite the empty/slack space, etc., as well as erase other pieces of personal data left behind.
Blow out the dust bunnies. Some brought to mind the recent feast North Korea’s high pandjandrum made of a prize-winning rabbit LOANED to North Korea for stud purposes. The thing weighed in at around 23 pounds. Yep. These reminded me of that. BIG, scary dust bunnies.
*heh*
Hmmm… Doesn’t look like the WinXP Pro install has ever been updated. Dozens and dozens (and DOZENS!) of security patches missing. Ahhh! Perhaps this is why! “Windows Geniune Advantage” (AKA “Microsoft Genuine ‘Screw You’” *heh*) says it’s not a legit copy of Windows. Let’s see… Yep. It’s an install of a “volume licensing” copy that’s had the license key invalidated by Microsoft (presumably because of improper usage). “Of course,” thought I, “there were plenty of legitimate uses of that license before it was invalidated, and surely Lovely Daughter’s friend was one of those!”
Still, I had to update everything using Bigfix (because Shavlik Netchk Protect was just too big and memory hungry to install and use on this machine) just to make it as “secure” as Microsoft Windows XP can be, installed a complete (ad hoc) suite of security products as well, of course. Then…
Aw heck, why not… Used a spare volume licensing key I have for WinXP Pro and changed the license/registration info in the Registry. Downloaded the full XP-SP2 and IE7 (because whoever gets this will probably wanna surf using IE, unless I can drum Opera into their heads. 
). Sure enough, SP2 installed just fine. IE7 ran the validation tool and then installed (though it took forEVer!). Not bad.
But it sure does need more memory! *sheesh!*
Somehow, I kinda think I’d be doing the eventual user a favor to scrub the thing and install Linux or BSD. I dunno. Add memory and another hard drive and set it up to dual boot? I dunno… 512MB of memory for the thing might set me back $50, and the whole box is almost worth that, as it is. (Well, parting it out might yield more. The CDRW drive is not bad, but nice DVDRW drives are in the $30 range now, and the rest of it… I dunno. $50 more bucks for some decent memory might not be good sense.)
On this “old” computer (well, slightly older and more underpowered than my venerable 500Mhz Win2K comp with 512MB and five times the storage, LOTS better graphics, etc.–a computer that is still usable), the “essentials”–IMO–for a WinXP comp:
WinXP Pro SP-2 (XP Home is just Pro with half the cylinders plugged–*heh*)
Opera Browser (Using the latest “weekly build” of the 9.2 beta–super stable; I’ve not had any problems)
Sysnternals Suite
AVG 7.5 Antivirus
AVG Anti-Spyware (Free)
AVG Rootkit tool (free)
Comodo Firewall (free)
Advanced Windows Care2 Personal (free) A multi-functional set of tools. Good stuff.
Other Anti-spyware:
Spybot Search and Destroy (almost more useful for the included tools found under the “Advanced” mode)
Adaware Personal SE
Iobit Smart Defrag (free, much better than Windows’ built-in defrag, and at $0, just the thing to put on a machine like this instead of spending $50 for O&O Defrag)
X-Teq Setup 6.3
Nero Burning ROM 5 (Was on it and I have Nero 6 available should I want it, so I just left it)
OpenOffice 2.2 (Lotus Word Pro 97 was installed, but not worth keeping, IMO)
As things go along, I’ll probably add Real Player Alternative (because I hate Real Player’s bad manners ), Irfanview to handle graphics (and QuickTime videos, because I despise QuickTime’s manners even more than I hate Real Player’s manners), but that ought to about handle most things this computer will be capable of.
Still, I’m tempted to just chuck it all and plop a decent install of Ubuntu on here.
Oh, *sigh* As I write this, the old computer’s just sitting there, starting to whine at me. Yep. CPU fan’s siezing up. I am NOT spending a couple of bucks for a new CPU fan for a computer this old. I either have something sitting around somewhere I can fit into the thing or I can pull the fan, open it up and lube it (I still have a tube of old IBM synthetic lube somewhere around here). But if I’m too much of a tightwad to spend $50 for adequate memory to run WinXP Pro correctly, I’m not gonna shell out $$ for a new fan… Well, unless some “Aunt Tilly” ends up with the thing.
Please don’t get me wrong. It’s not a bad computer at all, but newer–though still used– ones (1Ghz or faster, adequate memory, larger hard drives, etc.) are $70-$80, bare, and will take to Unbuntu, Puppy Linux or PC-BSD like ducks to water.
[Update--already, *heh*--Yeh, I had an old fan sitting around, a pull from a parted-out comp but still better than the failing fan in This Old Computer. And Puppy Linux 2.15CE likes the computer, a lot. ]
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Posted: April 13th, 2007 under Blogroll.
Tags: stupid is as stupid does
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Comments
Trackback from The Florida Masochist
Time April 13, 2007 at 6:17 AM
The Knucklehead of the Day award…
Today’s winner is India’s Ministry of Personnel….
Trackback from stikNstein….has no mercy
Time April 13, 2007 at 7:36 AM
Unruly headed hookers…….There’s Something Great About America…
America Recoils with revulsion at the degrading and demeaning phrase……
Across the country, Pundits embrace the new opportunity for constructive dialog….
Feminists reiterate their beliefs……
Corporate America takes a hard …
Trackback from The Uncooperative Blogger
Time April 13, 2007 at 8:39 AM
The Uncooperative Radio Show! April 13, 14 and 15…
We are just rocking over on Talkshoe Friday, Saturday and Sunday 8pm to 10pm Eastern Time.
You never know what I am going to be talking about, But you can always count on Illegal Immigration and Gun Politics being discussed every weekend. For the …..
Pingback from Ask Andrea » Juggling the Balls
Time April 13, 2007 at 9:04 AM
[...] Trackposted to Perri Nelson’s Website, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Is It Just Me?, Adam’s Blog, basil’s blog, Stuck On Stupid, Cao’s Blog, The Bullwinkle Blog, Conservative Cat, Jo’s Cafe, Allie Is Wired, Faultline USA, third world county, stikNstein… has no mercy, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate’s Cove, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. [...]
Trackback from Maggie’s Notebook
Time April 13, 2007 at 10:17 AM
UN Watch Up Against UN Human Rights…
Here is an extraordinary video – watch it before it goes up in smoke!
United Nations Watch up against the UN Human Rights Council….
Pingback from Look who is close to being cursed! « kainos
Time April 13, 2007 at 10:40 AM
[...] Trackposted to Perri Nelson’s Website, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Is It Just Me?, Adam’s Blog, Maggie’s Notebook, basil’s blog, Stuck On Stupid, Cao’s Blog, The Bullwinkle Blog, , Conservative Cat, Jo’s Cafe, Pursuing Holiness, Rightlinx, Allie Is Wired, Faultline USA, third world county, stikNstein… has no mercy, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate’s Cove, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, Gone Hollywood, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. Explore posts in the same categories: Divorcing Christ [...]
Trackback from A Blog For All
Time April 13, 2007 at 11:12 AM
Corzine’s Health Prognosis Updated Following Car C…
Gov. Jon Corzine is expected to make a full recovery, but it’s going to be a long and painful one. He’s physically a wreck with 12 broken ribs, broken sternum, broken verterbrae, broken collarbone and compound fracture to the leg. It will be a couple…
Pingback from CounterCulture » Blog Archive » What language does God speak?
Time April 13, 2007 at 11:31 AM
[...] ***** Trackposted to Perri Nelson’s Website, http://morewhat.com/wordpress/?p=1296, Is It Just Me?, Adam’s Blog, Maggie’s Notebook, basil’s blog, Stuck On Stupid, Cao’s Blog, The Bullwinkle Blog, , Conservative Cat, Jo’s Cafe, Pursuing Holiness, Rightlinx, Allie Is Wired, Faultline USA, third world county, stikNstein… has no mercy, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, , The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate’s Cove, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, Gone Hollywood, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. Explore posts in the same categories: Erich Bridges / WorldView [...]
Trackback from Phastidio.net
Time April 13, 2007 at 11:34 AM
Fight spam, stop captchas! [Weekend Open Trackback]…
Captcha is the acronym for “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart”, a type of challenge-response test used in computing to determine whether or not the user is human. A common type of captchas requires …
Trackback from Woman Honor Thyself
Time April 13, 2007 at 11:46 AM
Who’s the Real Hater?…
if you can bear to sit through this my friends….
I offer………
……
Trackback from Adam’s Blog
Time April 13, 2007 at 11:51 AM
Podcast #234: How Firing Imus Solved the Problems…
I talk about mainstream media culpability in the Imus Scandal and the real problems of Black America….
Trackback from The World According To Carl
Time April 13, 2007 at 12:19 PM
Al Sharpton: Hustler, Media Whore & Professional Hypocrite…
Just a few reasons why Al Sharpton is no authority on race relations, morals, etc. and is, instead, someone to ignore:
1987: Sharpton spread the incendiary Tawana Brawley hoax, insisting heatedly that a 15-year-old black girl was abducted, raped…
Pingback from The World According To Carl
Time April 13, 2007 at 12:41 PM
[...] A triskaidekaphobic welcome to readers from Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate’s Cove, Woman Honor Thyself, Faultline USA, The Crazy Rants Of Samantha Burns, Perri Nelson’s Website, Jo’s Cafe, Stuck On Stupid, Cao’s Blog, Basil’s Blog, The Bullwinkle Blog, Third World County, The Yankee Sailor, stikNstein, Right Voices, Is It Just Me?, Rightlinx, Maggie’s Notebook. [...]
Pingback from Basil's Blog » Blog Archive » Where Don Imus Went Wrong
Time April 13, 2007 at 12:59 PM
[...] Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, The Virtuous Republic, Perri Nelson's Website, Is It Just Me?, Stuck On Stupid, Pursuing Holiness, Pet's Garden Blog, Rightlinx, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, , Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, Right Pundits, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Maggie's Notebook, Adam's Blog, Phastidio.net, The Bullwinkle Blog, Cao's Blog, , Jo's Cafe, Conservative Cat, Conservative Thoughts, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, Faultline USA, Allie Is Wired, stikNstein… has no mercy, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, The Yankee Sailor, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. [...]
Trackback from The World According To Carl
Time April 13, 2007 at 1:19 PM
Nancy Pelosi’s First 100 Days…
This video hits the nail on the head…the Democrat Party made promises and kept none while going back to the classic tax-and-spend mentality in the process. As the saying goes…a leopard can’t change its spots. And the Democrats can help but s…
Pingback from The World According To Carl
Time April 13, 2007 at 1:53 PM
[...] A triskaidekaphobic welcome to readers from Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate’s Cove, Woman Honor Thyself, Faultline USA, The Crazy Rants Of Samantha Burns, Perri Nelson’s Website, Jo’s Cafe, Stuck On Stupid, Cao’s Blog, Basil’s Blog, The Bullwinkle Blog, Third World County, The Yankee Sailor, stikNstein, Right Voices, Is It Just Me?, Rightlinx, Maggie’s Notebook, Macbros’ Place, Pursuing Holiness, The Uncooperative Blogger, Phastidio, Outside The Beltway, Adam’s Blog, MoreWhat.com, Allie Is Wired. [...]
Pingback from Pirate’s Cove » >>Americans Never Quit » Blog Archive » Duke Lacrosse: Remembering The Cabbie And Abuse Of Power
Time April 13, 2007 at 2:00 PM
[...] Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson's Website, Blog At MoreWhat.com, Is It Just Me?, Adam's Blog, Maggie's Notebook, basil's blog, Stuck On Stupid, Cao's Blog, The Bullwinkle Blog, Phastidio.net, , Conservative Cat, Jo's Cafe, Pursuing Holiness, Rightlinx, Allie Is Wired, Faultline USA, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, stikNstein… has no mercy, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, , The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. [...]
Pingback from BlogForCox.com » Solution to the Illegal Immigrant Problem: Enforce Existing Laws and Arrest CEO’s Who Hire Illegal Workers
Time April 13, 2007 at 2:01 PM
[...] Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, The Virtuous Republic, Perri Nelson’s Website, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Is It Just Me?, Adam’s Blog, Maggie’s Notebook, basil’s blog, Stuck On Stupid, Cao’s Blog, The Bullwinkle Blog, Phastidio.net, , Conservative Cat, Jo’s Cafe, Conservative Thoughts, Pursuing Holiness, Rightlinx, Faultline USA, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, stikNstein… has no mercy, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, , The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate’s Cove, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. [...]
Pingback from Pursuing Holiness » Blog Archive » Conspiracy Theorists
Time April 13, 2007 at 2:41 PM
[...] The Yankee Sailor, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. Filed under General | | Trackback URI Leave aComment [...]
Trackback from Planck’s Constant
Time April 13, 2007 at 3:23 PM
Who am I offending?…
Mick didn’t like spades but was happy to play with his brand new hoe in the garden and was soon tired after building a dyke of earth and rocks. “How Rosie my dyke looks,” he remarked to himself, …
Trackback from Perri Nelson’s Website
Time April 13, 2007 at 5:32 PM
A tax-time tale…
This is an old story about taxes. The numbers may need to be adjusted a bit, but I would bet that that adjustment would be very small. The article I am pulling the story from was published just a bit over four years ago. It still illustrates very simpl…
Pingback from Google AdSense DMCA Complaint – MacBros’ Place – Everybody’s Entitled To My Opinion
Time April 13, 2007 at 5:41 PM
[...] OTA LINK: Dumb OX | Blue Star | Allie Is Wired | Faultline | OTA Weekend | Peri Nelson’s | Conservative Cat | Jo’s Cafe |Stuck on Stupid | Coa’s Blog | Basils Blog | Bullwinkle Blog | Stuck on Stupid | The Yankee Sailor | Pirates Cove | third world | Right Voices | morewhat | according to Carl | Adams Blog | stikenstine | Is It Just Me | rightlinx | Maggies Notebook | Persuing Holiness | Uncooperative Blogger | Phastidio | Woman Honor Thy Self | Beltway Trafic | The Left | 123 Beta | Timestamp certified Sphere It [...]
Trackback from The Amboy Times
Time April 13, 2007 at 6:37 PM
Ohio Man Arrested in al Qaeda terror Plot…
Here’s the latest example of the disturbing trend of American converts to Islam turning to jihad. A federal grand jury indicted an Ohio man on charges of joining al-Qaida and conspiring to bomb European tourist resorts and U.S. government facilities…
Comment from xformed
Time April 14, 2007 at 12:52 AM
Daid;
I also found CyberDefendet 2 I believe in an article in CPU Magazine. Free with ads, $11 /year to go ad free. THey said it was pretty good for a security suite package.
Trackback from Shadowscope
Time April 14, 2007 at 3:01 AM
Going to California – Day Two…
When we pulled out of Dallas the next morning we headed north into Oklahoma City and took I-40 west back into the panhandle and into New Mexico. We drove most of the day with just bathroom breaks and a……
Trackback from The Florida Masochist
Time April 14, 2007 at 4:33 AM
The Knucklehead of the Day award…
Today’s winner is the Georgia State police….
Comment from David
Time April 14, 2007 at 4:38 AM
Thanks for the tip on CyberDefender 2. I did give Microsoft OneCare another shot, installing it on the old box in the post (after disabling the WGA lookup in the .msi file–the WGA lookup passed with the Internet Exploder 7 installation, but I hate the nosy thing so disabled it *heh*). Still don’t like it. I made sure some spyware was installed, then ran the M$ product. No joy. Ran Adaware SE and… caught it.
I’ll give the CyberDefender 2 product a shot. Thanks again!
Trackback from The Florida Masochist
Time April 14, 2007 at 6:55 AM
Florida 22nd news…
At least one person plans to challenge incumbent Democratic Congressman Ron Klein in 2008….
Pingback from Blog @ MoreWhat.com » Blog Archive » Stem Cell Debate: What’s Your Opinion?
Time April 14, 2007 at 9:46 AM
[...] Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson’s Website, Is It Just Me?, The Virtuous Republic, Shadowscope, Stuck On Stupid, The Amboy Times, Pursuing Holiness, , Pet’s Garden Blog, Rightlinx, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, , stikNstein… has no mercy, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, Right Pundits, 123beta, Maggie’s Notebook, Adam’s Blog, basil’s blog, Phastidio.net, The Bullwinkle Blog, Cao’s Blog, The Pet Haven, , Jo’s Cafe, Conservative Cat, Conservative Thoughts, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, Allie Is Wired, Faultline USA, Sujet- Celebrities, stikNstein… has no mercy, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Gone Hollywood, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. [...]
Trackback from :: Sujet :: Latest celebrity photos and news!
Time April 14, 2007 at 10:02 AM
Sanjaya Malakar – The Voting Mystery…
While many theories have been put out there about how, exactly, Sanjaya Malakar manages to escape eviction on “American Idol” every week, the audience reaction this week only made the mystery deepen.At elimination time, there were huge che…
Trackback from Cao’s Blog
Time April 14, 2007 at 11:37 AM
ACLU defends the Nazis again…
At Stop the ACLU:
ACLU defending the Nazis again
Shortly after I graduated High School, in 1977, the ACLU defended the American Nazi Party here in Skokie when they wanted to march there. I felt that was a rude and audacious move, since so many holocau…
Trackback from The Florida Masochist
Time April 14, 2007 at 1:27 PM
Au contraire…
Leo Gomes writes at the WSJ that politicians have tamed the blogosphere. What a clueless jerk. How’s that for tame?…
Trackback from A Blog For All
Time April 14, 2007 at 4:09 PM
Corzine’s Condition Critical: Questions Swirl…
State troops say they’ve located the red pickup truck that they believe precipitated the accident. They’ve questioned the driver and no charges will be forthcoming. The driver had no idea that the accident had occurred….
Trackback from Dumb Ox Daily News
Time April 14, 2007 at 4:28 PM
Weekend Updates……
“Planet of the Dems”! …and more!…
Pingback from Pursuing Holiness » Blog Archive » They’ll Scream Like A Goth In The Sun
Time April 15, 2007 at 8:20 AM
[...] Hollywood, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. Filed under Perspective | | Trackback URI Leave aComment [...]
Trackback from Adam’s Blog
Time April 15, 2007 at 2:36 PM
Truth and Hope Report Weekend Update: The Democrat…
Tonight on the Truth and Hope Report:
We talk about the Democrat’s next war, ACLU double standards, the possibility of theocracy, the coming of legal incest, the importance of good parenting, and the need for a challenge from the church….
Trackback from Woman Honor Thyself
Time April 15, 2007 at 3:06 PM
Iz-lamic RepubliC of GreaT Britain…
Boycott Israel?
I,…for one, think it’s a grand idea Brits!
……
Pingback from Truth and Hope Report Weekend Update: The Democrat’s Next War | Adam’s Blog
Time October 26, 2007 at 2:42 PM
[...] Republic, Helium, Shadowscope, Stuck On Stupid, The Amboy Times, Pursuing Holiness, Rightlinx, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, , stikNstein… has no mercy, Pirate’s Cove, Right Voices, Blog @ [...]
Pingback from Podcast #234: How Firing Imus Solved the Problems of Black America | Adam’s Blog
Time October 29, 2007 at 10:13 PM
[...] Cat, Jo’s Cafe, Conservative Thoughts, Pursuing Holiness, Rightlinx, Faultline USA, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, stikNstein… has no mercy, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, , The [...]
Pingback from Right Voices » Blog Archive » Washington Post/Newsweek Religion Contributor Is Terrorist-Supporting Antiwar Activist From Code Pink
Time April 13, 2007 at 5:53 AM
[...] Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Right Pundits, The Virtuous Republic, Perri Nelson’s Website, basil’s blog, Stuck On Stupid, The Bullwinkle Blog, Cao’s Blog, Jo’s Cafe, Conservative Cat, Conservative Thoughts, Pet’s Garden Blog, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, third world county, Faultline USA, Allie Is Wired, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Pirate’s Cove, Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, The Yankee Sailor, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. [...]