17 things you can do with an old computer

Today, with a computer that has a speed of over 2GHz, but only costs less than $ 1,000, what will a 300MHz Pentium II computer use for? The answer here depends on whether you are willing to experiment, study, entertain or prevent environmental pollution.

How to make your old computer useful

In this article we will mention what you can do with your old computer. Let's start with what is considered 'good' for an old PC. Try to find a way that suits you best.

1. Give

Picture 1 of 17 things you can do with an old computer

Nothing lost as fast as a computer. If you don't need to use an old computer, give it to your friends if they need or contribute to a charity. You can contact PC donation programs from computer manufacturers & this is probably a work to do.

2. Upgrade

Spend some money to upgrade your hard drive and RAM. So you can use your old device again.

3. Turn the device into a firewall

It is possible that your modem already has a firewall function, but for added security you can still turn your computer into a firewall.

Picture 2 of 17 things you can do with an old computer

4. Try Linux

Surely you've heard of the free, open source Linux operating system for PCs. You also had the idea of trying to use this operating system when it was constantly mentioned as an alternative product for Windows. However, you wonder if installing this operating system will affect your new computer system? Why don't you try installing it on an old computer?

Picture 3 of 17 things you can do with an old computer

Linux operating system supports many old hardware devices quite well. In fact, sometimes older hardware is better supported by Linux than new types of hardware. Linux has many different versions, but perhaps the Debian Linux version (http://www.debian.org) is considered best for older computers and runs relatively slowly. Moreover, this Linux version also provides a full range of instructional resources for new users. If the old PC has a speed of over 300MHz, then you can use the Mandrake Linux (http://www.mandriva.com/) . This is considered the most complete and friendly Linux version.

5. Turn into a server for printing, sharing files or web servers

If your old computer is not too slow and meets the requirements, you can completely turn it into a server.

If you have a number of printers connected to a few separate PCs, you might consider connecting those printers to your old PC and setting up a network to new PCs. You already have a server dedicated to printing and very convenient for everyone.

Similarly, try turning that old PC into a server that stores and shares files such as document documents or MP3 files. Moreover, you will also have a place to store copies of your essential documents.

If you have a broadband Internet connection with a home router and your service provider's permission, you can turn your old PC into a web server. . This is also a great thing to give you the opportunity to learn something about the web or other types of web programming languages.

6. Make the server containing the movie

You can also turn the old device into a movie server. This is a very simple way. Save movies and music to your computer and connect to your home entertainment system. And you can easily enjoy music and cinema on TV.

Picture 4 of 17 things you can do with an old computer

7. Turn your computer into TiVo

Use free TiVo programs like MythTV to turn your computer into a digital video camera.

Picture 5 of 17 things you can do with an old computer

8. Learning the network

With two computers in your hand you can try setting up a LAN . Every version of Windows operating system since Windows 95 has built-in network features, so you don't need any additional software. On the hardware side, you need to have an Ethernet card . also called a network card, a network cable, a hub or a switch.

Information about setting up a LAN in Windows Help can find a lot of websites on the Internet. One of those sites is http://www.wown.com or http://www.tunisiadaily.com/answers/networking.html or http://www.pcmag.com/networking.

Using a computer to learn the basics of networking first is great because you will find that the rest you can do with your old computer that we offer later will be easy and much more effective if your old computer has a network connection.

9. Learning about hardware

Have you ever wondered how the CPU is connected to the motherboard? Are you sure you know how to exit the hard drive? Do you want to practice removing the RAM? An old PC is an excellent PC maintenance and upgrade tool. Keep it there to study until you dare to slide your screwdriver into the new PC you see.

ten . Sell spare parts

Maybe your computer is old, but if it still works fine, the device is still a bit valuable like motherboard, video card, hard drive, network card or other device parts. You can still sell these devices. Please note that whenever you sell devices like this you should post full information about the device name, FCC ID on the device.

11. Turn into 'aquarium aquarium'

One way to reuse old computers - mostly Apple Macintosh machines - is to turn them into well-known aquariums called Macquarium. Here we are really talking about a fish tank that is placed inside a computer case. The effect will be quite surprising and why don't you try a screen saver that mimics everyday life? To know what you have to do to turn the old Macintosh into an aquarium aquarium, refer to the following address for more information at http://www.lowendmac.com/compact/macquarium.shtml. You will really be surprised.

12. Recycling

If there is not anything that makes you feel excited to do your old PC among the things mentioned above, do not throw away your old PC. Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (http://www.svtc.org) says that PC components contain a lot of toxic substances like cadmium, barium, or mercury. That is why it is completely free to recycle PCs. Please try to contact to see if there is any PC recycling facility near you. Let's protect the enviroment.

13. Download Torrent

Another useful way is to turn your old computer into a place to download your Torrent.

Picture 7 of 17 things you can do with an old computer

14. "Gift" network connection for Tor

Tor is a project that allows people to "give" their network connections to people around the world for the purpose of "anonymity". People who need to use this connection are people who live in countries that have network restrictions or are prohibited from accessing certain websites.

Picture 8 of 17 things you can do with an old computer

15. Turn into multimedia player

Every computer has a sound card and any PC system running Pentium 200 or above can run Winamp's free multi-media application . Try installing your favorite digital music software on that old computer.

If you simply serve for listening to music every day, you only need a pair of speakers of average quality that can meet your requirements. If you want to connect that PC to your home entertainment system, you need to be a little more persistent. You need to have some other devices like a remote control keyboard or mouse or a video card with a video output & And you can have an extra digital home entertainment without cost Very much investment costs.

You can even set up your own online radio station . You can create playlists and allow people to access them very easily. You can even do DJs yourself.

Picture 9 of 17 things you can do with an old computer

6. To play the multiplayer game

If your family members complain that you spend too much time playing games, you can absolutely invite those members to play with you or resort to a final solution to limit game time. yours. If you have successfully built a LAN between an old computer and a new computer, you can now welcome an adventure partner in the game with you.

Picture 10 of 17 things you can do with an old computer
Currently there are many multi-user games that can be installed and used on older computers and still achieve perfect performance.