WHICH OPERATING SYSTEM ...?

alavahalf | 20:36 Tue 13th Apr 2010 | Computers

13 Answers

Last week I was asked to dispose of two laptops as neither of them worked.... I asked the owner if I could get them going did she want them back. She said, no way as she was having a new one delivered at the weekend.
Anyhow I have got both of them running now....one is an acer 5315 ( 2 years old) it has Vista installed and is running perfectly.
The other one is a Fujitsu Amilo pro... I have ran the recovery disk and it now wants me to register it with Microsoft before it can be used. I have'nt got it running wirelessly yet.
But I wondered if I could run Linux on it....I've never tried Linux before, but thought it might be something to try for a change ......

Do I just download from the net to another computer...load it to a disk and install it on the laptop...
and if so there seems to be a vast amount of variations of Linux available.
Which one would be the best one to start with.

Office XP to Windows 7

active x?

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ChuckFickens

basically, yes, yes, and Ubuntu

http://www.ubuntu.com/GetUbuntu/download

Use some burning software that supports ISO's and burn the image (ISO) to a CD, you can boot the computer from the CD and try it out without making any changes to the hard drive (it is a lot slower running from CD) and then just click on the install icon on the desktop if you want to install it onto the hard drive.

The install process is a lot quicker and normally easier than installing windows.

alavahalf

Question Author

Will I be able to install it even though there is no operating system working on the laptop at the moment..?

ChuckFickens

yep no problems.

just boot the computer from the CD and select install and it pretty much will do it all itself, all you have to do is tell it what time zone, a computer name, a password and a username when it asks you.

alavahalf

Question Author

Thanks Chuck ...I got it downloading at the moment.

ChuckFickens

post back how you get on, it really is easy though, I've been using Linux at home as a main OS for several years now and don't find it a problem (I do have one windows computer for those few things you just can't easily do on Linux)

alavahalf

Question Author

Have downloaded Ubuntu to my documents, but when I try to burn it to disc I am told there are errors, and I need to open it with another programme.
Am I right in thinking this may be ..winzip..
Have tried burning it from there, and I am still told there are errors.
I'm a bit stuck now.

ChuckFickens

no, not winzip, you have downloaded an ISO file, which is an exact image of a CD turned into one file so you can download it, to make it back to a CD you need some ISO burning software.

This will do it

http://download.cnet....602452.html?tag=mncol

alavahalf

Question Author

.....post back how you get on, it really is easy though,....

Famous last words...well I have tried to download Ubuntu three times and each time I get errors galore.
Finally downloaded and gave up at midnight after more problems with winzip
( my mistake)...
When I came to restart my desktop tonight it would'nt boot without saying there were more errors and that I had to unistall any software or changes I had made recently.
Started it in safe mode and deleted Ubuntu and winzip...now it's running fine.
Downloaded Ubunto again, along with the ISO burner...

.... I am now the proud owner of a copy of Ubuntu...

As you said it's dead easy to install ...I have now installed it on my spare laptop...It went straight on after answering six questions.

I'm still sruggling to find out how to make a connection to the internet though..when I go to ..
Applications..internet..which choice do I make from the various options..?

ChuckFickens

How are you conencting the computer?

If it's using an Ethernet cable then the network connection will work as soon as you plug it in and all you have to do is open firefox and you can browse the web.

If you are connecting using wireless then you need to click on the network manager icon by the clock and select your wireless network from the list that will come up, enter the wireless key and it will connect to the network, you can then browse the internet using firefox as before.

alavahalf

Question Author

Chuck I've been trying to connect wireless.....I have tried the network manager .,but for some reason the list does'nt appear .
It did initialy but now the drop down list has dissapeared.
But the o/s is all on there and running.

ChuckFickens

Check the obvious first :)

Has the laptop got a wireless switch on it, and if it has have you knocked it to off?

Also what make and model of laptop is it?

alavahalf

Question Author

It is a Fujitsu Amilo Pro V3515 WL1...

The button for wireless is above the keyboard almost against the screen..

The icon that shows the drop down menu of available networks is missing.

alavahalf

Question Author

Have managed to connect wireless now, going via applications...still have'nt got my list of available networks though.
Going to have a play around now...
Thanks for your help Chuck..

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