Q: Do you know of a place I could get my 9-inch Dell Computer updated to Windows 10? It has never been used. It has a Windows XP operating system so you know how old it is. I was downsizing, packing things away and donating stuff. I actually thought I had given it away. And what do you know? I unpacked a box and there it was. I hate to throw a new computer away if it can be updated. ~ L. Elaine Neal
Tech+ How could you forget that you had a new computer? Well, I won’t judge. I once inadvertently threw away a plane ticket. (Thank goodness for my friend who checked the trash even after I assured her there was no way I would do that!)
A Windows XP machine means it’s probably at about 7 years old, since the next popular operating system (Windows 7) debuted in 2009. But there is hope for old computers.
You can leave it as is, running Windows XP, but keep in mind that Microsoft stopped offering . If you use it as is, limit use to tasks that don’t need the internet (writing documents, watching videos…) so you don’t have to worry about security issues.
Windows 10 is (plus the freebie wasn’t available as an upgrade to old Windows XP machines). If you’re going to attempt to install this yourself, you’ll need to completely erase your hard drive and start from scratch. Also, check the minimal requirements for a computer to run Windows 10. Find those at .Keep in mind there is help available at Microsoft stores. There and the in-store Answer Desk employees, who offer “free 15-minute consultations,” can help you set up Windows. before heading in.
Another option is to ditch Windows and go with a simpler system, like Linux. I wrote about a company called . It’s based off the 16th Street Mall in Denver and sells Linux Ubuntu computers that offer all the regular features most of us expect from computers. And the team is friendly and offers customer support for the PCs they sell. Read the story online at “” (short link for print readers: ). If you want to DIY it, you can also .
If you decide to donate your computer, there are nonprofit organizations that will happily take it off your hands. I wrote about computer recycling options last spring: “” (short link: ).
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