• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

XP replacement for aging laptops

Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
2,361 (0.48/day)
Location
Marlow, ENGLAND
System Name Chachamaru-IV | Retro Battlestation
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 5900X | Intel Pentium II 450MHz
Motherboard ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F Gaming | MSI MS-6116 (Intel 440BX chipset)
Cooling Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4
Memory 32GB Corsair DDR4-3000 (16-20-20-38) | 512MB PC133 SDRAM
Video Card(s) nVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 FE | 3dfx Voodoo3 3000
Storage 1TB WD_Black SN850 NVME SSD (OS), Toshiba 3TB (Storage), Toshiba 3TB (Steam)
Display(s) Samsung Odyssey G5 27" @ 1440p144 & Dell P2312H @ 1080p60
Case SilverStone Seta A1 | Beige box
Audio Device(s) Creative Sound Blaster AE-7 (Speakers), Creative Zen Hybrid headset | Sound Blaster AWE64
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 750 G2 | 250W ASETEC
Mouse Roccat Kone Air| Microsoft Serial Mouse v2.0A
Keyboard Vortex Race3 | Dell AT102W
Software Microsoft Windows 11 Pro | Microsoft Windows 98SE
My parents are both using laptops with Windows XP as their daily drivers, and considering that end of support for XP is looming I want to upgrade them to something more current. Only issue is that the laptops are fairly ancient, especially my father's, so running a full version of either Vista or 7 is out of the question. I've been mulling using either Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 (a slightly modified version of XP SP3, with support up to 2019) or Windows ThinPC (a stripped-down version of 7 SP1, designed for legacy hardware), but I'm not convinced that they would make good daily drivers. Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 currently gets updates through Windows Update (the same updates as regular XP, actually), but I'm not sure how long this will last; I'm worried that once 8th April hits, you'll have to have a support contract to get them. Windows ThinPC was not really designed as a daily driver, merely as a launch platform for thin client software; while it does function as a regular OS, I don't know how it will be as a daily driver, I hear that you can't install Microsoft Office on it due to licensing restrictions.

So I am therefore soliciting suggestions for an alternative solution. It needs to be Windows-based, as neither of them have the inclination or desire to learn Linux. Perhaps Vista/7 Starter or Home Basic would be suitable for these laptops? Or maybe you can assuage my doubts about Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 or Windows ThinPC.

Specs are as follows:
Dell Latitude C540
1.7GHz Pentium 4-based Celeron
768MB DDR RAM
ATi Mobility Radeon 7500
80GB HDD

IBM Thinkpad T43
1.8GHz Pentium M
1.5GB RAM
ATi Mobility Radeon X300
80GB HDD
 

FreedomEclipse

~Technological Technocrat~
Joined
Apr 20, 2007
Messages
23,314 (3.77/day)
Location
London,UK
System Name Codename: Icarus Mk.VI
Processor Intel 8600k@Stock -- pending tuning
Motherboard Asus ROG Strixx Z370-F
Cooling CPU: BeQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 {1xCorsair ML120 Pro|5xML140 Pro}
Memory 32GB XPG Gammix D10 {2x16GB}
Video Card(s) ASUS Dual Radeon™ RX 6700 XT OC Edition
Storage Samsung 970 Evo 512GB SSD (Boot)|WD SN770 (Gaming)|2x 3TB Toshiba DT01ACA300|2x 2TB Crucial BX500
Display(s) LG GP850-B
Case Corsair 760T (White)
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V573|Speakers: JBL Control One|Auna 300-CN|Wharfedale Diamond SW150
Power Supply Corsair AX760
Mouse Logitech G900
Keyboard Duckyshine Dead LED(s) III
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
Windows 7 basic sounds about right. Good luck finding drivers that work for those graphic cards though. AMD doesnt officially support them on anything above XP
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
2,361 (0.48/day)
Location
Marlow, ENGLAND
System Name Chachamaru-IV | Retro Battlestation
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 5900X | Intel Pentium II 450MHz
Motherboard ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F Gaming | MSI MS-6116 (Intel 440BX chipset)
Cooling Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4
Memory 32GB Corsair DDR4-3000 (16-20-20-38) | 512MB PC133 SDRAM
Video Card(s) nVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 FE | 3dfx Voodoo3 3000
Storage 1TB WD_Black SN850 NVME SSD (OS), Toshiba 3TB (Storage), Toshiba 3TB (Steam)
Display(s) Samsung Odyssey G5 27" @ 1440p144 & Dell P2312H @ 1080p60
Case SilverStone Seta A1 | Beige box
Audio Device(s) Creative Sound Blaster AE-7 (Speakers), Creative Zen Hybrid headset | Sound Blaster AWE64
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 750 G2 | 250W ASETEC
Mouse Roccat Kone Air| Microsoft Serial Mouse v2.0A
Keyboard Vortex Race3 | Dell AT102W
Software Microsoft Windows 11 Pro | Microsoft Windows 98SE
No worries there, I've used XP drivers on Vista and 7 plenty of times.
 

FreedomEclipse

~Technological Technocrat~
Joined
Apr 20, 2007
Messages
23,314 (3.77/day)
Location
London,UK
System Name Codename: Icarus Mk.VI
Processor Intel 8600k@Stock -- pending tuning
Motherboard Asus ROG Strixx Z370-F
Cooling CPU: BeQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 {1xCorsair ML120 Pro|5xML140 Pro}
Memory 32GB XPG Gammix D10 {2x16GB}
Video Card(s) ASUS Dual Radeon™ RX 6700 XT OC Edition
Storage Samsung 970 Evo 512GB SSD (Boot)|WD SN770 (Gaming)|2x 3TB Toshiba DT01ACA300|2x 2TB Crucial BX500
Display(s) LG GP850-B
Case Corsair 760T (White)
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V573|Speakers: JBL Control One|Auna 300-CN|Wharfedale Diamond SW150
Power Supply Corsair AX760
Mouse Logitech G900
Keyboard Duckyshine Dead LED(s) III
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
Ive tried that before - doesnt always work.
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
5,207 (0.87/day)
System Name Addison Clark
Processor Ryzen 9 7950x3D
Motherboard Asus Strix X670E-I Gaming
Cooling Custom Bykski loop CPU and GPU
Memory G.Skill DDR5-6000 64GB CL30
Video Card(s) Gigabyte 4090 Aorus Master
Storage Kingston Fury 2TB and 4TB NVME
Display(s) LG 32" 1440p
Case Lian Li O11 mini
Audio Device(s) Asus Hive
Power Supply Thermaltake 1000w SFX-L
Mouse Corsair Dark Core RGB SE
Keyboard Corsair K95 Platnium
Software Win 11 Pro
I've used Driverheaven's Mobility Modder many times for older mobile display drivers especially for the ones that didn't have support. Yes it gives you a unsigned driver and a crazy amount of display resolutions but it's a driver and it just works.
 
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Messages
9,762 (1.91/day)
Location
Jakarta, Indonesia
System Name micropage7
Processor Intel Xeon X3470
Motherboard Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. P55A-UD3R (Socket 1156)
Cooling Enermax ETS-T40F
Memory Samsung 8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3
Video Card(s) NVIDIA Quadro FX 1800
Storage V-GEN03AS18EU120GB, Seagate 2 x 1TB and Seagate 4TB
Display(s) Samsung 21 inch LCD Wide Screen
Case Icute Super 18
Audio Device(s) Auzentech X-Fi Forte
Power Supply Silverstone 600 Watt
Mouse Logitech G502
Keyboard Sades Excalibur + Taihao keycaps
Software Win 7 64-bit
Benchmark Scores Classified
if you wanna upgrade, better to 7 basic version since all that needed is basic things and 7 performs better than vista
 
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
887 (0.16/day)
Processor Intel Core i3-8100
Motherboard ASRock H370 Pro4
Cooling Cryorig M9i
Memory 16GB G.Skill Aegis DDR4-2400
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 WindForce OC 3GB
Storage Crucial MX500 512GB SSD
Display(s) Dell S2316M LCD
Case Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl
Audio Device(s) Realtek ALC892
Power Supply Corsair CX600M
Mouse Logitech M500
Keyboard Lenovo KB1021 USB
Software Windows 10 Professional x64
If Windows compatibility isn't a requirement, I recommend Linux Mint for those laptops:
  • It is available in 32-bit and 64-bit architectures.
  • There are different editions that have different GUIs/desktops: Cinnamon, MATE, KDE, Xfce. Mint is not a "one size fits all" o.s.
  • The Xfce edition was specifically designed for machines that have lower-end hardware: slower CPU, less memory, not-so-great video.
  • The installers are "live" discs: you can boot the PC from disc, load Mint, and take it for a spin without touching your hard drive. This will let you check if your hardware is supported. If you decide that you like it, there's in Install icon on the desktop.
  • Linux Mint comes with a wide range of software preinstalled including Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Pidgin, and GIMP. Additional software that isn't installed by default can be downloaded using the package manager (think "App Store").
I installed the MATE edition on my sister-in-law's 4-year-old Lenovo Thinkpad, and Mint nailed down all the drivers without any help from me. It runs great, and her laptop is a lot more secure than it would be with any version of Windows.
 

Fourstaff

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 29, 2009
Messages
10,020 (1.91/day)
Location
Home
System Name Orange! // ItchyHands
Processor 3570K // 10400F
Motherboard ASRock z77 Extreme4 // TUF Gaming B460M-Plus
Cooling Stock // Stock
Memory 2x4Gb 1600Mhz CL9 Corsair XMS3 // 2x8Gb 3200 Mhz XPG D41
Video Card(s) Sapphire Nitro+ RX 570 // Asus TUF RTX 2070
Storage Samsung 840 250Gb // SX8200 480GB
Display(s) LG 22EA53VQ // Philips 275M QHD
Case NZXT Phantom 410 Black/Orange // Tecware Forge M
Power Supply Corsair CXM500w // CM MWE 600w
7 Basic is not much lighter than other versions, but still worth a try. I too strongly recommend Linux, the transition to popular ones like Ubuntu is almost painless.
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
2,361 (0.48/day)
Location
Marlow, ENGLAND
System Name Chachamaru-IV | Retro Battlestation
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 5900X | Intel Pentium II 450MHz
Motherboard ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F Gaming | MSI MS-6116 (Intel 440BX chipset)
Cooling Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4
Memory 32GB Corsair DDR4-3000 (16-20-20-38) | 512MB PC133 SDRAM
Video Card(s) nVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 FE | 3dfx Voodoo3 3000
Storage 1TB WD_Black SN850 NVME SSD (OS), Toshiba 3TB (Storage), Toshiba 3TB (Steam)
Display(s) Samsung Odyssey G5 27" @ 1440p144 & Dell P2312H @ 1080p60
Case SilverStone Seta A1 | Beige box
Audio Device(s) Creative Sound Blaster AE-7 (Speakers), Creative Zen Hybrid headset | Sound Blaster AWE64
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 750 G2 | 250W ASETEC
Mouse Roccat Kone Air| Microsoft Serial Mouse v2.0A
Keyboard Vortex Race3 | Dell AT102W
Software Microsoft Windows 11 Pro | Microsoft Windows 98SE
Red_Machine said:
It needs to be Windows-based, as neither of them have the inclination or desire to learn Linux.
Not to be rude, but I specifically said Windows-based. They barely know how to use Windows as it is.
 
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
887 (0.16/day)
Processor Intel Core i3-8100
Motherboard ASRock H370 Pro4
Cooling Cryorig M9i
Memory 16GB G.Skill Aegis DDR4-2400
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 WindForce OC 3GB
Storage Crucial MX500 512GB SSD
Display(s) Dell S2316M LCD
Case Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl
Audio Device(s) Realtek ALC892
Power Supply Corsair CX600M
Mouse Logitech M500
Keyboard Lenovo KB1021 USB
Software Windows 10 Professional x64
Not to be rude, but I specifically said Windows-based. They barely know how to use Windows as it is.

Sorry, I missed that part.

Frankly, if you can use Windows XP/Vista/7, you won't have any problem using Linux Mint. It has the equivalent of a Start button, and the menu is very similar. You could always boot the laptops from the Live disc and let them give a try. If they don't like it, then just reboot off the hard drive.

One more fringe benefit: Windows malware doesn't work in Linux.
 
Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
1,237 (0.30/day)
Location
California, unfortunately.
System Name Sierra ~ Server
Processor Core i5-11600K ~ Core i3-12100
Motherboard Asus Prime B560M-A AC ~ MSI PRO B760M-P
Cooling CM 212 Black RGB Edition ~ Intel Stock Cooler
Memory 64GB (2x 32GB) DDR4-3600 ~ 32GB (4x 8GB) DDR4-3200
Video Card(s) XFX Radeon RX 6950 XT ~ EVGA GeForce GTX 970
Storage 4TB Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink NVMe SSD ~ 2TB Kingston NV1 NVMe SSD + 500GB WD Blue SATA SSD
Display(s) 2x Dell S2721QS 4K 60Hz ~ N/A
Case Asus Prime AP201 - Open Frame Chassis
Power Supply Thermaltake GF1 850W ~ Thermaltake Smart 500W
Software Windows 11 Pro ~ Proxmox VE
Benchmark Scores Laptops: Dell Latitude E7270, Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5420.
Drivers won't work on Windows 7. And it will run like crap.

Time for some new laptops! Refurbished Core 2 Duo or first gen Core i3 laptops are cheap.

For example, I got mom a refurbished Dell Latitude E5410 on Woot.com for $249. Runs great, came with Windows 7...
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
2,361 (0.48/day)
Location
Marlow, ENGLAND
System Name Chachamaru-IV | Retro Battlestation
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 5900X | Intel Pentium II 450MHz
Motherboard ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F Gaming | MSI MS-6116 (Intel 440BX chipset)
Cooling Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4
Memory 32GB Corsair DDR4-3000 (16-20-20-38) | 512MB PC133 SDRAM
Video Card(s) nVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 FE | 3dfx Voodoo3 3000
Storage 1TB WD_Black SN850 NVME SSD (OS), Toshiba 3TB (Storage), Toshiba 3TB (Steam)
Display(s) Samsung Odyssey G5 27" @ 1440p144 & Dell P2312H @ 1080p60
Case SilverStone Seta A1 | Beige box
Audio Device(s) Creative Sound Blaster AE-7 (Speakers), Creative Zen Hybrid headset | Sound Blaster AWE64
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 750 G2 | 250W ASETEC
Mouse Roccat Kone Air| Microsoft Serial Mouse v2.0A
Keyboard Vortex Race3 | Dell AT102W
Software Microsoft Windows 11 Pro | Microsoft Windows 98SE
My parents will not buy new laptops. They only have the ones they're using because I gave them to them. And the drivers will work, I've used XP drivers on Vista and 7 for years. Even for gaming they work fine.
 
Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
1,237 (0.30/day)
Location
California, unfortunately.
System Name Sierra ~ Server
Processor Core i5-11600K ~ Core i3-12100
Motherboard Asus Prime B560M-A AC ~ MSI PRO B760M-P
Cooling CM 212 Black RGB Edition ~ Intel Stock Cooler
Memory 64GB (2x 32GB) DDR4-3600 ~ 32GB (4x 8GB) DDR4-3200
Video Card(s) XFX Radeon RX 6950 XT ~ EVGA GeForce GTX 970
Storage 4TB Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink NVMe SSD ~ 2TB Kingston NV1 NVMe SSD + 500GB WD Blue SATA SSD
Display(s) 2x Dell S2721QS 4K 60Hz ~ N/A
Case Asus Prime AP201 - Open Frame Chassis
Power Supply Thermaltake GF1 850W ~ Thermaltake Smart 500W
Software Windows 11 Pro ~ Proxmox VE
Benchmark Scores Laptops: Dell Latitude E7270, Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5420.
My parents will not buy new laptops. They only have the ones they're using because I gave them to them. And the drivers will work, I've used XP drivers on Vista and 7 for years. Even for gaming they work fine.
OK :) How about XP Media Center, it was from 2005 not 2002 like XP Home and Professional
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
2,361 (0.48/day)
Location
Marlow, ENGLAND
System Name Chachamaru-IV | Retro Battlestation
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 5900X | Intel Pentium II 450MHz
Motherboard ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F Gaming | MSI MS-6116 (Intel 440BX chipset)
Cooling Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4
Memory 32GB Corsair DDR4-3000 (16-20-20-38) | 512MB PC133 SDRAM
Video Card(s) nVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 FE | 3dfx Voodoo3 3000
Storage 1TB WD_Black SN850 NVME SSD (OS), Toshiba 3TB (Storage), Toshiba 3TB (Steam)
Display(s) Samsung Odyssey G5 27" @ 1440p144 & Dell P2312H @ 1080p60
Case SilverStone Seta A1 | Beige box
Audio Device(s) Creative Sound Blaster AE-7 (Speakers), Creative Zen Hybrid headset | Sound Blaster AWE64
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 750 G2 | 250W ASETEC
Mouse Roccat Kone Air| Microsoft Serial Mouse v2.0A
Keyboard Vortex Race3 | Dell AT102W
Software Microsoft Windows 11 Pro | Microsoft Windows 98SE
Still unsupported as of 8th April.
 
Joined
May 9, 2012
Messages
8,380 (1.93/day)
Location
Ovronnaz, Wallis, Switzerland
System Name main/SFFHTPCARGH!(tm)/Xiaomi Mi TV Stick/Samsung Galaxy S23/Ally
Processor Ryzen 7 5800X3D/i7-3770/S905X/Snapdragon 8 Gen 2/Ryzen Z1 Extreme
Motherboard MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk/HP SFF Q77 Express/uh?/uh?/Asus
Cooling Enermax ETS-T50 Axe aRGB /basic HP HSF /errr.../oh! liqui..wait, no:sizable vapor chamber/a nice one
Memory 64gb Corsair Vengeance Pro 3600mhz DDR4/8gb DDR3 1600/2gb LPDDR3/8gb LPDDR5x 4200/16gb LPDDR5
Video Card(s) Hellhound Spectral White RX 7900 XTX 24gb/GT 730/Mali 450MP5/Adreno 740/RDNA3 768 core
Storage 250gb870EVO/500gb860EVO/2tbSandisk/NVMe2tb+1tb/4tbextreme V2/1TB Arion/500gb/8gb/256gb/2tb SN770M
Display(s) X58222 32" 2880x1620/32"FHDTV/273E3LHSB 27" 1920x1080/6.67"/AMOLED 2X panel FHD+120hz/FHD 120hz
Case Cougar Panzer Max/Elite 8300 SFF/None/back/back-front Gorilla Glass Victus 2+ UAG Monarch Carbon
Audio Device(s) Logi Z333/SB Audigy RX/HDMI/HDMI/Dolby Atmos/KZ x HBB PR2/Edifier STAX Spirit S3 & SamsungxAKG beans
Power Supply Chieftec Proton BDF-1000C /HP 240w/12v 1.5A/4Smart Voltplug PD 30W/Asus USB-C 65W
Mouse Speedlink Sovos Vertical-Asus ROG Spatha-Logi Ergo M575/Xiaomi XMRM-006/touch/touch
Keyboard Endorfy Thock 75% <3/none/touch/virtual
VR HMD Medion Erazer
Software Win10 64/Win8.1 64/Android TV 8.1/Android 13/Win11 64
Benchmark Scores bench...mark? i do leave mark on bench sometime, to remember which one is the most comfortable. :o
end of support doesn't mean ceasing functioning, XP could be used for years even after end of support... tho no more updates from M$ (big deal ... there wasn't any "big and useful" update since years already ... )

my server is under XP Pro and my Athlon XP retrorig is under XP Home ... i don't intend to pass them under 7 because of the end of support (even if the server could run 7) on a sidenote i use the server not as a Server but also a retrorig for laugh otherwise i use it under Ubuntu server ed. when i want to setup a server.

TL : DR : if XP with all the last updates works fine now : it will works fine after the end of support.

modified win 7 or xp are against the EULA no? (oh well i used a modified XP with no problems tho :roll: ) i'd say stay on XP until they really need/want to upgrade the whole thing.
 
Joined
Aug 11, 2011
Messages
4,355 (0.94/day)
Location
Mexico
System Name Dell-y Driver
Processor Core i5-10400
Motherboard Asrock H410M-HVS
Cooling Intel 95w stock cooler
Memory 2x8 A-DATA 2999Mhz DDR4
Video Card(s) UHD 630
Storage 1TB WD Green M.2 - 4TB Seagate Barracuda
Display(s) Asus PA248 1920x1200 IPS
Case Dell Vostro 270S case
Audio Device(s) Onboard
Power Supply Dell 220w
Software Windows 10 64bit
Windows 7 has full support for the series 8 chipsets (845, 865, 875) so you'll be fine. Those mobility radeons worry me though, can't even find them listed on AMD's site
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
2,361 (0.48/day)
Location
Marlow, ENGLAND
System Name Chachamaru-IV | Retro Battlestation
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 5900X | Intel Pentium II 450MHz
Motherboard ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F Gaming | MSI MS-6116 (Intel 440BX chipset)
Cooling Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4
Memory 32GB Corsair DDR4-3000 (16-20-20-38) | 512MB PC133 SDRAM
Video Card(s) nVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 FE | 3dfx Voodoo3 3000
Storage 1TB WD_Black SN850 NVME SSD (OS), Toshiba 3TB (Storage), Toshiba 3TB (Steam)
Display(s) Samsung Odyssey G5 27" @ 1440p144 & Dell P2312H @ 1080p60
Case SilverStone Seta A1 | Beige box
Audio Device(s) Creative Sound Blaster AE-7 (Speakers), Creative Zen Hybrid headset | Sound Blaster AWE64
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 750 G2 | 250W ASETEC
Mouse Roccat Kone Air| Microsoft Serial Mouse v2.0A
Keyboard Vortex Race3 | Dell AT102W
Software Microsoft Windows 11 Pro | Microsoft Windows 98SE
end of support doesn't mean ceasing functioning, XP could be used for years even after end of support
Yeah, but it's going to be left wide open to security holes. My parents use their laptops to shop and bank, they don't want malware compromising them.

Windows 7 has full support for the series 8 chipsets (845, 865, 875) so you'll be fine. Those mobility radeons worry me though, can't even find them listed on AMD's site
Yeah, I know. I'll just use the XP drivers.
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
12,280 (2.37/day)
Location
Oregon
System Name Juliette // HTPC
Processor Intel i7 9700K // AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard ASUS Prime Z390X-A // ASRock B550 ITX-AC
Cooling Noctua NH-U12 Black // Stock
Memory Corsair DDR4 3600 32gb //G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 3600
Video Card(s) ASUS RTX4070 OC// GTX 1650
Storage Samsung 970 EVO NVMe 1Tb, Intel 665p Series M.2 2280 1TB // Samsung 1Tb SSD
Display(s) ASUS VP348QGL 34" Quad HD 3440 x 1440 // 55" LG 4K SK8000 Series
Case Seasonic SYNCRO Q7// Silverstone Granada GD05
Audio Device(s) Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 // HDMI to Samsung HW-R650 sound bar
Power Supply Seasonic SYNCRO 750 W // CORSAIR Vengeance 650M
Mouse Cooler Master MM710 53G
Keyboard Logitech 920-009300 G512 SE
Software Windows 10 Pro // Windows 10 Pro
Just keep using XP. 7 will run like crap and its not fully supported so while it may work its not goin to be right. When it gets infected badly then toss them in the trash or just reinstall XP

The XP drivers wont work you will be using generic drivers. While 7 works on more then what are supported there is a line of "Just too old" that its just not worth the trouble
 
Joined
Aug 11, 2011
Messages
4,355 (0.94/day)
Location
Mexico
System Name Dell-y Driver
Processor Core i5-10400
Motherboard Asrock H410M-HVS
Cooling Intel 95w stock cooler
Memory 2x8 A-DATA 2999Mhz DDR4
Video Card(s) UHD 630
Storage 1TB WD Green M.2 - 4TB Seagate Barracuda
Display(s) Asus PA248 1920x1200 IPS
Case Dell Vostro 270S case
Audio Device(s) Onboard
Power Supply Dell 220w
Software Windows 10 64bit
Just keep using XP. 7 will run like crap and its not fully supported so while it may works its not goin to be right. When it get

I have an emachines M5310 (Athlon XP 2400M, Radeon 320M, 1GB RAM) and W7 Starter runs remarkably well. I wouldn't say that it runs better than XP but not noticeable worse either.
 
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
274 (0.04/day)
Yeah, but it's going to be left wide open to security holes. My parents use their laptops to shop and bank, they don't want malware compromising them.
It's not like Windows can't be compromised even with updates. I'd just load up decent antivirus, stay far away from IE8, and the ancient Outlook Express included.
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
2,361 (0.48/day)
Location
Marlow, ENGLAND
System Name Chachamaru-IV | Retro Battlestation
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 5900X | Intel Pentium II 450MHz
Motherboard ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F Gaming | MSI MS-6116 (Intel 440BX chipset)
Cooling Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4
Memory 32GB Corsair DDR4-3000 (16-20-20-38) | 512MB PC133 SDRAM
Video Card(s) nVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 FE | 3dfx Voodoo3 3000
Storage 1TB WD_Black SN850 NVME SSD (OS), Toshiba 3TB (Storage), Toshiba 3TB (Steam)
Display(s) Samsung Odyssey G5 27" @ 1440p144 & Dell P2312H @ 1080p60
Case SilverStone Seta A1 | Beige box
Audio Device(s) Creative Sound Blaster AE-7 (Speakers), Creative Zen Hybrid headset | Sound Blaster AWE64
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 750 G2 | 250W ASETEC
Mouse Roccat Kone Air| Microsoft Serial Mouse v2.0A
Keyboard Vortex Race3 | Dell AT102W
Software Microsoft Windows 11 Pro | Microsoft Windows 98SE
But what if one of these infections compromises their credit card or bank account? That's my whole reason for doing this. XP not getting security updates anymore will increase the chances of that happening.
 
Joined
May 9, 2012
Messages
8,380 (1.93/day)
Location
Ovronnaz, Wallis, Switzerland
System Name main/SFFHTPCARGH!(tm)/Xiaomi Mi TV Stick/Samsung Galaxy S23/Ally
Processor Ryzen 7 5800X3D/i7-3770/S905X/Snapdragon 8 Gen 2/Ryzen Z1 Extreme
Motherboard MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk/HP SFF Q77 Express/uh?/uh?/Asus
Cooling Enermax ETS-T50 Axe aRGB /basic HP HSF /errr.../oh! liqui..wait, no:sizable vapor chamber/a nice one
Memory 64gb Corsair Vengeance Pro 3600mhz DDR4/8gb DDR3 1600/2gb LPDDR3/8gb LPDDR5x 4200/16gb LPDDR5
Video Card(s) Hellhound Spectral White RX 7900 XTX 24gb/GT 730/Mali 450MP5/Adreno 740/RDNA3 768 core
Storage 250gb870EVO/500gb860EVO/2tbSandisk/NVMe2tb+1tb/4tbextreme V2/1TB Arion/500gb/8gb/256gb/2tb SN770M
Display(s) X58222 32" 2880x1620/32"FHDTV/273E3LHSB 27" 1920x1080/6.67"/AMOLED 2X panel FHD+120hz/FHD 120hz
Case Cougar Panzer Max/Elite 8300 SFF/None/back/back-front Gorilla Glass Victus 2+ UAG Monarch Carbon
Audio Device(s) Logi Z333/SB Audigy RX/HDMI/HDMI/Dolby Atmos/KZ x HBB PR2/Edifier STAX Spirit S3 & SamsungxAKG beans
Power Supply Chieftec Proton BDF-1000C /HP 240w/12v 1.5A/4Smart Voltplug PD 30W/Asus USB-C 65W
Mouse Speedlink Sovos Vertical-Asus ROG Spatha-Logi Ergo M575/Xiaomi XMRM-006/touch/touch
Keyboard Endorfy Thock 75% <3/none/touch/virtual
VR HMD Medion Erazer
Software Win10 64/Win8.1 64/Android TV 8.1/Android 13/Win11 64
Benchmark Scores bench...mark? i do leave mark on bench sometime, to remember which one is the most comfortable. :o
Yeah, but it's going to be left wide open to security holes. My parents use their laptops to shop and bank, they don't want malware compromising them.
there, already, are lots of security hole (ATM embedded XP machines are in deep sh*t due to the end of support) i think a bit of computer basic could be useful also AVAST or other AV soft will not end the database updates because of Microsoft end of support (or any malware/adware remover) if they know to avoid shady website and use only secured bank/shop site there will be no problems

but a win 7 home with XP drivers for unsupported device could run fine on it (or basic or starter) can find some cheap license on the web and burn the disc from the ISO dl'ed from Microsoft website (i paid 78chf for both of my Win7 Pro licenses)

XP not getting security updates anymore
it doesn't even now and that for years

But what if one of these infections compromises their credit card or bank account?
it could already be the case if they do "wrong" things on the net, and even under Win7
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
12,280 (2.37/day)
Location
Oregon
System Name Juliette // HTPC
Processor Intel i7 9700K // AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard ASUS Prime Z390X-A // ASRock B550 ITX-AC
Cooling Noctua NH-U12 Black // Stock
Memory Corsair DDR4 3600 32gb //G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 3600
Video Card(s) ASUS RTX4070 OC// GTX 1650
Storage Samsung 970 EVO NVMe 1Tb, Intel 665p Series M.2 2280 1TB // Samsung 1Tb SSD
Display(s) ASUS VP348QGL 34" Quad HD 3440 x 1440 // 55" LG 4K SK8000 Series
Case Seasonic SYNCRO Q7// Silverstone Granada GD05
Audio Device(s) Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 // HDMI to Samsung HW-R650 sound bar
Power Supply Seasonic SYNCRO 750 W // CORSAIR Vengeance 650M
Mouse Cooler Master MM710 53G
Keyboard Logitech 920-009300 G512 SE
Software Windows 10 Pro // Windows 10 Pro
Someone sujested Linux Mint. Its a good idea. Great security and it will run
 

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
58,413 (8.21/day)
Location
Oystralia
System Name Rainbow Sparkles (Power efficient, <350W gaming load)
Processor Ryzen R7 5800x3D (Undervolted, 4.45GHz all core)
Motherboard Asus x570-F (BIOS Modded)
Cooling Alphacool Apex UV - Alphacool Eisblock XPX Aurora + EK Quantum ARGB 3090 w/ active backplate
Memory 2x32GB DDR4 3600 Corsair Vengeance RGB @3866 C18-22-22-22-42 TRFC704 (1.4V Hynix MJR - SoC 1.15V)
Video Card(s) Galax RTX 3090 SG 24GB: Underclocked to 1700Mhz 0.750v (375W down to 250W))
Storage 2TB WD SN850 NVME + 1TB Sasmsung 970 Pro NVME + 1TB Intel 6000P NVME USB 3.2
Display(s) Phillips 32 32M1N5800A (4k144), LG 32" (4K60) | Gigabyte G32QC (2k165) | Phillips 328m6fjrmb (2K144)
Case Fractal Design R6
Audio Device(s) Logitech G560 | Corsair Void pro RGB |Blue Yeti mic
Power Supply Fractal Ion+ 2 860W (Platinum) (This thing is God-tier. Silent and TINY)
Mouse Logitech G Pro wireless + Steelseries Prisma XL
Keyboard Razer Huntsman TE ( Sexy white keycaps)
VR HMD Oculus Rift S + Quest 2
Software Windows 11 pro x64 (Yes, it's genuinely a good OS) OpenRGB - ditch the branded bloatware!
Benchmark Scores Nyooom.
personally, keep them on XP.

you can get offline updaters that store the updates locally, so run that and grab all the updates now - do a fresh OS install, set it all up the way they want and back it up your program of choice.


just because support ends doesnt mean the OS stops working, and they simply wont get a good experience if the hardware cant handle it. might be time to buy them a new second hand laptop...
 

95Viper

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
12,645 (2.24/day)
I'd say go for Windows 7.
I loaded Windows 7 on an MSI Wind with an Atom processor and saw no real difference in performance (it originally had XP on it).

And, it looks like the T43 has been done by a few people.

Windows 7 on T43 - Links and Info!
Lenovo Drivers and software - ThinkPad T43
ThinkVantage System Update

The Dell seems to have no official support for Windows 7 on the C540; however, looking around on the web, it seems some have done it.

The amount of ram in the Dell may be a disability... whatever OS you go with... in my opinion, I would try to do a memory upgrade on them.

As, you probably are aware of, there are a quite a few window services you can disable to help performance.
 
Top