Computer experts: I need your help please!

@Raspy

Good one! :lolz:

Use Linux

!!

@Alex

I agree but we're NOT posting Hijack This logs all the time after we do a spyware, av check! I know I would't! :p:

Reply 41

cheers!!

alex0o0

Or use a decent OS which is not as malware prone

would do, but when you have 5 other family members, every one as computer illiterate as the other it is easier to stick with windows!!

Reply 42

@Raspy

You can use Linspire, it's basically looks and works like Windows!

Reply 43

i'll look into it. Then again, could i make it so that i got to choose at startup which OS was booted?? and then there's the problem of the 8Gig of music in WMP or is there a linux equivalent that would do the same job?? bearing in mind they are mostly WMA format??

Edit: I actually think you can sort out the boot thing in the BIOS, am i right??

Reply 44

Not at BIOS, I recommend you use the Live CD first.

EDIT: If you mean the Boot Sequence (i.e. Floppy Drive, CD Drive) then Yes! But if you mean Boot Loader (i.e. WIndows XP and Linspire) then no!

Reply 45

Raspy

i'll look into it. Then again, could i make it so that i got to choose at startup which OS was booted?? and then there's the problem of the 8Gig of music in WMP or is there a linux equivalent that would do the same job?? bearing in mind they are mostly WMA format??

Edit: I actually think you can sort out the boot thing in the BIOS, am i right??

Not from the bios but you can indeed duel boot, GRUB/Lilo bootloaders will let you choose which os on startup. Not sure about WMA files, all my music is in mp3/ogg - you may be out of luck there.

I would get ubuntu/kubuntu livecd and give that a go first, see if you like it first before you install it to the hd.

Reply 46

boot sequence...i knew it had a name!!! i can remeber an old computer had 2 versions of windows on it and it came up with a screen asking which to run: would a similar thing happen if i stuck linux on here?? and i'm not an expert on linux, so could you quickly explain to me how i would get it please??

Reply 47

http://freespire.org/

Download ISO File
Use CD Burner to open the ISO file and burn it to CD
Restart computer with CD in it
When CD is booted, select option to run as LIVE CD
Freespire will load and will show step by step instructions on how to use it.

Freespire is the most user friendly Linux OS, I've used tho'!

Edit: Ignore Linspire I meant to say Freespire!

Reply 48

so a live cd does not install the OS on the computer, but runs straight from the CD so you can work out whether you like it or not?? and to do this i'll need to change my boot sequence as to save time i set it to look at my HDD1 first as that's where XP Pro is??

Reply 49

Here is a link that actually works :smile:

http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/releases.ubuntu.com/6.06/ubuntu-6.06.1-desktop-i386.iso

Just burn to cd, then make sure you boot from cd in the bios, thats it.

Linspire looks horrible to me, not to mention the fact that they sell it :/

Reply 50

Set the Boot Sequence to this:

Floppy Drive
CD Drive
HD Drive

BTW about your music file, you'll be happy to know after reading this quote from Freespire:

The regular, complete version includes legally-licensed, 3rd party codecs, drivers and software, to offer better hardware, file type, and multimedia support. Freespire includes turn-key, out-of-the-box support for MP3, Windows Media, QuickTime, Java, Flash, Real, ATI drivers, nVidia drivers, proprietary WiFi drivers, modem drivers, fonts, and so on.

So download FreeSpire!

Reply 51

@alex

I've not meant to say Linspire, it shud be Freespire!

It's not that ugly, looks similar to the Windows OS!

Reply 52

Raspy

so a live cd does not install the OS on the computer, but runs straight from the CD so you can work out whether you like it or not?? and to do this i'll need to change my boot sequence as to save time i set it to look at my HDD1 first as that's where XP Pro is??

Yeah you need to set your cd drive as the primary boot device in the bios.

Reply 53

samba

6

alex0o0

Or use a decent OS which is not as malware prone :smile:

Like windows xp for example?

Reply 54

ill do it when i actually get some CD's!! but am i right in saying that it runs from the CD or not??

Reply 55

Yes you are right! See the screenshot of FreeSpire? Looks similar to Windows!

Reply 56

samba

Like windows xp for example?

No like linux/bsd/solaris/osx.

Reply 57

spysect

Yes you are right! See the screenshot of FreeSpire? Looks similar to Windows!

See thats a bad thing in my opinion, KDE is bloatware :smile:

.

Reply 58

Its made for user to have Out of Box experience Alex!

Reply 59