Nine strokes to tell you what old computers can do after Windows XP stops supporting

April 8, 2014, Microsoft officially stopped the official support for its Windows XP system. While it is still possible for older users of Windows XP to continue to use it, the future lack of Microsoft's official aftermarket and patch updates is undoubtedly a significant increase in the risk of security vulnerabilities and privacy leaks.

Whatever your nostalgia for Windows XP, it has been eliminated by the times. Microsoft also wants the vast majority of Windows XP users to upgrade to a newer version of the operating system as soon as possible. So what should Windows XP users do with their current situation and face their old computers?

　　1, upgrade to Windows 7 or Windows 8

If you're still using an old computer and don't want to spend money on a computer, consider a direct upgrade system. The preferred system is Windows 7 or Windows 8, which, after all, is not much different from the way Windows XP is operating.

If your computer processor is 1GHz or more, and there are more than 1GB, the hard drive has more than 20GB remaining space, graphics support DirectX 9, then you can upgrade to the new version of Windows. It may not be as fast as Windows XP, but at least it can be accepted as long as you don't run too many applications at the same time.

If you are not familiar with the configuration of your computer, you can go to Microsoft's official web site to download the Windows 7/8 Upgrade Assistant tool, you can get more detailed compatibility report, you will find that it will be based on different configurations of the computer, very simple to automatically upgrade or replace the system.

　　2, change the new computer

A desktop PC with a Windows 8 system is now priced at around 300 to 500 dollars (about 1800 to 3000 yuan). But if you decide to "ditch" your old computer running Windows XP, consider how to handle it properly.

When you buy a new computer, the first thing you need to do is to transfer the data and data from your old computer to your new computer with a dedicated tool that won't affect your normal work. If you're going to send your old computer, then be sure to remove the sensitive data and then use the dedicated software to completely format the hard drive into a "clean" computer.

Or you can simply send it to a local recycling center that will donate it to charitable organizations such as Computers 4 Arica.

　　3, switch to Linux system

If you don't want to spend money and are looking for a replacement for Windows XP, the Linux system will definitely run smoothly on your old computer. We recommend that you choose an Ubuntu system based on Linux and download the latest version of LTS, which is currently 12.04, and can be used for free to 2017 years.

Installing and using the Ubuntu system is very easy for first-time users of the Linux system, and can be found in the official website or the system's help documentation for guidance on how to use it.

　　4, "change" personal cloud equipment

Another way to keep your old computer in service is to use it as a dedicated server. If it happens that your old device is an old laptop, then you can use it to back up your space-hogging cloud device, which is designed to hold documents or some infrequently used data. As for the specific approach, you can search the Web for tutorials and install Linux or ClearOS systems for it.

　　5, the establishment of multimedia server

Another way to make your old computer work is to use it as a multimedia server, save music, photos, or videos, and then put them in a designated folder and use the network to access other devices, including computers, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs and even set-top boxes.

　　6. Convert into Family Safety Center

If your old computer has a large-capacity hard drive and you're willing to pay less to buy a wireless camera, you can turn it into a dedicated CCTV system that can be easily implemented via Ubuntu server and free ZoneMinder software.

It is also very simple, you do not have to connect the monitor and keyboard mouse, only through a Web browser through another device for remote management and control, and the timing of the camera to check the impact of records can be.

　　7. Install a cloud based operating system

In fact, we all know that most applications and services are already available on the Internet, so why not change your mind and try something like Joli os for your old computer that's completely cloud-based? You can use these cloud systems under Linux, And no large installation files are required.

In these cloud systems, you can easily access all the services and applications and even have a more operational interface than Windows or Linux.

　　8, as a personal website host

If you are willing to allow your old computer to run 24 hours, you can transform it into your own personal website host, which will save the next additional rental web hosting and server costs, you can complete the site at home. Tools like turnkey Linux can be implemented without paying any software costs, but only if you have fast Internet connections. In addition, you should also pay attention to the local Internet service provision specification, after all, some areas are not allowed to build Web server.

　　9, Game server

If you're finished playing games, you can also turn your old computer into a dedicated server, share the load for your current PC, and focus on providing better image processing performance. Old computer-Modified game servers do not have to assume any graphics or memory tasks, just use their processors to handle the operations required by multi-user connections.

If you find that the old computer is not configured to handle a large number of online users, plus the speed of the broadband connection is not fast enough, this may affect the performance of networking games. But if you connect three or four players to a small game, such as "Counter Strike" or "unreal Arena" games, then after the replacement of the Linux system is fully qualified for their work, no less than Windows XP.