Computer Rehab
Old Apple and PCs can be rejuvenated by replacing their original operating system with a simple, efficient Linux Mint system. Even ten or more years old computers do most tasks well with Mint. In earlier times, installing a Linux operating system required learning to enter arcane console commands where syntax was unforgiving and one needed to follow a complex recipe to the letter.
Today the folks who produce Mint made installation so easy that, for most people, it is no more complex than installing a new app on a PC or Apple. You don’t have to be a computer Geek to succeed.
In addition, Mint calls home and downloads updates as they become available, much as Apple and PC systems do. So, one can expect a newly installed Mint system to remain current for about five years.
I have been collecting and rehabilitating obsolete computers for years. People donate them to me, knowing I will wipe them clean of personal data before passing them on to a local charity. As of June 2023, I have rehabilitated more than 150 devices.
I want to pass the baton now, and the pages in this section of ChiefWiz.com are a repository for the teaching materials and software tools I have found necessary or useful.
Outline of Steps for Computer Rehab
How to Proceed – Software Tools and Instructions
Computer Basics – Make Sense of “Geek-speak”
Sources for Necessary Software – Links
The links below will enable you to download the necessary software to rehab computers, as I have done. By using these links, you will acquire the latest versions.
First, you create your bootable USB thumb drive with the Ventoy download. Then copy each of the “.iso” files to the Ventoy USB thumb drive. When you boot a computer using the Ventoy thumb drive you will see a menu listing each of the “.iso” files. When you choose one by clicking it, Ventoy launches the iso file, making it appear as if it were a program running from a CD or another storage device.
- Ventoy – Make a bootable USB stick for your tools and installers (.iso files)
- FoxClone (.iso)- Backup, clone, partition, storage devices (HDD, SSD, USB drives, etc.)
- Linux Mint (.iso)- Full featured PC/Apple operating system with “light” and “lighter yet” versions.
- ShredOS (.iso) – Wipes a storage device clean of data. Use it to ensure no personal data is present on a device you plan to give away or sell to a stranger.
The .iso files may, if you so choose, each be installed to run on its own bootable USB memory stick. “Rufus” is a popular PC utility for making bootable thumb drives from .iso files. “Etcher” is a popular cross-platform alternative.