How Linux Mint saved an eight-year-old PC

Turn your aging Windows machine into a fast and secure system with Linux.

I got a call recently from someone I had never met. A mutual friend I’d recently helped had given him my number. “My computer isn’t getting security updates anymore,” he told me, “and a technician from my internet provider thinks I might have a virus. Can you help?”

I asked how old the computer was. “Eight years,” he said. “Running Windows 10.”

That explained everything. With Windows 10 at end of life, he had no security path forward. So I asked the key question: “Are you willing to think differently?”

A perfect candidate for Linux Mint

We met later at the village library after my Meals on Wheels shift. He brought a Dell Inspiron 15 with a 935-gigabyte hard drive, an i5 CPU, and 8 gigabytes of RAM, pretty solid hardware for its age. I told him it was an ideal candidate for Linux Mint Cinnamon.

I plugged in a USB drive, rebooted, and tapped F12 to open the Dell boot menu. Once the live desktop loaded, I walked him through the basics and showed how friendly and familiar Linux Mint can be. His drive was encrypted, so before installing, I prepared it for a clean start.

Read more: 10 open source tools you can start using today

Wiping the drive and installing Linux Mint

First, I checked the device layout:

$ lsblk

This lists all block devices and partitions, helping ensure I was targeting the correct disk. Once verified, I securely wiped the drive:

$ shred -v -n 3 /dev/sda

With the wipe running, I ate my lunch. When it finished, I booted again from the USB drive and launched the Linux Mint Cinnamon 22.2 “Zara” installer. In about ten minutes, this eight-year-old laptop had a fast, secure, new operating system.

He was thrilled at our follow-up meeting at the library after a hands-on introduction to his upgraded laptop.

Read more: 12 everyday technologies powered by Linux

Breathing new life into old computers with Linux

And just like that, an aging laptop found a new purpose, and its owner discovered a fresh, more secure path forward. What began as a cold call became a moment of trust, problem-solving, and community.

By switching to Linux Mint, we didn’t just extend the life of his device. We gave him a secure, modern operating system free from the limitations of proprietary software. Our next meeting won’t only teach him a new interface, it will help him reclaim confidence and digital independence.

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This article is adapted from “A Linux lifeline for an aging PC” by Don Watkins, and is republished with permission from the author.