Embedded Files
Some of these images are edited with the assistance of AI, so some text may not be legible.
The GoodWill dell
The GoodWill dell
There’s a Goodwill store a few hours away that specializes in computers and other tech goodies. They sell these old desktops labeled as “BIOS Computers” for next to nothing! A friend of mine wanted a basic computer for their living room – something for browsing the web, checking emails, online shopping, and watching a few YouTube videos. They snagged one of these desktops from Goodwill and asked if I could get it up and running.
The computer, a Dell Optiplex, came with everything except the hard drive. My job was to install a hard drive, set up an operating system, and ensure it was secure and ready to go before handing it back.
Sounds simple enough, right? Well, of course, it didn’t go quite that smoothly.
The RAM
The RAM
The first thing I noticed was that this device only came with 6GB of RAM instead of the advertised 8GB. While 6GB is perfectly usable for basic tasks, I’m definitely tempted to upgrade it to 8GB to match what was originally promised.
No Video, No Problem
No Video, No Problem
This graphics card needed a DVI cable, which I didn’t have on hand. Although the computer had a VGA port, it wouldn’t work because the graphics card was overriding it. I ended up removing the card entirely, and now the VGA port works perfectly.
Depending on the monitor used, I may end up re-installing this card, upgrading it, or setting up an HDMI adapter.
Hard Drive Blues
Hard Drive Blues
My original plan was to use one of the two laptop hard drives I already had, along with an adapter for desktops. However, I remembered that one of them was corrupt, and I couldn’t recall which one, so to avoid any potential issues, I decided to just buy a brand new 2TB hard drive instead.
Of course, that didn’t solve everything. As soon as I went to install it, I realized the computer was missing a SATA cable for the hard drive. Just my luck! Thankfully, I’ve got one on order, and it should be here soon.
OS Installation
OS Installation
I have another computer that I use to experiment with different operating systems. Lately, I’ve been exploring various Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora, and most recently, Mint. I decided to install Linux Mint on this computer because its GUI is intuitive, and managing apps and updates is straightforward. Although I couldn’t install the OS without the SATA cable, I was still able to confirm that all the other hardware was working properly.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse