A laptop bought for a fiver in a charity shop. How do I turn the thing on?

[mybike]

I'm going to take it into that computer shop today. I plugged it in last night to 'play' with it. I noticed after it'd been on half an hour that it was quite warm and had a smell about it. A year or so ago I knackered my current laptop's power lead by accidentally dropping it in water. I tried to dry it out, but when I plugged it in it blew up. I asked the computer shop bloke if he had a spare lead that would fit my laptop. He told me that you can't just use any that fits as they have different voltages and a too powerful one could set my laptop on fire. I'm wondering if the lead that came with the fiver laptop isn't the original one and it could be an accident waiting to happen.🤔

It may well be full of dust that's causing it to overheat & smell.

I'd go with the suggestion of a lightweight Linux. It's not too difficult to do.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I didn't take the laptop to that shop I mentioned earlier and I'm glad I didn't, as I passed it last night to see it's now been turned into ANOTHER hairdressers! So, let me see that'll be about 15 hairdressers and 'nail bars' in a town of about 14,000.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I'll just put it away, then when my current 3 year old laptop conks out I'll 'tune it in' to the internet and simply use it for my usual basic things.

 

[CXRAndy]

It will be glacial slow, even browsing the internet. There is a reason its £5 in a junk shop.

Good luck with it.

Id stick it on auction site for spares or repair

 

[Dogtrousers]

You could try unblocking you drain with it if you don't have a suitable tool to hand.

 

[Accy cyclist]

It will be glacial slow, even browsing the internet. There is a reason its £5 in a junk shop.

Good luck with it.

Id stick it on auction site for spares or repair

I'll keep it as a back up laptop. If my current 3 year old one conks out I won't get it repaired. There's too much dodgy stuff on it for anyone to find! I'll use the fiver one till I buy a new one, either from somewhere like PC World or off the internet. I'll probably be without an up to date laptop for a few days when this one goes to that big laptop heaven in the sky, so an old slow one is better than none at all.

 

[Jameshow]

Does this thread include non bike bargains if so I brought 5 £3 tenon saws for my men's shed tonight what a bargain! Might keep one for myself but the shed will get 4.