Need An Os For Adell Latitude D620

RAM 2048 Gig DDR2 667 Mhz
128 Gig HD
CPU Intel Dual Core1.03 Ghz

The guys at Dallas MakerSpace gave me this computer. It is in excellent shape, it was made for XP, I think someone tried to load Linux and it went very badly.I have tried setting it up to boot from a thumb drive (it seems to have the option in BIOS), no HD error:
It comes back with
NTLDR is missing
Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart.

I have tried a Linux Live Thumb Drive and a Win 7 Ultimate TD with no luck.
Any ideas as to where to get an OS that will work on this old computer?
My old Dell blows this computer out of the water, so I'm giving it back, I'm just trying to return it in better shape than I got it. If someone needs a basic machine it would fill a need. I have been saving $20/mo since JFeb. to get myself a new one, I'm up to $140 ATM.

 

You shouldn't be getting NTLDR errors with a live boot from flash drive.....provided you correctly configured the live drive, and have set the bios correctly to boot from it.

Linux Mint 19.2 Cinnamon should run like a train from a clean install dedicated, on those spec's, and not to bad from a live boot over USB 2.0

Download it here, then format the flash drive to be bootable here!

Set the bios correctly, plug in the drive, reboot and you should be away and running.

 

Yep, what I said....must be the coffee plodr

 

+1 on the Linux Mint recommendation. If the Cinnamon GUI turns out to be too much for the D620's on-board graphics to handle, get the Xfce version of Mint instead.

 

Older motherboards with DDR2 RAM don't support booting from USB.

 

So how do I create a CD from an .iso file? I'll google it after I post this.
Both computers have a DVD drive.

I'll try yo go to Walmart this weekend.

 

If you are trying to create a cd or dvd from a iso file here are some instructions you can follow https://itstillworks.com/burn-iso-image-windows-xp-6928999.html

 

A bios update flash will usually solve this!

 

Fair enough, had no idea of her plight.....hope your getting better Wendy and only flash it if you feel capable!
If you balls a flash you will most likely 'brick' your system.

It may not even require one, its a rare situation that you cant set bios to boot from a usb even for older mobo's

Let us know what the situation is!

 

What is the system Specs, Why dont you try windows 10 Home.

 

and if that doesn't work all is not lost as Wendy could use Plop to enable the computer to boot from USB. So happens I have a 2006 laptop which also won't boot from USB but it does after installing Plop. Plop itself can be installed from CD or floppy in an unbootable computer like Wendy's.

 

Sorry I haven't been back more. I tried to burn a Linux Live DVD, I'l be starting a new thread on that experience.

 

Wendy, I have a Dell D630 laptop. It is the next model that was made only a year or so after the D620.

I have XP SP3 on it and that runs really good. Linux Mint Cinnamon is a bit slow on it. Was going to try the Xfce version.

Have not tried W7 because the chipset graphics on this laptop is just not that great, but I am planning to give it a go sometime.

I am guessing that the D620 also probably has SATA2 and using an SSD does make the laptop very quick at booting and loading progs vs mechanical HDD.

My D630 has 4GB of ram. I also replaced the 2.0Ghz Intel core2duo Merom core cpu with a 2.5Ghz Penryn core. Got a little extra speed from it sure but the real reason I got the Penryn core cpu was because it runs a hell of a lot cooler than the Meron.

 

2GB is a touch lean for 10 yes......its more about HD space for a smooth run and 128GB would not allow much in the way of third-party software installs or data storage.
Updates on 10 would certainly kill the fun.

4GB runs 10 nicely on a minimum 256GB drive.
Tried and tested

I would agree that a slim linux install is best, but the main issue here is that most windows users would feel rather incapable running linux for the first time.

 

I wouldn't use the word incapable if you are using it in the context of using rather than running, as in installing.

Linux is very different but Mint does a good job of making the first experience rather more approachable.

I would describe myself as an advanced beginner regarding Linux. The major drawback is that if you make the full move to Linux one would have to also ditch windows progs and use Linux ones. Inevitably, this new learning curve with o/s and progs would take quite some time.

Using Linux on a D620 for basic things ie surfing net, email and writing odd word type docs would be very effective.

 

???
Well, if your going to install then i guess your gonna run it!

 

You could try Lubuntu (light ubuntu) if you don't like the feel of xfce.

 

It's not as user friendly for non-power users.

 

Sometimes old information keep regenerating on the internet. That's the bane of web searches. What's true yesterday is not necessarily true today. But, OP might not want to test the possible myths.
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-people-say-Debian-Linux-is-not-beginner-friendly

 

I moved this thread to this thread because I changed my focus.

https://forums.majorgeeks.com/threads/how-to-create-linux-live-dvd.320768/#post-2031178