Slow Laptop - Linux Install

Introduction

Dave was concerned that Sue's old laptop - that was not capable of upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 - was a security risk, as well as recently running extremely slowly. He asked if I could install Linux to the laptop to improve it's speed and also ensure it receives regular updates for enhanced security.

The Laptop Situation

Microsoft introduced various requirements for computers to be able to upgrade to Windows 11 leaving many devices without updates as of October 2025 when support for Windows 10 stopped.

This is a security risk since updates include patches for vulnerabilities that are regularly discovered and exploited by bad actors. Keeping your laptop up-to-date is an essential step in securing your digital life.

Due to its age it was also running considerably slower than it had when it was new.

The Proposed Solution

Linux is another, lesser known, operating system that has much lower system requirements. Linux Mint is a user friendly distro (version) that is highly intuitive for those already familiar with the Windows operating system. It features a similar start menu, taskbar and desktop environment.

Steps I took to Fix the Issue

1. Created a USB installer for the Linux Mint operating system

2. Travelled to Sue and Dave's

3. Checked for files to backup on Sue's laptop

4. Installed Linux Mint to the laptop

5. Setup a user profile for the laptop

6. Setup all of the required software

7. Gave a quick tutorial to explain the basics of the operating system

Outcome

The laptop is now receiving regular updates enhancing the security of the device that is regularly used for personal matters like accessing banking and social media.

It is also running much faster than when it was using Windows which, on average, used about 50% of the available memory of the device, where as Linux averaged about 12% memory usage while idling.