What to do with the OS when the characteristics of the computer are 5-7 years old?

Question

Do it yourself

I recently started doing PC repair, but I ran into the following dilemma.
They bring computers and ask for the standard: "Please make sure that the computer does not slow down."
On the one hand, reinstalling Windows can solve this problem, but what to do when the characteristics of the PC are as follows:
Processor - 1 core AMD processor.
OP - 2GB or 4GB
Video card - integrated.
The PC is about 6-7 years old, maybe older. Win 7 Home Basic is too cool for it, Starter too. As I understand it, the only option is XP, but even then for some it is too "heavy".
What are the alternatives, as I understood from the search, then only Linux? If yes, which one?
But as I also understood from my little experience, you cannot install everything on Linux that can be installed on Windows. Which of the Linux's is suitable if the client only needs the following list of programs (you can say a standard package):

• skype;
  
• Antivirus;
  
• Browsers;
  
• An analogue of the Microsoft Office package;
  
• Video player;
  
• PDF reader;
  
• winrar.
  

Thank you for your responses.

Answer 1

I have several computers that are even older and with lesser specifications.
Windows XP SP3 - no problem! Everything that was described drags!
For normal work: office, video, music, web.
On account if Linux, that is, Ubuntu builds for minimal configurations. Look at their website.
The choice of OS will already depend on the user's experience and his comfort - which do you prefer, Windows or Linux.

Answer 2

XP Embedded. For example this one - rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4608566
I was also looking for what to put on N270, 1 GB. All these mints, ubunts, kubunts, bubunts and other riots go through the forest - everything slows down. Only on a truncated xp you can watch YouTube without brakes.

Answer 3

Processor - 1 core AMD processor.
OP - 2GB or 4GB
Video card - integrated.

The processor is different for the processor, and the video card too. By subject, I can say that 5-6 years ago I calmly played Half Life 2, Mirror's Edge on a single-core processor with 2 gigs of RAM. True, the video card was not integrated ...
In other words, any Windows, even 8.1, although XP will be faster.

Answer 4

Put android. There are builds for x86 processors. Everything should be pulled (office - WPS Office, file manager - ES explorer. Everything from the play market)

Answer 5

install XP sp3 everything will work fine, if you install Linux, I would advise Linux Mint is very similar to Windows in terms of interface,

Answer 6

Linux Mint showed itself well, but there are many shells for it, you need to try a few, which one will work better.

Answer 7

I myself have a Toshiba NB505 on it is bunsenlabs, very convenient, fast and everything is at hand.

Answer 8

Install XP Game Edition or Linux Mint. But with Linux, it’s scary to give a computer to a client, because then you turn into a prompt service, people are not used to the interface)))

Answer 9

Absolutely any modern OS will do, if it is properly configured. Just explain to people that you will have to refuse whistle-blowers, or still take a new computer. Namely:
1) Classic desktop.
2) Disable preview and thumbnail creation in Explorer. If you need to sort hundreds of photos from a flash drive or put things in order in your photo archives, use the opening of the appropriate folders in a specialized viewer -- XnView, IrfanView. For convenience, write the appropriate item of the context menu, which will require a little editing of the registry. It also saves the "pixel of death" virus attack.
3) Move the swap to any partition other than the system partition. Disable the "Hide extensions for known file types" option, invented by morons and for morons. Enable showing hidden and system files: the user has nothing to do in the system partition, and the appearance of hidden files in other partitions should arouse reasonable suspicion.
4) Strictly mandatory disabling of autorun for all media except optical. Since modern computers usually do not have optical drives, we simply say that autorun is turned off completely. Comments are unnecessary here.
5) Disabling the "Windows Performance Measurement Service" and other unnecessary slag.
6) Firewall all incoming packets except for the ports of the required services. On a home router or locally using, for example, Outpost Firewall. An ordinary user usually does not need any services (if he does not download torrents, does not play some online games, etc.), so everything can be firewalled.
7) Competently completing steps 2, 4, 6, you can not install any antivirus at all.
8) Browser -- only Firefox as the only one configurable. Mandatory additions are "Session Manager" and "NoScript". "AdBlockPlus" was once super, but now it is strongly not recommended to use it, because it's shit. Next open about:configand do some tuning. Be sure to disable WebRTC and the prefetcher (background prefetching of objects)! If you do not disable it, then you can really catch viruses in batches, and the prefetcher itself is a significant brake. The number of simultaneous connections is 3..5, no more. The rest is optional.
The processor is most likely 64-bit, therefore the OS and, if possible, all software should be 64-bit. Well, apart from Skype, of course :(
x64 text editor AkelPad, there is an installation option as a replacement for NotePad (the installer will do everything by itself).
x64 PDF reader - NitroPDF.
x64 archiver - 7-zip. You
can find the rest of the 64-bit without much difficulty with the help of Google.