How do you make on old computer do something very simple, very quickly

[Maxi86]

Hi -

I have an old Toshiba Laptop (bought 2005) with Intel Celeron M processor running Windows XP. Its painfully slow. I now have a new, quicker computer.

So, I am hoping to 'clean' my old laptop so it works faster, but only does v simple stuff. All I need to do on it is write text documents that are then shared with my new computer - this can be via Google docs or something, or across my home network. Does anyone have any suggestions? What is the simplest route to text docs + connection? Do computers even work by this logic? i.e. less stuff = works faster? is there a level of irreversible damage through time, dust in the fan etc? My friend suggested I let him turn it into a digital clock, but I'm hoping it can do better than that.

Thanks for any thoughts in advance.

[Alan2273]

Why not try a Linux operating system on your laptop.

Quite a few distros can be run from a live CD, so you can try them out.

I would suggest you look at something like DSL (Dam small linux) or Puppy linux.
/>http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/download.html
/>http://www.puppylinux.com/download/

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

I have an old Toshiba Laptop (bought 2005) with Intel Celeron M processor running Windows XP.

That is really not "old"; in fact it is newer than any computer I own! All of these run as good as they did on the first day.

First a question: what is the service pack level of your XP system?

Unless you want to give Alan's Linux suggestion a try, you can give Windows a thorough cleanup:

• download & install CCleaner
  
• run it with the default settings (not the registry cleaner portion, though)
  
• uninstall any programs that you don't want/need
  
• back in CCleaner, click on Tools | Startup, remove anything that is not needed*
  
• defragment your C: drive
  

*) if you don't know what is what, ask here - someone will tell you what it is and if it's needed.

Another tool to clean up your startup list is Startup Inspector; it gives you more options, and also some explanations for the startup items.