Question about Vista 32-bit

beckypb

I'm new here and I'm not a tech person. I still have Vista 32bit on this computer. It's in my home office and I keep it because I love the large monitor screen so it's easy to read email and websites, etc. Of course, the version of Chrome on this computer doesn't receive updates any longer, etc. I switched to Google docs, sheets, etc. The only thing I use that isn't web-based on this computer is an older version of Adobe CC and that's if I'm doing something at home for work (I'm a surface pattern designer). I'm taking a class on Skillshare and one on coursera. Chrome was crashing a lot of the time when I tried to watch the class videos at home. I searched for alternate browsers and I found Vivaldi and I love it. This is the best kept secret for people like me - it's fast and all of the help files and tutorials are so well done it's easy for a non-tech person like me use. Yesterday when I clicked on a class video I kept getting a black screen with a bird? on it's back. Is there something I need to do differently to see a video? You Tube works fine but I have to be signed in to our class server to watch those videos. I'm trying to make this computer at home last until the first of the year. I'll be able to buy a new one then. I'm wondering if I uninstall the old version of Microsoft Office that I don't use any longer would help if the problem is due to space on the C drive or memory being used? Any help you all can give me will be so very appreciated. I'm sorry for the length of this post. I just needed to explain why I'm using a computer with Vista.

LonM

@beckypb Vivaldi doesn't officially support any operating systems lover than Windows 7. Which version of vivaldi are you using?

The current latest stable releasem with all the latest fixes is 2.7.

Catweazle

Welcome to the Vivaldi community.
Nor am I very well versed in computer science, more than at the user level, but if there are many experts in this forum who can surely advise you.
Regarding your computer, apparently old, it is true that Vivaldi may not work as it should in Windows Vista, which is an OS already quite obsolete, which should be changed. In an old computer, the best option, also free, is to use some Linux distro, which also adds speed to your PC and Vivaldi sure will also work better.
You don't have to worry about handling current Linux distros, which is very similar to Windows, with some minor differences. By default they usually incorporate Libre Office into their distributions, which is also quite similar in their functions to Microsoft Office, even it is compatible with the files created.
With this you can give a second life to your PC, also with an OS to the last
For your PC, maybe Lubuntu would be a good option to replace Vista
https://lubuntu.net/

Installation step by step
https://docs.lubuntu.net/lubuntu_installation

beckypb

@LonM Thanks for replying! When I was searching for a "new" browser and I found Vivaldi I downloaded the Vivaldi 1.0 32bit from the Vivaldi download page. The link had a note that said that versio for Vista would no longer be supported, but I thought I would try Vivaldi to see if it would function better than Chrome and Firefox had been on this computer.

Even if I can't figure out how to watch class videos I will stay with Vivaldi as my browser because my email (Gmail) loads faster as all of the websites I use. As I said, I'm not a tech person but out of curiosity I checked on the Adobe site shen I was reading an article about Flash and I could play the HTML5 sample and the other sample on that page.

beckypb

@Catweazle Thanks so much for your reply! I will click the links you provided and see if I can understand how to do what you suggested. I'll probably have to come back here with some questions, but I am willing to try whatever may be available to fix my issue. Thanks again!

mib2berlin

@beckypb
Hi, I am using Linux myself but I think it is still more for techy persons.
You can buy a legal licence for Windows 7 for 10€ and install Windows 10 using this licence key. The only problem I guess is Windows 10 come up with: "Your Hardware is to old". Then Linux is the way to go.
There are also many companies selling "Refurbished" hardware for very low and with warranty.

Cheers, mib

beckypb

@mib2berlin Thank you for your reply! I read a lot of articles last night about Linux and it seems like there are a lot of versions so I'm trying to learn as much about it as I can. I think it was on the Livewire (?) site where I found quite a few articles about the different versions and which would be easiest for a beginner Linux user. The other thing I thought about - maybe I should look around for a Chromebook at a good price, to use until I can buy a new computer. I wish I knew more about how to do the "techy" things because I love learning about all of what's new when the CES is in the news and in tech newsletters I get and read. I think I would probably have to go back to school unless any of you know of a website or group for "new tech learners" like me!

Catweazle

@mib2berlin said in Question about Vista 32-bit:

@beckypb
Hi, I am using Linux myself but I think it is still more for techy persons.
You can buy a legal licence for Windows 7 for 10€ and install Windows 10 using this licence key. The only problem I guess is Windows 10 come up with: "Your Hardware is to old". Then Linux is the way to go.
There are also many companies selling "Refurbished" hardware for very low and with warranty.

Cheers, mib

Unlike Windows, Linux has some functions only accessible via command line, but this is only necessary in very few cases and very specific functions regarding the system.
I used a Linux distro, Kubuntu, for a while on my old PC, and in fact I didn't need to use the console with commands once. Otherwise the handling and the environment did not differ much from Windows, OK, the executable files have a different extension.
On the other hand, the differences even favor the management of Linux, for example, it already comes standard with the most important applications to start working, without having to look for them before on the network to install them, as in Windows, it has a repository, From where not only a catalog of all applications is found, from where it can not only be installed, but also again uninstalled, similar to Android and Google Play, only that Linux is practically all OpenSource and free.
Apart from this, the desktop, the taskbar, the start menu with the functions and applications, etc., is very similar to that of Windows.

Tipical Desktopo of Linux, Lubuntu, in this case

Therefore it is not necessary to do a workshop and study hard or be a computer genius, to be able to handle Linux for normal day-to-day tasks

NickStone

To the OP if you live within a few miles from me I have a Packard Bell PC with Windows 8.1 that you can have. It has the latest version of Vivaldi installed on it as well.