www.BoundAnna.com

bounddosster wrote:The Toshiba hard drive is knackered so I assume unusable for trying this or am I wrong about that?

No, you can use it. If you can boot it from a USB stick, you dont need the hard disk.
You may need to make a change in the BIOS. Toshiba Protege: Esc key, Toshiba Satellite: F1 key, Toshiba Tecra: Esc first and then F1 or F2.
Then change the boot order, disable the Secure Boot option and save it.
It won't work as fast as when it's actually on a hard drive, but that way you can try it out first.

Linux Mint also allows you to try it first on a stick on your HP computer without installing it. I have a stick with 8 different versions of Linux (Mint Mate, Mint Lite, Ubuntu, Kali, Knoppix, Clonezilla, Puppy, Zorin OS) via the program Ventoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2iXFlA19mA and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuonyS3xdwg (for the newer version). I can run it on any computer without having to install anything. This without the risk of damaging your HP computer.

What you can also do if this doesn't work is buy a very old computer on the second-hand market or see where you can get it for free (schools, companies that change computers, ...) and set up the Linux Mint Mate here and try it out.

PS: When you download the different distributions of Linux, choose always the LTS (Long Term Support) *.iso files.They are the most tested en secure versions.

bounddosster wrote:I like the idea of Linux as I've always hated the Windows monopoly. but I've never got around to it for fear of knacking my pc.
The Toshiba hard drive is knackered so I assume unusable for trying this or am I wrong about that?

It's a shame your hard drive is 'knackered', as another option would have been to create a virtual machine using free software such as VMware or VirtualBox. You can then install whatever operating system you want within that virtual machine.

Pros:
Faster than running from a USB stick
Can switch back and forth between host and virtual machine

Cons:
Takes up disk space

I've been trying out Vivaldi and so far I'm really impressed by it. It the best browser I've seen, you can do all sorts with it including having your mail linked so you can read it without leaving what your doing. Here is a link talking about it outlining some features. It has to do with Linux but works great with windows.

Thank you for the tip Jenny. I'll send to a thank you chocolate cookie.

bounddosster wrote:Thank you for the tip Jenny. I'll send to a thank you chocolate cookie.

My pleasure!

Make it triple dark chocolate with a dash of dark matter.

Jenny.

bound_jenny wrote:... with a dash of dark matter.

Jenny.

The closest place where you can get to dark matter is in the black hole, which they just photographed, in the center of our galaxy. Fly straight towards the constellation Sagittarius and turn in time.
Just to help so Jenny doesn't have to wait unnecessarily.

kinbaku wrote:The closest place where you can get to dark matter is in the black hole, which they just photographed, in the center of our galaxy.

Actually, it's all around us in a huge cloud around the whole galaxy. One just needs a very, very good net to catch some, and then you need patience. Of course, there is The Dark Side Baking Supplies, which has a small but not unsubstantial cache of it.

Tell them Jenny sent you.

Jenny.

Looks like your out of luck on the dark matter cookie front Jenny. My spaceship is in for repair awaiting a new thermoplas-solid state-widget-drive with a left hand thread.
Have a mug of tea and a chocolate digestive instead.

bounddosster wrote:Have a mug of tea and a chocolate digestive instead.

You had forgotten the name, so none of us - myself included - risk taking it.

bounddosster wrote:. My spaceship is in for repair awaiting a new thermoplas-solid state-widget-drive with a left hand thread.

Those are a bear to find. Especially with a left hand thread instead of the standard one.

I'll rattle a few cages to expedite delivery to your mechanic.

kinbaku wrote:You had forgotten the name, so none of us - myself included - risk taking it.

Nice cup!

Jenny.

bound_jenny wrote:

bounddosster wrote:. My spaceship is in for repair awaiting a new thermoplas-solid state-widget-drive with a left hand thread.

Those are a bear to find. Especially with a left hand thread instead of the standard one.

I'll rattle a few cages to expedite delivery to your mechanic.
Jenny.

"A mechanic" 'o' that I could afford such luxury. I'm a DIY or DWTF (Destroyed While Trying to Fix) man. Now where is left hand thread duck tape.