Yikes, I need to install win 7(for a friend)

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by Rickkins, Sep 13, 2025 at 20:53.

  1. Rickkins

    Rickkins MDL Senior Member

    Jul 29, 2009
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    Old Dell optiplex 780, doesn't support 10. Real clunker, but they are flat broke pensioners. Not even sure where to start, thanks
     
  2. Enthousiast

    Enthousiast MDL Tester

    Oct 30, 2009
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    #2 Enthousiast, Sep 13, 2025 at 21:04
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2025 at 21:09
    ?

    You want a windows 7 ISO?

    https://forums.mydigitallife.net/posts/1516362

    And if you want you can make a uptodate ISO here:
    https://forums.mydigitallife.net/th...-aio-iso-with-install-wim-esd-creation.79421/

    ps, it should be able to run 10 but that needs to be tested to see how it runs 10.

    IF this is correct info:

    Intel Core 2 Duo E8400

    Details
    Code:
    CPU Type Core 2 Duo
    CPU FSB 1333 MHz
    CPU Name Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
    L2 Cache Per CPU 6 MB
    CPU Socket Type LGA 775
     
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  3. shhnedo

    shhnedo MDL Expert

    Mar 20, 2011
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    ^ If it really is a C2D E8000 cpu and it has 4GB+ RAM, windows 10 is doable after uninstalling unwanted apps and Windows Defender with something like Defender Killer script. Otherwise, stick to windows 7.
     
  4. Rickkins

    Rickkins MDL Senior Member

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    Thanks man....:)
     
  5. Tito

    Tito Admin / Adviser
    Staff Member

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    @Rickkins

    As suggested by @shhnedo, the PC can run Windows 10 just fine, provided you throw a cheap SATA SSD as the boot drive and (optionally) bump up the RAM.

    If you choose Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 for instance, you people don't need to bother with ESU updates or browser compatibility for a while - which is not the case for Windows 7.
     
  6. Enthousiast

    Enthousiast MDL Tester

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    ?
    If that was possible with their budget they should also be able to get them a cheap old inter core i3 system, i guess... If they were my neighbours i would have given them one of my old systems, like i always do with low income people in my neighborhood.
     
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  7. g2s

    g2s MDL Novice

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    May I ask where one could find that Defender Killer script? Thanks!
     
  8. Rickkins

    Rickkins MDL Senior Member

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    Seems to have went well. I mean it's still a tired old dog, but it does work oh so much better.

    Thanks again.
     
  9. shhnedo

    shhnedo MDL Expert

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    Exactly because it's a piece of software that's constantly running and scanning. It takes up cpu/ram resource that low-end/old PCs don't have to spare and the impact is noticable. That's if YOU want to uninstall it.
     
  10. CaptainKirk1966

    CaptainKirk1966 Former MDL Guru
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    Could you recommend a free antivirus program that doesn't have noticeable impact?
     
  11. CaptainSpeleo

    CaptainSpeleo MDL Addicted

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    #13 CaptainSpeleo, Sep 15, 2025 at 12:48
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2025 at 19:35
    When I still owned a Dell OptiPlex 780 Mini Tower PC which had an Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 3.33 GHz processor and 16 GB of DDR3-1333 MHz RAM, it ran Windows 10 Pro 64-bit just fine.
    It already had the fastest C2D processor and the maximum amount of DDR3 RAM it supported, so my next option was to switch from a HDD to a SSD.
    Doing that greatly improved speed and snappiness.
    My next option was to add a low-power dedicated graphics card.
    Doing that noticeably improved graphic and video quality.
    I used it that way with Windows 10 Pro 64-bit until I moved on to newer and faster PCs.
    I re-did it and donated it to a long-time friend who was a retired pastor, so it did not go to waste.

    Since your pensioner friend is flat broke, I do not expect him to do what I did.
    With the processor and measly amount of RAM his Dell OptiPlex 780 has, it will run Windows 10 like a turtle.
    But if he is happy with that tired old dog, that is the main thing.
     
  12. shhnedo

    shhnedo MDL Expert

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    No, I don't use such antivirus software. I scan via a live distro whenever I feel like it.
     
  13. CaptainKirk1966

    CaptainKirk1966 Former MDL Guru
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    A low cost ssd will make a huge difference. It did for me. I briefly ran Win10 on an older c2d cpu, it performed reasonably well with ssd, a dog with older hdd. Eventually swapped motherboard for an i5 3rd gen.
     
  14. Rickkins

    Rickkins MDL Senior Member

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    I worry that these guys would install some malware, they are not really computer literate. Note that they had a total of 4 av's(Avg, Avast, Mcaffee & WD) installed when the computer showed up here, I s**t you not. So my goal would be to hand it back as bullet proof as possible.
     
  15. Rickkins

    Rickkins MDL Senior Member

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    I will be recommending they put together a couple hundred bucks down the line and grab something off Marketplace to replace the optiplex.
     
  16. shhnedo

    shhnedo MDL Expert

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    At this point you could just recommend a fairly recent(not older than 2018) laptop like a ThinkPad, Latitude, EliteBook or even a desktop equivalent. There's still OptiPlex machines, just a lot newer and sold at somewhat reasonable prices. Then it's just a matter of installing windows on it. If you believe the user to be not so tech savvy, keep windows defender, it will do a good enough job at preventing them from downloading "their neighbor's hot wife".
     
  17. CaptainKirk1966

    CaptainKirk1966 Former MDL Guru
    Staff Member

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    There are also new mini pc's in the $200 range that would run circles around an old Optiplex 780. (Would still need keyboard, mouse, and monitor separately)