Hardware > Buying & Owning Hardware

Putting old computers to good use

By Lasa Information Systems Team

One way or another, any organisation will find itself with old IT kit at some point. A PC may at first glance appear to be too old to be of use because, for example, it is not powerful enough to run recent versions of basic software, or it is incompatible with the rest of your system. However, if a computer is still in good working order, there is a fair chance you can put it to good use within your organisation.

Old computers may arrive through a donation, or existing computers may become redundant for their existing purposes through the purchase of newer PCs.

For many businesses, old computers go straight in the skip.  Voluntary and community organisations may not want to be so wasteful, but filling a cupboard with old PCs is no solution either.

Such PCs may not run the latest version of Windows or Office, but there are mundane tasks around an organisation that they can run with a little thought and tinkering.  They may even turn out to make certain things easier!

Check ‘em out!

Before considering what an old PC might be used for it is essential to find out if the PC is still working properly.  It would be a waste of time and energy to try and set it up for a task it cannot handle.

First check the case.  Rust, dents and other signs of physical damage on the outside may indicate damage within.  They may also suggest that using the computer is actually dangerous!  If in doubt get an electrician to test it.

Plug the computer into the power supply and a monitor and switch it on.  Does it work?  If so, great – if not then it may really be dead.

Next check the major components are working ok.  If the PC booted into an operating system such as Windows, that is a good indication that things are ok.

Old hard drives can be a little shaky – they may work most of the time but not all of the time.  All major hard drive manufacturers provide free utilities to check that their hard drives are working reliably.  Chances are you don’t know who made your hard drive – you may need to look inside your PC and read the label on the hard drive to find out.  Once you have identified the hard drive, download and run the appropriate diagnosis tool.  If the hard-drive doesn't work, it may be possible to install a new one, but balance the cost of this against your assumed benefits.

Once you have checked out the computer you’ll know whether or not to proceed.  If it turns out that it has given up the ghost, you may be able to cannibalise some of the parts to enhance other computers in the organisation.  Extra hard disks, RAM, CD-ROMs might be useful in some of your newer machines.

Clean it up

Before transforming an old bit of kit into something useful it is a good idea to make sure it is clean.  This means more than a quick once over with a duster (although that probably isn’t a bad idea) – you don’t want to introduce a computer with a shaky operating system or viruses onto your network.

The easiest way to ensure a PC is clean is to install a brand new operating system on it – most of the projects below need this anyway.  You should probably erase the hard drive too, especially if you aren't sure of the computer's full history.  Diskzapper makes this a relatively straightforward task.

Once your satisfied that the computer is working safely you can put it to use in one of the following ways.  Be aware that older PCs may be less reliable than new PCs and won't be covered by any guarantees.  Consider the risks, especially of making this new addition a critical part of your infrastructure!

Projects with Old Computers

Spare PC

Probably the easiest thing to do with a working old computer is to turn it into a spare PC.  It could be used by temporary staff, volunteers or non-staff members who only need a few simple functions, such as the ability to check email, browse the web or print out documents.  In an emergency such a computer could even be used if a staff member’s PC is being repaired.   The old machine may not be able to run Windows XP, but chances are it can run Linux – a good place to start is with Knoppix, which can be run directly from a CD without installing to a hard drive.  Knoppix is a particularly good choice for allowing service users to access the web – with the default configuration the system is effectively brand new every time it boots up, meaning careless users cannot do lasting harm.   Knoppix also comes with a range of software which can be used to edit most Word, Excel and other common documents.

Print server

Small networks often have a printer attached to only one computer.  An older PC can be set up to take responsibility for this offering several benefits:  the printer can be located more conveniently for everyone who uses it rather than on an individual’s desk; that person need not be interrupted if there is a printing problem; that person’s computer isn’t slowed down by managing other people’s printing tasks; perhaps most importantly, no one needs to be disturbed by the distraction of a printer working every five minutes.

Print serving can be managed by computers running older versions of Windows, as well as alternative Linux based operating systems.

If the computer also has a modem installed, it can also be turned into a fax machine.

Dedicated task computer

Software licensing or the availability of a certain piece of hardware may mean it is handy to have a computer dedicated to a certain task, rather than a specific user.  For example, scanners may be used frequently in an organisation, but not often by any one person.  Having a scanner attached to one person’s computer means they get disrupted whenever someone needs to scan.  It is likely that an old computer able to run Windows 98 will be able to handle scanning.

Network device

If you have a larger network, and a bit more knowledge (or time and the desire to learn) you can take old computers and turn them into part of your network infrastructure.  Older PCs have the power to manage tasks such as: protecting your network against hackers (a firewall); speed up access to web sites and manage which web sites can be accessed (through proxying); or share and optimise access to your internet connection.  Given large enough hard drive, an older PC could even be used to share files within your organisation, or even backup your main server.

Learning server/test bed

An old computer may be a great opportunity for a member of staff so inclined to learn more about ICT, or as a system on which to try out new ideas –for example, your organisation may be tempted to take advantage of cost savings associated with using Open Source.  An old PC can be used to try out this software, or learn about installing Linux.  Setting up a LAMP (Linux Apache mySQL PHP) server is relatively straightforward, and can be used to learn about web design, or even share information around the organisation using an intranet.

With some imagination, a PC that seems too old to be of use can become a useful workhorse in your organisation, freeing up resources on main servers and PCs.

Thanks to participants of the ukriders mailing list for inspiration and tips that made this a better article.