Hello, I am a newbi and would like to know if I can use linux os on an old dell win xp.the thing is is that I was told by dell that all I neded to do was purchase win 7 and 2 gb sticks I did so and then It would up load the win 7 disc. so I called customer service and was told by someone else that i need to buy a new server. so after I spent the money on the win7 and two new 1gb sticks. that dell failed me (and that's not what i wanted to post it was a bit more graphic)so if there is a way to load linux on this dinissore please help I don't have money to buy a new pc after I spent all the money on the so called upgrades

What are the specs of that computer and what exactly do you mean by the box "failed" you? Do you mean Win7 failed to install or something more, like a failed drive?

I have had good luck with Linux on Dells; I'm typing this on a Dell Dimension 4400 P4 with 4 GB RAM which I use as my file server running Debian Sid which started as an XP box. I have had over the years three Dell laptops and one netbook which have served me well.

Installing Linux is pretty easy, much easier than installing Windows. Most Linux distros know that they might be installed by someone who has never installed an OS before and try to build user-friendly installers. Linux Voice recently produced a video showing how to install Linux Mint; it's the second one at this link: http://www.linuxvoice.com/getting-started-with-linux/

I'm not saying to install Mint, though it's a good choice, but the install is fairly typical of most Linux install routines. Watching the video could be instructive if you've never installed a OS.

One of our members recently produced a "sticky" post for persons considering switching from Windows to Linux, in which he summarizes some of the common choices of distros. Give it a look: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...xp-4175502495/

As an aside, LQ recommends that post titles be more informative than something like "Help Me" or "Urgent" so that persons scanning the title of threads will have an idea of what the post concerns.

Hi sammer961-

Welcome to Linux Questions!

You can easily install those 2 new sticks of RAM but you will have to open the tower of your desktop to do so.
Gently without touching the gold or silver teeth on the sticks of RAM press them down into the RAM slots.
http://www.wikihow.com/Install-RAM

It's fairly easy to install Linux once you have a Live CD/DVD. You will have to download the .iso image of the distro and burn it to CD/DVD.

If you want to you can request a refund of the brand new Windows 7 disk from the merchant you purchased it from.
Unless you want to keep it:-