Updating an Acer 5000 portable?

ZundapMan
ZundapMan Member Posts: 87 Die Hard WiFi Icon

I have several relatively related questions regarding the future of my old, but only tenderly cared for Acer 5000.  It is still running Windows XP that came with it along with an obsolete version of Microsoft Office, A later public domain suite now supported by Apache, and the usual host of browsers, Firefox, and Chrome.  Needless to say the C: drive has filled up to the point where defragmentation is not productive.

 

I do a lot of work with a non-profit that uses Google web tools and has a long tadition of Apple computers, now running the Apple versions of UNIX.  I would like to update this computer to be more maintainable and to have sufficient disk available on the boot drive.  The HD is the orginal 60GB drive with its original partition structure, half C: ad half D;

 

Is there a "safe" procedure to take some of the free space in the DSmiley Tongueartition and add it to the C: partition without otherwise disturbing the configuration?

 

Note;  I have a subscription to driver manager which is installed on this computer as well as others on my network.  I can use an image backup process to put everything out on a 1TB NAS attached to my Router if the process is deemed "risky" as long as I'm confident that once I get the partition structure the way I want it, I can completely restore the existing configuration, programs, and data.

 

Also:  I would prefer not to spend a lot of money on software to support this process.  I have used EASUS freeware in the past, but not in the past 18 months or so.  Are there other options I should consider?

 

Does anyone have a recommendation for a public domain Linux/Unix desktop OS which I might consider installing as an alternative to the existing software environment.  Because of the size of the HD, I would not want to try making it a dual-boot installation, but rather a backed up and verified "shapshot" of the existing OS that could be restored if necessary, and a complete "new" install including all drivers for an AMD Truion 32 based Acer 5000.  Does anyone out there run such and environment on this notebook?

 

Note: I'm a retired CyberGeek who started programming FORTRAN on the IBM 1620 in 1961.  Unfortunately, the field has grown faster than my brain for half a century now...  I'm not afraid of experimenting, but I do not want to waste what little time I have on foolsih mistakes or misguided effort.

 

Anyone with suggestions please.

This discussion has been closed.