5 smart ways to put your old laptop to good use

If you’ve got an old laptop sitting at home and taking up space, you may be tempted to dispose of it. But before you give it the heave-ho, know this: Your old laptop actually has more potential than you think and that’s worth exploring, even if you have a new laptop up and running.

You can do a lot of neat things with an old laptop, both practical and recreational. To boost productivity, you can turn it into a second monitor or a distraction-free writing device. If you’re looking to have a bit of fun, you can even set it up to play your favorite retro games. If you can avoid ditching your old laptop and adding to the e-waste problem, I’d really recommend it. You’d be saving money and helping the environment–that’s a win-win right there. Here are five creative ways to repurpose your aging laptop. 

Install Plex to stream movies, TV shows, and music

You can use your old laptop as a central location for all of your movies, music, TV shows, and so on. This is a great solution if you’re sick of juggling files between different devices. I’d recommend downloading the free version of Plex onto your old laptop as a way to store and organize all of your digital media. This app allows you to access your content remotely and from any device that’s connected to your Wi-Fi. It also automatically organizes your movies and grabs information like plot summaries and ratings, saving you a ton of extra work. Plus, you don’t have to pay for multiple streaming devices, which can be a real drag as it adds up and gets criminally expensive.

Ben Patterson/Foundry

Turn it into a distraction-free writing device

If you’re looking to boost your productivity, I’d recommend installing FocusWriter on your old laptop. It’s a simple, lightweight word processor with an interface that hides your menus and toolbars until you’re ready to use them again. It also has a lot of cool features like typewriter sound effects, daily word count goals, timed sessions, and more. It’s free to use and it’s available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Download a lightweight OS for basic tasks

Installing a lightweight operating system like Ubuntu or Puppy Linux can breathe new life into your machine. It doesn’t need a lot of power to run and it’s great for day-to-day tasks like checking Facebook, writing papers, and so on. Not only is this an excellent way to extend the life of your old laptop, but you’re also saving money you would’ve spent on a Chromebook or a comparable machine that’s designed for daily use.

If you’re going the Ubuntu route, make sure you’ve got at least 4GB of RAM and a dual-core processor to ensure smooth performance. You can also use Ubuntu’s lighter version Lubuntu, which runs on as little as 512MB-1GB of RAM. 

Lubuntu

Use it as a second monitor

I’m a big fan of dual monitor setups. It helps me be more productive at work and it’s also useful when I’m playing a game and need to reference the accompanying Wiki page without minimizing or pausing the window I’m on. If you fancy the idea of using your old laptop as a second monitor, there are a couple ways to go about it. However, make sure both devices are running Windows 10 or 11, otherwise this won’t work.

If you’ve got a Windows 10 or 11 PC, you can wirelessly connect to another Windows PC (aka your old laptop) with the Wireless Display feature. The first thing you’ll need to do is set up the Wireless Display feature on your old laptop. To do this, go to Settings > System > Projecting to this PC and set “Some Windows and Android devices can project to this PC” to “Available Everywhere.” Next pick “First Time Only” and then open the Connect app.

On the PC you’re projecting from, press Win+P, select Extend, and click on “Connect to a Wireless Display.” Select your old laptop from the list of available devices and voila! You’ve officially transformed your old laptop into a usable secondary display.

If the built-in Wireless Display feature doesn’t work for some reason, you can always use Spacedesk, a third-party application that allows you turn another device into a secondary monitor. Once you’ve installed Spacedesk on your main PC and on your old laptop, you’ll want to make sure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi. Now open the Spacedesk app on your old laptop and connect to your main PC. That’s really all there is to it!

Play your favorite retro games

Sometimes you just want to relive your childhood by playing your favorite NES games, you know? Fortunately, you can do this on an old laptop. All you have to do is install an emulator, which mimics a gaming console, onto your old laptop. Personally, I’d recommend installing RetroArch. The interface is easy to navigate and it houses multiple consoles in one program, so you don’t have to go installing separate emulators for each console. It also has tons of popular classic games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Final Fantasy VII, Spyro the Dragon, and more.

To get the most out of your gaming experience, I’d recommend using a USB or Bluetooth controller and connecting an HDMI cable to play on a TV screen.

RetroArch