Laptops aren't as powerful as regular desktop PCs, but they can still be quite capable.If you have a laptop with a busted screen, these are 5 great ways to put it back to use and keep it out of the landfill.Build a home server You don't need anything special to start self-hosting Getting started in the self-hosting or homelabbing world can seem like a major expense, especially if you start listening to the naysayers.
However, an old busted-up laptop is a great starting point, and you can often get one for free.As often as not, if a laptop's screen is broken, everything else will work just fine.If you need to, you can also add an external mouse, keyboard, and monitor to get it up and running.
Once you have basic access, all you need to do is install Proxmox, which is a hypervisor operating system that lets you create new virtual machines (VMs) or containers (like a lightweight VM) with the press of a few buttons.A modest laptop could easily turn into a media server, a Minecraft server, an Adguard server, or any other number of things.Since it is a laptop, it even comes with a built-in battery backup, which dramatically cuts down on your chances of data corruption or loss due to an unexpected power outage.
I'd recommend using a wired connection it if you can, which may involve adding a USB to Ethernet adapter to the setup.It adds a little bit of expense, but if anything you're hosting is sensitive to latency (like a game server) the extra stability is worth it in most cases.Turn it into a retro gaming console Revisit your DOS favorites Retro games—depending on the games you want to play—can be a great use for an old laptop since they usually don't require particularly powerful hardware to work.
If you're interested in playing DOS games, I'd recommend trying out one of the DOSBox forks, like DOSBox-Staging.Alternatively, GOG has a growing library of retro games that are effectively now click to play, even on Windows 11.Depending on what you want, you could also try out something like Dolphin emulator, which opens up the world of GameCube and Wii games.
Assuming the USB ports still work, you could even attach a controller or era-appropriate keyboard to your retro gaming setup.Use it as a network monitor Knowing what is going on with your network is invaluable If you're into self-hosting or a smart home enthusiast, then you'll eventually run into situations where tracking down a network problem becomes a headache.That is where network monitoring comes in.
Network monitoring software can do anything from simple speed tests—which can be helpful if you're getting ripped off by your ISP—to packet-level analysis of your traffic.If your laptop is running Linux (and it should be for a network monitor), I'd recommend starting with three applications: Internet monitor—Analyzes your speed, records uptime and downtime nmap—A utility you can run over SSH to map your network, test open ports, and identify running services ntopng—A full-featured network monitor that is capable of monitoring all traffic on a network Add a hard drive and make a NAS Why pay for a storage system when you can build a better one? A NAS is a fantastic addition to any home network, since it can serve as a convenient way to share files with other people in your household or serve as a backup server for important files, photos, or videos.To turn an old laptop into a NAS, you first need to buy an external hard drive and attach it to your PC over USB.
I'd recommend buying two large, mechanical hard drives and sticking them in an external USB enclosure.Then all you need to do is install TrueNAS on your laptop, plug the drives in, and follow the setup guide.It'll walk you through setting up data redundancy and network access.
Turn it into a media PC Maybe you can save by canceling your streaming subscriptions Over the last year or so, I've taken to buying old CDs at garage sales, flea markets, and other second-hand sources, then ripping them to my PC.In this way, I've largely replaced Spotify and other streaming services with my own self-hosted music streaming service.I even turned a Raspberry Pi into a music streaming server for my car.
An old laptop with an external drive, or even a flash drive, could make an excellent media server.I'd recommend a lightweight operating system like Ubuntu server and then the app Navidrome for the music server.Subscribe for More Smart Ways to Reuse Old Laptops Looking for more repurpose projects? Subscribe to our newsletter for practical how-tos, parts recommendations, and setup tips focused on turning busted laptops into home servers, NAS, media centers, retro consoles, or network monitors.
Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.You can unsubscribe anytime.Then, all you need to do is tell Navidrome where to find your music files and install the appropriate application on your phone or PC to listen.
In a worst-case scenario, and the laptop can't be repurposed, there are often some parts you can take out that will be helpful.The SSD or hard drive can almost always be repurposed and put into a different PC.If you have another laptop that can take it, you should remove the RAM from the old laptop and keep it on hand for an upgrade for another laptop, especially given that the RAM price crisis is likely to persist for several years at least.
You may also be able to pull out a Wi-Fi card, though making it work in a different setup can sometimes be challenging.
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