Save a Netbook With Windows 10 & an SSD Upgrade?

We had someone return an old Samsung N150 netbook that was made in January of 2010 running Windows 7 Starter with just a dual core Atom CPU and 2GB of RAM. It is old and it is weak.
In this video benchmark it, disassemble it, Replace the spinning hard drive with a Kingston v300 SSD and install Windows 10 October 2010 update from scratch. We show how to legally install a fresh copy of windows 10 and activate it legitimately.
We benchmark the Netbook with the SSD and Windows 10, then we install an different spinning disk, install Windows 10 and then benchmark it again!
The results are a bit surprising.
Upgrade A Netbook to Windows 10? 0:00
Samsung N150 Specs 0:40
No HDMI, USB3, SSD in Netbooks 0:55
Benchmark Netbook with Windows 7 & Spinning Disk 1:30
32 Bit Novabench Netbook 2:15
Samsung N150 Features 2:45
Disassemble Netbook 1:20
Novabench Netbook Results 3:30
Windows 7 Userbenchmark Netbook 4:18
Samsung Netbook Disassembly 5:18
Samsung Netbook Parts WiFi Drive RAM CPU Speakers 6:57
Replace Netbook Harddrive with SSD 7:48
Kingston A400 vs SSDNow V300 8:30
BIOS vs UEFI 9:55
How to Download Windows 32 Bit 10:08
Install Windows 10 on Netbook for Free 10:20
Windows 10 license key 12:45
Avoid Using Microsoft Account 14:26
What is a PIN 14:40
Activate Windows 10 with Windows 7 Key 16:50
Improve Performance of Windows 10 18:45
Windows 10 SSD Benchmark Netbook 20:55
Windows 10 Spinning Disk Benchmark Netbook 22:13
Summary Win10 & SSD can save a Netbook 23:27

[@SteveKxyz]

Interesting video. I have a similar machine NC10, originally came with Windows XP but now have it running Windows 10. One problem with machine is ribbon cable contacts with screen - you have to jiggle screen position a bit, or pinch screen in one particular spot. Its my backup Windows machine.

[@diygeneration5566]

*The weakest link in the Samsung N-220 netbook is the processor. Replacing the HDD with an SSD will not bring significant improvements (10-20% at most, which does not solve the problem). Even a Windows 10 ltsс will not do (I tried it with my 1.83GHz/2GB/128GB SSD).In the end I installed it with Linux Lite 5.4 and the netbook came to life. Even so the netbook can not handle some programs like Google Chrome and its applications. I am going to install a lighter Linux (Antix or Arch). On my channel there are a couple of videos about it. Check it out ;-)*

[@GameboyJunky]

What's a good browser that it can handle?

[@Aliuddinx]

It was lacking ram 2 gb isn't enough to run windows 10

[@MisterSolitude]

what about lubuntu

[@diygeneration5566]

@@MisterSolitude I haven't studied the system yet. I will definitely look into it. Thank you.

[@alecaishere]

Try void linux

[@jaimecosta2966]

I bought one of this laptops didn't realise that it's ten years old... Time does go fãst.. Saying that my has two memory's slots and I have upgraded to 3G memory will be doing a ssd upgrade soon.. I am not shour but in some videoa I got the inpression that it had some sort of m.2 slot next to the hard drive... Thank you for the video wish you well

[@URTechDotCa]

It definitely does not have an M.2 slot :( Thanks for the thanks

[@Ilyes7594]

THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@stargirl_]

no matter what I do. bios doesn't recognise/acknowledge the usb ports. the only option I get when in boot option priorities is the Kingston SSD. this is so frustrating.

[@johnbee1574]

I’m late in the game but just pointing out there’s not two screws missing on the hard drive they go through the case and hold it down. Just saying as I added two in and then realised :)

[@japekto2138]

I have a Toshiba Mini NB305-N600 which has an Atom N550 (2 cores, 4 threads). One nice thing about it is the RAM and hard drive port have dedicated access. So, no need to unscrew the bottom cover. My main problem with it is the last supported accelerated graphics driver for the GMA 3150 is for Windows 7. No GMA 3150 support beyond that. So, I stick with Windows 7.

[@heartbtlove4575]

Found this video useful after 3 years back, but i have few confusion or questions can i ask it personally

[@khalidsr1]

Amazing 👏and useful video 4 me.. God bless you and your family 2 😇✋

[@URTechDotCa]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@Luisppk2812]

Hi, I have a toshiba netbook nb505, and I wanna know if is possible to change the wifi card, 'cause its obsolete from 2009/2010. I prefer to update a new wifi card.

[@MarkyMacaroni]

What video driver did you install about Samsung N150? Is video graphics driver still support for windows 10?

[@URTechDotCa]

We did not install a special driver and the machine operated just fine with full resolution and performance. We donated this machine to a family with 4 kids using 1 old PC to get through their COVID nightmare. This was not a great machine, but it helped them :)

[@RobsTechfromtiktok]

I have this laptop and found that it was very laggy on the latest version of windows 10, however I put Windows 10 Version 1511 on it and it runs perfectly fine with no laggy animations, the latest version is just bloated.

[@shezamshazam9345]

@aka sam yeet Aka i use to have ol d w10 and it demanded updated, i didi it and it runs slow (cortana, more apps, more animations, more needy system) i would say no

[@rayhanrizvi334]

would recommend win 10 in s mode, its a smaller downplayed win 10, less laggy

[@RobsTechfromtiktok]

@@rayhanrizvi334 doesn’t that just get rid of every app that’s not Microsoft’s?

[@rayhanrizvi334]

@@RobsTechfromtiktok yeah but it is the least laggy trust me. I recently got one of these s laptops and it is faster than my more expensive dell inspiron, despite the 2 almost having the same stats(the inspiron has an i5 this vivobook has an i3)

[@rayhanrizvi334]

@Liah2014 for me i need to have win 10 to run the softwares i use for school, otherwise i would have stayed with xp :/

[@mariokart2170]

Nice

[@reaperelite1050]

whats the charging cable called i have one of these but i dont the charging cable so i cant start it.

[@MrLinoadolfo]

Have you tried W7 with SSD? I have an Samsung N150 with W7 and was thinking about change the HD for a SSD. Yes, it's incredible, but some applications that I use need W7 (😂), like connection with windows mobile devices that are not recognized in w8 or w10. Thanks a lot

[@BeeJay120]

18:47 - Disabling 'Background Apps' under Privacy in the Settings app significantly aids performance.

[@Jetski2]

Just tried to install Windows 10 Home 32 on my old Acer Aspire One Netbook but it failed because of a Media Driver missing? Any ideas? Model number A0531h - 0dK I have also installed a SSD and up the RAM from 1G to 2G...

[@rayhanrizvi334]

2gb of ram is too little to run win 10 its gonna crash 100% anyway. coming from a fellow aspire owner, except i have the zg5 model with win xp.

[@vamolopiiiiibeeee895]

Linuxmint

[@AntiGrieferGames]

​@@rayhanrizvi334 win 10 worked on 2gb ram before.

[@FuchsiaShocked]

I found that on atom-based netbooks like this, any windows OS later than XP will be absolutely turgid. I put a very lean linux distro on mine instead and it's now quite usable for basic tasks, though dealing with the bloat of the modern web is still beyond it.

[@markenetube]

I used one just like that up intil 2 years ago. Windows 7 32bit was faster than most others. I dual booted it with Mint for going online. I used 7 for old games. I love old tech.

[@Diza_X]

I wouldn't trust automatically installed drivers from WinUpdate and from Samsung, all/most of them are outdated. There are newer ones available

[@mouradatia9580]

i have the same netbook. it has been laying around my house for a few years now. i did everything you said in this video, and now i see my processor running at 99% , won't that burn the system within a week?

[@JorgeRodriguez-sc9vn]

Same here. Did you ever try any linux distro?

[@mouradatia9580]

@@JorgeRodriguez-sc9vn i didn't. Do you think a linux distro will decrease cpu usage? If yes, please recommend one.

[@JorgeRodriguez-sc9vn]

@@mouradatia9580 I saw antix linux is ridiculously light. You may try that out

[@EndUser2090]

Do you know if that windows 7 key trick will work on windows 11?

[@BeeJay120]

It probably did, but not anymore since they closed the loophole on September 2023 :(

[@foxyridergaming9198]

its good to be if have old netbook with DDR3 ram for maximum upgrade for 4gb...but not for 8gb...intel atom not support ram for 8gb...max only 4gb DDR3

[@mellizag.materia515]

How to download apps on netbook N150 samsung? Thank you for your reply

[@URTechDotCa]

Hi Melliza; It is just Windows 10 so if you want to download apps I would use the Microsoft Store. If you don't know where that is, just click the START button and type STORE... it will appear. Thanks!

[@9852323]

If you have windows 7 just search in the browser for app then click download.

[@jayrtrapsi]

when i was attending college i traded my $1,500 5 lb laptop for a $150 samsung netbook . it was all i needed for internet and typing document

[@YehLoh]

my old HDD is 5 volt 700 mA. So, can you suggest me a ssd with same specifications

[@URTechDotCa]

Any SATA HDD, including SSD's should work. Have you tried a standard unit? Thanks Yeh

[@YehLoh]

@@URTechDotCa , yes tried but not working. Not even booting up

[@9852323]

@@YehLoh probably because you just installed a blank ssd with no windows on it. So it’s not booting

[@pillowrex811]

what SSD are you using?

[@bobbyblue3272]

Did you add ram on it ?

[@URTechDotCa]

I did not. It was stock.

[@rekkosdiary4907]

Hello, Mr. Man! Will upgrading the ram help?

[@URTechDotCa]

It could but as I recall Atom CPU's are limited to 2GB of RAM at the hardware level because Intel did not want them competing with Celerons back in the day.

[@rekkosdiary4907]

@@URTechDotCa oh, I see.. thank you for the speedy reply, Mr. man!

[@URTechDotCa]

Netbooks, well specifically Atom CPU's are intentionally restricted to 2GB (booooooo Intel). thanks for the comment Rekko

[@cankzlyar3388]

@@URTechDotCa hi. I have hp mini 210-2200st. It has 2gb ram with intel atom n550 and Official specs says 2gb only. Cant I upgrade to 4gb with same ram specs like mhz?

[@Jetski2]

Hi, I tried to update my old Acer aspire one netbook with Windows 10 via USB stick. I updated the hard drive to a SSD and increased the RAM from 1G to 2G. When I try to update I keep getting the "Media Driver Missing" message. Any ideas?

[@jasonanonuevo3982]

Did you max the ram?

[@URTechDotCa]

I don't recall, but I don't think so.

[@somecuntxxx]

my computer has like a billion HDDs in it but i use SSHDDs for network.

[@daniloboechat]

My netbook does not appear the AHCI driver when using SSD A400 Kingston. In BIOS, at the Advanced tab, I put AHCI Mode COntrol-> Manual; SATA Controller Mode Option-> Enhanced, and SATA AHCI Enable-> Enable. But the disk doesn't appear! =/

[@URTechDotCa]

Hi Danilo, I don't think the BIOS cares that the "disk" is an SSD. The BIOS is actually talking to the SATA controller on the drive. Can you put the old spinning disk back in and see if it shows up. If it does not, I would reset the BIOS to factory settings and see what happens. Let us know how it goes...happy to help.

[@MrWarrenMC]

@@URTechDotCa - Awesome Video - Thanks you! I have a Similar Problem with an SSD in the Same Machine... Please can you advise on your Bios Version on the Main Screen - mine is 06JI and on SATA Port1 (none) (drive) listed (EDIT 07FEB 2021) - Tried a Few other SATA3 SSD's which Worked - for some Reason an Intel 400GB at 1.9Amp not being detected in Bios..

[@krisredgrave8484]

I have this exact problem with same notebook and SSD. Mine is a 240gb. I need to try today if updating the BIOS can help because needs to get more modern patches or so.

[@MrWarrenMC]

@@krisredgrave8484 I tried another SSD and it worked 1st time... The only notable difference was that the other manufacturers drive used a lower amperage.. The one that didn't work was using 1.9amps..

[@krisredgrave8484]

@@MrWarrenMC what ssd did you use? I'm looking for a Crucial 256gb that it's suposed to work

[@mgreenblackeditzzzz]

Wallpaper plz

[@9852323]

If I had that slow of a computer I’d just install windows 8.1 it’s faster than 7 and 10

[@pixx6974]

*linux like bodhi,puppy linux, lubuntu etc

[@coneccionmusical3797]

Hello, memory ram capacity?

[@abdullahchris9176]

I guess I am kinda off topic but do anybody know of a good site to watch newly released series online ?

[@lyricanakin844]

@Abdullah Chris i would suggest flixzone. You can find it on google =)

[@malcolmallan9234]

@Lyric Anakin definitely, have been watching on FlixZone for years myself :)

[@abdullahchris9176]

@Lyric Anakin thank you, signed up and it seems to work :) I really appreciate it!!

[@lyricanakin844]

@Abdullah Chris You are welcome :)

[@vinizan]

Lubuntu would be a much better option than Windows

[@URTechDotCa]

Perhaps, but people want Windows and I donated this to a poor family at the start of Covid who needed the standard.

[@vinizan]

@@URTechDotCa most people don´t need Windows, they just want to open the browser and use the same way they always used. If you can´t afford a new PC the minimum you can do is to give a chance do Linux, it will open doors for you in the future.

[@klaritakreka3038]

I think windows 10 and ssd can save the netbook

[@pixx6974]

Nah probably a lightweight linux os with the ssd probably could

[@stargirl_]

So, now that I updated the old HDD to Windows 10 all my circles look like ovals... as as I learned that is an issue that is there for the last 5 years and I haven't found a fix for this netbook. Just amazing how nothing works on windows...

[@rfj1989]

I think a bigger ram stick (4 gb) also needed for this pc under windows 10

[@Jdmusic101]

Maximum on this computer is 2 GB IIRC

[@rfj1989]

@@Jdmusic101 i think 4GB is supported

[@Jdmusic101]

@@rfj1989 Crucial and MemoryStock websites say 2 GB unless you have a different model

[@codebeat4192]

Remember on Windows 32 bit it sees only 3GB of the 4GB

[@funey9541]

the atom n450 is 64-bit, so you can get 4gb (in theory) but sadly, the n450 can't handle more than 2gb of ram so yeah

[@oguzhankarahan1737]

No, it won't work.

[@kamenyanis7509]

windows 10 makes it 10x worse

[@URTechDotCa]

Mine worked faster and smoother - Perhaps the latest updates have caused problems, but I can't speak to that because I donated the unit.

[@pixx6974]

​@@URTechDotCabro bodhi linux or puppy linux would perfect for that netbook

[@homelessEh]

windows 10? USE ATLAS OS on it! it'll perk it up a notch.

[@AndriesDaniel]

Put MX Linux or Puppy Linux on it , it will run like crazy fast !

[@homelessEh]

ATLAS OS! if you use windows 10

[@homelessEh]

if only my little gateway amd netbook didnt die .. before i knew how easy it would have been to upgrade it... the gateway lt13 amd netbook albeit was 13" but had a socket s1 cpu..if i only knew how easy i could have dropped a 1.2 ghz dual core into it... ah well.. whudda ya do..

[@URTechDotCa]

We are aware of Atlas but never used it. We will try it on the next oooold computer save. Thanks