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For the laptop in the closet

Give that old PC another boot.

Your old computer can still browse and write a letter. Spareboot gives it a light, legal operating system, a starter zip that runs the checkup on that PC, and help that looks at a photo instead of putting you on hold. About $79 a year — and only if the machine is actually Ready.

QR code for https://spareboot.com/phone

Steps on your phone

Scan with your phone. The short steps stay open while you work.

spareboot.com/phone
  • Official downloads only
  • Pay only if Ready
  • Chat + photos, no call center
Spareboot logo: a teal monitor with a flying boot, coral sole and flame, above the Spareboot wordmark

Repair slip

If Ready

Patient
Closet laptop, last decade
Complaint
Windows 11 said no
Treatment
A lighter OS, official download
Job
Email, browsing, the odd letter
Amount due
$0 until Ready

How it works

Four steps. No phone tree.

You don’t need a screwdriver personality. Download the starter on the old PC and run it, or carry the zip over from any computer that still has a network. A USB stick is the backup, for when that machine can’t download. A phone photo covers the confusing menu.

  1. 01

    Show us the patient

    A photo of the sticker is plenty. Brand, model, and a guess at the memory. The sweet spot is roughly the last ten years.

  2. 02

    Pick a light system

    ChromeOS Flex, Linux Mint XFCE, Lubuntu, or antiX. The one that fits the hardware — from the publisher’s own download page.

  3. 03

    Download the starter

    On that old PC — or any PC that still has a network — download the starter zip and run Start-Spareboot. It checks the machine, offers safe repairs, scans drivers, and sets up browsing and writing. A USB stick is only if that machine can’t download.

  4. 04

    Pay if it’s Ready

    Browsing and word processing, for real. Then the yearly license. If the machine can’t do the job, we stop and you don’t pay.

The job

What it’s for, and what it’s not.

Download the starter on the old PC first. A USB stick is the backup, for a machine that can’t reach the site.

What it’s for

  • A closet laptop or desktop from about the last ten years.
  • Browsing, email, and word processing — the job the machine still has.
  • A light system from the publisher’s own download.
  • Download the starter on that PC and run it. A USB stick is only the backup.

What it’s not

  • A Windows install, cracked or otherwise.
  • A gaming PC, a video studio, or a promise to make it new.
  • A phone queue. Help is chat plus a photo.
  • A bill for a machine that never gets Ready.

What’s included

Everything for a first boot. Checkout can wait.

Start here

Starter zip

Unzip it and double-click Start-Spareboot. You get a hardware report, optional safe repairs, a driver list that points at official pages, and browse-and-docs software. A light OS downloads only after you type READY. The zip does not erase the disk.

Backup plan

USB, if you must

Only when download isn’t practical: no network, a dead drive, or a machine that won’t open a browser. Then a name-brand stick you already own carries the same plan. A mailed kit comes later.

Chat and photos

Ask Spareboot

Grok, on your phone. Send a photo of the screen, the BIOS page, or the sticker. You get one next step, not a lecture.

Pay if Ready

Yearly license

About $79 for one machine. Charged only when that machine is Ready. Checkout isn’t switched on yet.

One system, chosen on purpose

We don’t install four operating systems to see which one feels lucky. RAM, the certified list, and a usable screen pick the winner.

  • The tidy one.

    ChromeOS Flex

    Only when Google’s certified list says this exact model is welcome. We check the list. We don’t guess.

    Certified models

  • The comfortable one.

    Linux Mint XFCE

    A normal laptop’s favorite second career. Choose the XFCE edition on the download page.

    Official download

  • The lighter one.

    Lubuntu

    For 2–4 GB of RAM and honest expectations. Still fine for the web and a letter.

    Official download

  • The scrappy one.

    antiX

    When the machine is modest and still worth keeping. Browsing and writing, without the fanfare.

    Official download

House rules

  • Official downloads from the publisher
  • A bill only after the PC is Ready
  • Help by chat and a photo
  • Backup before anything is erased

Cracked Windows, mystery ISOs, and phone queues are not on the menu.

Pricing

The honest part, up front.

Spareboot is a yearly license. The number we say out loud is $79. The usual band is $50 to $100. You pay it for a machine that works — not for a heroic attempt.

Ready
It boots the light system, reaches the internet, and a person can browse and write.
Not Ready
It won’t boot, the picture never arrives, or you don’t want to erase the disk. We stop. The license is $0.

Yearly license

$79/ year

One machine. Charged only if it’s Ready.

  • Boots the light system
  • Gets on the internet
  • Browses and writes a document
  • Help stays in chat, with photos

Checkout isn’t open yet. There is no buy button on purpose. Join the list and we’ll email you when payment is real — still gated on Ready.

Have a family or tester code?

FAQ

Questions, before a cousin recommends a driver site.

About $79 a year, usually somewhere from $50 to $100, for one machine. You are charged only if it is Ready: it boots, it gets online, and a person can browse and type. If we stop early, you pay nothing. Checkout isn’t open yet, so today there is nothing to buy.

That computer still has a boot in it.

Download the starter on that PC, ask for one photo-guided step, or leave your email for the day checkout opens.