Without further research

I have fallen into the deep end many times, trying to avoid it, and eventually I learn from it. I decided to install Arch on my laptop. I knew it would be difficult. Arch is considered the hardest OS to install, and sometimes it can cause hardware issues. I had done Linux installations before, and this time my whole focus was to make my laptop run faster. It had been continuously deteriorating due to its age.

Arch Linux is notoriously difficult to install; sometimes it's hit or miss. I got tunnel visioned about the things to install on the new OS and learn about it. So when I got stuck in just the installation phase, at one point my disk got formatted. Suddenly, all I had was a piece of plastic that wouldn't run anything. I thought of the many times I had installed Kali and the many times I got stuck with Windows installations, each time brought new problems.

I was confident the installation would be pretty easy, so I didn't do much research. I didn't know about the new feature of windows, disk encryption, which makes it hard to install Linux. After troubleshooting for a while and getting help from Claude to run commands, I got frustrated and gave up entirely. I didn't even want to touch it anymore. The reasoning for pain was entirely that I wanted everything up and running fast without actually learning Arch and explaining things to AI requires you to be very precise, almost like talking to a toddler.

The next day, I went to my friend's place and created bootable media for Linux Mint, the easiest of them all, and installed it. The problem was solved. Windows alone had been consuming 4 to 6 GB of RAM just to run. Now I can run two applications simultaneously, and the usage still doesn't match Windows's typical consumption. Windows has become so bloated that even shutting down everything in the background and cleaning up unnecessary files, it's still very clunky.

A Moment of Resurrection

For about a month, I had so many problems with Windows and my laptop that I hated it. But the moment I installed Linux, something shifted. It felt like the machine had been given life again. That night, sitting alone in the dark, I had a moment of realization. It was clear and simple: it's okay. I don't need the newest hardware. I will use this laptop until it lasts probably until I can afford to upgrade. But until then, I want to keep it alive. And in that acceptance, I felt something unexpected: not regret, but gratitude. A strange tenderness toward this aging machine that had been given a second breath.

A Note for Windows Users
If you have similar problems with Windows, I'd recommend watching Chris Titus Tech's video on this topic. He has a tool that you don't have to download you just run it in the terminal, and it will significantly speed up your Windows system.

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