SPAREBOOT STARTER
Give that old PC another boot.

This zip runs a Windows checkup. It is not only a readme.
It is not a cracked Windows installer. It is not a phone number.
It is a short path to browsing and word processing on an older PC.

WHAT IT'S FOR
- A closet computer from about the last ten years.
- Browsing, email, and word processing.
- A light, legal system from the publisher's own download.
- Download this starter on that PC and run it. USB is 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.

RUN IT (WINDOWS)
1. Unzip this folder. Do not run it from inside the zip.
2. Double-click Start-Spareboot.bat.
3. Choose "Walk the whole path", or pick a step.
   Assess, then minor repairs, then drivers, then browse and docs,
   then the light operating system.
4. Keep your phone on the steps. Scan qr\phone.svg or open
   https://spareboot.com/phone
   PHONE-SHEET.html is the same sheet, for paper.

If Windows says the file is blocked: right-click the zip, Properties,
Unblock, then unzip again.

A Mac cannot run the tools. See mac\README-mac.txt.

WHAT THE TOOL DOES
- Assess: CPU, memory, free disk, graphics, Windows edition and build,
  battery, and whether the network answered. Writes reports\assessment.txt
  and reports\machine.json. Changes nothing.
- Minor repairs: only after you type YES. Temp files, Recycle Bin,
  Fast Startup, hibernate file, and optional SFC or DISM. No disk wipe.
- Drivers: lists devices Windows is unhappy about, with vendor and device
  IDs, and official pages. No driver packs.
- Browse and write: Edge is already there. Firefox and LibreOffice install
  only if you type YES, from their publishers via winget. Desktop shortcuts
  for Google Docs, Microsoft 365, and Spareboot Desk.
- Light OS: suggests Mint XFCE, Lubuntu, or antiX from the assessment.
  ChromeOS Flex only if you confirm the model is on Google's certified list.
  Type READY to download an official image. Type ABORT to stop.
  Downloading does not erase the disk. The publisher's installer is the
  step that can, and only after you boot it and confirm.
- License: redeem a tester code, or re-check one. A turned-off license
  stops the Ready path and the operating-system download.
- Ready check: boots, online, and a person can type a letter. No charge.

YOU PAY ONLY IF IT IS READY
A yearly license is about $79 (usually somewhere from $50 to $100),
one machine. Checkout is not open yet. When it is, you are charged only
if the computer is Ready: it boots, gets online, and can browse and type.
If it can't, stop. You pay nothing.

BEFORE YOU TOUCH THE DISK
1. Back up anything you still want. Photos, letters, tax PDFs, the novel.
2. If BitLocker is on, unlock it and copy files off first. Do not paste
   recovery keys or passwords into chat.
3. Plug in the charger.

USB, ONLY IF YOU CAN'T DOWNLOAD
Skip this if the computer can download.
A name-brand stick, 16 GB or larger.
Rufus: https://rufus.ie/
Ventoy: https://www.ventoy.net/en/download.html
The starter does not write the stick. Phone steps:
https://spareboot.com/phone#usb

ASK SPAREBOOT
https://spareboot.com/phone#ask
On your phone, open Grok: https://grok.com
Send a photo and reports\machine.json. One next step. No passwords.

WHEN TO STOP
Swollen battery, burning smell, or no picture: stop. Not a software job.
Not a bill.

spareboot.com
