We already said that Windows 7 support ends on January 14, 2020, which means that security updates will stop. We talked about the precautions that must be taken if you want to continue using Windows 7, however advising not to do so and change the operating system. If the ideal thing for XP users is to install Windows 7, but if you have an old PC or don't want to pay for a new Windows license then it might be the ideal time to try a Linux distribution. Zorin OS could be the ideal system to replace Windows 7 without changing habits
Zorin OS is a Linux distribution that tries to look more like Windows, not so much for the graphical interface, but for usability.
Based on Ubuntu, the most popular Linux distro, it was designed specifically for Windows users who need to abandon Windows 7.
Zorin OS is one of the easiest to learn and easy to use Linux versions and can be installed alongside Windows, immediately, without paying anything and absolutely painlessly.
It also allows you to run Windows programs on Linux with the WINE and PlayOnLinux emulators.
The installation of Zorin OS is quite simple, especially if you want to replace Windows 7 with Linux. With a dual-boot installation you can always return to Windows 7 without problems and without losing anything. Since Zorin OS is based on Ubuntu, creating a dual-boot configuration is really simple and guided, the important thing is that you have space on the disk to create a new partition.
The first step in installing Zorin OS is to download the ISO file, burn it to a CD and boot the PC from CD.
You can also put the ISO on a USB stick using a program like Unetbootin
From the initial system startup you can choose to use Zorin OS live without installing it (ideal to preview it) or to install it.
Follow the wizard taking care not to delete the existing installation of Windows.
If in doubt, you can search for any installation guide like this in Italian.
Zorin OS, as already written, has been designed to remain as familiar as possible to Windows 7 users, without clearly copying the graphic aspect.
At the bottom left there is the Z icon that works like the Windows 7 "Start" button and gives access to installed programs. At the bottom of the desktop is the taskbar while at the bottom right is the clock and other notification icons. with a double click on the icon you can open the file explorer similar to that of Windows. The file explorer in Zorin OS uses a theme that is very reminiscent of that of Microsoft systems. On the left column are the main folders, the list of connected disks and network resources. The right pane shows the files and folders instead. you can view the icons as a list or in a grid.
To install Windows programs downloaded from the Internet, you must open the Downloads folder, right click on it, select "Open with" and then choose Wine.
As mentioned above, Wine is the program that emulates Windows under Linux.
Almost all PC programs should work, except Office which can be effectively replaced by LibreOffice.
To run an installed Windows program you can click on the Z icon and then on Other to find the list of programs installed via WINE.
I remember, however, that for every Windows PC program, there is a similar one, free, for Linux.
Another article lists some of the best Windows programs for Linux PCs that also work with Zorin OS.
Overall, Zorin OS manages to make the transition from Windows to Linux easier than you might have thought.
The user interface has been designed to be familiar to Windows users and the inclusion of WINE allows you to use Windows 7 programs without problems.
The differences between the two operating systems are very deep, but they do not come to the surface and users will be able to learn them over time and with experience during the daily use of the computer.
You are not forced to learn the fundamentals of Linux (although it is strongly recommended) and for any problem you can search for guides on the internet.
If you can't or don't want to use a newer version of Windows, rather than being limited and exposed to any danger on the net with Windows 7, it's worth a try with Zorin OS that works well on old computers and notebooks as well .
