
If you’re going to have roommates or family members using the computer to watch shows or movies, you might want to either run a fresh install of your operating system first, or create a separate user account just for these purposes.

Ok, so “surgery” may be a little dramatic, but there is a bit of prep work involved in converting that old office computer into a streaming-ready device. Send movies, TV shows, music, and games to it over your network, and in no time you’ll have turned that hunk of metal into a fast and awesome streaming machine. Instead of reenacting the printer scene from Office Space, put that old laptop or desktop to good use as a home media server.

Ti Santi/ShutterstockThat new computer feeling is awesome, but there’s the old one, sitting on the floor of your office, taking up space, seemingly useless.
