It sounds like your Windows system really gave you a hard time.
Sorry to hear that.

I haven't used Windows in about 8 years so I'm sorry I won't be much help.
Eight years ago I let Linux take over my desktop and laptop and haven't went back to Windows.

As far as Ubuntu not detecting the wifi adapter is concerened; do you have a switch of some sort to switch on and off the wifi adapter?

Do you still have the usb wifi dongle that requires a driver?

If so you could install the driver for the dongle (if it's not to complicated) and get Mint working.

There is no switch for the wifi adapter. If I could install the driver for the dongle I could as easily install the driver for the wifi adapter on my PC.. right? I'd rather use it because it works well with everything else. I am skeptical of the dongle's ability to provide the reception quality I need with my remote from the source of the signal setup...

I am a grandfather again... third one. My daughter gave birth to a boy this morning.

Is there a way to get online using a bluetooth connection? I have a smart phone paired with the funky mint machine. The phone is connected to wifi.

Right.
Not being familiar with becoming root, running commands in the terminal and the like doesn't make it easy for you. I see that now.

Congratulations!

I don't know how to connect to a phones wifi.

Is tha's considered a hotspot this link might help.
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=228376

Here's the instructions for Ubuntu:
http://www.intrawebsolns.com/how-to-...-is-supported/

Thanks for the congrats. I am not familiar with lots of stuff concerning computers, although I do use them a lot. It's about time I started to learn. I am trying to focus on music right now. I got the Lenovo computer to help me in the respect. It's not helping .. not yet anyway.

I figured out how to get stuff to the USB device from Mint. I could not figure out how to put things in the folder I created on the USB. I found that pasting the text from terminal to text editor and then saving it to USB did the trick. I don't need to use the Bluetooth, so...

Glad to hear you are making progress.

I seem to have made a few steps forward. I just hope I don't slide back to where I started. I am a bit more familiar with all things linux now.

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Good.

Once you get comfortable with the command-line you will be good to go:-

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Command line? Is that when you are writing code in the terminal window? It used to feel like a scary thing to do. Not so much anymore. One thing... why can't I copy a command someone has provided, like on a forum, and paste it into the terminal. Sometimes it works, mostly not.

I was checking out your art. We've got big cats here in WA. One of them killed a hiker a while ago. It's rare but it happens. Cougars. Never try to run away from them we are told. Stand your ground and try to look big and scary.

So there we these two (pick your choice) lawyers hiking. They suddenly saw a cougar just above about to pounce. The one in front saw his 'friend' taking off his pack. What you gonna do, first guy says. I'm gonna run for it. he says. You damn fool. you can't outrun a mountain lion. I don't have to says guy in the back. I just have to outrun you.

Your mileage may vary, but with the terminals I've used, you can paste into the terminal window by using shift-ctrl-v (i.e. you press the shift key at the same time as the normal ctrl-v). Similarly, to copy text from the terminal window, you highlight the text then use shift-ctrl-c.

1 members found this post helpful.

Yes, writing code or just typing in commands.
It might not work because you have to be running the terminal as root.

Thanks for looking at my art.
Shame a hiker was killed-

Cougars are very powerful and can do serious damage to a human I wouldn't want to run into one of them:-

Liked your joke- lol

What's your favorite animal?

These videos will help you.

How To Become Root In LM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ39Dc5VqrE

How to use the Terminal (Basic's of commandline)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XgBd6rjuDQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQlPKWAlTQQ

How To Install a Proprietary Driver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkKkuzWlaGo

This isn't the exact driver that you need but this video will show you how to install it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ0gcA778Ms

Well around here everyone has heard that joke. I guess it helps to change location once in awhile so you can re-use old jokes. BTW.. never ask the halibut fishermen if he went fishing just for the halibut... hell of it. They've heard that one too.

I live in a forested area. We have big owls and ravens. We think an owl got our kitty, but it could have been a coyote. I rarely see the owls but I hear them at night. They sound like demented chickens sometimes.. a mated pair. This is their territory. I don't know if I like the ravens or owls the best. The ravens are very talkative. I talk back and imagine they are replying. I am pretty sure I heard one barking back at our dog. We have pods of Orca whales too. (not in the forest) Who doesn't love them?

It is a shame the hiker or was it a cyclist, got killed. They are very shy of humans generally. A couple of years ago another man was gored by a wild goat in the Olympic Mts. Old indian saying: sometimes the hunter gets the bear and sometimes the bear gets the hunter.