This 10-Line Script Saved Me 5 Hours of Tedious Work on My Old PC
The Ultimate Return on Investment
At my job, I had to manually rename and move a hundred different report files every single week. It was a mind-numbing, hour-long task. I spent an afternoon learning the basics of Python scripting. I wrote a simple, ten-line script that automatically finds all the files, renames them according to the pattern I set, and moves them to the correct network folder. Now, a task that used to take me an hour every week takes about three seconds. That one-time, four-hour investment in learning a new skill saves me over 50 hours of tedious work every year.
How I Automated My Entire Morning Routine with an Old Phone and Tasker
The Digital Butler
I have an old Android phone that acts as my smart alarm clock. I use an app called Tasker to create a morning routine. When my 7:00 AM alarm goes off, the phone automatically turns on my smart lamp, starts playing my “Good Morning” Spotify playlist on my Bluetooth speaker, and reads me the day’s weather forecast and my first calendar appointment. It’s a complex chain of events that makes my morning routine seamless and automated, all powered by a piece of “obsolete” tech and a clever piece of software.
I Turned My Old PC into a “Web-Scraping” Bot That Finds Deals for Me
My Personal Deal Hunter
I was trying to find a specific, rare graphics card on eBay, but the prices were all over the place. I set up my old desktop PC to do the work for me. I wrote a simple Python script using a library called “Beautiful Soup.” Every hour, the script automatically “scrapes” the eBay search results page for that graphics card. If it finds a new “Buy It Now” listing that is below my target price of $300, it instantly sends a notification to my phone. It’s my personal, 24/7 deal-hunting bot.
The “AutoHotKey” Script That Added Superpowers to My Old Keyboard
My Keyboard’s Secret Weapon
I use an old, standard keyboard, but I’ve given it superpowers with a free Windows program called AutoHotKey. I have a script that runs in the background. Now, when I press a special key combination, it can instantly type out my full address. Another hotkey automatically launches my three most-used programs. My favorite one is a script that allows me to hold down the Caps Lock key and use my arrow keys to move the mouse cursor pixel by pixel for precise alignments. It has completely transformed my workflow.
How to Create a “One-Click” Backup Solution for Your Entire Family
The Easiest Backup System Ever
My parents never remembered to back up their computer. To make it foolproof, I wrote a simple batch script on their old Windows PC. It’s a text file that contains a single command to copy their entire “My Documents” folder to an external hard drive. I then created a shortcut to that script on their desktop and gave it a big, friendly icon that says “Click Here to Back Up.” Now, they don’t need to navigate menus or drag files; they just double-click one icon once a week.
I’m Using an Old Raspberry Pi to Automatically Test My Internet Speed Every Hour
Keeping My ISP Honest
My internet speed seemed to slow down every afternoon. To prove it, I used an old Raspberry Pi, a tiny five-dollar computer. I wrote a simple script that, once an hour, runs the official “Speedtest” command-line tool. It then saves the download speed, upload speed, and the time to a simple text file. After a week, I had a perfect log that showed a consistent, major slowdown between 3 PM and 7 PM. I sent this data to my internet provider, and they finally sent a technician to fix the neighborhood’s overloaded node.
This Simple Batch File Cleans and Optimizes My Old Windows PC Every Night
The Automated Tune-Up
My old Windows PC gets slow and cluttered over time. I created a simple “batch file” to automate the cleanup process. It’s a text file with a few simple commands. Every night, using the Windows Task Scheduler, this script automatically runs. It clears out all my temporary files, empties the recycle bin, and runs the disk defragmenter. I wake up every morning to a cleaner, faster, and more optimized computer, all thanks to a simple, automated script that does the housekeeping for me while I sleep.
How to Use an Old Laptop to Automatically Download and Organize Your Favorite Shows
The Personal Netflix Machine
I set up my old laptop as a dedicated, automated media server. I use a fantastic suite of free, open-source software: Sonarr to monitor for new episodes of my favorite TV shows, Radarr for movies, and a client called SABnzbd to download them. When a new episode airs, Sonarr automatically sees it, tells SABnzbd to download it, and then renames and organizes the file perfectly into my media library. It’s a completely hands-off system that turns my old laptop into my own personal, automated streaming service.
I Created a “Macro” That Does My Most Repetitive Work Task for Me
The Digital Assembly Line
At my job, I have to process dozens of images every day, which involves the same five steps in Photoshop: open, resize, apply a filter, add a watermark, and save. I used Photoshop’s built-in “Actions” feature to record a macro of me performing these steps once. Now, I can select a hundred image files, press one button, and Photoshop automatically performs the entire sequence on every single file. A task that used to take me an hour of mind-numbing clicking now takes about three minutes of unattended processing.
The “If This, Then That” (IFTTT) Recipes That Give Old Tech a New Brain
Connecting Your Old Gadgets to the Modern Web
I have an old Android phone mounted on my wall. I use a service called IFTTT (If This, Then That) to give it new life. I created a simple “recipe.” IF the weather forecast from a weather website says it will rain tomorrow, THEN the phone’s wallpaper automatically changes to a picture of a rainy day. Another recipe: IF I get an important email from my boss, THEN the phone will flash its camera LED. IFTTT is a powerful, free tool for connecting your old, dumb devices to modern web services.
How to Automatically Transcribe Audio Files with a Simple Python Script
The AI Stenographer
I have to transcribe long audio interviews for my work, and it’s a slow, painful process. I discovered that OpenAI’s “Whisper” model is an incredibly accurate, open-source transcription tool. I installed it on my old desktop PC, which has a decent graphics card. I then wrote a simple Python script that watches a specific folder. Whenever I drop a new audio file into that folder, the script automatically runs the Whisper model on it and saves a text file with the full, accurate transcription.
I’m Using an Old Phone to Monitor a Website and Alert Me When It Changes
The Digital Watchdog
I was waiting for a specific, sold-out concert ticket to become available on a resale website. I couldn’t sit there and refresh the page all day. I took an old Android phone, mounted it in a stand, and used an automation app. The app would automatically check the website every five minutes. The moment it detected a change on the webpage—meaning a new ticket had been listed—it would sound a loud alarm and send a notification to my main phone. This digital watchdog got me the ticket.
How to Schedule Tasks on an Old PC So It Works While You Sleep
Your Nocturnal Digital Assistant
Every old operating system has a built-in task scheduler, and it’s an incredibly powerful tool. On my old Windows PC, I use the “Task Scheduler” to automate my nightly maintenance. At 2:00 AM, it runs my backup script. At 3:00 AM, it runs a script to download my favorite podcasts for my morning commute. At 4:00 AM, it runs a full antivirus scan. This allows the computer to do all its heavy, slow, and intensive work during the night, so it’s fresh and ready for me in the morning.
The “Cron Job” on Linux That Makes Automation Effortless
The Heartbeat of Automation
On my old Linux server, the master of all automation is the “cron” system. It’s a simple but incredibly powerful scheduler. I can edit a single text file to create “cron jobs.” I have a cron job that runs a script every Monday at 5 AM to check for software updates. I have another one that runs every night at midnight to clean up log files. It’s the silent, reliable heartbeat of my server, tirelessly executing commands and scripts on a perfect schedule without any human intervention.
I Built a Bot That Automatically Enters Online Contests for Me
The Sweepstakes Machine
I enjoy entering online contests and sweepstakes, but filling out the same form over and over is tedious. I used a browser automation tool called Selenium on my old laptop. I wrote a script that tells the browser to go to a specific website, find the fields for “First Name,” “Last Name,” and “Email,” fill them in with my information, and then click the “Submit” button. I can now run this script on a list of a hundred different contest websites, and it will enter all of them for me automatically.
How to Use a Script to Automatically Organize a Messy Downloads Folder
The Digital Janitor
My “Downloads” folder is a chaotic mess of installers, documents, and random images. I wrote a simple script that acts as a digital janitor. Once a day, the script scans the folder. If it finds a file ending in .jpg or .png, it automatically moves it to my “Pictures” folder. If it finds a .pdf, it moves it to “Documents.” If it finds a .exe installer that is more than a week old, it automatically deletes it. It’s a simple piece of automation that brings order to my digital chaos.
I’m Using an Old PC to Run a Personal “Discord” Bot for My Friends
The Fun and Games Server
My friends and I use a Discord server to chat while we game. I took an old, low-power desktop PC and set it up to run a custom Discord bot 24/7. I wrote the bot in Python. It has a few fun features: it can roll dice for our online D&D games, it can look up stats for our favorite video games, and it can play music from YouTube in our voice channel. This old PC has become a dedicated, fun, and useful part of our social lives.
How to Create a “Shortcut” That Launches Three Apps and a Website at Once
The One-Click Workspace
Every morning, the first thing I do is open my email client, my calendar, my to-do list app, and our company’s internal website. To streamline this, I created a simple “batch file” on my Windows desktop. The text file contains four simple “start” commands, one for each program and website. I gave the shortcut a nice icon and named it “Start Work.” Now, my entire digital workspace launches in the correct position with a single double-click. It’s a simple automation that saves me time and gets my day started right.
I Used a Script to Bulk-Rename Thousands of My Family Photos
Bringing Order to a Decade of Digital Memories
I had thousands of digital photos with meaningless filenames like “IMG_2354.JPG.” I wanted to rename them with the date they were taken. I used a free program called “Bulk Rename Utility.” It’s an incredibly powerful tool that can read the “metadata” hidden inside each photo file. I was able to create a simple script within the program that automatically renamed every single file to a “YYYY-MM-DD_Time.jpg” format. A task that would have taken weeks to do manually was completed in under a minute.
The “Headless” Browser Automation That Performs Tasks on Websites for You
The Invisible Browser
I needed to automate a task that involved logging into a website and downloading a daily report. I didn’t want a browser window popping up on my screen every day. I used a tool called “Puppeteer,” which is a “headless” browser. It’s a version of Google Chrome that runs invisibly in the background. I wrote a script that tells this invisible browser to navigate to the website, enter my login information, click the download button, and save the file, all without ever showing a single window.
How to Use an Old Router with Custom Firmware to Run Scripts
The Smartest Dumb Box in Your House
I have an old router that I’ve flashed with the custom OpenWrt firmware. This turns the router into a tiny, low-power Linux computer. I’ve written a few simple “shell scripts” that run directly on the router itself. One script checks if my main home server is online. If it can’t connect, the script sends me an email alert. Another script automatically logs every device that connects to my Wi-Fi network. This old piece of networking gear has become a powerful, 24/7 automation hub.
I Automated My Home Lighting with an Old PC and Some Smart Plugs
The Poor Man’s Smart Home
I didn’t want to buy an expensive smart home hub. I took an old, low-power PC and installed a free, open-source program called “Home Assistant.” I then bought a few cheap Wi-Fi-enabled smart plugs. From the Home Assistant interface, I created simple automations. At sunset, it automatically turns on the living room lamp. At 11:00 PM, it turns everything off. If I’m away, it can randomly turn lights on and off to make it look like someone is home. That old PC is the brain of my entire smart home.
The “PowerShell” Script That Manages All My Windows Updates
The Ultimate Windows Automation Tool
I manage a few family computers, and keeping them updated was a chore. I learned to use PowerShell, a powerful scripting language built into Windows. I wrote a single script that I can run remotely on any of the computers. The script automatically checks for new Windows updates, downloads them, installs them, and then reboots the machine. It even sends me an email when it’s finished. It has turned a tedious, manual process into a single, automated command.
How to Automatically Sync Files Between Two Old Computers for Free
The Personal Dropbox
I have a desktop PC in my office and an old laptop that I use in my workshop. I wanted to keep a specific project folder perfectly in sync between them. I used a free, open-source program called “Syncthing.” I installed it on both machines. It works like Dropbox, but without a central server. When I save a file on one computer, Syncthing automatically and securely transfers the change directly to the other computer over my local network. It’s a powerful, private, and completely free way to sync files.
I Built a System That Emails Me a Photo When My Pet Enters a Room
The Pet Monitor 2000
I was curious about what my cat does all day. I took an old laptop with a built-in webcam and placed it in the living room. I installed a simple motion-detection software on it. I then wrote a script that, when the software detects motion, it takes a picture with the webcam, saves it, and then uses a command-line tool to email that picture to me as an attachment. Now I get periodic photo updates of my cat napping on the couch throughout the day.
The “API” Explained: How to Make Your Old Tech Talk to Modern Services
The Digital Waiter for Your Data
I wanted my old PC to get weather data. I couldn’t just scrape a website, as it would always be changing. The solution is an API (Application Programming Interface). A weather service’s API is like a special, structured menu for computers. My script sends a request to the API’s URL, like a waiter taking an order. The API then returns the weather data in a clean, predictable format that my script can easily understand and use. APIs are the secret language that allows old and new technology to communicate.
How to Use a Simple Script to Monitor Your PC’s Temperature and Fan Speed
The Digital Doctor’s Visit
My old gaming PC was crashing, and I suspected it was overheating. I wrote a simple script that runs in the background. Every ten seconds, it reads the temperature sensors for my CPU and GPU and logs the values to a text file. When the PC crashed, I could look at the log file and see that the GPU temperature was spiking right before the failure. This simple monitoring script gave me the hard data I needed to confirm that I needed to replace the thermal paste.
I Automated the Process of Converting My Video Files to a Smaller Format
The Transcoding Robot
I have a large library of high-quality video files, but they take up too much space on my media server. I set up my old, powerful desktop PC as a “transcoding” machine. I use a script that watches a specific folder. When I drop a large video file in, the script automatically uses a free program called HandBrake to convert the video to a smaller, more efficient format. It then moves the new file to my media server and deletes the old one. It works 24/7, tirelessly shrinking my video library for me.
The “Keyboard Maestro” Workflows That Revolutionized My Old Mac
The Mac Automation Super-Tool
For my old Mac, the ultimate automation tool is Keyboard Maestro. It’s a powerful program that lets you create complex “macros” that can be triggered by a keystroke. I have one macro that, with a single button press, takes a screenshot, resizes it, adds a border, and uploads it to my website. I have another that automatically arranges all my open windows into a specific layout for writing. It has saved me thousands of clicks and has made my old Mac feel more powerful than a new one.
How to Create a Personal “Dashboard” with All Your Key Info on an Old Tablet
Your Life at a Glance
I mounted my old, slow tablet on the wall in my kitchen. It now functions as my personal “life dashboard.” I use a special app that lets me create a custom screen with different “widgets.” It shows the current time, the weather forecast, my next calendar appointment, my to-do list, and even the real-time location of the city bus I take to work. It’s a single, glanceable screen that gives me all the key information I need to start my day, all powered by an obsolete device.
I’m Using an Old PC to Automatically Back Up My Entire Website Every Day
The Off-Site Lifeboat
My personal blog is important to me, and I was terrified of my web host having a problem and losing all my data. I set up my old PC at my parents’ house as an off-site backup server. I wrote a script that, every night at 3:00 AM, securely connects to my website’s server, creates a full backup of all the files and the database, and then downloads it. Now, even if my web host completely disappears, I have a complete, recent, and physically separate copy of my entire website.
The “Event-Driven” Automation That Reacts to Things Happening on Your PC
The Digital Reflex
Most automation is based on a schedule. But “event-driven” automation is more powerful. It’s a script that waits for something to happen. I have a script that waits for my laptop to connect to my home Wi-Fi network. The moment it does, it automatically connects to my backup drive. I have another one that waits for me to plug in a specific USB drive, and when I do, it automatically copies all the photos from it. It’s an automation that feels like magic because it anticipates your needs.
How to Write Your First “Hello, World” Script for Automation
The First Step on a Long Journey
The “Hello, World” is the traditional first program for any language. For automation, it’s just as simple. On Windows, open Notepad, type echo “Hello, World!”, and save the file as hello.bat. On a Mac or Linux, type the same thing and save it as hello.sh. When you run that file, it will simply print the text to the screen. It doesn’t seem like much, but you’ve just successfully written a set of instructions that the computer executed automatically. You’re now a programmer.
I Built a System That Automatically Logs My Work Hours
The Freelancer’s Best Friend
As a freelancer, I used to forget to track my hours accurately. I wrote a simple script that solves this. When I run the “Start Work” script, it logs the current time to a text file. When I run the “End Work” script, it logs the end time and calculates the duration. It’s a simple but foolproof system. At the end of the month, I have a perfect, timestamped record of every minute I’ve spent working, which makes invoicing my clients effortless and accurate.
The “Home Assistant” I’m Running on a 10-Year-Old Raspberry Pi
The Brain of My Smart Home
I run my entire smart home on a tiny, ten-year-old Raspberry Pi computer that I got for free. I installed Home Assistant, a powerful, open-source smart home platform. It’s the central hub that connects all my different gadgets, regardless of the brand. It allows me to create complex automations, like having my lights turn on and my thermostat adjust when my phone’s GPS detects I’m close to home. This little piece of “e-waste” is more powerful and flexible than any commercial smart home hub on the market.
How to Use a Script to Control Your Old PC from Your Phone
The Remote Control for Your Desktop
I often leave a long-running task going on my old desktop PC, but I want to check on it or shut it down from my couch. I installed a small, secure server on the PC and a simple app on my phone. Now I can send commands directly from my phone. I have pre-written scripts on the PC that can be triggered remotely. One command checks the status of my task, another one safely shuts down the computer. It’s a secure, lightweight way to have remote control without using a clunky screen-sharing program.
I Automated My Social Media Posting with a Simple, Free Script
The Content Creation Machine
I run a small online business and need to post to social media regularly. I used a free automation tool and a simple script. I have a spreadsheet with all my post captions and image links. The script runs once a day, takes the next line from my spreadsheet, logs into my social media account, and creates the new post. This allows me to batch my creative work, writing all my posts for the week in one sitting, and then let my old laptop handle the tedious task of posting them on schedule.
The “Watcher” Script That Kicks Off a Task Whenever a New File is Created
The Ever-Vigilant Sentinel
I have a “watcher” script that I wrote in Python running on my old PC. Its only job is to watch a specific folder on my network. The moment a new file is added to that folder (for example, when my scanner saves a new document), the script instantly wakes up. It then performs a series of actions on that new file: it converts it to a searchable PDF, renames it based on the date, and files it away in the correct archive folder. It’s a completely reactive and incredibly efficient workflow.
How to Use “Regular Expressions” to Find and Replace Text Like a Wizard
The Secret Code for Text Manipulation
I had a massive text file with thousands of phone numbers in different, messy formats like “(123) 456-7890” and “123.456.7890”. I needed them all to be in the format “123-456-7890”. I used a tool that supports “regular expressions,” a special, code-like way of describing patterns in text. I wrote a single, complex-looking expression that could find every variation of a phone number and reformat it instantly. It’s a superpower for anyone who works with text, allowing you to perform incredibly complex find-and-replace operations with a single command.
I Built a “Smart” Doorbell with an Old Phone and a Scripting App
The DIY Ring Doorbell
A new smart doorbell was too expensive. I took an old Android phone, mounted it inside my house looking out a window by the door, and used an automation app called Automate. I created a “flow” that uses the phone’s camera for motion detection. When it detects motion near my door, it takes a picture and then sends that picture as a notification to my main phone. It’s a fully functional smart doorbell that gives me peace of mind, built from a device I already had.
The Best “Low-Code” or “No-Code” Automation Tools for Beginners
Automation Without the Programming
You don’t need to be a programmer to automate your life. There are amazing “low-code” tools that use simple, drag-and-drop interfaces. For Windows, I recommend “Power Automate Desktop.” For Mac, the built-in “Shortcuts” app is incredibly powerful. For web-based tasks, “IFTTT” (If This, Then That) is the classic choice. These tools let you build complex workflows and automations by connecting simple, pre-built blocks, opening up the power of scripting to everyone, regardless of their coding ability.
How to Automatically Shut Down Your PC at a Specific Time
The Digital Curfew
I have a bad habit of staying up too late on my computer. I decided to enforce a digital curfew on myself. I used the Windows Task Scheduler to create a new task. The trigger is “At 11:30 PM every day.” The action is to run the shutdown.exe command with a 5-minute warning message. Now, every night at 11:30, a message pops up telling me the computer will shut down soon. It’s a simple but surprisingly effective way to force myself to maintain a healthier sleep schedule.
I’m Using an Old Laptop to Monitor My 3D Prints via Webcam
The 3D Print Babysitter
Long 3D prints can fail hours into the job, wasting time and plastic. I set up my old laptop with a webcam pointed at my 3D printer. I installed a free piece of software called “OctoPrint,” which gives me a web interface to monitor the print. I also set up a plugin that uses AI to detect when a print has failed (when it turns into a blob of “spaghetti”). If it detects a failure, it automatically pauses the print and sends me an alert, saving me from a huge mess.
The “System Tray” Utility I Built to Give Me Instant Information
My Personal Information Ticker
I wanted a way to see key information at a glance without opening a window. I wrote a very simple script that runs in the background on my old PC. It sits as a tiny icon in my system tray. When I hover my mouse over it, a tooltip appears that shows me my computer’s current CPU temperature, my internet’s public IP address, and the amount of free space on my hard drive. It’s a custom, personalized utility that gives me the exact information I need, exactly where I want it.
How to Create Your Own Custom “Right-Click” Menu Options
The Context Menu Power-Up
I was constantly moving downloaded files to a specific work folder. It was a tedious drag-and-drop process. I used a simple “registry hack” in Windows to add my own custom option to the right-click menu. Now, I can right-click on any file, and in addition to “Copy” and “Paste,” there’s a new option that says “Move to Work Folder.” When I click it, a small script automatically moves the file for me. It’s a small change that has made my daily workflow so much faster.
I Built a Script That Reads Me the Weather and My Calendar Every Morning
The Audible Morning Briefing
I don’t like looking at screens the moment I wake up. I wrote a script on my old PC that runs every morning at 7:00 AM. It uses an API to get the current weather forecast and connects to my Google Calendar to get my first three appointments for the day. It then uses a free text-to-speech engine to read this information aloud through the speakers. I get my daily briefing while I’m making coffee, without ever having to touch a keyboard or look at a screen.
The “For Loop”: The Most Powerful Concept in Automation
“Do This, to Everything”
The “for loop” is a fundamental concept in scripting that lets you perform an action on a whole list of items. I had a folder with 500 images that I needed to resize. Instead of opening them one by one, I wrote a simple script with a “for loop.” It said, in essence: “FOR every file in this folder, run the ‘resize’ command on it.” The script then went through the entire list, one by one, and resized every single image automatically. Understanding loops is the key to scaling your automation from one item to a thousand.
How to Automate Your “Digital Decluttering” Process
The Self-Cleaning Computer
My computer used to get cluttered with old files and downloads. I wrote an automation script that runs once a month. It scans my “Desktop” and “Downloads” folders. Any file that hasn’t been accessed in over 90 days, it automatically moves to an “Archive” folder. Any installer file (.exe or .msi) that’s over 30 days old, it deletes. This script acts as my personal digital butler, automatically cleaning up my workspace and preventing the slow buildup of digital junk without me having to think about it.
I’m Using an Old PC as a Dedicated “Ad-Blocking” DNS Server for My Whole House
The Network-Wide Ad Blocker
I was tired of seeing ads on all my devices, including my smart TV. I took an old Raspberry Pi and installed a free piece of software called “Pi-hole.” It turns the device into a DNS server for my entire home network. Now, when any device on my Wi-Fi tries to connect to a known ad-serving domain, the Pi-hole intercepts the request and blocks it. All the ads on all my computers, phones, and even my TV have vanished. It’s the most powerful ad-blocker you can have.
The “Lazy Person’s Guide” to Getting More Done with Old Tech
Work Smarter, Not Harder
My philosophy is simple: if I have to do a repetitive digital task more than three times, I spend the time to automate it. That initial time investment always pays for itself. I use my old PC as a dedicated “automation server” that runs these scripts for me. It handles my backups, organizes my files, and downloads my media. This frees up my main computer—and my brain—to focus on the creative, important work. My laziness has ironically made me far more productive.