Just replace the damaged cap's (a not an uncommon problem by the way for a system of that age!) Google for "Bad Cap problems" or "capacitor plague" Not confined to computers or motherboards only either. I've replaced several such parts on a few similar aged PC's of my own over time. If you can't physically do it, there are places that can, at a cost.
If you have a Windows 7 recovery CD, and the licence numbers, just spin up a VirtualBox VM under Linux, and run Win7 in that. Job done. V-Box on some systems will allow you to use "seamless" mode, where you can have both Windows and Linux app's running on the same desktop (or looking like it at least.) Just put the Windows, or Linux Taskbar at the top of the screen, and the other at the bottom (or sides.)
I used to run Linux like that on a Win 7 box, before I got utterly p'd off with Windows.
Though convenient when it's working, it's a lot of egg's in one basket, and can be a bit of a task to set-up and get working "just so".
It's also trivial to map Linux's /dev/ttyUSBx serial ports, to appear under Windows as COMx as well. Very well documented, and works well.
If you stick with Win 10, research and find out how to hog-tie/deactivate much of it's "phone home" functionality. It's seriously leaky (potentially privacy wise) if you just activated it with the default settings it suggests. Also, if you use Cortana, configure her NOT to be active when the computer is "locked".
73.
Dave G0WBX.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ On 19/06/18 20:00, chirp_users-request@intrepid.danplanet.com wrote:
I had considered taking the old Win-7 computer and setting it up?.. but the reason for the Win-10 upgrade is because when I dusted out the Win-7 box last month, I noticed a couple of electrolytic caps on the mother board were swelling. A sure sign of future failure. We?ll just let it go, it is like 8 years old anyway.