Neowin noticed that Microsoft has updated a help document about what it means if you’re using an unsupported version of Windows (spoiler alert: if you’re online at all, it’s a huge security risk), which currently means PCs running Windows 8.1 (or 8) and Windows 7, or earlier.
It’s worth noting, however, that this will also be the case for Windows 10 devices in a year’s time if their owners don’t take any action, as the end of support rolls around for that OS in October 2025.
Microsoft’s article takes the form of a short discussion followed by a FAQ, and the main update applied to the document pertains to the options for staying supported with Windows, with a new choice added here: ‘Recommended: New PC with Windows 11.’
So, this is Microsoft’s primary recommendation if your unsupported PC isn’t up to scratch, hardware-wise, for Windows 11 – get a new computer.
Given that, it’d be nice to see Microsoft working towards a solution in respect of somewhat newer PCs, which goes somewhere down the path of tackling some of the alarming stats we’ve heard about the number of Windows 10 machines heading to landfill in the future. This is a potential environmental disaster that could see hundreds of millions of PCs lumped unceremoniously on the scrapheap.
And ever since those concerns have been raised, we haven’t heard anything from Microsoft as to how they might be mitigated. What Windows 10 users (who can’t, or won’t, upgrade) can do is pay for extended support beyond October 2025 – but that could turn out to be an expensive way to go, particularly beyond the first year if Microsoft’s previous pricing in these schemes is anything to go by.
Logically, then, Microsoft needs to be looking at a way of keeping Windows 10 alive – for those totally blocked by Windows 11’s more demanding requirements on the security front and elsewhere – which works out to be way more cost-friendly for users, in an effort to save what might be a much heavier price to pay for the planet. In short, ‘buy a new PC’ will soon not be the answer we need frontloaded here, and pushing folks to make a purchase of a new computer is already a very dubious first port of call given what we’re facing down the road.
“Use linux instead”.
Oh okay, thanks for the awesome suggestion Microsoft.
I just installed Mint to an external SSD this weekend to try and get my grandma to try it out. I really don’t want her scared into thinking she needs to go out and waste a few hundred on a new laptop.
Did the same for my parents earlier this year. I downloaded a Windows 10 theme for Mint so it felt and looked more Windowsy for them.
It’s been great for them. One piece of advice, make sure you sit down with your grandma after installing it and have her do everything she normally does on Windows.
Make sure all the shortcuts and bookmarks are in the same spots and called the same things.
I think it might be worth developing some kind of Linux installer on place that is capable of removing Windows and replace it with some Linux flavor. Just one USB, some space in your disk and Linux is installed without data loss
The problem with this is primarily that windows uses NTFS as it’s filesystem. Being proprietary, NTFS has never played well with Linux and installing it to an NTFS partition is regarded as a genuinely terrible idea. Converting partitions safely is nearly impossible to do in place.
I have the opposite opinion … I have one system of mine that has Win10 because I need it for one piece of software … and I absolutely do not want to upgrade to 11 even though I get almost daily reminders that I can.
Once I stop using the software I have for Win10 … I’m deleting the OS and installing Linux
The LTSC for Windows 10 should be up to date until 2032, just in case you do need it for the software.
LTSC? Edit: Long Term Servicing Channel. A windows enterprise version from what I gather Edit2: only the IoT LTSC version will be supported up to 2032 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-iot-enterprise-ltsc-2021
Correct, however it does have all the core functions you’d need. As long as you’re okay activating it Through ways I’d only be willing to describe to you at length through DM.
FYI, there are registry keys you can set to stop it from trying to upgrade. They are strong policy settings that Microsoft completely respects, for now at least.
FYI, there are registry keys you can set to stop it from trying to upgrade.
Can I do this for Windows 11? If so which keys
Yes. See: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/specify-target-feature-update-version-in-windows-11.3811/
Or try InControl if you can’t get the above to work.
Home labs everywhere will soon have super cheap hardware options from PCs that can’t update to Windows 11 but are capable of running multiple virtual machines (like windows 11).
There is now a workaround for Windows 11’s TPM 2.0 requirement built straight into Rufus.
You can just check the box and it will put the necessary code to circumvent the requirement on the bootable USB.
My understanding is that 24H2 crashes if you try that. Microsoft is starting to build their OS around the TPM, so that work around is bound to stop being helpful. I decided a few years ago to stop fighting Microsoft and do what they are asking me to do, stop using Windows.
It crashes if you try the previous workaround. This new workaround made by the creator of Rufus still works.
It’s a game of cat and mouse. I’d be willing if I needed to use win11 myself but for my parents it’s either gonna be Linux or a new computer
I’m running AntiX Linux on a shitty 2010 netbook and it runs like a champ. Intel Atom and 2gb RAM.
We need svelter OSs, not new computers.
Waiting for the army of MS shills coming to tell you that they can’t possibly use Linux because of the myriad high end professional-grade software they use which means absolutely no one could ever go near Linux either. Because that’s really important when it comes to getting more life out of your shitty 2gb Atom netbook
I think the big scare is just common questions like… what happens to all of content saved, will it still be accessible? What happens to my Outlook email that my nephew set up? What happens to subscriptions, will my VPN subscription work on Linux? What sort of device management does it have, can I link up my TV the same way?
The thing is that there are different target groups here that seem to disconnect. The gamers and tech dudes who want/have all the latest hardware and want to play every game maxed out aren’t the people affected, yet somehow they’re the ones who chime in for these discussions.
My low end thinkpad from 2013 doesn’t need windows on it for any reason, so why bother being offended that it now can’t have a supported version?
I have an old Atom tablet with 2 GB RAM capable of running Linux with the generic Linux kernel from any genetic distribution. Granted, I’ve never tried AntiX. How do you manage? Each time I’ve tried Linux in this tablet, it honestly runs like crap.
For basic stuff like what’s done in a browser I use the Falkon Browser. Very light weight. I will say it sucks for video acceleration though. 480p Max.
I use it for YouTube, emails, word processing with libreoffice. Runs SNES emulators quite well too.
Thank you for sharing those tips. Do you use a Desktop Environment (I’m thinking something barebones like lxqt) or a Window Manager (in this case, which one)?
