What Will Happen to Windows 10?

My PC is still running Win 10 and is incompatible with Win 11. I had to buy a new laptop with Win 11 because my 15 year old laptop just got too old, incidentally it had a shopping list of reasons why it couldn't update to Win 11. I'm still trying to make up my mind between just using my new laptop, installing Linux in my PC or buying a new PC. In other words, I really don't know what I'll do!

My Windows 7 works just fine.
My dual-booted Windows 10 is abominable. Microsoft's teeny-bopper programmers think their OS is some kind of entertainment center competing with TV. My main gripe is that character sizes in text are a mish-mash, usually too small to read.

I did install Windows 11 using Rufus on my desktop. It was fairly straightforward. Rufus fixes several windows 11 problems like demanding a Microsoft account and TPM 2.0. I do like the older version better, but I’ve been saying that since the XP days.

I did install Windows 11 using Rufus on my desktop. It was fairly straightforward. Rufus fixes several windows 11 problems like demanding a Microsoft account and TPM 2.0. I do like the older version better, but I’ve been saying that since the XP days.

I am strongly considering either Linux or going over to Apple. I too am tired of the constant changes MS uses to push products. I am not interested in AI on my computer. I tend to hang onto PCs & laptops longer than most. I hate throwing away things that still work. Thanks for your insight, Bob.

I will replace one of my 10 year old PC's and keep the other one until it dies of old age.

I still have an old XP laptop, several laptops with Win 7pro SP1, two pcs with Win 7pro, a pc with Win 10 and a newer pc with Win 11. No security issues what so ever. Win 7 is my go to favorite and Win 10 second. Can't stand Win 11! I dual boot Win 7 and Zorin on one of the pcs but I will say this: Linux IS NOT Windows, period. Zorin is usable but when you need Windows, you need Windows! By the way, I have had PcMatic (lifetime) antivirus for many years - no complaints. YMMV

At my age, 84, (and a past IT teacher), I don't like having to change. I also don't worry much about future changes.
I will wait for the last possible moment and then ask my computer guy to make any necessary changes, a new computer if necessary. But I will stick with Windows.

My heavily used by me only desktop came into my life on 7-7-10. Yes, 2010! It came with W7Pro and cost $2,345. My long-time computer guy is the best. He gave me up unfortunately so I had someone else install a new hard drive with W10 Pro in November 2019. Zero problems the whole time. I guess the time has come to find a new computer guy (#2 moved to South Carolina and I'm in NJ) and bite the bullet with a new PC or I can pay MS for continued W10 updates. Anyone know a brilliant computer person who'd come to my house in Fort Lee?

BTW, my iPhone 6s is still working fine except for the battery which Apple replaced 18 months ago and is now bad again. I bought it in March 2016! No cracked screen! I'm holding out for an SE, and rumor has it that the 4th generation will come out in early 2025. If not, I'll have to bite the bullet and buy a "full price" small new iPhone. I'm the type that uses my stuff until the wheels fall off. I drove a 2005 Camry from 2008 until I totaled it in August 2024. Now I have a 2025 with all the safety features. My Vizio flat-screen 32" I bought in January 2012 for $290. It ain't smart but it's FINE!

I'm still using Windows 7 and things seem to going okay. I'll stick with it until something happens then move to Windows 10. As it happens, I have a Win10 computer that was my husband's, just sitting around using up electrons. I know I should move to Win10 but I can't seem to find the time to do it. I'm pretty old so maybe I'll expire before it's necessary to do anything.

Not a single word about the millions of Win 10 computers around the world which cannot be upgraded. And the myriad of machines that use Win 10 like ATMs, lifts, railway systems, Air Traffic Control, ICBMs(?) etc., etc.

Also nothing about what security problems could be encountered using Win 10 after next year.

I purchasing new PC because I would like a newer one not because of Windows 11 requirments. I will pay $30 for first year as I like windows 10. Second year I'm switching to Linux.

When the time comes, disconnect the W10 PC from internet. Permanently. For email, internet browsing, file downloading, etc. do that on a new cheap W PC...

I am still using Windows 7 Pro and I like it. There are a couple of websites that I cannot use with W7, while using Chrome but I switch to Firefox and I'm good. I will likely upgrade to W10 and pay for continued upgrades. I still use my business Quickbooks Pro 2015 desktop version and though I closed the business in 2017 I do all my personal bookkeeping on it. I still function on Windows office 2013. These will still operate on Windows 10 (per my computer guy). If I could find personal bookkeeping software that allowed me to do what I do in Quickbooks like schedule and make automatic payments from the payment source of my choice, entry of all spending and deposits with reconcilliation of same and run general journals that make sense, I would be thrilled. I would, of course want it to be free. :)

I come from a time when preserving what you owned was an attribute to be admired. Those days are apparently long past. Sigh......

Great article! They want people to switch from Windows 10 to Windows 11, as EOL is approaching Windows 10. In my case, I replaced the motherboard, which was Windows 11 compatible for my desktop. After upgrading to Windows 11 and upgrading any software and software drivers, I also installed Linux, setting up a very convenient dual boot system. That saves some electronic waste. Reading through the comments, I have to agree that this is all geared to sell products. Plus, we live in a throw-away society, generating a lot of waste - including electronic waste - that goes into landfills. Very BAD! Regarding my laptop, it will in time be replaced with an Apple laptop. Question: When are they planning to roll out Windows 12? Thank you for another very informative article!

OK, lets say you pop $30 bucks for the extended security updates on W10 does that (fee) work on all of the computers in your household or on just one computer? I probably know the answer but just curious since we have 4 computers.

I’m not a fan of WIN 10 but will switch to 11 when the time comes for safety reasons. I’ve managed to keep 3 or 4 favourite ancient programs going but if they finally fail to run in WIN 11, I’ll use a dual boot setup.

Currently, I have Windows 11 on my desktop, and primary laptop PCs. I have an older laptop PC that will never meet the hardware requirements for Windows 11, so it uses Windows 10 for now. All three PCs dual-boot Windows with Garuda-KDE-Lite GNU/Linux.

When Windows 10 reaches EOL next year, I'll try installing Windows 11 by following Ed Bott's recommendations. If that succeeds, I'll use that computer, dual-booting Windows 11 with Garuda-KDE-Lite GNU/Linux until it no longer works. Otherwise, that laptop PC will become my first GNU/Linux-only device, running Garuda-KDE-Lite, as it does now. In any case, I'll continue to dual-boot Windows 11 with Garuda-KDE-Lite on my desktop and primary laptop PCs, and if it works well, on my older laptop PC too.

Even though I use the terminal window to update my system in Garuda, it comes with a complete set of graphical system maintenance/configuration utilities, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to try out GNU/Linux, even though it provides rolling releases rather than periodic version updates. What this means for users is that you get the latest GNU/Linux kernel soon after release time, and that when you install system updates, your system is the latest current 'version'. There is never any need to re-install a new version release, because they do not exist in Garuda. The only downside is that, if you use the AUR (Arch Users Repository; Note: Garuda is based on Arch), some things may infrequently stop working when one package gets upgraded upstream while another package it depends on does not, at least for a while, usually less than two or three days. While this can be an inconvenience, if you don't use anything from the AUR, you'll never face this type of issue (Garuda holds off on adding updated packages to their official repositories until all dependencies are updated too, from upstream developers). This includes the Chaotic AUR repository (Garuda's own subset of packages found in the AUR).

Ernie

Even though I dislike Microsoft, I've always purchased Windows computers. I usually don't upgrade right away as MS usually has many weekly updates because of all their security flaws. Why can't they get it right? Anyway recently as a backup I purchased a chromebook which is sufficient for my needs with email and internet. It does have some limitations, but it also is a reasonable substitute for windows and works well with a printer.