Support for Windows 10 ended on October 14. What are your Options?

What does “End of Support” mean?

Microsoft has had a formal policy of supporting each major operating system release for 10 years. Windows 10 was released in 2015, so its 10 years are almost up! This means that Microsoft will no longer provide Security Updates, Bug Fixes or Techical Support, and that you will have no protection against any new threats that emerge. And there will almost certainly be new threats!

Do I even use Windows 10?

To see which version of Windows you’re running, click on Start > Settings > System and then About. You can then see the Edition, Build and Operating System Version.

How can I check if my device is compatible with Windows 11?

By using the PC Health Check app, which is available for download

OR

Access the web-based version of the Health Check app. The app will scan your device and tell you if it meets the minimum system requirements, and if there are any issues that need to be resolved before you can upgrade.

So What are my Options?

– Upgrade to Windows 11

That’s fine, providing your PC passes the Windows 11 Compatibility Tests.  However, if you have a laptop or desktop PC that doesn’t pass the compatibility checks, Microsoft will block you from using the Windows Update tool, and they will encourage you to buy a new PC instead.

And Now for the Technical Bit…
These are the Minimum System Requirements for Windows 11:
– 4 GB of RAM. (minimum 8GB recommended)
– 64 GB or larger storage device. (128GB minimum recommended)
– UEFI, Secure Boot capable system firmware.
– Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
– A graphics card that is compatible with DirectX 12 or later, with a WDDM 2.0 driver.
– A high-definition (720p) display that is greater than 9 inches diagonally, with 8 bits per colour channel.

– Upgrade your ‘incompatible’ hardware to Windows 11
That pesky compatibility checker might insist that you can’t upgrade your Windows 10 PC to Windows 11, but there are indeed documented ways to bypass those restrictions. You just have to jump through a few technical hoops.

– Stick with Windows 10

That’s fine, providing you never go online. But if you’re using your Windows 10 computer to read this, you clearly do go online!

– Sign up for Extended Security Updates

– Ditch Windows Completely
You could buy an Apple Mac. Apple make great computers, but they’re expensive, and there will be a learning curve.

Switching to Google’s free ChromeOS Flex might also be possible, although the compatibility requirements for that alternative are just as likely to get in your way. And you won’t have access to Google’s App Store.

– Switch to Linux
Back in 2013 my laptop died, and I needed to reinstall Windows. However, I had lost the Licence Key, so I couldn’t reinstall Windows. Microsoft wouldn’t give me another even though I had the original disks that came with the PC: They insisted that I buy a new licence! So I switched to Linux and have never regretted it.

Full Disclosure: I spent my entire working life in the IT industry, so I wasn’t at all intimidated by Linux.

However… like with switching to Apple, there will be a learning curve. But unlike Apple, Linux is free and will work on your existing Windows 10 computer.

– Downsides of switching to Linux:
Microsoft Office will not run on Linux, but you can still run Microsoft 365 or Google Docs online. But, as always, there are alternatives. I use LibreOffice  and have never had a compatibility issue. But my needs are few: The odd simple spreadsheet, and occasional Word document. Your mileage may vary.

Email: Thunderbird and Evolution are 2 alternatives to Microsoft Outlook. Chances are that one of them, will come with the Linux Distribution (“Distro”) that you choose.

Music and Video: No problem at all: Audio and Video playback should work out-of-the-box. I and several other Radio Today Presenters use Linux everyday to broadcast our shows!
There are even Linux Distros that specialise in Audio/Video production.

Adobe apps will not work either. Once again, there are alternatives:

GIMP: Alternative to Adobe Photoshop

Inkscape: Alternative to Adobe Illustrator

Scribus: Alternative to Adobe InDesign

Openshot or Kdenlive: Alternatives to Adobe Premier

Synfig Studio:  Alternative to Adobe Animate

Darktable:  Alternative to Adobe Lightroom

Natron: Alternative to Adobe After Effects

Ardour: Alternative to Adobe Audition

Alternative to Adobe Acrobat: Almost all Linux distos come with a PDF viewer but not necessarily a PDF editor. Don’t worry. There are plenty of PDF editors for Linux that you may install and use.

Gaming: Linux has made great strides with gaming over the last few years, but you might have issues. But as I’m not a gamer, I really can’t comment. However there distros that specialise in Gaming:

Hardware: This depends on the age of your computer. There may be driver issues, primarily with your graphics and wireless internet (wifi). But unlike Windows, you can try Linux on a USB drive before you install it. This is the best way to get the feel for it.

There are hundreds of Linux distros, which one should I use?

If you Google that question, the answer will inevitably be “use the one that works for you”. That’s easy, after the fact… not so much as a newcomer to Linux.

Some popular options include:

Linux Mint: This is one of the most popular and is often recommended for newcomers. It’s very user-friendly, and it’s the one I would recommend. Go for the Cinnamon Edition.

MX-Linux: Try this one if your hardware is a bit old and Linux Mint runs sluggishly.

Ubuntu: This is the one I (and so many others) started out with. It’s user-friendly, but unless you have a new computer (and if you do, you’d be using Windows 11!) it may run sluggishly.

Other popular options include Debian, Fedora, OpenSuse and Archlinux (I use Arch, btw)

Good luck with whatever you choose to do, but please do something!

Mike Stroud can be contacted at: mikes@rt1485.com

Further Reading: Why you can’t afford to delay the upgrade to Windows 11