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Microsoft ending support of Windows 10 on 10/14/25
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Scout
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Nov 13, 2024 06:04PM
I got an email today about this. I checked, and my laptop won't support Windows 11. Do I have any option except to buy a new laptop and trash this one?
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I guess not. Is there an alternative operating system? Or does Microsoft have a true monopoly? And if so, that's not cool. Or legal?
The old school alternative to Windows is Linux, usually a Ubuntu distro. If you're not up to installing a completely new OS, like Linux, then you'll have to accept that there will be no official updates or patches going forward.Your computer will continue to work with its current programs. You'll just be less able to add new programs as time moves along.
Thanks for your reply. I'm not computer savvy. What are examples of new programs I might need? Can I do without them for a while? Without updates, will the functioning of my laptop be compromised?
If you change the OS, you will enter a completely new ecosystem. You will have to replace every program you want to use.If you continue to use your current OS, your computer will continue to function as it currently does. You will only be able to install programs compatible with your, now, obsolete OS. Eventually, the lack of bug fixes and security updates will become a problem, but how long that will take is up to things beyond my control.
Another point to remember is you still have nearly a year of support. How old is the laptop? They don't work for ever. Meanwhile, your current programs will continue to work. The biggest problem is the internet. The longer you are unprotected, the more important not to click on anything you are not confident about its origin.
Thanks, J. and Ian for your insight. Can't remember what year I bought this Dell laptop, but it's been a good one and is still working fine. Thanks for info on changing OS. Won't be doing that. I'm very good about not clicking on questionable links, but I see that I'll have to give in and buy a new laptop in the next year. So what do I do with this one? Just supposed to trash it?
It is difficult. Here you can have it recycled, but I doubt the recycling will be very good. This laptop that I am typing this on is seven years old, not far from 8. It works OK, but the battery is fairly shot so a lot of work is done with the charging cable in place.
The major concern is your personal data. (Remember Hunter?)Short of destroying the hard drive, I have yet to find a disposal method which I completely trust.
The laptop will not stop functioning right away. If you continue forward, I would be wary of leaving any personal data on it. At some point security will go bad and that will leave you open to trouble. All the same, you still have time to get a new machine, just that you have no support if anything goes bad later.
Thanks for the info, guys. My laptop was 8 years old, a good old girl, but I began having trouble accessing websites about a month ago and I had to let her go. I read a lot of reviews and bought an Asus on Cyber Monday. It has a smaller screen (14") which I was worried about, but it seems okay. I've transferred my data and will follow Hillary's example regarding the hard drive on my Dell - the only useful contribution Hillary's ever made in my opinion :-) I researched Bleachbit and found "BleachBit is a free and open-source disk space cleaner, privacy manager, and computer system optimizer." Would you guys recommend it? I also have a good hammer at the ready :-)
I'd trust the hammer, however unlike Hillary, Trump recommended bleach at the time for corona, so ..... it's good to have options :)
