Microsoft obsoleting Windows Win10 and earlier versions in October

[TelePlay]

So, how many non-Apple computers do you have, and use?

How many don't have Windows 11?

I have 5 PCs running Windows 7 and Windows 10. Everytime I start Windows, I get the following notice.

Seems as of this October 2025, Microsoft will stop supporting all Windows versions up to and including Win10. This will open up older Windows versions to malicious activity in that security updates and bug fixes will not be provided for Win10 and earlier versions.

I bit the bullet and bought a PC with Windows 11, partially because my Win10 Desktop was slowly dying and I needed Win11 to have at least that one computer that is "protected," the one computer I will use to do all of my "important" protected stuff online.

I also got a notice from TurboTax that only Win11 operating system will install TurboTax 2025. Seems one of the "improvements" made to create Win11 includes an AI "functionality" and TurboTax 2025 appears to also have an AI component that makes it only "installable" on Win11 machines. They did say that those who did not have Win11 computers would do their 2025 taxes in the cloud, use the TurboTax online software.

So, all of you who are much more knowledgeable about computers than I, and it won't take much to top me, what have you heard? And, yes, I did not and am not going to discuss Apple computers or PC running other than Windows operating systems, which you can expand on if you know about all that.

Feel free to add your opinions, suggestions, options and corrections to what I have posted in replies to this topic.

Boggles my mind at trying to come up with a guesstimate of how many Windows PC computers that will be "technically" obsoleted at midnight one day in October. Millions at least thanks to AI.
 

[dsk]

My old pc works well with win.10 but does not allow installing win 11. I'll keep it for as log as it works.  When things stops working due to this I will probably stop using it, or change to a non windows system like e.g. ubuntu.  

In worst case I have to give up, and buy a new pc, but I am willing to spend much work and time of the support ...

[countryman]

Obviously Microsoft has set the hardware threshold higher than required for smooth operation of win 11 - I'm not going to speculate upon the reasons here.
Google "win 11 server trick", it is easily possible to install 11 on equipment that not "officially" passes the hardware check. This is neither illegal nor unsafe. The machine in question should have a relatively stable performance though. This might be a good time to upgrade equipment but PCs that fill your computing needs just fine under win 10 should be kept going, and if for sustainability reasons only.

[MMikeJBenN27]

As long as it still functions, I couldn't care less if it is "obsolete" or not.

Mike

[SUnset2]

As long as it still functions, I couldn't care less if it is "obsolete" or not.
Mike

That's all well and good as long as you don't connect to the internet.  The best example of the risk is the Wannacry virus attack in 2017.  There was a vulnerability in all versions of Windows.  Microsoft released security patches for all of the supported versions, such as Windows Vista, 7, 8.1, 10 and the server versions of these, but not for the no-longer-supported Windows XP. 

The perpetrators targeted all unpatched systems.  This affected several large organizations that were dependent on Windows XP systems, creating widespread chaos.  Microsoft did release the patch for XP systems afterward, but only because the impact had been so huge.  I installed the patch on all of the remaining XP machines at the company I was working at, and my old XP computer at home (which was no longer my primary computer). 

Anyway, it might be worthwhile using the backdoor method for installing Win 11 on older computers if you will be connecting them to the internet.  I'm thinking of trying it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WannaCry_ransomware_attack

[compubit]

Working in the IT field, you want to ensure your machines are as up to date as they can be. If you have some software that only runs on an older version of Windows (perhaps some software used to manage a phone system or pay phone), I would segregate it from the internet.  If you depend on data from the internet for this, and you're dealing with downloadable files, then download them on a protected (i.e., Windows 11, or other supported operating system) machine, then transfer them via thumb drive, floppy disk or other off-line method to the unsupported machine.

I've updated my machine to Windows 11 - it was one being eWasted from work, and while out of warranty, works fine with a clean load (I did have to buy a new hard drive, as we send out all of the old drives for destruction, per company policy).

In reality, most of my non-work computing at home is done on an iPad...

Jim

[Stormcrash]

Microsoft supports Windows versions for a 10 year lifecycle, and believe it or not Windows 10 is 10 years old, having released in 2015.

The higher requirements for Windows 11 at launch was due to TPM, trusted platform module, being required to protect against firmware hacks and other malicious processor exploits that have become more common. All the AI stuff came later when that whole fad/trend blew up.

As a nerd my biggest gripe with 11 is how hard it insists that you store your files in the cloud by default

[SUnset2]

...
As a nerd my biggest gripe with 11 is how hard it insists that you store your files in the cloud by default

Yes, I found Windows 11 to be a royal pain in the neck to install without connecting to a Microsoft cloud account.  They don't make it easy.
 

[RDPipes]

Yes, I found Windows 11 to be a royal pain in the neck to install without connecting to a Microsoft cloud account.  They don't make it easy.
 

I just updated my Win11 Pro 21H2 to 24H2 yesterday, I have never been notified with a popup or anything to store on the cloud although the option was there. After updating I did get one notice to store on the cloud but, haven't been notified since. I found the free update on the Microsoft webpage under Windows 11 ISO download and didn't have to connect to a cloud account to my knowledge. Although I didn't install like usual, I copied the files to a new folder then right clicked and then mount and so on. Went smoothly and fairly quickly for me.

[ChrisW6ATV]

I can mention several things about the "death of Windows 10 soon", and describe how each is not as bad as the news and announcements make them seem. (Summary: There are workarounds for almost everything "bad" associated with the potential move to Windows 11.)

1) Windows 10 will not "die" as of October 2025. Anyone who wants to keep using it, including online, can do so safely for another year for sure, and likely beyond that, maybe for many years. You can buy another year of updates/support from MS, I forgot the price. Or, you can buy an update service from a company called "0patch" for 25 euros per year (about US$27-29 maybe?), for each computer you want to keep using. They still have full support available for Windows 7 even. Their basic security-patch service is --free- for non-profit testing or educational use.

2) If your computer "does not meet the MS requirements for Win 11", you do -not- have to buy a new computer (if it is less than 10-12 years old, at least). There are multiple ways to get Win 11 installed on those machines and working fine, by having it "bypass" its verification of the requirements. It is not super-hard to do this, either.

3) When you do get Win 11 running on your existing computer(s), or buy new ones with it, it has some things changed in annoying ways, such as messing up the "right-click menus", or trying to -force you- into using a "Microsoft account" for your basic computer logon/user account. Those problems can be fixed, too.

Each solution for these problems does require some basic to sometimes moderate-level technical-type keyboard entries into your computer, or specific steps and actions that most people would not routinely do. But, none of it is "rocket science", it just requires attention to details and following instructions.

I can provide the details for each of these workarounds and fixes if desired. None of it is "hacking" or anything illegal or unethical, and it can all be easily found with online searches, too.

[MMikeJBenN27]

I use Anti-Virus software, so I am not worried about viruses.

[tubaman]

I use Anti-Virus software, so I am not worried about viruses.

Viruses are not the only issue here as all sorts of other vulnerabilities are addressed with operating system (OS) patching. Using an unpatched OS on the internet is a bad idea irrespective of having anti-virus software or not. The other issue you will likely soon encounter if you continue to use Windows 10 is that your anti-virus software provider will soon stop supporting it so you'll be vulnerable to viruses as well.

[MMikeJBenN27]

I will worry about that bridge when I come to it.  I do not worship technology.

Mike

[ChrisW6ATV]

Using an unpatched OS on the internet is a bad idea irrespective of having anti-virus software or not.

An easy way to think of the difference is this: "We will keep posting guards at the doors, but if someone blasts a hole through the wall again, we will no longer repair the wall."

[SUnset2]

I went ahead and installed Windows 11 on two of my computers.  For both, I made a flash drive using Rufus and the ISO file.  If it is an old computer that doesn't meet the Win 11 standards, be sure to check the box to skip checking compatibility in Rufus.  Using a Rufus flash drive allows you to bypass the hardware requirements and the Microsoft account.

First, I did my laptop, which is less than 5 years old, and meets the Win 11 requirements.  It went smoothly, and took about an hour.

Next, I did my older desktop, which originally came with Windows Vista when it shipped in 2010, and had been updated to Windows 7 and 10.  It meets the minimum for memory, but the processor does not have the new security features.  It was a fast computer when it was new, but is slow by today's standards.  Be sure to disconnect your computer from the internet, otherwise the install will search for updates, and will get stuck at 46%.  If disconnected, it will skip the search for updates.  I ran the install while watching game 5 of the American League Division Series between the Mariners and the Tigers.  The game went 15 innings and took 5 hours.  The install took an hour longer.  You will need to be patient.  There were times when the screen went dark for more than a half hour without any indication of progress.  Don't touch anything!  It will eventually come back. 

It seems that now the computer now takes about twice as long to boot up, and programs take about twice as long to start, so it slows things down. 

So, it is possible to install Windows 11 on an older computer, but it will require plenty of patience.