this post was submitted on 09 Oct 2024
382 points (97.3% liked)

Technology

59495 readers
3110 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

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.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 51 points 1 month ago (2 children)

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

[–] franklin@lemmy.world 19 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The LTSC for Windows 10 should be up to date until 2032, just in case you do need it for the software.

[–] Scolding7300@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

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

[–] franklin@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

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.

[–] Th4tGuyII@fedia.io 2 points 1 month ago

There's a really good article on Rentry.co for setting up Win10 LTSC. Though as you say, here's not the place for that.

[–] Matriks404@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

I remember having trouble installing software from Microsoft Store, (there's apparently a solution for that, but it didn't work for me) but otherwise it's a perfectly normal Windows 10 installation, just without any bloat.

[–] greybeard@lemmy.one 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

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.

[–] btaf45@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

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

[–] vividspecter@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)