{"id":57044,"date":"2024-09-06T15:36:17","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T15:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/701e4cd6-eeb1-4363-b92b-652d92c525af"},"modified":"2024-09-06T15:36:17","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T15:36:17","slug":"the-windows-10-clock-is-ticking-here-are-5-ways-to-save-your-old-pc-in-2025-most-are-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/the-windows-10-clock-is-ticking-here-are-5-ways-to-save-your-old-pc-in-2025-most-are-free\/","title":{"rendered":"The Windows 10 clock is ticking: here are 5 ways to save your old PC in 2025 (most are free)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Beata Zawrzel\/NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We all know that some perfectly good Windows 10 PCs can’t be upgraded to Windows 11.<\/a> Did you know, however, that Canalys Insights last year estimated that 240 million Windows 10 PCs are doomed to the trash heap<\/a> because they can’t be upgraded to Windows 11 after Microsoft dumps Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025<\/a>? Wow. That’s a lot of trashed PCs.<\/p>\n

It might even be worse than that. According to IT asset management firm Lansweeper<\/a>, 40% of all enterprise workstations can’t make the upgrade, which would put the number of Windows 10 PCs counting the day to their demise at about 400 million.<\/p>\n

Also: <\/strong>When Windows 10 support runs out, you have 5 options but only 2 are worth considering<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Why? Many older Windows 10 machines lack the CPU or the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) needed for Windows 11. The TPM isn’t usually a problem, but if you have a PC from 2019 or earlier, the CPU will likely be unsupported.<\/p>\n

Or, say you’ve looked at Windows 11 and said, “No, just no!” (That’s been my reaction.) Or you’ve considered forthcoming Windows 11 features such as Microsoft Recall<\/a> and did not like it. What’s a user to do when their Windows machine can’t make the grade — or they simply don’t want<\/em> to upgrade? <\/p>\n

Well, here’s one choice you shouldn’t make: Do not keep running Windows 10 come the fall of 2025. Your machine will be hacked. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. <\/p>\n

Also: 7 ways to make Windows 11 less annoying<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Microsoft and its hardware friends want you to buy a new PC. Suppose, however, that you don’t want to buy a new computer. They’re not cheap, after all. In 2024, while you can buy a budget laptop for as little as $300<\/a>, Windows 11 doesn’t work that well on cheap hardware. To enjoy Windows 11, you need a higher-end laptop<\/a> or PC. These offer better performance, more storage, and higher-quality displays, but they also cost north of $1,000. <\/p>\n

So, what can you do? Here are better and cheaper options: <\/p>\n

1. Force Windows 11 on your Windows 10 PC<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You could gird your loins and hack your way to installing Windows 11 on your PC, even though, officially, Microsoft won’t support you if you try this trick. It’s a bit complicated upgrading an unsupported Windows 10 PC to Windows 11<\/a>, as ZDNET’s resident Windows expert Ed Bott explains, but it’s not that hard either.<\/p>\n

There’s also an open-source program, Rufus<\/a>, that makes it easy to bypass the Windows 11 system check. This bootable USB drive creation program allows you to skip Windows 11 system requirements when you try to do an in-place upgrade.<\/p>\n

Also: How to install Windows 11 the way you want (and sneak by Microsoft’s restrictions)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Keep in mind, though, that Windows 11 might not work well or at all on your older PC. You risk bricking your PC, and no one wants that. On the other hand, if you’re going to junk it away, what do you have to lose? Nothing. <\/p>\n

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2. Install Linux<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Then, there’s my default suggestion: Move from your soon-to-be-outdated Windows 10 to Linux<\/a>. Yes, I know you’ve been told that Linux is hard to use and install. It’s not. <\/p>\n

Sure, back in the 2000s, you needed to be a Linux shell command wizard to install it and run its software. That was a long time ago. Today, anyone can run Linux. Heck, more than a decade ago, I taught a 79-year-old how to run Ubuntu Linux<\/a>, and we didn’t even share a common language! <\/p>\n

Also: 5 reasons why Linux will overtake Windows and MacOS on the desktop<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Another advantage of running Linux is that your PC will never be left behind. I have computers more than a decade old that came with Windows XP, and they’re still running up-to-date Linux. <\/p>\n

3. Switch to ChromeOS<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You can use a web browser, right? If you really can’t see yourself learning Linux, try ChromeOS.<\/p>\n

Thanks to ChromeOS Flex<\/a>, you can take pretty much any PC from the last decade or so and get it running ChromeOS. I upgraded a Dell Inspiron One 2320 with Windows 7 to ChromeOS Flex<\/a>. This all-in-one (AIO) Dell 2012 computer has a 2.4Ghz Intel Pentium Dual Core i5 processor, 6GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce GT525M, and a 320GB hard drive, and it’s a great ChromeOS machine, which I use as my Zoom workstation every day. <\/p>\n

You can install and run ChromeOS Flex on any PC with a 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and that can be booted from a USB drive. It’s easy to move any Windows machine to ChromeOS Flex<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Also: <\/strong>How I installed ChromeOS Flex in 30 minutes<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Oh, is there a Windows application you can’t live without? Leaving aside that software companies are dumping standalone applications in favor of software-as-a-service<\/a> such as Microsoft 365, you now can run essentially any Windows app on a Chromebook<\/a>. Cameyo and Google’s Virtual App Delivery (VAD service)<\/a> lets you run “legacy apps” on any Chromebook. There, they will appear as Progressive Web Apps (PWA). Microsoft uses this cloud-based approach itself to deliver applications.<\/p>\n

For that matter, if you still have an Intel-powered Apple Mac, and you’re beginning to get nervous about when Apple will cut its support lifeline — unlike Microsoft, Apple doesn’t tell you when it will end hardware support<\/a> — you can move your Mac to ChromeOS Flex. There’s nothing remotely complicated about it.<\/p>\n

By the way, neither Linux nor ChromeOS Flex will cost you a dime. They’re free now and forever. <\/p>\n

Also: Google might abandon ChromeOS Flex. Here’s why – and what you can do about it<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you want to replace your Windows machines in a business, Google can help you. For organizations using ChromeOS Flex under Chrome Enterprise Upgrade<\/a> or Chrome Education Upgrade<\/a>, Google offers dedicated support. You can access support via the Google Admin console. There, you’ll find help with device enrollment, connectivity issues, and software-related problems. The price starts at $50 per machine per year. <\/p>\n

4. Pay for Windows 10 Extended Support<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Of course, you could buy support for your Windows 10 machine. Microsoft recently announced<\/a> pricing for its Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for Windows 10<\/a>, particularly for businesses and educational institutions. Consumer pricing remains unclear.<\/p>\n

For Businesses:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The pricing is based on the traditional “5-by-5” activation key method. Microsoft is offering a 25% discount for organizations using Microsoft’s cloud-based update management solutions like Intune or Windows Autopatch, bringing the Year 1 cost down to $45 per user for up to five devices.<\/p>\n

For <\/strong>Education Customers<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong><\/p>\n