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Windows 10 is EOL in October 2025

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/15988326

Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. The current version, 22H2, will be the final version of Windows 10, and all editions will remain in support with monthly security update releases through that date. Existing LTSC releases will continue to receive updates beyond that date based on their specific lifecycles.

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-home-and-pro

slimarev92 ,

Ten years of support is not that bad actually. Having said that, Linux is better in almost every way.

raspberriesareyummy ,

Ten years of support is not that bad actually. Having said that, Linux is better in almost every way.

"Linux is better in every way except for those use cases specifically tailored by Microsoft & associates to not play ball with Linux".

ftfy. Fuck corporations.

JustARegularNerd ,

I think while this is true, it's the time you have to switch over is much smaller.

Windows XP kept being supported until 2014, and up to that point you had Windows Vista (2007), Windows 7 (2009) and Windows 8 (2012). That's 7 years users had to move over.

Even if you consider something like Windows 7 with a shorter support cycle ending in 2020, you had Windows 8 (2012) and Windows 10 (2015), giving you 8 years to cave in and upgrade.

Windows 11 came out in 2022, and you have 3 years not to just upgrade the OS, but in a lot of cases your hardware too. I think this is why everyone is feeling the squeeze moreso than previously.

h4lf8yte ,

I am using windows on my desktop mainly for gaming and with proton even that wouldn't be necessary but there are times when you need to execute a windows binary and it would take less time to just use windows. So after october 2025 I will try to use KVM with PCI passthrough. I imagine another advantage will be to not have windows accessing my hardware and be able to snapshot the drives plus running all the windows traffic about my vpn without relying on software inside windows.

sunbunman ,

As a long time Windows user, my SSD just shat itself last week. MS has been pissing me off with the constant "upgrade to Windows 11" messages that I've finally taken steps to change over to Linux. My experience has been as follows:

  • Ubuntu has been hot garbage, half the things I've tried don't seem to work, and Gnome is hot garbage for a newcomer (this might just be an Ubuntu issue)
  • My current distro, Debian with Cinnamon, is pretty good. I don't want the cutting edge of OS, I just want something that works and won't bug me for major updates every other month.
  • There is a learning curve. No matter what anyone tells you, you will need to at least be able to google and copy and paste some terminal commands in Linux. Anything more is a bonus.
  • Linux can have a really pretty GUI after popping in a few changes to the default setup.
  • Gaming has actually been pretty smooth. 0 issues Lutrix running games from GoG and Steam is not bad even those without Linux support 👍🏾
barsquid ,

Brand new Linux user and you already hate Ubuntu, welcome, you are fitting in perfectly already. Half the things didn't work probably because of their dumb Snap garbage.

ProdigalFrog ,
@ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net avatar

For anyone else reading this and thinking about trying linux for the first time, be sure to use Linux Mint. It will give you the smoothest and easiest experience, and you pretty much never need the terminal. It even comes with a really nice software store (but everything is free).

NoTimeLeft ,

Second this. Wanted Linux as Windows user. Currently on Linux Mint, got it a few months now. Really easy to use, and allows you to experiment with the console if you'd like to, but almost never necessary. So far, I haven't encountered any problems with it (apart from a total lock-out while trying some weird shit in the console with printer drivers, but printers are evil anyway, so I'll give it a pass for now lmao)

Emmie ,
@Emmie@lemm.ee avatar

I wonder if it would make sense to sell 4090 and buy cheaper amd card before Linux switch. Problem is I from time to time play VR and also do blender sometimes so probably can’t. Does nv optix work in Linux ver of blender?

exu ,
@exu@feditown.com avatar

I don't know how good it is, but for Turing and later GPUs there's a new official open source driver being developed. You'd likely have to use a more bleeding edge distro to get that.

VR works depending on your headset. Index is fine, Oculus doesn't work.

You could make a usb stick of your desired distro and test everything without permanent changes before commiting.

barsquid ,

Try Bazzite and see if that works for you. They are focused on gaming and hardware support.

weker01 ,

Yep optix works on Linux. Blender is also generally faster in Linux btw.

FuryMaker ,

Windows 10 21H2 LTSC IoT support ends in 13th Jan 2032.
Just saying.

Or Arch...

OsmerusMordax ,

And where does one get LTSC?

ProdigalFrog , (edited )
@ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net avatar

Yarr, matey.

I'd recommend asking around lemmy.dbzer0.com, in the sailing community.

But it'd be easier to switch to Linux Mint, if you don't have a critical windows app that doesn't work in wine.

Also @JamesFire

JamesFire ,

Ooooo thanks

Shape4985 ,
@Shape4985@lemmy.ml avatar

We recommend moving to linux eheh (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Asudox ,
@Asudox@lemmy.world avatar

Excited to see the increase in Linux desktop usage.

Blackmist ,

I'd temper those expectations tbh. I've still got customers on Windows XP.

Out of support does not mean "can't be used".

Nilz ,

"Finally freed of those pesky Windows updates!"

Asudox ,
@Asudox@lemmy.world avatar

I agree. But using Windows XP these days is a huge security risk. W10 not getting security updates at least for the next 2 years is probably something that can be overlooked, but it will at some point be vulnerable to automatic attacks like XP. I'm sure there are some websites on the web that try to automatically exploit some major exploits that have been lrft unfixed in Windows XP. I'd advise them to switch to Linux Mint or something instead of using that old vulnerable system.

Blackmist ,

  1. The browser is the failure point and they get updated for a long time after the OS falls out of support. Chrome was supported for 8 years after Windows 7 stopped being officially supported.

  2. All their Windows software they need to run their business isn't going to run reliably enough on any version of Linux. They don't want to touch anything that's working or pay for anything. You have to understand the world is not filled with OS enthusiasts. It's just a platform to run other things. If it's working and it's making you money, you do not touch it, unless you really want to find out what OS they use at the Job Centre.

RedWeasel ,

I have an elderly friend that I will probably need to migrate as 1 of their 2 computers doesn’t support win11. I am fully able to migrate them, but I really want it themed(Plasma6 probably ) to look as much like 10 as they a dealing with cognitive decline and I don’t want to force them to relearn using their computer.

I need to start investigating, but I got over a year to do so. The other part is making sure the 2 pieces of proprietary software they use runs in wine. I expect both will, but need to check.

This is obviously something that developers probably don’t think about as much as an accessibility issue in general.

Asudox ,
@Asudox@lemmy.world avatar

Yeah KDE Plasma looks and functions alot like W10.

MalachaiConstant ,

I was thinking about this the other day. I support some very, very technologically limited users and I wondered if anyone out there is working on a distro/DE that looks and feels just enough like windows to get them by

I would never have considered this before they announced Recall. Now it feels like I'm waiting to see just how hard they push it

Moorshou ,
@Moorshou@lemmy.zip avatar

I'm typing this from Linux mint, I play mainly video games and websurf but I choose this distro for the community support! Since I don't know everything about linux I go here on lemmy, or reach out to the members via hexchat

KonalaKoala ,
@KonalaKoala@lemmy.world avatar

You might want to check our React OS.

Moorshou ,
@Moorshou@lemmy.zip avatar

I'm already seeing more traffic across reddit and youtube

anas ,

This sounds like a problem for October 2025 me

737 ,

Governments, schools, and companies just finished (for the most part) to move to Windows 10. So it really sounds more like a problem for 2030 to me.

Potatos_are_not_friends ,

Haha I remember having to help a school upgrade to Windows 7. Took a year just to get the approval, then another year to get the budget and keys.

Maggoty ,

Yup. Microsoft's income depends on keeping them on the move.

crypticthree ,

That's my feeling. I've been through this before.

Potatos_are_not_friends ,

Same.

And if it's like the last four Windows updates, I'll go right through EoL for a year or two, and finally upgrade because I wanted to play a specific video game, upgrade my graphic card, or it came free with my new PC.

Masamune ,

October 2025 me: what the hell, why didn't anyone tell me about this before!?!

FlyingSquid ,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

Oh fucking great. My daughter's online school requires her to run "Windows 8 or greater," but we got her a used laptop that can run 10 to make sure it can keep up with security updates. I don't even know if it is powerful enough to run 11 because I didn't even consider the possibility when I bought it. Now we're going to have to buy a new one in a couple of years?

Fuck you Pierson and Microsoft.

barsquid ,

[Thread, post or comment was deleted by the author]

    •
    FlyingSquid ,
    @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

    If I could afford a lawyer, I wouldn't be concerned about having to buy a new notebook for her.

    737 ,

    Pirate Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC for support until 2027

    FlyingSquid ,
    @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

    Thanks, I'll look into that. I appreciate it!

    Killer ,

    You can use massgrave to activate it, microsoft support has been caught using it to activate windows on customers computers.

    frostmore ,

    massgeave activation is new to me.

    is that paid?

    Tixanou ,
    @Tixanou@lemmy.world avatar

    It's free!

    Dougtron007 ,

    Most laptops that ship with windows 10 are capable of running 11. I recommend finding out if the schools provides a license. When I was attending Phoenix online a couple years ago they supplied me with a windows 10 education license through Microsoft.

    FlyingSquid ,
    @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

    It does not unfortunately.

    Dark_Arc ,
    @Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg avatar

    Do they actually require it or do they "require" it.

    A lot of things that are browser based "require" Windows or Mac but don't actually require it.

    FlyingSquid ,
    @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

    I don't particularly care to risk my daughter's education by trying to figure that out.

    Dark_Arc ,
    @Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg avatar

    Oh christ...

    refalo ,

    lmao

    bufalo1973 ,
    @bufalo1973@lemmy.ml avatar

    Get a live-USB and check it. Maybe you get a surprise.

    bufalo1973 ,
    @bufalo1973@lemmy.ml avatar

    Get a live-USB and check it. Maybe you get a surprise.

    NutWrench ,
    @NutWrench@lemmy.world avatar

    I'm worried about my Steam library. Steam ended support for Windows 7 not long ago. How long will they Support Windows 10?

    djsaskdja ,

    Only 3% of Windows users are on Windows 7. Compared to 70% on Windows 10. When that number drops significantly, that’s around the time I’d expect Steam to drop. They’ll go where their customers go.

    Dark_Arc ,
    @Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg avatar

    You should be worried about being on any Windows computer connected to the Internet that Microsoft is no longer patching period...

    Xanis ,

    Looking forward to the sudden, definitely inexplicable, price increase of specific hardware at about the nine month mark.

    Blackmist ,

    If they really wanted people to upgrade to Windows 11, they'd take out the TPM and SecureBoot requirements.

    Truly the Kinect of Windows 11.

    explodicle ,

    I still miss the Kinect. Shouting at people in Skyrim was awesome. They should have doubled down and added finger recognition for the Series K.

    Blackmist ,

    I actually bought an Xbox 360 Kinect for a grand total of £6 the other month.

    Turns out you can use software called Amethyst for cheap full body tracking in PC VR games.

    Zehzin ,
    @Zehzin@lemmy.world avatar

    How do you connect that weird cable?

    Gabadabs ,

    You have to buy an adapter to usb

    Blackmist ,

    The ones from CEX came with it, it's an odd adapter that needs power as well.

    The adapter is worth more than the camera...

    ulterno ,
    @ulterno@lemmy.kde.social avatar

    Amethyst

    That reminded me of AMD's old Windows driver (accompanying software).

    DumbAceDragon ,
    @DumbAceDragon@sh.itjust.works avatar

    Same honestly. Like it was a hunk of junk that didn't work half the time, but I think people kinda forget that the scope was pretty ambitious. Being able to scan people's bodies and get each limb's position in 3D, and to do so in many different lighting conditions and room setups, is stuff we still barely have working today even with AI.

    Like don't get me wrong, the tech was jank as fuck, but as a kid it was genuinely really cool.

    lemmee_in ,

    They really want us to use Copilot AI, so that they can pushed more paying subscribers such as corpos and govts to use the service.

    More money for microsucks, less jobs available to us

    Ragnarok314159 ,

    My employer will likely pay extra to remove copilot AI. It has zero use for us, and we already pay extra for security enhanced Win 11 which is just the software without the tracking and screenshots.

    refalo ,

    upgrades don't give them license fees, they want you to buy a new pc.

    Chev , (edited )

    My PC that I've just built last summer is not able to upgrade to W11 despite still having the best AMD components available. How is this going to work out?

    Edit: I figured it out. I needed to reset my CPU settings in BIOS. Now my system reaches the requirements.

    Codilingus ,

    Unless you built with like, really old parts, I'm not sure how this would be a problem?

    Chev ,

    The newest available even to this day.

    Codilingus ,

    Then you should be fine to install W11. I'm on AM4 x570 and I can install W11. Secure Boot and fTPM are both on, and you can disable the requirement to need either.

    Maggoty ,

    Probably the motherboard. That's why I can't go to 11.

    NinjaTeensy ,

    You can still install 11 by disabling its requirements with Rufus.

    Or could swap to Linux as most of Lemmy would probably tell you.

    VeganCheesecake ,
    @VeganCheesecake@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

    All the new AMD Chips have had an integrated fTPM for quite some time. Dunno what else the problem could be. But as long as you don't really need Windows, I'd go Linux.

    Vivendi ,
    @Vivendi@lemmy.zip avatar

    You probably have some stuff like fTPM disabled in the UEFI. If you have AMD Zen or newer, it should work as long as you enable the settings.

    Also, update your firmware. Any newer AMD firmware should enable fTPM automatically precisely to enable Windows 11 support.

    AMD was really forward looking when they added this shit in 2016 eh

    UnpledgedCatnapTipper ,

    You actually need Zen+, the 1000 series Zen CPUs aren't compatible but the 2000+ series are!

    VerticaGG ,

    Its the Data harvesting that's irking me. Not that data harvesting is new; but that i have a dreadful sense of M$' "AI" scheming just crosses a rubicon of data harvesting.

    I'm backing away slowly. Dont care what games or executables i wont be able to run. Get ready for the accusations that im the "radical arch-loving myopic lemmy elite": it's finally time to run *nix as host.

    CCF_100 ,

    Soon, you'll be saying "i use arch btw". It's only a matter of time. >:D

    skulblaka ,
    @skulblaka@startrek.website avatar

    Dont care what games or executables i wont be able to run

    Between Wine and Proton that's basically a non issue anymore, go ahead and make the switch. The era of windows exclusive software is pretty much over.

    gandalf_der_12te ,
    @gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

    Year Of The Linux Desktop

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