Officially, technical support for Windows 10 has just ended, and today is the first day that Windows 10 does not have it. But the same has not happened in all regions. While outside the European Union the system will no longer have support or security updates, with the danger of not updating or changing the system, in the EU Windows 10according to Europa Press, will have security updates for another yearso the change will not be so urgent.
Thus, Europeans will be able to receive new updates for Windows 10 for free until October 13, 2026without having to pay an additional fee to continue doing so or having a thousand Microsoft Rewards points. The users who can access it, which are those who have Windows 10 version 22H2, will have already received a notice in the system so that they can access these updates, and they have to register their computers to be able to receive the updates before the day that the delivery of updates will end, next year.
Of course, it is necessary to keep in mind that this program does not even cover software updates that include new, improved functions. Neither does technical support. Both possibilities ended yesterday, October 14, and those who want to access these functions will have to update their computer to Windows 11.
As we have mentioned on numerous occasions, not all computers are compatible with Windows 11. This system has quite demanding hardware requirements, which has caused quite a few controversies among Windows users, both consumers and businesses. Basically because the only option that Microsoft offers to those affected who cannot install Windows 11 is to Buy a new computer. Paying for it out of pocket, of course. Even if the computer they are using is practically new.
Where has this led? Many Windows 10 users decide not to upgrade to Windows 11. At least until they change computers later. This is a tremendous security problem, since by not updating from now on (in the case of EU equipment from a year onwards), the equipment is left unprotected against future security threats.
Those who resist moving from Windows 10 are not exactly few. According to Muycomputer, they would be around 40% of the total number of computers around the world. It is the consequence of trying to ensure that nearly 400 million computers that cannot be updated to Windows go into the trash to make way for new computers with Windows 11, a system that, on the other hand, has not been without controversy due to its lack of attractiveness and the incorporation of invasive functions related to AI.
Options to leave Windows 10: upgrade or change systems
There are different options, however, for those who are not convinced of sticking with Windows 10. The most common, although in many cases it has been done reluctantly, is upgrade to Windows 11 for free. Es the most frequent when the equipment meets the requirements to move from the previous version of the system to the new one. Others have taken advantage of the fact that their computers were almost at the end of their life cycle to change and have purchased others with Windows 11 preinstalled.
But other users have taken advantage of the difficulties posed by this change to change systems, and install one of the different versions of Linux available on your equipment. With this change they have not only left the Microsoft operating system behind, but they have also managed to extend the life of their equipment. Virtually all Linux distributions, from Ubuntu or Debian to Mint, including Elementary, Red Hat or SuSE, have much less demanding hardware requirements than Windows.
Furthermore, when installing it, users will notice that in many cases their computers run more smoothly, or that they do not get as hot as when they were using Windows. They will also not be forced to see advertising on the system, nor will they have bloatware installed. The system will not collect your data by default either, nor will you have to go through menus and configuration options to avoid possible security intrusions from Microsoft.
Linux is an open source system that is free to use, and works on any Windows 10 compatible computer, regardless of the selected distribution, each with its own user interface, desktop, and application store. It is also a solid and secure system, with a wide variety of compatible applications and tools (and in many cases, also free, such as the LibreOffice office suite).
Among the most recommended for novice Linux users are Ubuntu and Mint. The latter may be more comfortable for those who come from Windows, since it has different desktops with a design and configuration similar to those they are used to with the Microsoft operating system.
Some users and companies that are not so determined to switch to an open source operating system have chosen to completely change their environment and switch to MacOS, Apple’s operating system, which also entails the purchase of a new, and not exactly cheap, computer. That is why it is a step that some companies have taken more than at the end user level.
Another option is to switch to Google’s solutions for PC: ChromeOS. Again, adopting this system, in many cases requires the purchase of a new computer (Chromebook), although much cheaper than Apple computers. This system, however, is quite limited for certain activities that require high computing power. But in general, for equipment intended for the end consumer, it can work perfectly.
In addition to these options, there are others that are much less known and not suitable for all profiles, such as Unix, FreeBSD, FreeDOS and even OpenBSD. In these cases, it must be taken into account that these systems are not usually updated as frequently as others, nor are they general purpose.
Some do not even have a graphical environment, so they must be managed from a command line. This makes them not suitable for all audiences or for all purposes for which an end user, and even a business user, needs or wants to use a computer. So, Generally, the most popular options for leaving Windows 10 for those who do not want to use Windows 11 are to move to Linux or MacOS.
