What to do with your Windows 10 PC after the end of updates?

The end of the management of Windows 10 from October 14, to a lot of eddies. It is estimated that 240 million computers in perfect working order will be made “obsolete” by Microsoft, for lack of a satisfactory migration solution.

From environmental consequences to the social consequences of such a decision, none of this is simple. But on a smaller scale, what is it really possible to do with a Windows 10 machine which is not eligible for Windows 11? Here are some tracks if you don’t want to get rid of your computer that still works very well.

1 – Continue to use Windows 10

The end of free security updates provided by Microsoft does not mean that your computer will start dysfunction overnight. This simply means that he will no longer be protected against any threats and other viruses lying around on the net.

Continue to use your machine will therefore present risks. It is important to emphasize this. Risks that will grow over time, since more and more flaws in the operating system will be invariably discovered. However, if you have no other choice, you can perfectly continue to use Windows 10 with some adjustments.

First, it will be necessary to redouble a distrust when browsing the net or when you download software. Even more than before, your computer will be an easy target. Download only your files from trusted platforms, equip yourself with an antivirus, delete your unused software and extensions to reduce the potential infection channels of your machine.

But above all, and above all, preferably use software that will continue to be updated for Windows 10. Firefox provides for example always updates for Windows 7, it is therefore a rather safe bet for the next few years (Chrome has arrested in 2023 and has not yet announced a cleaner date for Windows 10). Without protection in the operating system, keeping your software up to date is more important than ever.

2-Register for extensive management

Technically, Microsoft will not completely stop deploying security updates for Windows 10, but the company will no longer do it free… well almost. It is indeed possible to subscribe to one year of additional update on Windows 10 for around € 30. It is enough to join the update program extended from the update parameters of your PC.

Fortunately, Microsoft has also recently announced free methods to benefit from this additional update year. Just exchange 1,000 Microsoft points or synchronize your PC settings on the cloud. If you want to know more about the subject, do not hesitate to consult our tutorial detailing the procedure to take advantage of this advantage.

This option will only gain an additional year of additional follow -up (unless Microsoft is still changing your mind), but this is largely preferable to the use of an obsolete software machine.

3 – Have your components evolve

This solution is only possible for a small part of the installed park (mainly fixed PCs) and for those who are not afraid to put their hands in the citch.

Since Windows 11 is only compatible with a list of predetermined processors, you can change the one on your computer for a compatible model. This may cost expensive and technically complex, but it can be a solution to the full buyout of a new machine.

If you are blocked by the absence of a TPM 2.0 chip on your motherboard, check if a location is not available to install an additional module. This is the case of certain gigabyte cards in particular.

Be careful, that said, changing your equipment can be expensive and Windows 11 is more delicious in resources than Windows 10. If you opt for such a solution, find out about the equipment before buying.

4 – Install an alternative operating system

This solution requires a little expertise, even if the installation of an alternative bone is no longer so technical as that today. The most widely recommended system is Linux with its hundreds of different distributions.

For basic use, one of the most popular bones in recent years is called Linux Mint. It has almost all the drivers and applications necessary for the proper use of a PC while being relatively intuitive for those who migrate from Windows. There too, we have a tutorial capable of accompanying you step by step in the process.

If you are comfortable with the Google ecosystem and most of your favorite applications are already on the cloud, you can also try Chrome OS Flex, you will have to change a lot of your habits and count on Google to provide updates, but that is a possibility.

Be careful, before any magnitude manipulation like this, remember to save all your important data. We are never safe from poor manipulation.

5-Install it… Windows 11

If the official installation methods of Windows 11 require many very strict technical characteristics, it is still possible to install the new operating system on normally non -compatible machines.

Software like Rufus especially simplifies the task and Ifixit has a complete tutorial to succeed in its migration.

For a good part of the users, it is an interesting solution, because it allows you to continue using Windows and to go to the Windows 11 update circuit, planned to last until 2030 and wheelbarrows.

Be careful, that said. If it is possible to bypass Microsoft’s technical barriers, there is no saying that the company will not hunt machines not compatible at one time or another. Long -term software monitoring is therefore not guaranteed.