Windows 11 coming soon, Windows 10 retiring from 2025

[bruce bowser]

Keep in mind that here are three major alternatives to Windows: Mac OS, Linux, and Chrome.

[Retirednoguilt]

Having once owned an older Android tablet, I never had a problem with how the non-updatable OS functioned. However, I learned over time that many of my favorite apps were stuck with outdated databases, maps etc. or otherwise became useless because updated versions of those apps were needed to import the updated databases, maps and other files that were incompatible with my older versions of the apps and older format updated database and info files were no longer being prepared by the app's developer. So even though I was satisfied with the OS, I had to buy an tablet using an updated version of Android to continue using the apps I liked. Can't speak for whether the same situation pertains to Linux apps, or programs, or whatever they're called on that OS.

As far as MS Office is concerned, I uninstalled it completely 2 years ago and been very satisfied using the entirely free, highly compatible and easily customized LibreOffice program.

[rbowman]

I have three tablets in various states of obsolescence.

My Linux boxes at work and t home are well behind the curve but are still functional. There are minor annoyances like not being able to install Brave on OpenSUSE 13.2. OpenSUSE went to 'Leap' and the upgrade from 13.2 was problematic so I never did. I forget which version of Kubuntu I have at work. However I can install the latest versions of things I really use.

[Clare Snyder]

If it says you can't install due to secure boot it means your system does not SUPPORT secure boot - not that it is not enabled

[Ralph Mowery]

That is what I saw. I don't really understand that 'support' thing. About all they do is try to patch up the program security and as soon as one hole is patched, the hackers find another.

Yesterday the Win to sent me an update. I went to use the compuer and it took it over half an hour to get out of the updating so I could use it. There was nothing wrong with it before the update.

I have a computer running XP that does many things I need to do. It does not need an update or support. That was before Turbo Tax did something so it would not run and I needed to go to a Win 10 computer.

[Jim Joyce]

From what I've seen, if your CPU is Intel, it's supposed to be 8th gen or newer. Yours is probably older. The generation is the first number in the 4 or 5-digit sequence.

Mine is i7-8700, with the 8 signifying 8th gen.

If your CPU is AMD, then I don't know.

For TPM, be sure it's enabled in the BIOS. You might have the right version, 2.0, but it's usually disabled by default.

[Jim Joyce]

You'll have to change it back in order to get past that specific requirement, but as you point out, there seem to be other things that are going to hold you back.

GPT is the newer alternative in disk formats, replacing the older MBR method in about 2016. Lots of disk utilities offer to convert MBR to GPT, but I haven't tried any of them.

GPT versus MBR has nothing to do with the physical drive type. It applies equally to spinning drives, SATA SSD drives, and PCIe NVMe drives.

SecureBoot is usually disabled by default, so many people are reporting that enabling it has gotten them past that requirement. I've seen a few reports, though, that even after enabling SecureBoot the compat tool still says it doesn't detect it. That could be a problem with the tool itself.

Right, it has to be TPM 2.0. There are a couple of ways to get TPM 2.0, though. I've read that newer CPUs have TPM 2.0 built in and it only needs to be enabled. I've also read that standalone TPM 2.0 modules are available at low cost for many motherboards. Be careful if you go that route. Apparently, those TPM 2.0 modules come in various pin numbers, from 14 to

18 to 20, so you'd have to get the one that fits your motherboard, assuming your motherboard has the TPM header. (Most do, that I've seen.)

Check the CPU socket type. You may be able to fit a newer (supported) CPU. Yours is a 4th generation, which is too old. They're looking for 8th gen or newer.

[Jim Joyce]

The Microsoft compatibility tool only reports the first gating issue that it finds. The other third party tool, WhyNotWin11, tries to report all of the gating issues.

[Ed Pawlowski]

My desktop and 3 year old laptop are no go. My newer laptop is OK. I'll stick with W10 until they die.

There are people though, that just have to have the latest and greatest and will be in line for a new computer on release day.

These computers do everything I need to do so no reason to upgrade and buy new.

[Jim Joyce]

My motherboard has a BIOS/UEFI option called Secure Boot, which is currently disabled. I assumed they were referring to that option.

[rbowman]

[micky]

They were little. I had to use a magnifying glass.

[Jim Joyce]

I think you guys were both right. Earlier versions of WhyNotWin11 used an exclamation mark to indicate a bad CPU result. The latest version, 2.2.4.0 as I write this, changes the exclamation mark to a question mark and includes the following in its release notes:

• Change CPU failure to ? instead of !

[invalid unparseable]

Maybe I missed it but with all the discussion here I have heard no one say that they have been able to install Win 11 on their machine.

Greedy MS is feeding us a line of crap.

[Ralph Mowery]

I will stick with Win 10 for as long as the programs I need to run will run on it. I have an XP computer that I use almost daily for some things and a while back Google Chrome quit updatine for that version and some web sites will not run under the older version of Chrome.

I mentioned Turbo Tax quit running under XP so I had to go to Win 10 as Win 7/8 computers could be bought used for around $ 100 to $ 150 that would do all I needed to do and Win 10 was a free upload/upgrade at the time. Maybe by the time Win 10 programs quit running there will be some used computers on ebay that will run the next version .

[Retirednoguilt]

The MS PC health check tool reports that my Dell XPS 8930, which I bought in April 2019 "can run Windows 11" and is "UEFI, Secure Boot capable". However, when I go to the Win10 settings > windows security > device security screen, the comment under the Secure Boot heading says, "Secure boot is on, preventing malicious software from loading when your device starts up." I've never changed any of the default security settings; the unit was delivered that way from the Dell factory. However, many previous comments in this thread say that secure boot is normally off. Any problems with leaving it on? The OS has never choked when starting up or after any OS updates and has been entirely stable.

[Clare Snyder]

Absolutely no reason to dissable it and with the exception of "custom built" machines virtually all machines capable of running safe boot and supplied with Windows 10 pre-installed at the factory will have it enabled. ( Like all Acer, DEL, Lenovo, Azuz or HP computers less than 2 or 3 years old - at least)

[Dean Hoffman]

I bought my lady an HP Pavilion x360 last Christmas thanks to advice from someone here. It met official approval then and she told me again a couple weeks ago she likes it. Is there anything I should tell her? Thanks

[micky]

Wow. How about that!

[Ed Pawlowski]

Yes, tell her how thoughtful you were to get a computer that can be upgraded.

I have two HPs, the 3 year old cannot be but may not last to 2025, the 6 month old can take W11.