End of Windows 10?

[onawah]

I'm in a bit of panic mode. I have an older computer and I am not at all techy, but very dependent on my computer.
There is bad news circulating about the end of Windows 10 security updates being a big problem, such as:

Why the end of support for Windows 10 is uniquely troubling:
Nathan Proctor
2.99K subscribers
Oct 1, 2025

"Tech should last, but unless Microsoft changes their approach, hundreds of millions of computers will be left behind.

Facts referenced in this video can be found here:
https://pirg.org/articles/why-the-en...0-is-uniquely-" troubling/

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=wqh_40hyGYw

****************

Other sources are not making such dire predictions, but advising taking various steps to prevent problems.
Very confusing to someone like me!
Advice from more techy members would be much appreciated.

Windows 10’s Last Stand: Do This Before Support Ends
CyberCPU Tech
322K subscribers
Aug 11, 2025

"If you plan to stay on Windows 10 past its end of support, this video will show you how to increase you security in Windows 10 and make it less likely to fall victim to a security vulnerability."

Then lots of links follow as to what steps to take to protect your PC, which are incomprehensible to someone like me.
It looks like the only real option is to open a Microsoft account and buy a service that will keep Windows 10 running for one year. I imagine that's what I will have to do,but even that seems daunting. Switching to Windows 10 wasn't such a problem as I recall, but I don't really remember much about it.
No doubt switching to Linux will be recommended, but doing that would be yet another nightmare for me.
I don't play games online or do anything other than access this forum, my gmail account, Facebook and youtube, so my needs are fairly simple.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=66jdTanBpNQ

[Russian Bear]

The biggest computer pirates, as far as I understand from conversations with foreigners, are Russians. The Europeans, Americans and, it seems to me, the British always act according to instructions, trying to maintain order in production. Well done, it's a good quality.

Judge for yourself: I've been using pirated Windows all my life, for more than 10 years. All my programs are pirated too, and I have a pirated antivirus. I have never received any Windows updates. In any case, you can upgrade by downloading updates from the official website. Besides, I've always had a pirated antivirus. A long time ago, when I was young, I played computer games that I never bought, but downloaded pirated, hacked games from torrents, watched pirated movies, listened to pirated music, and downloaded pirated books. Comrades, don't panic over the little things. Everything will be fine.

Look at me, I've never received technical support from Microsoft at all, and somehow everything worked fine. I still have pirated Windows and no updates.

[samsdice]

I very much doubt that MS will completely stop security updates. There are a couple of ways of mitigating this. You could opt for the long-term support version of W10 for example. MS have a habit of announcing dire end-of-support warnings which turn out to be hyperbole. I still get security updates for Windows 7. My copy is a legal copy. Commercial organisations will be running W10 for years to come too.

[Raskolnikov]

In the same boat onawah, but I just can't bring myself to care. Why does everything Bill Gates brings to the public come with the need for boosters and security updates? Create the virus, sell the bogus protection. There are plenty of videos showing how to keep running your computer with Windows 10. I guess maybe I should actually look at a couple.

I used to get everything for free for a long time too, Russian Bear, using PirateBay back in the day. And then one day I was threatened with a large fine from HBO to cease and desist downloading their series. I try to operate more honestly these days, but where Bill Gates is concerned all bets are off. Maybe you could give a little free advice to the technologically challenged like onawah and myself to continue using Windows without having to follow the Bill Gates booster/security model.

Here's a couple vids I found:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=HpAIOcYPYgo

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=SZH7MlvOoPM

[Ernie Nemeth]

I have received many warnings for over a year about this impending day.

Since having lost so much work the last time I had an issue, I am not taking any chances.

I got a new computer, a cheap one that uses solid state technology - no hard drive. I also purchased a solid state external hard drive.
I will download all my data from the old computer to the hard drive, then upload the data to my new computer.
And from now on I will be backing up my work on that external drive.

Then when it's less of a risk, I will attempt to switch to Windows 11on the old computer.


I should add that the new computer is in the living room, connected to the TV.
The old computer is in my work room, where I do my writing.

I regularly hang out in the work room....so that old computer is essential.

[Michi]

Alternatively you can just upgrade to Windows 11 if you need Windows. Even on older, unsupported hardware, you can still upgrade via https://github.com/builtbybel/Flyoobe.
Or switch to Linux and run Windows, if needed in a Virtual Machine for example Winboat.

[ThePythonicCow]

Someone asked me if I had useful advice on dealing with this decline and removal of Windows 10 security updates.

I have no useful advice. Sorry.

[Mike Gorman]

One of the more helpful, and educational UToob channels I have encountered in the field of "Windows" has to be https://www.youtube.com/@DavesGarage this fella built the 'task manager" feature in the Windows operating system, he was one of the original software engineers in the Windows 95/+ projects: he is a very interesting man who also offers support & insight for us 'spectrum' types, just like Dave I never considered myself 'on the spectrum' but my ability to focus to the exclusion of all else on specific subjects together with my aversion to socializing & so forth tallies with this spectrum outcome...I do not consider this any kind of 'disability' - in fact on the contrary e.t.c
Anyway, if you are not familiar with Dave's UToob work, it is well worth a look. oh, and he has a wonderful sense of humor, which for me is always a positive attribute.

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

Posted by onawah (here)
I'm in a bit of panic mode. I have an older computer and I am not at all techy, but very dependent on my computer.
There is bad news circulating about the end of Windows 10 security updates being a big problem,

I was running Windows 7 for almost five years beyond end of life, without support, updates or patches in all that time and never experienced a problem. I had a good friend whose PC ran Windows XP for a full ten years after support ended. I wouldn't buy into the fear-mongering.

[meat suit]

I have a Linux mint laptop and fogotten the password, so have never been able to install or update anything on it.
A couple years ago all sorts of web pages were screaming at me to update firefox or it will stop working..
Still works fine , limping a little here and there but yeah... They are trying to panic us for no good reason mostly when it comes to software updates...

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by Mike Gorman (here)
https://www.youtube.com/@DavesGarage

Dave's a good listen - and he knows his Windows.

===

Posted by Mark (Star Mariner) (here)
I was running Windows 7 for almost five years beyond end of life, without support, updates or patches in all that time and never experienced a problem.

That's what I was doing, back in the DOS and Windows 3.1 days ... when I ran such software.

[Richter]

Posted by ThePythonicCow (here)
Someone asked me if I had useful advice on dealing with this decline and removal of Windows 10 security updates.

I have no useful advice. Sorry.

Go to https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/

[Russian Bear]

Posted by Raskolnikov (here)
In the same boat onawah, but I just can't bring myself to care. Why does everything Bill Gates brings to the public come with the need for boosters and security updates? Create the virus, sell the bogus protection. There are plenty of videos showing how to keep running your computer with Windows 10. I guess maybe I should actually look at a couple.

I used to get everything for free for a long time too, Russian Bear, using PirateBay back in the day. And then one day I was threatened with a large fine from HBO to cease and desist downloading their series. I try to operate more honestly these days, but where Bill Gates is concerned all bets are off. Maybe you could give a little free advice to the technologically challenged like onawah and myself to continue using Windows without having to follow the Bill Gates booster/security model.

Download Kaspersky antivirus for your own safety. I can give you a key for the free version. And your computer will be safe. Just don't visit suspicious websites or open links—it's best. Kaspersky easily removes all viruses and worms, preventing your computer from becoming infected. When antivirus software was paid, I used a cracked version.

[HopSan]

I have been using Linux since 1994 in a myriad of computers, old and new.

Not once have any of my computers been attacked.
Recommend, highly. Linux is now OLD and TESTED!

After initial 'newness', everything is much more stable, fast and working than in Windows, ever.
At the moment, I have Ubuntu Studio LTS, for some years.

I can concentrate my full energy to useful things!

[Frankie Pancakes]

you can open linux mint or windows 10 with a dual boot option.
the vid will walk you through it.
I have it and use both for different reasons. Linux mint is bug resistant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gSr8YsJtd0

[onawah]

I accessed one of the youtube videos that showed me how to get the Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 for free, so I did that.
But it also went to a link that had something to do with added Microsoft features, which I stupidly clicked on, and I don't know how to undo it now.
The result being that as soon as I tried to login to my bank, it said my password was invalid.
So it goes with me and tech issues, which are crazy-making for me and for a lot of other seniors, I'm sure, and make me want to
I tried converting to Linux once years ago and got completely lost, so went right back to Windows, which at least was familiar.
I am using Malwarebytes now since my bank account got hacked and I had to open a new one.
I couldn't believe all the stress-making complications resulting from that!
One of the more frustrating complications is that when people are really trying to be helpful with techy advice and I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about and I go into a kind of zombie-like state of shock.
They might as well be speaking a different language.

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by onawah (here)
They might as well be speaking a different language.

That's part of why I offered no useful advice. I knew I couldn't, as I am a stranger in a strange land, and my geek words might as well be in the language of the far away, long ago, builders of 3I/Atlas.

[seekingtruth]

Why not just update to Windows 11? I've been getting the message to update for months and put it off, then your vids prompted me to look into it. After a bit of faffing my pc is able to update so I am just backing up my documents and will then update. It is free so not a big deal. Also made a windows 10 install usb in case I decide to go back to 10.

[mountain_jim]

Posted by seekingtruth (here)
Why not just update to Windows 11? I've been getting the message to update for months and put it off, then your vids prompted me to look into it. After a bit of faffing my pc is able to update so I am just backing up my documents and will then update. It is free so not a big deal. Also made a windows 10 install usb in case I decide to go back to 10.

There is utility to run to see if Windows 11 is supported by the computer hardware (see below)

I have one computer running windows 8 still - it would not pass this, but for what little this computer does it has not been an issue.

Another one used for video streaming to entertainment system I finally upgraded from 8 to 10 because streaming Amazon and Apple had quit working - this one also fails the windows 11 test.

For one that passed this test, I did use the windows update process to upgrade to 11, it went fine but took 3 hours or so, and if it had failed anywhere along the way I could foresee a situation where most folks would be stranded needing help - perhaps me also.


https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...7-88258df6812b

The easiest way to see if a device meets the requirements for Windows 11 after making hardware changes to the device is with the PC Health Check app:

Download and install the PC Health Check app. The PC Health Check app can be downloaded from the following link:

Download the PC Health Check app

Right-click on the Start menu and select Search .

In the Type here to search text box, enter:

pc health check

Under Best match, select PC Health Check from the list of results.

In the PC Health Check windows that opens, select the Check now button.

It can take up to 24 hours for Windows Update to refresh eligibility info. If the eligibility info isn't updating in a timely manner, Windows 11 eligibility assessment can be manually refreshed.

[samsdice]

Micro$oft's involvement in providing software to the IDF which enables rapid targeting up to 20 times faster is a good reason to switch to an alternative like a Linux distro, MS supplies Azure services to the Israeli military for bomb targeting and target verification. I'm sure MS isn't the only Silicon valley company doing such business, Oracle and others are definitely in the mix.