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LPBBEAR

(583 posts)
7. I see one poster gets "it".
Mon Oct 20, 2025, 08:46 AM
21 hrs ago

Companies like Microsoft and Apple only survive because people follow along with their forced "upgrade" business model. There is NOTHING wrong with your computer. Microsoft could easily continue providing updates to your "software".

Computers are really 2 environments. Hardware and Software. The computer is hardware. As long as something like a motherboard or hard drive doesn't mechanically fail it will keep right on working.

Windows 10 is software. Software can be updated. In this case Microsoft is using its monopolistic control of the operating system software to arm twist users into moving to a new computer. To keep their bloated business model going Microsoft depends upon selling licenses to newly manufactured hardware. Their revenue would drop dramatically were they to provide updates to existing versions of Windows. So, they force users of older versions of Windows to buy new computers by ending support for older Windows versions.

I assume, by the nature of this forum, everyone here supports liberal ideals such as protecting the environment and not supporting abusive CEO's of corporations like Tesla for instance. Microsoft is an abusive monopoly and has been for decades. By this one move, the forced (cough cough) "upgrade", millions of usable computers will end up in landfills.

There is NOTHING wrong with your computer. Microsoft just needs a fat revenue boost and you're the source of it.

In the Linux world there is a method of updating software called a "rolling release". To explain how different that is from what most of you are used to will take a moment. You as Windows users are used to the Microsoft model. Rather than updating the software (Windows is software) Microsoft has conditioned its users to the idea that they MUST buy a NEW computer for every change in Windows versions. So, Windows 3.11 to Windows95 = new computer. Windows95 to WindowsXP = new computer. WindowsXP to Windows7 = new computer. Windows7 to Windows8 - new computer. Windows8 to WIndows10 = new computer. Now Windows10 to Windows11....yep new computer.

Along the path Microsoft has received resistance to these "upgrades" from budget conscience users so they force into the market crap like UEFI and "trusted" computing etc. to induce or convince their users they must upgrade. In this case they're telling users support for Windows10 is over. To be "safe" (boogity boogity boo) you MUST upgrade. If you stop and think about the many millions of computers of computers prematurely dumped into electronic landfills by this inefficient model you might realize that Microsoft (and Apple) are among the largest electronics polluters on the planet.

So what is a "rolling release" in the Linux world?

Some versions of Linux use a "rolling release" model of updates. The system updates are designed to basically evolve the software through major changes. These regular updates gradually change the software to the latest version including the Linux operating system itself. To put it in a way a Windows user might understand its like gradually, over time, sliding from Win3.11 to Windows95 to WindowsXP to Windows7 to Windows8 to Windows10 to Windows11 all on the same computer.

I am using a computer built around 2015. Its a decent computer from that period but at this point its 10 years old. I used a different version of Linux on it from 2015 to 2019. In 2019 I installed the current rolling release version of Linux its running. The actual install date for this version is 2019-05-13. May 13 2019. Over 7 years ago. Even so, its running the latest versions of all software I use. Unless the hardware fails completely I have no plans on changing to another computer. This one works fine and is running the latest versions of everything thanks to the more modern efficient consumer friendly method of updating used by the Linux version I use. Oh, and BTW, there is no AntiVirus and AntiMalware software installed on this system. (I know that fact alone probably confuses some Windows users)

In the event a hardware failure forces me to change to a "new" system I won't be buying a brand new computer. An offshoot effect of Microsoft's inefficient consumer unfriendly method of forced upgrades is a glut of perfectly good used computers floating around, many of them available for free or if any cost at all very cheap. I'll just install my rolling release version and go another 10 years not needing anything from Microsoft.

So in closing, yep you can keeping riding the Microsoft (or Apple) forced upgrade merry-go-round or.....you can make the effort to step off and end the madness. Your choice. I and many others here using Linux can offer advice should you decide to make the change. I know this is a bit of a different direction from your original question but it is offered as a viable solution to your current situation.

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