To feel fleeced by Microsoft ending support for Windows 10

[daylightrobberie]

I bought both my boys Dell laptops for Xmas 2019. Now, 6 years later, they are still running perfectly well on Windows 10, but I received an email from saying Windows 10 support is ending next month. I tried to upgrade but the MS PC Health Checker said the CPU is not compatible with Windows 11. Options are to pay for 3 years of further support or get new laptops. Aibu to feel fleeced?

I feel the same - I will for a small local charity who are struggling financially anyway
We have just had to buy 6 new desk tops and will also have to find more money per month for Microsoft subscriptions as they have ended their free for small charities scheme and replaced it with a grant towards the cost

It's also awful environmentally that we are forced to get rid of devices that work fine.

How often have you used the support in the last 6 years?

The support (tech support for problems) is less the issue than the fact that in mid October Microsoft will cease carrying out security and software updates for Windows 10.

Every time she opened a website and it worked. Every time there was a security patch or she plugged in a phone to back it up or transfer music/photos. Any time the kids logged into an educational app.

That's what support means in this context - that the computer still works, not that an AI responds to a query about a computer not responding to a restart command by telling you to restart the machine.

I have a desktop PC which can't upgrade to Windows 11 and I'm going to continue to use Windows 10. I have security software on the PC. I will buy a Windows 11 PC when if and when it becomes necessary.

You can always change to Linux. There are alternatives to Windows.

If anyone's trying to upgrade and the PC Health Checker says it needs TPM 2.0 it's an easy fix for most computers, you just need to start up in BIOS and enable it:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/enable-tpm-2-0-on-your-pc-1fd5a332-360d-4f46-a1e7-ae6b0c90645c

In general I don't know whether YABU or not. On the one hand the constant need to upgrade hardware is shockingly wasteful and an environmental disaster. On the other hand computing has always been like this - innovation is extremely rapid and both hardware and software become obsolete very quickly. It's just the nature of the beast.

I don't know how user friendly Linux is these days but I'm tempted.

Yes, when they say 'support' they mean support for the platform - Windows 10 - not customer support. They will no longer support Windows 10 which means no more updates.

Every time the security updates prevented malware from infecting my device. And you?

The EU had a go at Microsoft for some restrictive practice a few years ago. Missing the point that avoidable obsolescence is a restrictive practice all of its own.

I've found out that so long as we're running Windows 10 v22H2, signed in with a Microsoft account, and have Windows Backup turned on then we'll continue to get free security updates until September 2026.

So a temporary reprieve, at least.