Windows 10 has a year (8 months) left to live – but are users prepared to upgrade to Windows 11?

Tech Radar ^ | October 15, 2024 | Rosario Blue

[fireman15]

It’s official: after 10 years of noble service, Windows 10 will reach its end on October 14, 2025, and what a great decade it’s been. For many users, Microsoft redeemed itself after a run of disappointing operating systems – the mere mention of Windows 8 still sends some people into a rage – but Windows 10 got it right.

That’s why the announcement of Windows 11 came as a shock. It felt too soon, too rushed – and unnecessary. Many believed that Windows 10 deserved more time to marinate. At least until it finally managed to migrate the whole Control Panel to Settings.

Jokes aside, Windows 10 made its mark with its support of legacy software, flexibility and its introduction of enhanced cloud integration in the form of OneDrive, which made accessing your files from any internet-connected PC a breeze. Its regular security updates and long-term servicing channels (LTSC) made it especially popular with businesses. (If you want to see the good stuff you will have to follow the link above.)

[fireman15]

Do you have any idea how many millions of people are still using WinXP (~5.5 million as of last year)?

I tend to agree with you, but as you well know... the 5.5 million "WinXP users" are by and large not people... they are ATMs, medical, industrial, government and military equipment along with a few eccentric people such as myself and I guess you who are still occasionally using software from 20 years ago in virtual machines and on very old hardware. There really is no point in exaggerating. For the most part everyone has some kind of axe to grind because of Microsoft's arrogant and ham handed behavior.

[daniel1212]

My wife's new computer with 11 has been nothing but trouble. I am restructuring an older with 10 for her, this week. Registry hacks will be used to block OS upgrades.

For now it is not very hard to enable Windows 11 (until 24H2) to look and much behave as Windows 10, which itself "needed" help to function for users like Windows 7.

most Windows users do not even know about the level of safe and free enhancements available, which they should find improve Windows despite MS upgrades which overall are negative as regards efficient functionality.

Like Open Shell, download Open Shell (click on Releases>Latest on middle right side) to replace the mobile device W/11 start menu, and there is Explorer Patcher (see under Assets here, install, and r. click on TB and hit Properties to see options) that restores the Windows 11 taskbar to be exactly like Windows 10, while Windows 7+ Taskbar Tweaker (I am using the beta ver.) provides more customization.

Then there are the over 200 tweaks available in Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4 and now there is Ultimate Windows Tweaker 5 for Windows 11 from the Windows club.

Add to this the many Winaero features of the Winaero Tweaker and is Right-Click Extender (add items to many right click menus)

OpenShell Start:

Composite image desktop:

Multi-level Taskbar enabled under Explorer Patcher:

[daniel1212]

Hold down Windows key and tap i key, type winver in Run command box and his OK.

[steve86]

Originally called Mandrake Linux, not Mandriva. Both dead?

[daniel1212]

Get Linux Cinnamon Mint. It will operate very similar to windows.

Not in my experience, in comparison with much customized Windows. Tried many Linux distros, besides Mint, and the best I have found so for *for me) is PclinuxOS, KDE. Among other options, it is the only one I used that actually enables remapping the CapsLock key to ctrl+c (not just ctrl), without even needing to code anything. Can't get multi-level taskbar yet. Just a small-time hobby. Thank God for options to do good with. I do not knowingly install proprietary codecs though.

[Blood of Tyrants]

I don’t have the ability to explain it. If your computer was made after 2012 it most likely has UEFI boot. If you load the latest version and it doesn’t work then just install an older version.

My computer was made in 2010 and needed the older version after trying to get the newer version to work all day.

[doorgunner69]

How do you find anything in that mess?

[goodnesswins]

I have newer...I will figure it out...thx

[lefty-lie-spy]

It boggles the mind that otherwise very intelligent FReepers continue to use Windows, complain about how horrible it is, then repeat the same insanity over and over.

It’s been the same problem since the very first version of DOS yet people still are stuck on stupid.

I just laugh.

[fireman15]

It boggles the mind that otherwise very intelligent FReepers continue to use Windows, complain about how horrible it is, then repeat the same insanity over and over.

I have been into computers long before Windows as well. And my basic knowledge of DOS and other tidbits served me well since before I was hired to work at a College as a computer lab assistant for a work study job many years ago.

I was initially skeptical of the need for graphical interfaces, but realized fairly early on that they would be helpful to many people even before they were really ready for prime time. Overall, various versions of Microsoft Windows have been dependable and done a good job as a computer operating system.

They have been very well documented in almost every way and have been the only choice for much of the software that I have used over the years. I can give so many examples of software packages that are not usable in any other operating system and have no equivalents.

There is no “insanity” or stupidity involved, if you want to perform tasks beyond the foundations of basic computer uses there simply is no other valid choice in many cases... Windows has a true monopoly in many areas. And, Microsoft like nearly every other organization which produces operating systems has been run by woke idiots in recent years with misplaced priorities. There are plenty of reasons to complain about many of Microsoft's idiotic policies and the quality of and difficulties related to recent releases.

I apologize for contributing to getting your panties in a wad over material included in this thread. Maybe you should consider just skipping over this type of discussion in the future.

[fireman15]

How do you find anything in that mess?

You should see some of the desktop environments that I have created over the years. They are typically not meant for anyone other than myself and usually work quite well for me. If they do not, I redesign them. daniel1212’s desktop doesn't feel threatening in anyway and I am sure she can get to what she wants to use very easily.

[fireman15]

They are doing what Adobe did to it's customers- they are essentially saying “We don't care what you want- it's our way or the highway- either pay us big bucks, or go elsewhere-

Yes, I was a long-term photoshop user as well. I purchased the very first version that was ported to Windows. It was version 2.5 which was release in November of 1992. Mine came bundled with a package called Kai’s Power Tools that was designed to work with it. I eagerly upgraded to version 3 which came to Windows two years later. Back then Photoshop came up with a new version approximately every 2 years.

The upgrades were pretty expensive even back then. I eventually started buying them only when there were features that looked like they would be very helpful. I stopped sending them money when they switched to the subscription model.

I own several photoshop alternatives, but there are some tasks that I just do not know how to accomplish with them, and they are just not as capable. So, I still find myself turning to photoshop instead of learning the ins and outs of these newer packages.

[minnesota_bound]

I will stay on Windows 10 as long as I can. Windows 11 spies on you and records everything you do by taking snapshots and they say will store on your pc so you can “Recall” something months later. I already have a search tool and I store my files in folders so should know where to find anything without microsoft wiretapping my pc.

Microsoft says they won’t record tax info or credit card numbers but that already has been discovered not to be true and it is always “inadvertent”.
They also say they will not upload your information.
If you believe that....

Microsoft will be working with the web browser companies to force you to Windows 11 or 12 when it comes out by having the web browser stop support as they did for Windows 7.

[minnesota_bound]

#22 Start button> Settings> System> About (on left side bottom)

[cherry]

I put two lap tops to bed this week..I like taking them apart...one of them has already been repaired once and then it developed the “critical error” and just did not want to fool with it since it was windows 10 and old anyway.

[minnesota_bound]

To fix the Windows install you use SFC /scannow and DISM commands.
Here is a video showing how. You won’t have to reinstall Windows again.
The fixes only take a few minutes.

Easily fix broken Windows files....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acxCueZ2dVQ

[Bob434]

Yep, I have a couple alternatives too- but I have so many custom actions in photoshop that I can’t do without it. Actions I made myself,over the years- lots and lots of work making them, refining etc. It just wasn’t acceptable t9 me that I could lose it all because they got greedy and were trying to force people into monthly subscriptions. I was almost resigned to the fact that I would,need another app like,affinity, but finally ran across the “fix” for not,being able to deactivate on old,machine thankfully

[fireman15]

I was almost resigned to the fact that I would, need another app like, affinity,

I should have called myself a former long term Photoshop customer not user. Even though I have purchased other packages... I do so much less photo editing than I used to, that I cannot justify investing a lot of time in the transition. When I have a photo editing task, I typically open up my old reliable tool whether it is a batch job, trying to make adjustments, use filters, and it goes on and on. Photoshop from ten years ago has features that I just do not know how to duplicate in more recent photo editing packages.

[Revel]

The only reason I would want it is because the tax software won’t install on windows 10 after as certain date. And then browsers will follow. It is the people who write the other software who are the real problem.

[daniel1212]

How do you find anything in that mess?

How? A lot quicker than any default menu! I clicks (or one key) and move the mouse and click and I am in Device manager (but which is also hotkeyed as Windows key+4) As for "mess?" You do realize that the Start menu does not open with all the items in the Control Panel (which MS is trying phased out in favor of less efficient menus, or "search" so you do not know where something is actually located), but that the menu flies out to where you can quickly find things in alpha order?

Rather, how to you quickly find things in the typical space-out modern Windows and Linux menus, which often requires a lot of scrolling or typing in the search box?

Windows 11 default Start menu (contrasted with OpenShell, on right)

Mint:

Why copy Chrome with its minimization?

And why should users not be able to create custom right click menus and be able to easily r. click copy shortcuts to programs and locations (and also find the actual location via r. click) they want quick access to, and send them to that custom menu?

Moreover, why should one be restricted to a single level Taskbar?

Perhaps you are a typical user who only opens perhaps 10 tabs on a browser, and 2 or 3 documents, and a couple program icons on the taskbar, and who prefers a race car over a utility truck, but if one does a lot of research, and has multiple "irons" in the fire, them why should he not be able to run multiple installs of Firefox, Vivaldi and Floorp, each generally for its own purpose, like an open tool shed and bench , and with multiple tab rows. Plus multiple open documents to work on, with 2 word pros.

And with hot keys which can launch individual as well as multiple programs and locations are the press of 2 or 3 keys together, and even easily remap keys (especially CapsLock to ctrl+c and and Esc to ctrl+v, which has saved me a LOT of time and effort)?

You may have no use for such customization, but if one can safely and easily enable such enhancements (and restorations) for much improved efficiency, then thank God for such, hopefully to to be used for what is good in his eyes.