Windows 10 users will doubtless have seen warnings that Microsoft are ending support in October. If your computer isn’t modern enough for Windows 11, there are some great options to keep it useful for longer. These solutions often work well if you have an older Mac too. Our tech rescue volunteers would be happy to help you work out what’s best for you and make the move.
The challenge
“End of support” for a Windows system means that Microsoft stop providing updates. Your computer will continue to work, but there are two issues which both become more of a problem over time:
- Security updates stop – Microsoft won’t fix any new security holes that are discovered, leaving you increasingly exposed to malware and viruses
- Newer software and websites won’t work – as software and websites are updated, they’ll gradually stop designing to be compatible with this version of Windows. At some point, the internet security certificates may also expire so you’ll lose access to websites.
Options to consider
It may be the right time for you to replace your computer for something speedier and the latest Microsoft tools, but if you can’t afford to right now or don’t feel you need the latest and fastest, there are some great options which are free or much cheaper than a new computer. You’ll just need to make sure you can run all the key apps you need and take care with your data if you’re switching.
- Windows 10 extended security updates – Microsoft do offer an option of paying $30/yr to continue to receive security updates for Windows 10.
- Update October 2025 – we now understand that for many users, this year-long extension can be free! Find out more here.
- Windows 11 clean install – with their latest release, Microsoft have enabled Windows 11 to work on older computers. In our testing, this only seems to work on older PCs if you back up your data, wipe and reset your computer, and there’s a risk certain features like webcams may not be 100% compatible, but it’s great to see more computers should keep working. There’s a fairly simple installer from Microsoft to help you set up the USB stick you’ll need to do this.
- Google Chrome OS Flex – this free system from Google is our favourite; we run everything on it at SHARE. It works particularly well if you already do almost everything via the browser. You’ll find your computer a lot faster as well as keeping those security updates going. With a free web-based version of Microsoft Office available as well as cloud storage and the Google Play store, you might be surprised how much you can do. It’s free to download and set up a USB installer.
- Linux – another free option, Linux is more flexible than Chrome OS and has come a long way from being just for hardened techies. There are many distributions to suit different users. I’m a fan of Ubuntu, which is easy to install, feels familiar to anyone who’s used Windows or a Mac and has features like an App Store to make downloading software easy. If you want to keep a really old PC going, distributions such as Linux Mint Debian Edition are even still supported on 32-bit computers. For more advanced users than me, there are even tools like Wine which let you run Windows software.
A quick internet search will show there are other “unsupported” approaches to get older computers onto Windows 11 or patch Macs to run the latest macOS. These might work for you but we’re not recommending them as they will be unpredictable and possibly break terms of the software licenses you’re signing up to.
All good for Apple Macs
The good news is that most of this article’s advice applies to Apple Mac users as well; Chrome OS and Ubuntu installers will work on almost all Macs with intel chips.
Need help deciding?
Here are a few key points comparing these options:
| Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 Extended Support | Keeps your Windows 10 computer secure if you’re not ready to change. No need to move your data. | Costs $30/yr, possibly just a 1-year option |
| Windows 11 clean install | Keep going with Windows and the apps you need (so long as you can reinstall them) | Windows 11 is slow on older PCs. You’ll likely need to wipe your computer and move your data. |
| Google Chrome OS Flex | Faster than Windows, Synchronises Chrome Browser passwords and links, easy to use with a google login | You’ll need to migrate your data to the cloud and it may not run the apps you use today. DVD drives not supported. |
| Linux | Flexible with plenty of tools and still works with DVDs etc. Can work on very old computers. | A little more complex than Chrome OS. |
Making your plan
If you’re interested to try any of the options other than paying the $30/yr to keep Windows 10 going, you’ll be wiping your computer. Let’s make sure you’re ready to go:
- What applications do I use? – there are online versions or equivalents for almost everything these days such as Microsoft Office, Google’s many tools for Office work, photos and more, to Canva for graphics etc. Go through the Start menu on your computer and note the software you are using. You can try out the online versions straight away before changing anything on your computer to make sure you’re happy with them.
- What files do I have? – as well as the documents, photos and music folders, you will find documents on your desktop, downloads folder, maybe elsewhere on your C: drive. Make sure you’ve found everything you want to keep.
- Plan for your files – as well as deciding which files to keep and where to store them, this is a good moment to check if any of them need special software on this computer to open. What will you do with those old study notes from years ago on your new computer?
- Backup, including cloud storage – cloud storage like OneDrive, Google Drive, DropBox can be a great option to get all your files safely uploaded before wiping your PC. Log into the webpage for your cloud storage (say dropbox.com or office.com) and make sure you can see everything there so you know you’re ready to go. If you have so many large files that cloud would be expensive, you’ll want to buy a hard disk or USB stick to copy everything onto.
- Which system will suit you? – looking at your applications and files should help you decide which system you’d like to migrate to – fresh Windows 11, Chrome OS or Linux?
- Choose your browser, sync your passwords and links – if you’re moving to Chrome OS, get set up with Google’s Chrome browser and make sure you’re signed in and you’ll be ready to go with your new setup. FireFox is a great choice for Linux as it’s generally built in from the word go, although Google Chrome is also available for many distributions. You can migrate your browser data from Microsoft Edge to either of these ones, ready to sync to the cloud.
- What passwords do you need? – make sure you’re set for your email, any Google or Microsoft accounts and key software subscriptions you use, such as DropBox.
If you do need to upgrade, secondhand is a great option
If, looking at your needs, you decide to upgrade your computer to something Windows 11 capable, there are some great-value refurbished resellers out there. I’ve used Stone Refurb and Blackmore IT before and they’re offering Windows 11 laptops from £170.
We would also be happy to help you pass on your old PC. We accept old laptops, tablets or phones for our partners Getting Oxfordshire Online where they are securely wiped and passed on to groups supporting people in need. If you have a desktop you need to shift, for £20 we can take it off your hands, securely wipe it and we’ll either sell it or Freecycle it to keep it in use even if it’s not got any value.
Before you make the leap
We’re conscious it’s a big step to wipe your computer, and we’re keen to help where we can. Here are some ideas:
- Work in your web browser – both the Chrome OS and Linux options often work well doing as much work as possible in the browser. You can give it a try for a few weeks in Chrome or Firefox browser on your existing Windows 10 PC to make sure everything’s working well.
- Try out a SHARE computer – we have both Chrome OS and Linux computers here at SHARE so do feel free to book yourself in for Tech Rescue to have a go with our computers and ask any questions. If you’re planning to use Chrome, you can even log in with your google account and make sure everything’s ready as you’ll want it on your new computer.
- Is it worth buying secondhand then selling yours? – if you’re worried about getting something wrong and losing everything, a secondhand PC could offer a good security step. You can get it all set up and check you like the new system you’ve chosen before wiping your data from your old PC, then give away or sell on one of the two. Secondhand non-Windows-11 computers are great value and we can offer Chrome OS or Linux desktops from £30-80. We’re also considering hiring laptops for this purpose so please get in touch if interested.
The time has come
Your data’s ready in the cloud or on your external hard disk, you’ve decided on a plan for each app you use, you’ve trialled working in your browser or on a second computer… it’s time to get your PC wiped and reset.
DIY: you’ll just need a USB stick at least 8GB in size, that you’ll wipe to make the installer. Here are download links and instructions for the installers we’ve mentioned:
Or Tech Rescue can help: we have the relevant installers with us at SHARE, so book yourself in for a Tech Rescue session if you’d like us to do this step with you. We have screens and keyboards if you’d like to bring your desktop computer in.
Read more
It’s great to spot more campaigns out there as national and international groups are sharing knowledge and helping people find local experts. You can read more at:
- Restart project’s guides for End of Windows 10 community sessions has some good summaries of what to double check when helping someone change their PC
- endof10.org is an international page to help you find local support wherever you are in the world
Questions?
If you’ve got any questions or suggestions, please do get in touch with Ben at hello@shareoxford.org. He would be happy to discuss our options for help via Tech Rescue or otherwise.
