Support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025. Microsoft wants you to buy a new computer. 🐧 Supercharge it instead🐧

[usonian]

End of 10
https://endof10.org/
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Support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025.

Microsoft wants you to buy a new computer.

But what if you could make your current one fast and secure again?
Use your old computer but with fresh new software.




If you bought your computer after 2010, there's most likely no reason to throw it out. By just installing an up-to-date Linux operating system you can keep using it for years to come.

Installing an operating system may sound difficult, but you don't have to do it alone. With any luck, there are people in your area ready to help!

Find someone to help you ->

Install Linux yourself ->

Would you like to help others keep their computer alive after Windows 10?

Sign up as repair collective ->

5 Reasons
to upgrade your old computer to Linux

1. It's waaaaay cheaper
A new laptop costs a lot of money. Repair cafes will often help you for free. Software updates are also free, forever. You can of course show your support for both with donations!

2. No ads, no spying
Windows comes with lots of ads and spyware nowadays, slowing down your computer and increasing your energy bill.

3. Good for the planet
Production of a computer accounts for 75+% of carbon emissions over its lifecycle. Keeping a functioning device longer is a hugely effective way to reduce emissions.

4. Community support
If you have any issues with your computer, the local repair cafe and independent computer shop are there for you. You can find community support in online forums, too.

5. User control
You are in control of the software, not companies. Use your computer how you want, for as long as you want.

Convinced?

Then find your closest repair cafe or independent computer shop and enjoy your brand-new, old computer!
Repair your old computer ->

Thanks to KDE for supporting the project by hosting the website and providing the infrastructure.

[Timewas]

1. Still

Running Win7

[usonian]

2. Cross your fingers.

I have used really small Linux distros on very old and underpowered machines.

Linux Mint comes to mind, as does Kubuntu

Mint is light but not ultra light. It's very good, and I recommend it.

Kubuntu is really small.
https://techviral.net/smallest-linux-distros/

Well, Xubuntu uses the Xfce desktop environment to provide users a smoother experience. The great thing about Xubuntu is that it needs less than 256MB of RAM and 512MB of storage space to install on your system. The Linux distribution also offers a slew of features and applications that runs without affecting your device’s performance.

Features:

Xubuntu is built around lightweight software. So, it runs even on low-end machines.
The operating system works wonderfully with a wide variety of devices out of the box.
Xubuntu offers lots of pre-installed software’s to deal with daily tasks.


All that said, my brother, who is the least tech person you can imagine, got tired of having to reinstall drivers with each software patch, so he ended up with a Dell desktop with Ubuntu Linux pre-installed (order online only) and supported by Dell.

After helping him find replacement apps (mainly for organizing photos, and Libre Office replacing MS Office) he hasn't sent my a single computer question in years.

The WINE software (free and commercial versions) will run almost any windows application in Linux.

Again, all that said, good luck keeping your system running and out of harm's way.

[SheltieLover]

3. Love Ubuntu!

[stopdiggin]

5. thank you for a very informative and useful post

I will in fact be getting around to this yet this year. The money I would have to spend to keep up with Windows ... I'd a whole lot rather be shelling out into other pursuits.

( I actually have loaded Cinnamon on a few older units, just as kind of a 'let's see what happens' sort of lark - and you're absolutely right, NOT that big a deal at all ! Even for a thoroughly average, no particular skills, joe.)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Timewas]

7. Over the years

I have played around with several distros of Linux and found them fairly easy to use. only problem I have is a couple of games that I enjoy as time killers are not supported. Years ago,in the BBS days as a sysop I ran OS2 and loved it but they stopped supporting it for public use...

[usonian]

8. A lot of windows apps run with WINE, games? hard to say. They make unusual demands and system calls, IIRC.

You can check with WINE HQ. https://www.winehq.org/ for compatibility,

There is a commercial version, Crossover Office. https://www.codeweavers.com/crossover (Linux and Mac)
$74, but may be worth it for critical apps, for example, in business.
Or games you can't do without.

[Timewas]

18. Thank You

I will take a look at that

[LPBBEAR]

21. Which games are they?

I've been gaming on Linux for years. Many work fine.

[Timewas]

22. The games are nnot the main reason

I am really not into that big a change anymore... All I want is to turn it on and do my little things without all the headaches that go with redoing most of my software..

[LPBBEAR]

23. I noted

you ran a BBS back in the day. Same here. I ran Gap on mine using DOS.

These days there are many ways out of the Window environment. Linux will satisfy the average users need easily. I moved away from Windows many years ago. I got tired of all the glitches and fighting with the flaky operating system.

As for games, many run fine in Linux. A Windows based game was the last software that kept me in Windows all those years ago (Tribes). It runs in Linux now of course. Steam has thousands of games available that run in Linux. More than I could possibly play in a lifetime.

I always try to encourage users to move away from Windows. Sadly some are wedded to the monopoly and kludgefest that is Microsoft.

I asked about the games as a way of helping if that is the holdup that keeps you using Windows. Its quite possible they can run in Linux.

As for me I quite enjoy having a stress free relationship with my computer.

[flying rabbit]

4. Kick!

[jmbar2]

6. If you are low-income you can also buy a refurb computer with Windows 11 for right around $100

PCs for People is a nonprofit that provides low-cost computers and internet connection to low-income folks. I've used them for years and have been very happy with their products/service.

https://pcsrefurbished.com/sales/productPage.aspx?productID=36395

[synni]

9. Puppy Linux is easiest to use

No need to partition your hard drive. It just installs itself in a large file on your Windows computer. Because your hard drive is not partitioned, you can use either Windows or Puppy Linux to access any of your files. (As long as you don't save them in the large Puppy file.)

Thanks to Puppy Linux, I was able to use my old Windows 98 SE computer for 20 years!

[Bayard]

10. I've been pulling my hair out lately!

Trying to find someone decent to help me with software issues. The two guys I've used in the past, went out of business. I need someone who makes house calls. I'm in a small rural town in Kentucky.

I would classify as not even knowing enough to be dangerous. I have Windows 10 on my desktop, and I really don't like it being arbitrarily screwed up. My email has been wacky for months now (yeah, yeah--I thought I had a choice about upgrading Outlook), as well as, some other issues, (videos won't play, opening a page and it only shows computer language, etc.)

Any advice?

[mnhtnbb]

11. Is there a community college or

State college campus near you? If so, try contacting them to see if they have a list of IT students who might be interested in doing house calls to help you. Or, if they have a Help Wanted Board where you could post the need to find someone to help you.

[Bayard]

19. Nothing like that that's not 2+ hours away

[usonian]

14. That is seriously messed up. Some ideas.

Write down all the troubles you are having, giving the programs and failures.

The more info, the better, because an on-site visit will start with an assessment of what's there, versions and so on.
Without that info, it's like diagnosing a car, not knowing the make and model.

There are savvy people here, but the usual problem arises in the back and forth about what's there, what's working, what's not working, and the symptoms. Each problem you described has many variables.

It's really bad that nobody exists local to you, for the reasons above. There's just so much to ask, and someone otherwise can go into the computer and get a ton of important info in minutes.

Remote help is very difficult, and under no circumstances let someone you don't trust make you install "remote access" software. Too too too many scams. It really has to be a highly trusted person.

If you are having browser problems, maybe installing a different one will help.

I use macs and the default browser gets updated only when the entire system is updated, give or take some security fixes, so I use Firefox instead, and have used Opera from time to time. Firefox gets updated no matter the operating system and version, as long as it's compatible at all.

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀 Good luck. 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

[SADAR]

17. If you're close to Madisonville,

check out Knight Technologies.

These people are great. Bought my first custom computer from them 25 years ago and have never bought one anywhere else.

Support is great, too.

[Bayard]

20. They're about an hour and a half west of me

I called just to see if they knew anyone in this area. No, again. Sigh.

[alwaysinasnit]

12. Thank you!!!

[mnhtnbb]

13. My software engineer son

has had my laptop running Linux for years. The only time I really have a problem is when it comes time to do taxes because TurboTax only runs on either Apple or Microsoft. So, my son installed a Virtual Box (Oracle) which runs Windows. We'll have to upgrade it to Windows 11 prior to starting taxes for 2025. Oh, joy.

[usonian]

15. That's pretty slick. but ....

I mentioned WINE/Crossover Office, but they are not windows. They replace the windows system calls, and some stuff works and some doesn't.

You're mighty far away, but isn't there someone with an older computer they can sell for cheap?

I upgraded my mac mini from intel to Apple Silicon and haven't used the older mini in a very long time. Of course, I am a computer nut and probably will install Linux on it, but I imagine that others have upgraded, especially since the mini's start at $600 making upgrades fairly painless for people. What does Craig have to say?

If you stick with the free solution, I totally understand. Computers were a large part of my career. I don't collect them, but rarely let one go.

I expect the IRS free file software to go away. And perhaps OTS (Open Tax Solver) though you might have to explore compatibility with your needs.

https://opentaxsolver.sourceforge.net/
Runs on linux and others.

[mnhtnbb]

16. I have to use two TurboTax

programs to do taxes every year because I need the one for Trusts, as well as their deluxe version for personal taxes. It's a royal PITA, but a lot cheaper than using an accountant.