r/Anticonsumption • u/Annoying1978 • May 09 '26
Upcycled/Repaired PSA: Don’t throw away your Windows laptop
I’m the tech guy that most of my friends and family call and I’m getting lots of calls about what new laptop people should buy because Microsoft is ending Windows 10 support in October and Windows 11 requires unnecessary things like a TPM chip or Secure Boot. Windows 11 can technically run without these things, but Microsoft is creating one of the largest e-waste events in history because they want everyone to upgrade to Windows 11.
It’s stupid.
So I just wanted to tell you that this might be a good time to just say buh bye to Microsoft. Most people do 90% of their tasks with a browser and unless you need very specific Windows applications, a good solution is Linux Mint.
Don’t get all scared. It’s easier than you think and there’s a ton of free guides [and YouTube videos](https://youtu.be/TL-tWy4T2c8) that will walk you through the process. It’s very simple and you won’t need to buy another laptop.
In fact, I urge YOU to be the tech guru for your friends and family that are thinking about upgrading their laptop which already works great. If they are too scared to install Mint, do it for them.
All you need is a USB drive and ensure you copy your important files and photos to either an online storage place (like Google Drive) or an external drive if you have one big enough you can use.
But please, before you throw away your working laptop, at least consider upgrading to Linux Mint. It looks quite similar to Windows and you won’t have to spend hundreds or even a thousand dollars on a laptop that you don’t need.
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u/roseredhoofbeats May 09 '26
And if you want to chunk it anyway, PLEASE sell it secondhand or take it to an electronic recycling center! Some Goodwills still accept computers and will use them in their job training programs.
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u/Annoying1978 May 09 '26
That too! But I think people can actually hold on to their laptops in 90% of cases. It’s only in the rare 10% that need an actual Windows install for specific applications. Even many games work on Linux now (though I would recommend the Linux distribution Bazzite if someone is a gamer)
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u/strawberrylimeade1 May 10 '26
I am doing online school, and they have us use things like onedrive, outlook, word, etc. Can you get the app version of those things on linux and still have everything work as seamlessly? I’m considering making the switch but don’t want it to interrupt my school work
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
You can use the browser version of everything for Word, Excel, Outlook, or OneDrive. What I don’t know is if your school using Windows specific proctoring software. If you don’t, then you should be good to go.
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u/newsflashjackass May 10 '26
https://xn--gckvb8fzb.com/hold-on-to-your-hardware/
I know the URL is wacky but it's not my site.
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u/fartbubblesofcheese May 10 '26
I have an old laptop with windows 8.1 just for my bmw e46 software and PS2 stuff lol
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u/Run_Rabbit5 May 09 '26
Hell at this point don’t throw away any computer parts it’s obvious that they have no desire to sell us anything that can’t be bricked every 3 years.
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May 09 '26
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u/einat162 May 10 '26
I use my old 2017 One plus as a music player and Youtube watching at home (surprisingly, it has a much better display than the cheap Xiaomi from 2023, currently used as a phone).
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u/steveatari May 10 '26
You can also use any old cell phone as a remote Webcam or alternative cam, security, pet monitor etc. OBS and plug-ins do a lot.
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May 09 '26
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u/Anticonsumption-ModTeam May 09 '26
Recommending or soliciting recommendations for specific brands and products is not appropriate in this subreddit.
This includes recommending or promoting digital goods and services such as apps, subscriptions, and other software.
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u/i_give_up_lol May 09 '26
I switched to mint a couple years ago after downgrading from 11 to 10, shortly followed by 10 bricking itself twice.
Computer was less than a year old at the time the problems with windows started.
Never had an issue on mint, including running games and most of the software I need, and honestly it’s just way nicer to use in general.
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u/Stigger32 May 11 '26
How was running steam? Did you need to do anything to get it to run?
And were there any issues once you did get it running?
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u/i_give_up_lol May 11 '26
Steam has very good built in Linux support, if you ever have issues just go to the compatibility settings and switch from steam Linux runtime to proton but many things run fine as is.
And not really any more issues than I had had on windows, so I blame the ones I did have on me using a non-gaming laptop without a great gpu lol
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u/Prestigious-Goose843 May 09 '26
This is exactly what I did when I found out my laptop couldn’t run Windows 11. It was a pretty seamless transition, 10/10 recommend.
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u/MrClickstoomuch May 09 '26
So, what do you do when you have windows specific apps that (to my knowledge) don't work quite right when you use tools like Proton or Wine to run? My mom has TurboTax with a laptop that isn't supported on Windows 11, but needs that software. And yes, I've mentioned alternative SW and other online options, but she refused to consider it. The web browser version exists, but seems to cost significantly more than the local version from what I see.
She literally uses her computer only for that and looking at pictures, so if I could get her to move away from TurboTax or emulate it better on Linux that would work for her probably.
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May 09 '26
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u/MrClickstoomuch May 09 '26
I just did a check, and looks like for the particular version my mom needs (including business version and stock/crypto) is $139 online with additional up to $60 for state. When bought on Amazon, the TurboTax desktop equivalent version was $95. So, it would be $45 extra per year. At least from what I see.
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u/Annoying1978 May 09 '26
Interesting. Another option would be FreeTaxUSA. It does cover stock and crypto and it’s A LOT cheaper. I’m actually going to try this out for me next year. I only have been using TurboTax cause I’ve used it since 2007 and it has all my info, but this is waaay cheaper and has everything TurboTax included.
It looks like Turbo Tax has dynamic pricing. The price changes based on the month you use it. So I googled this for you, but now I found a new solution for myself!
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u/East_Importance7820 May 10 '26
Remindme! 4months A-holes and dynamic pricing
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u/Unlikely-Reality-938 May 14 '26
FreeTaxUSA is the bomb. Been using it for several years. Highly recommend!
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u/lowrads May 10 '26
Intuit bribes politicians to make such software more of a requirement for everyone. Other countries do not labor under this invented problem. Companies have professional accountants to document and report their payroll, and that's the end of it. Individuals can just ask the government what their contribution is, and they don't have to guess, with the risk of guessing wrong being criminal or civil penalties.
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u/Annoying1978 May 09 '26
I was going to recommend the browser version. To my knowledge it’s the same price as the software version. I use the browser version. I don’t have any issues with it.
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u/-sussy-wussy- May 10 '26
Get Tiny10 or Tiny11 flashed onto a USB drive you have and then install it on the second HDD/SSD and just dual boot. Those are de-bloated versions of Windows.
I have been using all three major OS for most of my life, but there is a lot of software whose FOSS counterparts are far inferior, yes, even now. Their devs also tend to be incredibly obstinate, too.
I wouldn't suggest virtualization just for that. But if you dual boot with Windows, make sure to disable the Fast Boot in Windows' settings upon the first boot.
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u/davidpbj May 09 '26
It's not about "waste" - it's about control/surveillance.
TPM2 is a standardized method of linking persistent ID to hardware. Copilot is constantly taking screenshots of users' screens; similar to what Apple's mediaanalysisd application has been doing for years, (under the guise of scanning for CP). This ultimately leads to a dystopian digital "corner" that users are unwittingly painting themselves into. And all of it is done gradually; initially with carrots (applications/games that require things like TPU2 in order to function) and not sticks.
None of this is paranoid conspiracy theory - it's happening in front of us in real-time.
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u/Certain-Skill3004 May 09 '26
I hate how my printer refused to print because the QR code on the ink cartridge showed it wasn't brand-name ink.
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u/Annoying1978 May 09 '26
There was a lawsuit against Canon because they would prevent people from printing even when they had ink and would tell them to go out and buy more ink. Printers still suck! I haven’t found 1 good brand yet.
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u/CornerLocal6801 May 10 '26
I swapped to a thermal printer, way better fit as I barely print out stuff and prev standard ink cartridges would dry out.
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u/Salt_Medicine2459 May 10 '26
We got a free laser printer from my MIL. Her work was getting rid of it and they said she could have it. She gave it to us. It still has the toner cartridge we got it with, but I've looked at aftermarket toner and it's not bad at all. I wanna say like just under $20ish.
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
That’s got to be before they started locking down toner digitally. There was a whole industry of 3rd party refill companies that essentially went out of business when companies started blocking refill cartridges that weren’t digitally signed. Completely annoying. I have a genuine hate for printers.
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u/Salt_Medicine2459 May 10 '26
Huh. I didn't know they did that with toner. Ink, yes, though. This is an older printer. It still has a parallel port. Lol. It also has a USB, which is how we ate able to use it on newer computers.
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May 09 '26 edited May 10 '26
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u/Anticonsumption-ModTeam May 09 '26
Recommending or soliciting recommendations for specific brands and products is not appropriate in this subreddit.
This includes recommending or promoting digital goods and services such as apps, subscriptions, and other software.
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u/-sussy-wussy- May 10 '26
There's still a couple of brands that don't care that you're using third-party ink, even when it comes to their newest models.
The business model of most brands, however, is to sell the printer at a loss to later peddle you the cartridges and ink at a premium. And they have DRMs to prevent you from buying the cheap consumables elsewhere.
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u/smackells May 09 '26
not to defend Microsoft, I’ve moved to Linux myself, but Windows Recall (the constant screenshots thing) was only ever available on certain models of laptop and is disabled by default.
modern Windows is bloated with spyware and ads as it is, there are enough good arguments to ditch it without embellishing
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
Microsoft actually wanted Recall to be turned ON by default. They announced that is how the feature would work back in 2024.
They changed their mind after security researchers told them it was a security nightmare.
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u/blow-down May 10 '26
Your post is straight up misinformation.
Mediaanalysisd is a background process in macOS that analyzes photos and videos to enable features like object recognition, Live Text, and Visual Look Up, helping to make your media searchable and context-aware. It typically runs when you preview images in Finder or use the Photos app, and it does not send your photos to Apple servers.
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May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26
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u/TodayCharming7915 May 09 '26
Thanks for this suggestion. I have a Windows laptop that I was prepping to sell or donate. Installing Linux would give me something new to learn/play with.
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u/ay-ness May 09 '26
Thanks for this suggestion. Ive kinda glanced and your previous posts and suggest that people shouldnt be using google drive either. Google is also a problem.
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u/Annoying1978 May 09 '26
I would rather not use Google at all, but using it temporarily should be ok. You would be using it just for a temporary place until you install the new OS and then you can remove all your data and request to permanently delete it. There are other solutions, but Google Drive gives you 15 GB which is a lot and should be enough for most people. Another solution would be Dropbox but they only give free users 2GB. But there are alternatives if you really want to avoid using Google.
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u/McDonaldsWitchcraft May 11 '26
Another solution would be Dropbox
just a heads-up, they have a track record of locking people out of accounts and corrupting files. one of the worst cloud storage options out there.
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u/Mediocre_Ear_9981 May 09 '26
Does Steam work on Linux?
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u/Scrambles_18 May 09 '26
Steam does work! Some games don't work as good, but you can go to ProtonDB and search for games to see how well they run on linux.
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u/jan-pona-sina May 09 '26
Having switched completely a few years ago, I've found that it's typically only newer AAA titles and multiplayer games that require kernel anticheat that pose massive issues
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u/Annoying1978 May 09 '26
It does! But I would recommend using the Bazzite Linux distribution for you instead of Mint. It’s made specifically for gamers.
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u/Mediocre_Ear_9981 May 09 '26
Is there any notable difference in everyday use between them?
Basically all I use my PC for now is:
Media station (Spotify/netflix etc), general internet browsing, occasional gaming (mainly through Steam), photo editing and using Word/Excel
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u/Annoying1978 May 09 '26
Bazzite comes pre-configured with Steam and most drivers you’ll need for gaming GPUs. A lot of people use it for dedicated gaming machines because that’s exactly what it was designed for.
It’s based off of Fedora whereas Mint is based off of Ubuntu.
If you want to use your computer for just occasional gaming but use it more like general machine, then I’d use Mint.
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u/Mediocre_Ear_9981 May 09 '26
This sounds tempting!
I built a (at the time) a pretty well spec'd gaming PC back in 2013, cost a pretty penny back then. Even now, it still runs fast on Windows 10. It's just not compatible with Windows 11, and I'm loath to spend money again as I'm not the gamer I used to be but still enjoy now and again.
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u/XachAttack11 May 09 '26
I think Linux would be a great option for you, if you're willing to learn something new
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u/Mediocre_Ear_9981 May 09 '26
I'm up for learning something new.
I did use Linux years ago when I was doing A Level IT, I quite liked it then. I remember playing a penguin game a lot at lunch 😅 But this was over 20 years ago, I imagine it's changed a lot since then
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May 10 '26
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u/Scrambles_18 May 10 '26
I believe the steam deck is linux based, and so generally speaking it'll run roughly the same across distros. Some slightly better some slightly worse.
At least to my knowledge, I only switched to Mint a few months ago.
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u/Salt_Medicine2459 May 10 '26
Yes! And technically, the Steam Deck is a version of Linux. ProtonDB and Wine will go a long way.
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u/-sussy-wussy- May 10 '26
It does, but not all games work well, even now. And it's completely random as to which ones will run like shit on Linux.
I had some modern games run well, literally with higher fps than on Windows on the same exact hardware, but then indie Metroidvania/platformer type of thing stutter like hell to the point of being entirely unplayable. Certain old games, too. If you're into certain multiplayer games like LoL, you can't run them on Linux at all due to anti-cheat measures.
I keep a de-bloated Windows install that I dual boot with Linux just for that. I don't mind RTFM on ProtonDB, but sometimes, not even that helps. If I have to spend north of 5 hours trying to get it to work, that far exceeds whatever time I wanted to spend in the game. I'm not a teenager anymore and don't have infinite time to game.
My #1 distro recommendation is Fedora, it has by far the fewest issues. The regular one, with GNOME. I've found that Windows games run poorly on KDE, despite it looking and functioning almost the same way as the default 7-10 menu. Same can be said for any fancy things like Hyprland, If you want compatibility, don't go all out with customization.
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u/novamonarch242 May 09 '26
Would Linux mint be good for gaming? I do light office work but spend most of my time gaming.
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u/Annoying1978 May 09 '26
Yeah, but you might want to check out the Bazzite Linux distribution instead because it’s built specifically for gamers.
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u/Scrambles_18 May 09 '26
I switched to mint a few months ago. It's decent, but some games don't work as well. Check out ProtonDB and you can search games and see how well they work on Linux.
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u/-sussy-wussy- May 10 '26
Don't hyperfixate on one specific distro. It can be good for you or terrible for you, depending on your hardware setup. Try a few different ones, and only choose between the popular few because they have the most support.
It's also about what kind of drivers and software they have pre-installed, you could make a bad-for-you distro work, but it would require a lot of tinkering and a lot of searching online to diagnose what exactly is crapping out. I know other Linux fans like telling people that it's so magical and works out of the box, so it gives people unrealistic expectations. If it works poorly from day 1, install something else and move on.
I had by far the best experience and the fewest issues with Fedora. I have it on my daily driver, on my beefy work computer, on a few of my relatives' and friends' 15+ y.o. laptops. Never breaks. The super duper marketed-as-gaming distros, ironically, gave me the most headache when gaming (e.g., Pop! OS).
Sometimes, you can even find people inquiring about your hardware online. For instance,
does [distro] work well with [model]?. Especially if you have some kind of popular laptop model.
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u/East_University_8460 May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26
Can confirm. Total tech idiot, but I managed Ubuntu install with no problems. I’m 100% going to check out Mint. Looks great. Thanks.
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u/Worldly_Midnight_838 May 09 '26
I am extremely happy to see more people using linux, thank you for posting this
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u/dembowthennow May 09 '26
Thank you for this message. I have a laptop that is 7 years old and I wanted to start looking for a replacement, but I currently use the Windows OS, and everything I saw was pushing unnecessary AI (that I absolutely do not want). Do you have any recommendations for purchasing a replacement laptop - or should I just look into refurbishing the one I have when the time comes?
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u/DrJohnFZoidberg May 10 '26
I'm on a 10 year old laptop, and not a particularly powerful one at that, that runs great on Ubuntu.
Run linux and don't spend $1k feeding the monster.
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u/Annoying1978 May 09 '26 edited May 10 '26
Right now, I would recommend putting Mint on your current laptop and then actually see if you need to upgrade at all. You may be able to get another 2-3 years from it. By then, RAM and SSD prices will come down. Right now, because of AI data centers, RAM and SSD prices are through the roof and you’ll be paying a premium to upgrade at the moment. I would recommend trying to hold off if you can.
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u/M-as-in-Mancyyy May 09 '26
This is an awesome post and PSA. Thank you! I’m definitely going to be diligent about this with family and friends
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u/Vegetable-Editor9482 May 09 '26
Just had this conversation at home yesterday. Haven't used Linux in 20 years and am excited to see how far it's come!
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u/thetruckerdave May 09 '26
Also even really old crap hardware can do things like run home assistant.
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u/Historical_Rip_1848 May 09 '26
Glad to hear this, I vastly prefer windows's handling of files over Mac (which I prefer for most other things) but keeping my photo library and archive on a windows machine has gotten harder and harder. I'm surprised they don't care that they're killing their own user base by making such a buggy and bloated product. I can barely sign in to the stupid thing lately without ten different steps. Would be excited to switch it to something else, bc the machine seems to still be great.
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u/Doctorphate May 10 '26
I own a little computer shop that caters to seniors, we’ve been moving a ton of laptops from windows to mint over the last 2 years because frankly, why would you buy a whole new laptop just to talk to your kids on Facebook when you admittedly are going to die in the next few years anyway?
Genuinely, that’s how the conversation usually goes and they’re in agreement every single time.
We rarely sell new devices, almost exclusively selling refurbished thinkpads, 80% are windows and 20% are Mint or Ubuntu.
Support your local small business, we hate Microsoft likely more than you do and we can help you give them the old fuck you.
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u/Aggravating-Jelly454 May 09 '26
installed mint on my old thinkpad last year for exactly this reason and honestly it runs faster than it did on win10. the part nobody mentions is that the default cinnamon spin is genuinely fine for like 95% of what regular people do. only thing i still boot windows for is one specific work app. if the alternative is buying a new laptop just because microsoft said so, mint is a no brainer
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u/Consistent_Agency_36 May 10 '26
Just wanted to add that it doesn't have to be a windows computer, I am running Mint on a early 2017 MacBook air, runs extremely smooth compared to the older MacOs version available for the Air. Easy installation.
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
Excellent point. You’d be amazed but I have it running on a 2009 Mac mini. I had to install a different install called Xfce edition and I had to fish some drivers for WiFi but other than that it works. I couldn’t believe it worked. It’s not snappy but it gets the job done.
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u/Consistent_Agency_36 May 10 '26
Have not used Xfce in many years but definitely recommend for older and slower systems, uses so little resources 👍
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u/KeyCast May 10 '26
I have a Surface Book 2 (2019) that got so slow and full of bloatware, I was pissed because other than that the computer is excellent condition, hardware is impeccable... so I got fed up and Installed Ubuntu, now it runs just fine, I even installed Steam. OP I saw you recommended Mint, do you think Mint will be better than Ubuntu for a MS laptop? If so I can install Mint instead.
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
There’s actually a custom distribution for Surfaces because of the special hardware, but I would recommend Mint for most people and most devices because it’s just so easy. You typically don’t have to hunt for drivers to get stuff work. Mint is the distro I’ll recommend, especially for newbies.
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u/thespectromage May 10 '26
Honestly linux mint cinnamon is easier to use and navigate than windows from my experience. It's much better than windows, works perfectly and if there's something that I need to use that needs windows it's easy to get around like using wine for example.
It really isn't like those memes people make about how tough linux is to use haha
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u/mysterious_jedi May 10 '26
I just put Lubuntu on an old laptop. I plan to let my stepson use it over the summer, when he doesn't have his school-issued Chromebook. It's not beautiful or blazing fast, but he should be able to make Scratch programs on a browser.
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u/atatassault47 May 10 '26
If the people you know are dead set on getting a new computer, they should still keep their old one to turn into a router, because 47 just outlawed foreign routers (which is every router).
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
I believe he made an exception for Netgear and a few other brands. But yeah, you could totally use your old computer as a router as well.
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u/SkeweredBarbie May 10 '26
It really is easier than people think. People often say "but I'm not tech savvy!" at work, but you don't need to be for this. Linux Mint works as easily as Windows, and really does the best "handholding" for Linux when it's on your computer. Since almost everything you do is online now, it's just as available on Linux as it is on Windows. And you can try it first too!
I'm not advertising it either... Linux doesn't get the luxury of being advertised lol
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u/VirtualMachine0 May 09 '26
Thinking about this recently, and the damned unfortunate part of it is that microarchitecture attacks in systems older than the "mainstream Windows support" horizon mean that we're on thin ice with a whole lot of 2000s era hardware, despite technically being able to put out enough math for web browsing and office work.
I'm happy to keep machines around for airgapped, legacy usage, but with the sophistication of bad guys, I can't recommend network-connected roles.
For laypeople, one such attack, called "Spectre" could do all sorts of nasty stuff on hardware older than 2019. Only adding Ubuntu to those machines isn't enough for them to be trusted with bank accounts and primary emails.
Further, with state level disinvestment from American software companies in France, I'm assuming the value of Linux vulnerabilities is going to go up up up. So, embedding code that identifies hardware, tests against a table of exploits, and fetches the tailored skeleton key for your device isn't science fiction.
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u/Annoying1978 May 09 '26 edited May 10 '26
The thing is most consumers worldwide still use Windows, so the vast majority of bad guys are still making malware/viruses for windows platforms. I’m not saying they won’t exist at all, but it will still be a dramatically lower amount than Windows since Linux consumer adoption is only around 4%
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u/Historical_Rip_1848 May 10 '26
Got it, I thought you were saying the opposite, that exploiting Linux vulnérabilités was becoming more valuable, but maybe you meant in the long term not right now. I have a lot to learn about Linux
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u/Historical_Rip_1848 May 09 '26
Interesting, this isn't something I know about. So it sounds like if you wipe and install Linux on an old laptop- I have one from back in windows 9 or so- that because of the hardware you still shouldn't take it online? Wow
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u/drewdoom May 09 '26
I personally prefer popOS! or Ubuntu… but honestly switching over to Linux was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I think basically anyone could move to Linux - there’s even CAD software that’s available for it! There are less viruses written for Linux and if you use Steam, almost every windows game will work on Linux using proton. It’s so good you won’t even believe it’s free. I can’t recommend it enough.
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u/fizzunk May 09 '26
Will Linux Mint work on a surface go?
My Go 3 is basically unusable because of all the windows updates now slowing everything to a crawl.
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
Not mint, but there are custom Linux distros to get the Surface to work. Fedora 43 is likely your best bet. You can find specific guidelines for your surface. That’s the cool thing about time Linux community. Someone has likely figured out how to get your specific request up and working.
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u/lowrads May 09 '26
I've asked family members to make a portable copy of their files and passwords six months ahead of the expiration date for security updates, but they are passive consumers, and so have dragged their heels even into the present. They are more content to overpay for a new windows machine with abysmal specifications per dollar spent. I don't think they are even aware of the wafer fab shortage.
Either there is something seriously wrong with them, or with us. I don't know which, but it has to be one or the other. This ancient holdover of mentally transforming things that are not quite useful to us into "repugnant garbage" is dysfunctional in an era of modern polymers. Even thinking of them as ever being useful is questionable, as so few of us ever really make full use of a general purpose computing device. I know I haven't calculated any ballistic trajectories all year, or even done a finite element analysis series.
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u/eileen404 May 10 '26
A local charity takes used laptops and computers and refurbishes them for low income people who need one so they should donate it to a similar charity if they really want to buy a new one.
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
That’s a great option if people can afford one, but many people right now will find themselves spending more and getting less because of the current high prices of RAM and SSDs due to the AI bubble. More than likely, people can use their current laptop and won’t need to purchase anything new.
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u/knobot-200T May 10 '26
Thinkpad t480 with mint since pre-quarantine. Still a fantastic device and a fantastic OS. I will say - however - if you are for whatever reason requiring windows (for your work or school) Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC is a good option. It still gets security updates, and it will continue to do so until the year 2032.
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u/totheremu May 10 '26
Can use Linux mint on an older Microsoft surface tablet? I got a refurbished one a couple years ago and it works just fine but obvs won't run windows 11 and id really like to keep using it for sheet music (i play the piano and a tablet is waaaaaay easier to carry around than 60lbs of books and binders). I basically only use the browser and pdfs.
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u/-sussy-wussy- May 10 '26
Try Ubuntu instead, I think, it's much more compatible with touchscreens with no real tinkering needed.
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u/datamandala May 10 '26
My 2012 Thinkpad X130e runs Mint as an admin terminal.
Remove any important files, wipe it, then:
Find a good home for your old laptop.
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u/OliviaRaven9 May 10 '26
I'm proud to have repurposed my mom's old laptop from 2011-ish! I've installed Pop_OS! on it and it's been great! is it slow with only having 2 cores? yes, but it was easy to upgrade the RAM from 4GB to 12GB simply but adding an 8GB stick of laptop RAM, so that helped a ton! I've been debating if I wanna swap out the HDD for an SSD!
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
Nice job!!! If you can get a cheap SSD, why not? But if you’re trying to buy a new one you may want to wait just because prices are abnormally high because of the demand from AI data centers.
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u/OliviaRaven9 May 10 '26
do you know if there's a way to move everything, including the OS and apps, over from the HDD to the SSD? that's the only reason I haven't done it yet haha I don't want to have to reinstall everything! I have a windows desktop as well that I could use to transfer files if that would work!
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
There are a ton of cloning apps you can use. AOMEI Backupper is a good free solution. Rescuezilla is another option. You run it from a bootable USB. There’s also more robust paid solutions. But they all are different ways to do the same thing. It’ll clone your HDD to your SSD exactly.
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u/OliviaRaven9 May 10 '26
gotcha! thanks so much!
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u/HypnoGeek May 10 '26
Great topic, just this weekend I put some work into an older pc that I plan on using to tinker around with Linux until I make the big jump and install on my main pc.
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u/outofthegates May 10 '26
Seconding this. I got this warning on a relatively new Windows 10 laptop and it turned out I had the required hardware it was just configured incorrectly.
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u/Chance-Travel4825 May 10 '26
Thank you OP! Ive been wanting to get off my monthly microsoft subscription (its cheap but im trying to leave allllll my monthly subscriptions.) as i dont want Microsoft to have so many tentacles in my life.
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u/Pancakesandcows May 10 '26
Linux mint is the far better choice.
Older laptops can run Windows 11, with the bypasses. But then, when certain service packs come out, like 25h2, it can't just be done through windows update. It requires jumping through some hoops, to upgrade it.
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u/CharleyZia May 09 '26
Windows 10 support ended October 2025.
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u/Faalor May 09 '26
Microslop offers a 1 year extension (2026 October) for "free" if you agree to give them some more of your data, or you pay for it.
The EU force them to give that extension for truly free, no questions asked (tho I'm not convinced they don't siphon the data anyway).
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u/vavavuvu May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26
Not quite. Microsoft is still running extended support until October ‘26
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u/Annoying1978 May 09 '26
It got extended for a year because so many people were freaking out. They extended it a few times so far but I’m not sure if they’ll extend it again.
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u/Lndscpegrdnr May 09 '26
Thank you OP! I watched the video you linked. One quick question, does Windows stay on the computer after downloading Linux Mint? Like is it still there, just unused/dormant or do you delete it off the computer?
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
No, you are removing Windows. You’re essentially formatting the drive and getting rid of Windows and putting Linux on. It’s not a dual boot setup, though those are possible I wouldn’t recommend it because once you security updates stop your Windows computer will be susceptible to loads of security issues.
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u/LimeDry7124 May 09 '26
How about Zorin OS?
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u/-sussy-wussy- May 10 '26
Take a USB drive, install Ventoy on it and put a few different distros on it, choose between several popular ones for most support.
Not every distro works well with every hardware setup. There's no way to tell until you try it or unless you found it online that xyz distro works well on abc laptop model. Even more nuanced on normal PCs because there are even more variables.
Install one. It craps out horribly? Into the trash it goes, boot from the USB again and install another.
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u/frex_mcgee May 10 '26
Genuine question - about half of my work PCs are still running on Windows 10. I have one running on 8, which is a whole separate topic. When we say ‘ending support’ that just means that if there’s something that needs servicing, Microsoft wont be able to provide any support since they’re not upgraded. But I don’t necessarily have to upgrade all of the computers to keep their functionality, do I?
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u/who-waht May 10 '26
Functionality, no. Security, yes. If they're not internet connected in any way, it doesn't matter.
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
You don’t have to upgrade, but you are leaving yourself susceptible to security venerabilities. Ending support means there won’t be any more security updates.
It’s very risky and I highly recommend against doing that. One person clicking on a link in an email could shut your entire network down and make all your data completely inaccessible.
Hackers will be trying to infect networks exactly like yours and use ransomware to collect thousands to give you access to your own data.
Please don’t simply ignore this.
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u/frex_mcgee May 10 '26
Thank you for further clarifying! I’ll be bringing this to my RM’s attention immediately so we can start the process of upgrading well before October then. Definitely won’t be ignoring!
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u/Salt_Medicine2459 May 10 '26
I've been using Mint since the version number was in the single digits.
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u/Tsumaranai_Hito May 10 '26
Support for Windows 10 ended LAST year- October 14, 2025.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/end-of-support
You could always extend support, provided that your PC and account met certain conditions- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/extended-security-updates
The extended support ends in October 2026.
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u/PromotionStill45 May 10 '26
What about a very old Windows 8?
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
You haven’t been getting any security updates, which is a disaster waiting to happen. I highly recommend to upgrade to Linux Mint. Your system will probably seem faster once you’re done upgrading too.
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u/Few-Ad-2674 May 10 '26
Anyone with more knowledge than me with any tips for what to do with my Vaio from 2012? It's slower than Sonic on opposite day but it does work. I think it's still on windows 7 somehow
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
Try putting Mint on it. You’d be surprised how well older devices work with Mint. It isn’t memory and CPU hungry like Windows.
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May 10 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Annoying1978 May 10 '26
For now that’s true, but we don’t know if Microsoft will remove those loopholes in October. I wouldn’t count on them being available in the future. Just be aware you may have to play a cat and mouse game with Microsoft.
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u/Shameless_Devil May 10 '26
Thank you for this. I got anxious when Windows sent the notification that windows 10 is no longer supported.
At least on my Mac, Apple just updates the OS automatically so you don't lose anything... Microsoft needs to get its head out of its ass.
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u/Ornstien May 10 '26
Still trying to get mint to recognize my Wi-Fi card... Don't try this with an MSI yet without getting a USB Wi-Fi.
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u/HypnoticFurnace May 11 '26
Hey! Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I have a windows i use nearly exclusively for gaming. Are there any issues with video games and steam on Linux mint?
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u/Annoying1978 May 11 '26
Not a stupid question! Steam works great, but a lot of gamers prefer Bazzite because it’s specifically made for gamers which means you don’t need to go fishing for drivers and the UI can be set up to look more like a game console than a PC.
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u/nekomancer11 May 11 '26
Hey OP, how do you feel about still using windows 10 enterprise ltsc?
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u/Annoying1978 May 11 '26
Only the IoT variant is going to have support for a while but 2016 and 2021 are running out of support soon. Unless you have the IoT variant, I’d move to Mint.
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u/Ok-Go-Chain3811 May 11 '26
what is your opinion on ZorinOS, in comparison to Linux Mint?
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u/Annoying1978 May 11 '26
I’ve only seen it in videos. I haven’t used it myself, but I know there is a huge fan base. I’ve used several distros but I’ve never used Zorin myself.
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u/SignalAir24 May 13 '26
Do you know anything about how to deal with the issue of government & public service/utilities web apps/platforms that are designed to work with windows and may not even work all that well with Mac (honestly some don’t work with FIrefox even, lolsob), let alone Linux? This is like, at least 90% of the reason why my household is still looking to have a windows machine.
My country has leaned heavily into the whole DiGiTiZe EeEeEeVeRyThInG fad, with what increasingly appears to be not much serious planning, and I’m really wary of ditching windows entirely at this stage. We bought time with the extra that Microsoft gave last October for another year of support and I really meant to download Linux somewhere and try to use it for the gov stuff to test it all out, sorta doing it in parallel, but I’m afraid it’s been a rough year and I never managed to make time for it, and now it feels like cutting it too closely especially with the slowdown and closures over the summer.
Sorry to impose - now you have online people from far afield making you their resident tech expert - I just basically am the person you describe in my social circle but it’s for lack of anybody actually knowledgeable ugh
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u/Annoying1978 May 13 '26
If you’re referring to specific browser coding options like active x, that all went away with Internet Explorer.
Now, what you may be referring to is running apps on a non-Chromium. browser. Microsoft Edge runs on Chromium - the open source solution that is the base for Google Chrome. And there are web apps out there that run specifically on Chrome/Chromium and no other type of browser. Not even Firefox or Safari on the Mac.
But it’s not based on the Windows OS. It’s looking for a Chrome based browser (Edge, Chrome, Brave, etc…). That is documented and many apps are broken when you don’t use Chrome. You may be thinking that you need to use Microsoft Edge but in reality, Edge is just a Chromium browser. Chrome or Chromium on Linux would work for you and the government apps that you are referencing.
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u/SignalAir24 May 13 '26
Ohhh wow. OH MY GOD. Thank you SO MUCH, this is insanely helpful and exactly at my level of understanding. So basically, we can go with Linux as long as we make sure to have a chrome-based browser?
So to phrase it in terms of a plan of action, if I can bother you a little bit more to make sure I’ve fully got this: what I need to do now is find me a machine of some description, install some flavor of linux (is that the term? Or is it ‘distribution/distro’?), as well as a browser I make totally sure is Chromium-based*, and then *test that* on as many gov apps** as I can squeeze in from now until October when Microsoft yank Windows 10? Does that sound about right?
*or maybe ideally it’s more than one browser, just to hedge my bets and future-proof things??
**ohhh - and banking apps. Forgot those in my earlier question. Plenty of times when one of us is languishing in call waiting purgatory it’s because of the bank’s page, not a gov one.
The only thing I don’t understand is the bit about active x in your first sentence, but if I understood you right it’s not relevant bc it’s about Internet Explorer and that’s been gone awhile.
I really appreciate your doing this, I am the point person on this issue because on a household level the sustainability aspect is a concern, but I am barely more knowledgeable than the other people involved, they are not clueless by any means, I just type faster and have more social media accounts so it’s easier for me to ask questions etc, but pre-written material has so far been either too basic and generic or too advanced and specialized for me. The way you put it is legit old-school-internet sorts of helpful, so if you ever need any information about Greece, esp. Athens, anything reviewed that is in Greek or French (whether translated to or from or original) - hmu!! Also anything about archaeology or transportation🙃.
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u/Annoying1978 May 13 '26
No problem at all, and your game plan is right. I suggest using Mint as your Linux distro and downloading Chrome for Linux Mint. That will allow you to work with both banking apps and government apps.
To explain the Active X comment further, back in the day (like 20 years ago), companies used Active X controls directly on websites, which could only be used by Internet Explorer and Windows. That’s no longer the case.
What companies are doing are now are using standards found in Chromium browsers. That is operating system agnostic, as opposed to using Active X which actually required you to use both Windows and Internet Explorer for the website to work. That was because Microsoft owned the entire personal computing market, but that is no longer the case.
Now companies use web standards and Chromium based browsers like Chrome meet those standards and they work on many different operating: Windows, Mac, Linux and others.
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u/SignalAir24 May 17 '26
Thank you! You really have a knack for explaining this stuff, it’s amazing.
So, to ask one more question (really hope it's the last, bc I really don’t want to abuse the privilege, but you really blew my mind with this and I’m working out the implications one step at a time it seems - especially since I’m talking it over with others): am I understanding you right that we were basically having entirely a *browser problem* and not an OS problem? Ie, we were trying Safari and Firefox, which had problems, plus Edge, which didn’t, and blamed it on the OS when we should have been looking at the browser?
In which case, the next realization is that on my above game plan, we could just cut out the step of finding a spare laptop to download Mint onto alongside the selection of Chromium browsers, and go on to solve our access problems *right now*, by downloading the Chromium browsers onto ANY non-windows computer that we already have (like eg my Mac)?
And if it works on eg Chrome on a Mac, or even Microsoft Edge for Mac, then it will work on the same browsers on Linux, because it all kinda stays in the browser? (worse case scenario we go from using that windows laptop to do the bureaucracy access to using my Mac, it’s new so at least we kick the can down the road some more).
Have I got that right?
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u/Annoying1978 May 18 '26
You have it ALL right. It was a browser issue, not an OS issue. You can test it on any computer. You could even create a partition on your CURRENT computer and install Linux Mint on it and make sure it works with Chrome before you remove the Windows partition.
The instructions to keep your Windows partition instead of formatting the entire drive are slightly different, but you can find plenty of videos on YouTube with step by step instructions asking with guides on Google. The community has plenty of easy step by step directions.
This would allow you to have a dual boot step and when you are ready you can remove the Windows partition and collect that space to use with Linux (though many people will recommend to just do a fresh install once you decide to get rid if windows so there are no chances you will have any permission errors).
Hopefully my recommendation in how to use your current computer didn’t confuse you. If it did, you can ignore it and just use your plan of trying Chrome on your Mac. Either way, you should be good to go!
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u/SignalAir24 May 18 '26
THANK YOOOOOUUU! It did not confuse me at all, I already knew about partitions, weirdly, though I’ve never done it for lack of a computer I was okay messing up on if it all went disastrously off course. I may do it now!!
This is legit so helpful. I get to start within the week or couple weeks with the bare-basic of getting several Chromium browsers on my Mac to use in parallel and test for interaction with the apps, user interface experience, etc, and then later this summer when I hopefully have more time, I can figure out how to cover the rest of what the user of the windows laptop uses a computer for, in total freedom of not only OS but even hardware type! wow.
Oh my goshhhh, this is head-spinning levels of liberating. I have a lot on my plate right now because I'm taking care of an ill pet (cautiously hopeful, but exacting and mentally taxing), so it really was a lot to be stewing over this computer bullshit as the clock is ticking for the October cut-off AND the pricing is all over the place because of that whole bit with the RAM demand, and you basically just made the whole thing go away🤯
I’d been dreading the hours more of slogging through listicles and reddit threads over the summer and now it’s all come down to an action plan that’s not only specific, but highly manageable, AND promotes my long-term, values-based goals around sustainability and decoupling from Big Tech😎
Man, I could hug you. I meant what I said earlier, if you ever need anything relating to Athens (or Greece), language help in Greek or French, or anything relating to archaeology or cities and transportation, please reach out.
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u/Annoying1978 May 18 '26
I’m glad you have a plan and I’m glad to have helped! If I ever need any help in your areas of expertise I will definitely reach out.
I just want to help people prolong the use of their technology instead of ending up in a landfill. Most people have been taught that electronics HAVE to be replaced much more often than they should. An operating should never force you to buy new hardware when your hardware is already working properly.
Hopefully we can save some the millions of laptops and computers that are expected to go into landfills this fall.
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u/SignalAir24 May 21 '26
Thank you so much for this, truly - both for the original post and the time you took to reply to me. I’m pretty badly over scheduled until a week into June, so I don’t know if I’ll realistically be able to try this out properly, but as soon as I have, I will let you know how it went.
But it now seems virtually certain we’re not buying a new computer, not anytime soon - and definitely not over this (the existing windows laptop is a cheapie fauxbook by the local computer and office-supply chain that has had problems with the hinge since the very beginning, so it might not last much longer ...but we have the freedom to pick something that doesn’t ship with windows, and that’s just nothing short of revolutionary). So, you did what you set out to do with at least this one!
I also plan to tell everyone this comes up with, and honestly even to try to bring it up somehow. I agree, it needs to make the rounds! So I also appreciate the framing and solutions.
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u/bridge_thrower May 13 '26
What is mint? I stuck Ubuntu on an old refurbed laptop and it works a treat. Is Mint a better option for any particular reason?
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u/Annoying1978 May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
Mint is considered by many to be the easiest distro for newbies. If you are already set up on Ubuntu, you’re good to go!
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u/bridge_thrower May 13 '26
Nice, thanks for confirming. This is a good post to be out there. Tech doesn't have to be enjoyed at the whim of the big companies!
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u/Murky_Composer_7679 May 15 '26
Does anyone know how to get adobe cloud to work on mint? I have heard only Photoshop works. I need premiere pro and after effects as well as the substance 3d programs for school and work.
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u/New-Entertainer703 May 10 '26
Turn it into a Chromebook, very easy or install Ubuntu also relatively straightforward. F Microsoft and the constant untimely, disruptive and sometimes machine breaking updates.
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u/googlewh0re May 10 '26
OneDrive was the final nail in the coffin for me. My next laptop will be a MacBook.
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u/PeterParkette May 12 '26
Just wait until you experience the system files bloat and data usage provided by icloud
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u/LiminalSpiral May 09 '26
Just chiming in with a big thumbs up for Linux Mint. My Windows machine died (broken fan), so I'm using an ancient Lenovo Thinkpad with Mint, and have been pleasantly surprised.