Installing Windows 11 on unsupported devices

Another note about raising awareness and onboarding linux, one of the experiences I have had that have put me off Linux was the immense trouble I had installing software and being unfamiliar with command prompts.

I also have problems with working memory (all my life) and reading in general. So command line is really hard. This might also put some people off. At the same time, I’d be really interested in participating in developing materials to clarify these processes.

Though really what linux needs is a built-in interactive walkthrough. So in the long term there could be opportunities to work with companies like Canonical who provide support for Ubuntu. This is outside my experience but just thought it might be worth exploring.

Edit: just signed up to their discourse community chat: https://discourse.ubuntu.com/

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I don’t, because it never got debuted in the repair cafe. I configured the machines, created the survey and wrote up the plan but the event organiser simply said no. Didn’t even get to try it once.

I will have to sit them down and try to sell it to them a bit harder. Over some festive mulled wine.

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Good spot!

Interesting article.

Currently on offer to recipients of our Windows refurbs (and mobile phones) - a fully set up device and operating system, a 6 month warranty, and they can book one-to-one sessions to support and build their digital skills.

No different to what non-techies would need to get started with Linux.

  1. Installation and configuration done for them - a device ready to go.
  2. Friendly introduction to Linux focused on doing what they need to do and not about command lines and kernels.
  3. Readily available support and help.
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Yes, get the mulled wine in. Linux is a hard sell. I struggle to sell Chromebooks - even to people clutching an Android phone.

It shouldn’t be, but as the saying goes, “I don’t know much, but I know what I like”.

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I find Chromebooks in the recycle bin all the time. I took a couple home to see what I could do with them, never had one before. They are in perfect nick and I really like them! I’ve set one up for myself, it’s really light to carry around and easy on the power consumption. Perfect for light use when out and about. Seriously, all the heft and bloat that comes with Windows and a lot of people need barely any of it, it’s just what they’re used to.

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Agreed - Chromebooks are fabulous and with ten years of Google support (from 2021 models onwards), there is a lot to love.

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Most people cannot get used to having to login to your Chromebook account to even get a desktop!
The use also depends on the processor, the old ones used an arm processor so you got the speed of a cellphone in a laptop case.

I’d like to hear how it goes.

I also still think a blog article is worth a try. Or at least a draft. Could you setup a couple of those laptop on a desk or dinner table and take some photos? I could use Canva to draft a landing page to pitch the concept. Let me know if your interested.

I also have an old Acer Aspire One laptop with some older version of linux from 2021, probably Ubuntu, that I have been looking for an excuse to get into. Currently, I’m too dependent on M$, so it would be nice to have a little project to get myself more familiar with linux. I can take some photos and screenshots of my learning journey.

Can anybody recommend some lite screencasting software for linux? Maybe I could make some videos too. If they look okay, they could be used to make some content or guides. Would also need to make the mouse size bigger so it’s clear in the video.

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I’ll give it a go on the weekend.

vokoscreenNG with LosslessCut for editing.

We could take this to private messages if you like and start a new topic to show off anything we come up with?

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Or just a new topic, happy to share with the community. Might pique some interest :slight_smile:

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“…end users would only be able to buy a single year of extended security updates for their Windows 10 PCs at the price of $30 per PC”

“Microsoft did say that Microsoft Defender Antivirus in Windows 10 would continue to get new definitions updates through at least October 2028.”

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This my experience of upgrading a Toshiba C50 laptop which the only conflict was the TPM chip was 1.2, not the 2.0 specified.
Windows 11 update from Windows 10
On the ZDnet article, Option 1 does not work! It just says jour PC does not meet the spec of having a TPM of 2.0.
Option 2 using refus 4.6 install from USB does work.
But downloading the win11 install iso can take time, as it constantly drops out the wireless connection, requiring a resume on your browser.
First you MUST change your default settings for language to US-English, including the administrative language! Possibly set date and time to California as well.
Refus makes changes to the win11 install, so this must be done before using it, as there are no options after starting it and you could loose all your programs.
It keeps the user data.
Allow 24 hours to do install and another 24 hours to get the computer back under control!
Things like display adaptor ARE replaced, so you may not be able to turn down the brightness, change language without downloading languages packs and restarting.
Search indexing may be turned off.
Windows will still be downloading updates and requiring restarts on the 2nd 24 hours.
Remove all the ads and feeds set up as a default, change power settings to work on mains that never shut down during your installs!
It does not appear to do multi-tasking, each task is done then the program switches to the next task.
It is slow even on a Intel I3 processor, keyboard response takes 30 seconds to minute.
The PC must have UEFA on the BIOS or it will get rejected, secure boot is an option.
It also would not give a reason for incompatibility, just a blank screen that says your system does not meet the specification, but not why!
The built-in camera gave blank screen, as you need to set permissions for this app in location, and privacy setting to allow it to work. then you can adjust the camera settings and see the results. This is a change from Windows 10.
In summary it can be done, but you will loose the benefits of a working Windows 10 computer!

PS: You will spend another 24 hours downloading and installing legacy updates to meet your systems legacy components like the display and on-board master chip that you cannot change out. If you don’t you will experience problems like blank screens or an even slower computer.

Let’s say I were in the market for a ChromeBook because I particularly like the battery life, and I want a reasonably good display but no bigger than 14” because I need it to be nicely portable, and I’m not so concerned about RAM and disk - it’s going to be used for browsing and editing Google Docs and (less important) Sheets. Any recommendations?

I seem to recall the possibility of installing ChromeOS on a (previously Windows) x86 laptop, is that a viable way to workaround the difficulty of 10>11 migration?

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Backmarket always have a stack of refurb chromebooks at various specs. Look for a 2021 model or newer to increase the chances of getting the 10 year OS support.

AFAIK, it is ‘impossible’ to install ChromeOS on a non-Chromebook machine. ChromeOS is not publically available (though I’m sure it can be obtained in the dark corners of the web), but the BIOS/UEFI stack is different on Chromebooks, so there are (potentially) two tough issues to solve.

However, ChromeOS Flex is much easier to install - I did a skill share VT for Restart - which is basically me shouting at my setup for an hour (everything I touched broke) - but ChromeOS Flex does get installed (eventually), so it’ll give you an idea of the install process.

Sadly, ChromeOS Flex doesn’t grant access to the Google Play store, which is a showstopper for many. However, you can install Chrome (browser) plugins, so it really is worth having a look at.

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The link to Googles response for Chromebook on Windows is here, it is extremely restrictive, and constantly changing.
[https://support.google.com/chromeosflex/answer/11542901?sjid=6274542090874731131-EU](https://Google limitaions on Chrome-Flex)