Windows 10 is reaching “end of life” - let’s mobilise!

Right to repair: policy & activism Windows 10 End of Life
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On the 14th of October 2025, Microsoft will end support for Windows 10. Overnight, the software that operates hundreds of millions of devices will be deemed ‘obsolete’.

While some of these devices can be updated to Windows 11, many don’t meet Microsoft’s minimum specifications, raising questions about what happens to all of these devices.

Running up to International Repair Day 2025 (on the 18th of October), we’re planning to make some noise about this issue and help those affected in our communities find the best solution for their devices.

We’d love your help as part of this effort!

Initially, much of our focus will be on developing a toolkit for community repair groups that lays out how they can support their communities.

So far, we’re planning to include:

  • An explanation about what is happening
  • Why this is a problem
  • Advice on what to do (for example: a fact sheet listing alternative options to Windows 11 (like @philip’s excellent wiki page), how to host Linux install/support events or drop-in workshops/training sessions and so on)
  • A directory of more specialist resources and places to get support (listed by level: beginner, intermediate & advanced)

We’re deliberately keeping things simple for now, so this is just a basic plan.

Looking further ahead, we’re also thinking about setting up a Linux support team here on the forum for anyone making the switch who needs help.

But for now, what do you think of this toolkit concept?

What would help your repair group support people with this issue? Are we missing anything important?

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A few random thoughts:

I’m always in favour of the toolkit approach.

I think it might be helpful to think in terms of a flowchart based on questions like:
i) Hardware available.
ii) User needs (browser only, word processing?, photo editing? etc)
iii) User tech level & ability to maintain the system themselves.
iv) User ability/willingness to learn a new environment.
This should point towards the “right” solution(s) for each person.

Linux:
I love linux & daily drive it myself, but find it hard to recommend to anyone who isn’t at least tech curious.
One of the biggest problems with Linux is the fragmentation. Getting help for non-techies can take you down many a rabbit hole simply because of the plethora of distros.
I think it’s important for the community to settle on ONE distro so that help can be consistent. (& good luck with choosing that!).
A browser only option (or at least one that looks like it is browser only on the surface), might be useful.

ChromeOS: When the hardware supports it, this is a really good option for a lot of people. More and more things are becoming entirely browser based, and for older devices a browser only OS works well. ChromeOS is a really simple “it just works (or it just doesn’t!)” type OS which is great for the less tech-curious. It might be a case of devising a questionnaire to weed out those who can’t use it.

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Based on my recent and on-going project putting over a dozen different Linux distros on about 20 laptops (and several desktops), plus the weekly experience of refurbishing laptops with Windows 10/11 for charities, I have put together a document detailing the steps taken from presentation of a device through to installing Linux. Not perhaps as concise as I thought it would be, I thought there might be a workflow diagram to be had. Probably missed quite a bit too. Anyway, I’ll throw it into the mix, do with it what you will.

Windows10 to Linux Workflow

I’ve left the doc distro-agnostic. My own, current, daily driver is Mint Linux and lots of people get along with it just fine. I use it as a baseline distro in my project as it has pretty good hardware compatibility. However, I’m of the opinion that its a case of best tool for the job. There are distros that are specifically built for schools or gamers and it is worth keeping these in mind. Also look out for the very low-spec devices that can benefit from resource-light distros and interfaces. Of the distros I’ve tried recently I could recommend Mint, MX and maybe Zorin for a new Linux user, depending on their requirements.

It occurred to me while writing the doc, that collecting information about the devices brought in to events would make for an interesting dataset. I might put together a special form for my own group and I’d encourage other groups to collect as much case-specific info as possible. Can use the “Notes” field in the Fixometer to hold this info.

Another thing to investigate is the incidence of digital support efforts in communities outside of repair events. Perhaps reaching out to orgs like Clear Community Web to find out if they have plans to include Linux in their offerings. They might need help with guidelines and resources also. Maybe the “toolkit” could include a directory of such orgs.

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1. Linux as a concrete alternative to Windows 10’s end of support

With Microsoft officially ending support for Windows 10 on October 14th, 2025, we’re facing a huge shift. Millions of fully working computers will suddenly be considered “obsolete” just because they don’t meet the requirements for Windows 11. But here’s the good news: this is actually a great opportunity to switch to free and lightweight operating systems like Linux Mint, Zorin OS, or Wubuntu.

These systems are known for their stability, great hardware compatibility, and most importantly, their user-friendly experience. For older adults, they’re incredibly accessible large icons, adaptive display sizes, and interfaces that feel familiar (especially Zorin OS, which mimics the classic Windows layout). For students, a fast, responsive, battery-friendly system like Wubuntu is perfect for note-taking, research, and basic productivity without the performance drag of Windows.

These Linux systems are faster, simpler to maintain, and much more efficient than any recent version of Windows especially on older or refurbished machines.

2. Matching the right system to each person’s needs

As Stephen_Smith pointed out in his message, it really helps to think in terms of a simple decision tree. Ask yourself:

  • What’s the hardware like?
  • What does the user need to do? (Just browsing? Office work? Photos?)
  • Are they tech-savvy or not at all?
  • Are they open to learning something new?

Using that logic, Linux Mint often stands out as a great first choice. It works on most hardware and is easy to get used to. For really old or low-spec devices, MX Linux and Zorin Lite are also excellent options. They run fast, look clean, and offer a complete OS experience without the bloat.

These systems are backed by strong communities, regular updates, and don’t require paid licenses or cloud logins. It’s open, transparent, and totally adaptable. Projects like Zorin OS, Linux Mint, and Wubuntu make it easy to leave Windows behind without losing comfort or usability.

3. Windows 10 Lite and Exo: still Windows, just better ^^

Now, not everyone wants to leave Windows completely. And that’s totally fine because there are versions of Windows out there that are lighter, faster, and still familiar, like Windows 10 Lite and Exo OS, Atlas OS & Tiny 10 (Tiny 10 is good but…).

These are community-maintained builds (sometimes unofficial), designed to strip away the unnecessary clutter from Windows. No Cortana, no telemetry, no forced apps. They’re perfect for low-end hardware, and great in classrooms, refurbished laptops, or for anyone who wants Windows without the hassle. Two popular options are Ghost Spectre and Ameliorated Windows, which offer well-tuned versions of Windows 10 designed for speed and privacy.

These projects aren’t always officially endorsed by Microsoft, but for personal, non-commercial use, they’re generally tolerated and very actively used by repair communities around the world.

4. A cybersecurity perspective on Windows 11

Speaking as someone who works in cybersecurity, I see both sides of the Windows 11 story. On one hand, it’s more locked down, more restrictive, and harder to install on older hardware. On the other hand, from a security and system integrity point of view, the 23H2 version (yeah not 24H2 → aka Shitows 11) of Windows 11 is probably the most stable and solid release Microsoft has ever made.

It offers solid TPM integration, improved sandboxing, better memory isolation, and much stronger native protections. That’s great for professional environments or critical systems.

Still, I often stick with Windows 10 Lite (22H2) in my lab environments. It gives me control, speed, and simplicity especially when testing malware, analyzing traffic, or reverse engineering suspicious software. I pair that with Linux tools like Kali, Qubes OS, or Tails, depending on the situation. Between lightweight Windows and strong Linux alternatives, we have real choices now.

And let’s not forget about Windows 7! Yes, it’s technically out of support, but it’s still alive and well, thanks to independent communities that continue to offer secure builds and updates. As long as you’re careful about what you install, and where you get your updates from, Windows 7 remains one of the most stable and efficient versions of Windows ever made. For specific use cases and older hardware, it’s still a reliable and viable option in 2025.

  • Windows 7 SP2 Unofficial : Github with VxKex to extend compatibility with recent Windows Apps & KernelEx too
  • Autopatcher : offcial website/forum
  • WinBuilder : Project ended but still alive if you download it on Clubic

That’s what makes this moment so exciting and so important for community repair efforts. We finally have the chance to give people longer-lasting, more respectful, and more sustainable tools. And that’s a win for everyone.

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Regarding message and tone. I think that the Wiki page is very informative but focuses on negatives too much. I felt a bit deflated having read it.

A quick sentiment analysis gave this result:

Interpretation: This text has a sentiment score of -60.6. This means that the overall sentiment or tone of this text is quite negative / serious.

While it is important to stress all the negatives of Win10 EOL - and there are many - we can balance that with the positives of moving to a free, Open Source operating system. Not every reference to Linux has to come with a caveat that it’s complicated and to expect a steep learning curve.

I’d like to see a more buoyant tone and positive messaging, not just in the Wiki but across all media.

image
image446×447 38.2 KB

For source material, have a look at Reddit, where the Linux subreddits have seen an influx of newbies over the past year. They give lots of interesting feedback, what they like, don’t like, find easy or hard. There are lots of positives to be found and lots to learn from new Linux users.
r/linux4noobs
r/linuxmint
r/MXLinux
r/zorinos
r/linuxquestions

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You’re absolutely right. The Wiki would really benefit from a more positive and encouraging tone. Right now, it focuses too heavily on the negative consequences of Windows 10’s end-of-life, while this could actually be a great opportunity to explore new things.

The real issue is that most current users are still deeply conditioned by Windows. Not just technically, but culturally. The UI, the habits, the proprietary software… all of that creates a dependency that’s hard to break. But in reality, there are tons of Linux distributions out there that can meet a wide variety of needs, often with more speed, flexibility, and freedom.

Personally, 80% of my work is done entirely on Linux. It’s lighter, more modular, and way more pleasant when you’re doing web development, creative tasks, or managing local services. I honestly wouldn’t go back.

That said, I still rely on Windows for the remaining 20%. Some very specific software still has no real FOSS alternative. And of course… gaming.

If we’re talking about pure entertainment, nothing really replaces Windows yet. Despite all the amazing progress with Proton, Lutris, Heroic, and others, it’s still hit or miss with certain games. Unless you go through ChimeraOS (an unofficial SteamOS fork), you’re often walking on shaky ground. So gamers remain 99.9999999% on Windows, simply because there’s no real substitute.

So yes, we should absolutely keep promoting the idea that Linux is viable, more accessible than people think, and full of advantages. There’s no need to always paint it as a steep learning curve. There’s a lot of positivity to be found and plenty of communities proving that every day.

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As I type in the data from yesterday’s repair cafe event I’ve come across a tale of a visitor who brought in an Apple desktop that was running ZorinOS and he had accidentally deleted some system files. Unfortunately he was put with a fixer who has advised him to install Windows on it. :woman_facepalming:

That was our second Linux newbie visitor! The first was an elderly woman who came in a few months ago and asked for Linux to be installed on her Windows laptop. Again, unfortunately, I found out afterwards that the fixer had declined due to lack of familiarity with Linux. :cry:

Looks like I need to start catching these cases and push for more Linux knowledge in our group. :penguin:

Out of curiosity I queried the last ORDS dataset for references to Linux.
ords_202407_linux.csv (53.9 KB)

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Thanks for your message, Monique.

I completely agree with you. What you’re describing really resonates with me, and I actually took the time to analyze the latest ORDS dataset to see things more clearly.

Looking through the file, there’s a clear trend: Linux-related requests are definitely present, often for something as simple as an installation, and sometimes just to solve a minor issue like a missing file. In other words, there’s genuine public interest in Linux, even among people who are completely new to it. The problem, as you experienced yourself, is that these visitors sometimes end up with fixers who aren’t comfortable with the system.

And that’s a real shame, because it can discourage motivated users who are open to trying something other than Windows or macOS.

There’s clearly a place for Linux in spaces like Repair Cafés. But what’s really needed is better support, awareness, and training, so that volunteers feel more confident when these kinds of requests come up.

We could even imagine creating a small “Linux Starter Kit” for fixers with ready-to-go ISOs, simple step-by-step procedures, or even a help channel between passionate users. If you start something like that, count me in!

That said, I’ll be tied up at least until the end of May with a NATO competition and a two-week deployment. I’ve also got two Repair Cafés scheduled over two weeks, and at the end of May, I’m doing a full weekend of IT support for our seniors (Saturday and Sunday). Shall we keep in touch? Maybe via Discord, Messenger, or something else?

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22 posts were split to a new topic: Finding the best Linux solutions for new users

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Gosh, this topic took off! It’s brilliant to see so much enthusiasm for the idea of helping people find alternatives to Windows 11 for unsupported hardware. Thanks everyone for all your replies so far! :heart_eyes:

As I mentioned in the original post, our main aim right now is to work out what a toolkit for community groups should contain. I suppose ideally, for now, we’re aiming to come up with a table of contents that outlines everything we should cover in such a toolkit. That will help us develop the content required (perhaps in more specialised groups).

It looks like we’ve already started diving deep into the technicalities of how to transition people to Linux. This is all great stuff, especially having your technical knowledge @Monique and @Joslet_Nicolas and also your perspectives as people already doing this work @Boyd_Goldie and Monique :slight_smile: . This may even be too much detail for the toolkit as we’re currently imagining it! But I propose moving this particular Linux conversation to a new dedicated topic where we can get into the nitty gritty of distro choices and so on.

Any objections?

For the rest, I’ve tried to pull out the key themes into a table of contents for the toolkit.

How does this look as a first attempt? Anything missing?

Toolkit for community repair groups

Table of Contents (version 1)

1. Introduction and context

  • Explanation about what is happening
  • Why this is a problem (include stories about affected people, community groups and computer reuse charities)
  • What else are we doing (e.g. a bit more about Right to Repair)

2. How to support people who are concerned about Windows 10 End of Life

(NB: advice for community repair groups, aim to keep it simple without too much technical detail)

  • Finding the best option for people - flowchart?
    • how to understand people’s use cases for their Win10 machines & what is the most appropriate option for them specifically? (e.g. a specific distro of Linux / dual-booting / ChromeOS / second-hand Win11 device, continue with Win10 etc.)
  • Run Linux-specific repair cafes or events (if you already have a Linux-savvy volunteer able to help)
    • Include ways to support people to use Linux, not just install it
    • Could also cover non-Linux options
  • Ways to help people use Win 10 for longer - presented in a slightly critical way
  • How to record data about the people you support (helping us showcase this work and raise awareness of the problem)

3. Useful resources

  • A list of useful resources groups can use for this work, e.g.:
    • Guides on how to install and use Linux
    • A playbook for running Linux install/support events
    • Further resources on non-Linux options
    • More information about Windows 10 End of Life from other sources
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hey, I’ve been facing this lately, more and more we are recommending Linux Mint and actually supporting local people to install it. For me the key points are talking about Linux and explaining it. And, trouble shooting and working on it. My colleagues are pushing back and advocating staying with Windows but it is just happening organically where people are not able to upgrade to W11 or fed up with the slowness of W11 on some machines. Also frustration with Mac and not being able to upgrade. So I’m projecting doing more of this and maybe set up some sessions to do things like using Libre Office or Mozilla Thunderbird, pairing Linux with other devices, using GIMP or other applications…

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Here’s a first stab at the flow chart. ( The scenario considered is someone bringing a PC/Laptop to a repair cafe/upgrade event ).

Obviously there’s a bunch of things missing (most obviously the various checklists), and instead of “Install X” it should really be “offer to install X” or even “Add X to the potential list of options”.

One thing that we need to consider, especially when moving away from Windows, is how to rescue the personal files and data on the device. This will need some mechanisms to temporarily back data up safely and SECURELY (with all the considerations of it likely containing personal data & security sensitive info). This is likely to expand into a much bigger topic!

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Hi everyone,

I totally get where you’re coming from. We’ve also been leaning more and more towards Linux Mint in the community, especially because it’s visually familiar and great for easing people away from Windows. It really lowers the barrier to entry for beginners.

  1. Is there any repository available (Git, Google Drive, or anything else) to track and show the progress of this initiative?
  2. If yes, who should I collaborate with to contribute or stay up to date?
  3. If not, should I create one myself, or would you prefer I use what I already have on hand?

@Muntasir_Sattar

That said, I do think it’s important to have an honest conversation about Mint’s limitations too, especially as we start supporting more people long-term.

While it’s user-friendly and has great hardware compatibility overall, Linux Mint is actually a bit heavier than some of the other lightweight distributions. On older machines (especially those with less than 4GB RAM or slow HDDs), it can feel sluggish, and boot times can be quite long.

Also, although Mint is based on Ubuntu LTS, it can be less stable in certain conditions… Especially if users aren’t cautious with updates or are running on borderline hardware. We’ve seen cases where:

  • Files weren’t properly saved (due to unexpected crashes),
  • Sessions froze or got corrupted,
  • Or updates broke functionality because of specific drivers or third-party tools.

That doesn’t make Mint a bad choice far from it! But for ultra-low-spec machines or users needing rock-solid reliability, it might be worth considering even lighter options like AntiX, Bodhi, or even MX Linux XFCE. They’re still friendly, just a little less polished visually, but far less demanding on hardware.

My personal approach and philosophy is simple:

  • I believe that each machine deserves its own tailored solution.
  • There’s no universal answer, no “one distro to rule them all.”
  • Just like people, every computer has its own story, its own needs, its own limits.

That’s why I always take the time to test, observe, and adapt.
Sometimes it’s a lightweight Linux distro like AntiX or Zorin; other times, it might be a stripped-down Windows version, or even a dual-boot setup.

I’m not interested in pushing an ideology. I’m interested in what works best for the user, with the best performance, compatibility, and comfort possible.

Being truly free in tech means having the freedom to choose, to learn, and to understand how systems behave depending on the ecosystem, the hardware, and the user’s goals.

We don’t need another dogma.
We need practical, respectful, and inclusive tech choices.

Currently, I have three test machines:

  • a DELL 5CF63X1,
  • an ACER VA70 (low-spec version),
  • and a DELL 12SZ3G2 (pro version).

All of them are between 7 to 10 years old, with fairly similar hardware configurations.

And honestly? Linux Mint was a nightmare on all three.
It was slow, laggy, and sometimes even unusable. In some cases, certain hardware components weren’t recognized or didn’t work properly, especially due to a lack of third-party driver support.

The first Dell is now running Winux and it works surprisingly well, although the interface still feels sluggish on the original 250GB 7200rpm HDD. (It originally came with Windows 7.) I eventually upgraded it to a 500GB SATA SSD (3Gbps, Verbatim) and that improved things significantly for ~25€.

As for the Acer, Mint didn’t even boot. Despite having a Crucial BX500 SSD and 16GB of DDR3 RAM, it just refused to start. I replaced it with Zorin OS, and now everything runs smoothly and no issues at all.

The Pro Dell (2014 model, refurbished in 2017) runs Windows 11 with AtlasOS (a lightweight fork) on a small 250GB NVMe SATA3 SSD. The performance is flawless. Everything works perfectly out of the box.

So you see, it really depends on the specific hardware and context.
We shouldn’t push a one-size-fits-all approach and blindly recommend Mint for every case. Instead, we should stay open-minded and learn, understand the configurations, and evaluate which system best suits each situation.

Linux freedom is about choice, not dogma.

That said, Mint is still a great “default” choice especially if we pair it with good support, setup documentation, and a bit of ongoing follow-up.

I’d love to hear what setups you’ve found work best in your sessions too, always learning from each other!

@james, like this ?

Best regards

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Hi James…I think this looks great, and only thing I’d add is perhaps some kind of coding as to which parts are aimed at which type of people. I have run a Repair Café for years and now run a charity, and this whole topics makes me feel a bit sick with worry, as I just don’t have the time to get my head around it, but as soon as I speak to Linux evangelists (and read threads like this has become) I want to go and buy a new laptop that will work Windows 11 and I’ll be able to carry on with everything that I need to do. I think a lot of non-techie folk feel this way. We want our IT to be tools to do certain jobs, and when folk start in on the Linux talk, and then I say, but I need to be able to still use this…it all gets cloudy. So I think the key to helping everyone get what they need from this toolkit, is have some kind of key on a ‘read this section if you’re not techy’, ‘read this if your techy’, type thing? And test out the non-techy section on people like me :wink:

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Moderator note

Hello everybody!

To help keep things neater and more accessible, I’ve split this conversation into two parts:

  • A guide to Windows 10 obsolescence for community groups: This topic you’re reading can be a place to take a higher level, less technical overview of the range of resources we can put together to help community groups support their visitors with Windows 11 issues over the coming months.

  • Linux deep dive: I moved a load of posts discussing the pros and cons of Linux distros, alternative software solutions etc into a new topic: Finding the best Linux solutions for new users. This new topic can be a place to get technical and dive into the detail of how to help people in our communities with devices that Windows 11 doesn’t officially support switch to Linux.

I’ve done my best to split the two conversations, but it’s not super neat. Nevertheless, I hope this makes sense as a way to keep this main conversation easier to follow, especially for less-technical readers.

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