Support for Windows 10 ending? Welcome to the club.

If you are using Windows 10, you may want to consider this.

 I am old enough to remember having to learn DOS.  My first computer was a Commador 64 that my dad brought home.  Once at university, I had to learn DOS because they only had PCs.  Then came a series of Apple computers, mostly because I was a teacher and could buy them through the district.  

It wasn't until the early 90s that I bought my first Windows PC - a Bill Gates special running Windows 3.1.  I learned basic, Pascal, and a couple of elementary pixel-editing programs such as Paint.  Eventually, I sold it and bought another machine using Windows 95.  

Then came the series of upgrades.  Better platforms, but you couldn't keep the old OS because of the rate of technological advances.  So, 95 became 98 and then XP and then 7, 8, 10, and now we are up to 11.  And the problem is that you can't just keep the old OS because it will no longer be supported.  What does that even mean?

Well, Microsoft has deemed that Windows 11 should be the standard platform now and 10's time has run out.  It's first breath was in 2015 and it's demise is slated for later this year.  The good news is that 10 years is a long run for an OS where it usually averages only a few before being usurped.  The bad news is that, if you are running Windows 10 (and there is a good chance you are), support for it will end on October 14 of this year.  

"Suppport" means that there will not be any new updates that keep the program current and compatible with industry changes.  It also means an increase in risk of being hacked or having your identity compromised.  You can continue to use Windows 10 as long as you like, but going on line is risky after support ends.  And you may not be able to use some of the newest software or hardware.

More good news, the upgrade to Windows 11 is Free.  Yes, you heard that right.  No charge - the bad news is that your current PC may not be compatible with it.  Windows 7 and 8 can both be upgraded to 11, but at a cost.  Anything running an OS before 7 probably won't work at all because of the hardware demands.  Also, any machine that you want to put it on has to have suitable hardware requirements.  If you want a list of what is needed (min), click here.  

Also, Windows 11 is only free for Windows 10 users until Oct 14 - unless they change something.  If you have a newer computer, it may well be able to run Win 11 without any changes.  Older ones may need some adjustments to the computer's BIOS.  I spent hours trying to figure out how to do that and eventually gave up.  I contacted a local computer repair guy who said he would put it on my computer for $100.  I thought about buying another computer, but the hassle and cost have made me reconsider that.

So, in short - if you are running Windows 10, upgrade soon.  If you can't do it yourself, get a professional to do it for a fee.  You can also upgrade older machines, maybe.  If you want to keep Windows 10 and use it after support ends, you can buy a year's of support for $100.  But do yourself a favour, do it now while you can.  Then you can wait until Windows 12 comes by.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com


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