Subj : Cant upgrade your PC to Windows 11? Buy a new one, is Microsofts To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Mon Oct 07 2024 14:30:04 Cant upgrade your PC to Windows 11? Buy a new one, is Microsofts laughable solution Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2024 13:19:00 +0000 Description: Microsoft is talking about older (Windows 8 or 7) PCs now, but the real question is: what happens next year when Windows 10 hits End of Life? FULL STORY ====================================================================== Windows 11 adoption has been way slower than Microsoft would like, no doubt, and part of the reason for that is that some PCs (particularly older models) cant upgrade due to system requirements and if you fall into that boat, the software giant has some simple advice for you: buy a new PC . Neowin noticed that Microsoft has updated a help document about what it means if youre using an unsupported version of Windows (spoiler alert: if youre online at all, its a huge security risk), which currently means PCs running Windows 8.1 (or 8) and Windows 7, or earlier. Its worth noting, however, that this will also be the case for Windows 10 devices in a years time if their owners dont take any action, as the end of support rolls around for that OS in October 2025. Microsofts article takes the form of a short discussion followed by a FAQ, and the main update applied to the document pertains to the options for staying supported with Windows, with a new choice added here: Recommended: New PC with Windows 11. So, this is Microsofts primary recommendation if your unsupported PC isnt up to scratch, hardware-wise, for Windows 11 get a new computer. Microsoft elaborates: Windows 11 is the most current version of Windows. If you have an older PC, we recommend you move to Windows 11 by buying a new PC. Hardware and software have improved a lot, and todays computers are faster, more powerful, and more secure. Then theres a link to view Windows 11 PCs which takes you to Microsofts hub which showcases new devices from itself and partners. (Image credit: Shutterstock/fizkes) Analysis: That enormous landfill blot looming on the horizon That first (recommended) choice of buying a new PC is not the only option covered in the FAQ, of course. Microsoft also lists a couple of other possibilities, including upgrading your old computer to Windows 11 maybe via Windows 10 first but this may not be possible with older PCs. Indeed, a PC running Windows 8 (from pre-2015, when Windows 10 started arriving on new hardware) will very likely not meet the needed system specs for Windows 11 (the CPU will probably be too old, and TPM security requirement may not be met either). And, in fairness to Microsoft, an upgrade of such an ailing PC to Windows 11 may indeed be relatively impractical (as youll likely have to replace a bunch of components the CPU, the motherboard to get a socket that fits the new CPU, and probably memory too, and maybe more besides). By the time you reach the end of the component shopping list, you may as well be buying a new PC (with a new warranty to boot), and of course some PC owners wont want to take on such an upgrade, or have the technical knowhow to do so. So, in this case, Microsofts foremost recommendation to get a new PC makes at least some sense to those with rapidly aging PCs, as frankly, in some scenarios they might not have much choice, particularly if theyre not tech-savvy, or they have a laptop (or all-in-one PC) which cant be got inside and upgraded anyway. However, its equally true that some folks (perhaps quite a few) could upgrade to Windows 10 (with its lighter system requirements) if not Windows 11, a possibility Microsoft touches on while simultaneously observing that support runs out in a year for Windows 10, a fairly sizeable caveat. And indeed, therein lies the rub we must bear in mind that this articles advice will apply to Windows 10 PC owners next year, when they find themselves in the unsupported boat. Given that, itd be nice to see Microsoft working towards a solution in respect of somewhat newer PCs, which goes somewhere down the path of tackling some of the alarming stats weve heard about the number of Windows 10 machines heading to landfill in the future. This is a potential environmental disaster that could see hundreds of millions of PCs lumped unceremoniously on the scrapheap . And ever since those concerns have been raised, we havent heard anything from Microsoft as to how they might be mitigated. What Windows 10 users (who cant, or wont, upgrade) can do is pay for extended support beyond October 2025 but that could turn out to be an expensive way to go, particularly beyond the first year if Microsofts previous pricing in these schemes is anything to go by. Logically, then, Microsoft needs to be looking at a way of keeping Windows 10 alive for those totally blocked by Windows 11s more demanding requirements on the security front and elsewhere which works out to be way more cost-friendly for users, in an effort to save what might be a much heavier price to pay for the planet. In short, buy a new PC will soon not be the answer we need frontloaded here, and pushing folks to make a purchase of a new computer is already a very dubious first port of call given what were facing down the road. You may also like... Microsoft explains how Windows 11s controversial Recall feature is now ready for release its coming to Copilot+ PCs in November Dont make these 5 big mistakes when using Windows 11 Microsoft admits Windows 11 24H2 could play havoc with some online games ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/cant-upgrade-your-pc-to-windows-11 -buy-a-new-one-is-microsofts-laughable-solution --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .