Windows 10 support ends on October 14th. Microsoft will start prioritizing Windows 11 and pause updates for Windows 10. Even though the latest version of Windows has been available for several years, many people have chosen not to update. However, after October 14th, those users will no longer receive new security updates or have access to tech support or bug fixes from Microsoft. So what do you do if your laptop or desktop doesn’t meet the technical requirements for Windows 11?
Not sure if your current device is compatible with Windows 11? There are a few ways to check. The easiest is to go to Start, then click Settings. From the Settings menu, select Update & security, then click Windows Update to see if you can update to the latest version of Windows.
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Microsoft also has a list of Windows 11 system requirements that you can refer to if you’re not sure if your computer can upgrade. The requirements include 4GB of RAM, 64GB or more of storage, and a 1GHz or faster processor. These hardware requirements are the most common reason why your computer might not be able to upgrade to Windows 11. If that’s the case, you have a few options. Below, you can find the best options to consider if your computer can’t upgrade to Windows 11.
Read more : Best laptops of 2025
Upgrade your computer
You could use this deadline as a good reason to upgrade to a new computer. Microsoft recently released a pair of cheaper, lighter Microsoft Surface laptops that join the Microsoft Copilot Plus PC lineup. Going this route also means that Windows 11 will already be installed and ready to go. If you need help finding the right upgrade, check out our list of the best Windows laptops of 2025.
Of course, upgrading your computer isn’t the most cost-effective solution. If your laptop is slowing down or you’re already looking at an upgrade, this option is worth considering, but if not, you might want to hang on to your current computer a little longer and try one of the other solutions on this list.
Pay for extended security updates
Microsoft isn’t actually completely getting rid of Windows 10 updates, but you’ll have to pay to keep them going. Microsoft previously announced that it would offer Extended Security Updates (ESU) locally. Enrolling in the ESU program will give you access to critical security updates for Windows 10. Although you won’t receive updates for new features or bug fixes, and Microsoft doesn’t offer technical support if you run into any issues with your Windows 10 PC.
The ESU program is primarily aimed at businesses and institutions that use Windows for commercial or educational purposes, but Microsoft will introduce a consumer version later this year. The consumer plan is a one-year option priced at $30. Microsoft says enrollment for the program will open closer to October 14th.
This option is definitely cheaper than upgrading your laptop and much less risky than ignoring the end of support deadline and using an unsupported OS, so it’s worth considering if you want to keep your old laptop for a little longer.
Cut windows to another operating system
Windows 11 nav vienīgā operētājsistēma, kas pieejama personālajiem datoriem. Linux ir populāra iespēja, lai vecākiem datoriem piešķirtu jaunu dzīvi. Bezmaksas, atvērtā koda operētājsistēmai ir spēcīga drošības reputācija. Ir daudz dažādu Linux versiju (vai distros), tāpēc jūs varat atrast tādu, kas vislabāk atbilst jūsu vajadzībām un dizaina vēlmēm. Dažas populāras iespējas, kuras vērts izpētīt, ir Mint, Ubuntu un Zorin OS. ChromeoS ir uz Linux balstīta iespēja, taču to parasti neuzskata par tradicionālu Linux distrlo.
Google Chromeos Flex nodrošina Google Chromeos – operētājsistēmas, kas parasti darbojas ar Chromebook datoriem, izskatu un lielāko daļu funkcionalitātes, bet ir paredzēta izmantošanai Windows, Mac un Linux ierīcēs. Ja esat pašreizējais Windows 10 lietotājs, kurš pārsvarā izmanto pārlūkprogrammu Google Chrome, Chromeos Flex, iespējams, jutīsies diezgan pazīstams un intuitīvs pret jums. Lai uzzinātu, vai Google Chromeos Flex ir jūsu ierīces opcija, apskatiet caur Sertificētu modeļu sarakstsApvidū
Izmantojiet Microsoft 365 vai virtuālu darbvirsmu
A Nesenais emuāra ierakstsMicrosoft ieteica, ka jūs varētu migrēt uz mākoni ar Windows 365 vai Azure virtuālo darbvirsmu, ja nevarat jaunināt ierīci vai iegādāties jaunu. Tas var padarīt Windows 11 pieejamu jūsu neatbalstītajā ierīcē, izmantojot mākoni.
Tas bija arī paziņots Pagājušajā mēnesī Microsoft 365 lietotnes, kas darbojas operētājsistēmā Windows 10, turpinās saņemt drošības atjauninājumus vēl trīs gadus pēc gaidāmā atbalsta datuma beigām. Microsoft 365 ir uz mākoņiem balstīts abonēšanas pakalpojums, kas nodrošina piekļuvi tādām lietotnēm kā Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint un citas.
Izvēlieties trešo personu drošības programmatūru
Tehniski jūs varat turpināt darbināt ierīci operētājsistēmā Windows 10 pēc termiņa, bet jūs nesaņemsit drošības atjauninājumus. Atstāt datoru bez atbilstošas drošības aizsardzības nav gudra, tāpēc daži cilvēki vēršas pie trešo personu drošības dienestiem, cerot pārvarēt plaisu, līdz viņi var uzlabot.
Instalēšana Trešās puses 0Patch aģents ir viens no veidiem, kā pievienot nedaudz lielāku aizsardzību neatbalstītam Windows personālajam datoram. 0patene paziņots ka tas turpinās nodrošināt kritiskus drošības ielāpus operētājsistēmai Windows 10 vēl vismaz piecus gadus. Bezmaksas versijā ir ietverti zināmu 0 dienu ievainojamību ielāpi, nodrošinot rentablu iespēju tiem, kas nevēlas plātīties uz drošības abonementu vai jaunu klēpjdatoru. Lai gan jums būs jāveic jaunināšana uz apmaksātu plānu, ja vēlaties visus pieejamos Windows 10 ielāpus.
There are also many antivirus software programs on the market that can help improve your computer’s security. This is not the safest route and could have negative results. If you store sensitive information on your computer or rely on it for work or school, it’s best not to take your chances with an unsupported operating system.
Bypass the Windows 11 Upgrade Compatibility Checker
Even if your device is technically considered incompatible with Windows 11, there are a few ways to bypass the Windows 11 upgrade compatibility checker and install it anyway. You can use Rufus to create a bootable version of Windows 11 using a Windows 11 ISO file that bypasses the system requirements for the upgrade. This option has been used to upgrade older PCs and bypass the Microsoft account requirement.
On laptops originally built for Windows 10, you can also make a simple tweak in the Registry Editor to bypass installation restrictions and upgrade your device to Windows 11. Ed Bott of ZDNet has a step-by-step outline of how to complete this process, and Upgrade an Incompatible Windows PC in the area .
