Microsoft Issues Free Update Offer To Millions Of Windows Users (ads in windows update menu)
Lol I remember getting this the first time I tried upgrading to Win 10, pretty much the first day it was released. I just wanted to escape Win 8 hell hole and then... Something happened.
i would've been fine with 8.1, you could tweak out all the annoying stuff and then it just looked like 7 but worked better, no resource manager crashes or whatever it (explorer.exe) was called. and it didn't fight me like 10 did
Windows: “All your files are right where you left them”
Me: “Oh FUCK, what the fuck did you do to my files”
As I warned might happen, this free ESU u-turn has triggered a reversal in Windows 11’s recent fortunes, at least according to Statcounter’s indicative data. And while it’s still marginally head of its retiring sibling, Windows 11 is moving in the wrong direction. A free ESU is laudable, but it should have been limited to PCs that cannot upgrade.
Go fuck yourself, Forbes and contributor Zak Doffman.
Yeah, what an incredibly stupid opinion.
So thankful Steam made Linux a viable option. Made the switch 6 months ago. Haven’t found a game I can’t run yet. Computer overall runs smoother even.
Older games are easier to run linux.
So thankful Steam and the hardworking folks who have been working on wine and linux for decades before steam gave them a penny made Linux a viable option
ftfy
I would love it if Xbox Gamepass works on linux
If you really definitely gotta stick with windows for some reason: LTSC + massgrave for activation
Beyond pirating, is there a straightforward way to obtain ltsc? Can it be run as an update or does it require a clean installation?
Beyond pirating, is there a straightforward way to obtain ltsc?
become a company and pay lots of money
No. It's the best fork that is not supposed to be within reach for us "unworthy individual users".
(Although since massgrave allows you to activate it perpetually it doesn't really matter how many steps they throw for the "right way" XD)
Off of a clean install is all I’ve done with their scripts, but ymmv
If you really gotta stick with windows, you upgrade to windows 11. ESU is fine for a bit, but everyone will start dropping support for windows 10 in the next couple of years, starting with nvidia in 2026. LTSC is not for regular users.
The only free Windows update is to install Linux.
That's a Windows [upgrade]
You mean the windows-free update
I see what you did there and I approve.
Nice 👍🏼!
Fuck em. Install Linux.
"You pay us, and we will protect you"
Don't they usually smash a few Windows before they say this sentence?
Lol didntbyhey have a world wide outage that started from a security backdoor?
Hey now. Solarwinds is marketed as a monitoring app. The security backdoor thing was entirely unintentional.
(But, c'mon: if you're giving admin privs to an app that calls home, and you can't see the source, and you can't validate the app on the other end, you're basically asking for pwnage)
I don't think I've ever heard of a global outage of Windows, no.
Check Bleeping Computer. They've been smashing many Windows.
Also switched to Linux (popos) this month. It's been fine. Games work. Browser works. No complaints, really.
I installed it on my old laptop. I'm happy it's breathing new life into it, but the Pop_Shop is SO SLOW.
Yeah I noticed that, too. Not sure why. Using apt on the command line is probably an alternative, at least.
It really is. If you don't mind potential instability, upgrade to the latest alpha build. I haven't had a single crash in months, and cosmic desktop is already way better than Gnome, and Cosmic Store (pop shop replacement) is very fast.
I've been running unactivated win 10 for years. The ad in Windows update saying 11 is free has been there for months. I tried installing it and... It's a lie.
Microsoft has expanded its free Extended Security Updates (ESU) offer to millions more Windows 10 users. Following the mandatory KB5063709 update, users can now see an “Enroll in Extended Support Updates” option, valid until October 2026. While paid plans start at $30 for up to 10 PCs, most users will likely choose the free offer, linking ESU to their Microsoft account and OneDrive.
The program aims to protect Windows 10 devices after official support ends, helping users transition to newer systems. Microsoft acknowledges that moving to a new PC can take time, and the ESU is meant to bridge that gap. Although an earlier bug caused crashes in the enrollment wizard, this issue has now been fixed.
However, the free ESU may slow Windows 11 adoption. Recent market share data from Statcounter suggests the shift from Windows 10 to Windows 11 has stalled, with the latter even losing ground. Critics argue that free ESU should have been limited to PCs unable to upgrade.
Separately, Microsoft warns that Windows 11 version 23H2 will reach end of support on November 11, 2025. Users must upgrade to version 24H2 or 25H2 to continue receiving security updates.
Separately, Microsoft warns that Windows 11 version 23H2 will reach end of support on November 11, 2025. Users must upgrade to version 24H2 or 25H2 to continue receiving security updates.
Windows 11 23H2 was the last version that supported Windows Mixed Reality. They're really in a hurry to kill WMR.
https://github.com/mbucchia/Oasis-Driver-for-Windows-Mixed-Reality
Theres a sort of replacement out there, closed source, nvidia only (AMD might come later though)
Still sucks they're ripping WMR out. My G2 was awesome for the 150$ I spent on it.
They're really in a hurry to kill WMR.
isn't it just that any major version is only supported for 2 years?
Separately, Microsoft warns that Windows 11 version 23H2 will reach end of support on November 11, 2025.
I.e., the one that still supports WMR virtual reality headsets and hasn't had the functionality for those artificially pulled.
Following the mandatory KB5063709 update
Fuck you, Microsoft.
Win 10 IoT LTSC 2021 is supported until 2032. the ESU is literally just security updates they will be doing anyway.
if you have any windows software that can't be replaced and needs to be online running IoT is one solution.
protip: Windows runs faster under a VM in Linux than on bare metal. True facts.
No, it doesn't. Any VM is going to be slower than bare metal due to the host OS overhead and restrictions in some hardware access.
FWIW, while it's not a VM, games for Windows do tend to have higher performance in Proton on Linux than they do in Windows 11.
it's just a meme ... with a kernel of truth.
when running as your main OS windows very quickly gets bogged down with everything you want to run on it.
in a VM you're only running the 1 thing you need on a fresh install, potentially a screenshot of that fresh install so it's always running at peak.
does this make up for the host overhead? maybe ... Linux has never struggled under base load for me like windows has.
Fiction
Protip: Don't try to play multiplayer games in a VM.
There are ads in Windows even if you pay extra for the Pro version.....
God, they are finding even more places to add ads?!?
I wonder if the Tarrif + linux news might be spooking them a bit.
The best message I see on my gaming PC is "Your system does not meet the requirements for Windows 11" 🤗
mine says "made by KDE" 🤗
I installed Bazzite last June. That the local account is just a fact of life made the installation process easier than Windows. KDE (the interface) feels snappier than Windows. Also, the auto-hide Start menu doesn't get stuck anymore. The Win 11 Start menu won't hide when you want them to, and hides when you didn't want it to every single time you accidentally move the mouse cursor to the bottom. I hate that I had to reach for the keyboard every time, while watching videos and such. That drove me nuts. When your wi-fi or bluetooth is not working, Win10 and 11 love to pretend they don't exist, so you can't fix them unless you reboot. So many things they can fix, but most of their project teams are probably focused on adding new bullshit or integrating Office/Teams/Copilot into everything, because the OS is no longer the product.
XP was when they jumped the shark, moved away and to Linux then. It is waaaay too late to give a shit what Microsoft does.
I want to switch to Linux but 3 things hold me back atm ,
My sound card having only very basic support under Linux.
Lossless scaling being more a limited hobby project under Linux.
And gamepass not working
And maybe a few games which won't work due to ac.
Your sound card would probably work without issue. Don’t rely on the manufacturers website about drivers when it comes to that.
For gamepass, you have to either give that up, play on Xbox, or stay with windows. That’s something that Microsoft’s will never support on Linux.
Nah my sound card looses 95% of functionality on linux and a huge chunk of it's quality with that.
its such a big loss of features , it would be worse than most on board sound cards on windows with their drivers installed ( they have atleast some functionality )
actually i installed linux mint over windows on a friday evening and it wasn't that time consuming at all.
heh nice. Mint is great and easy to install. I like PopOS/debian depending on what im doing.
Remember when Microsoft said no Windows 11? https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-32658340
Such a money grab.
This continually gets passed around, but it's the result of bad journalism. It was a comment made by one of the developers and was never an official comment/statement from Microsoft.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/394724/why-is-there-a-windows-11-if-windows-10-is-the-last-windows.html
Just adding for the record that I despise Microsoft, so I'm not trying to defend them. Just always see this referenced and figure it's better to set the record straight.
honestly the hardest part was realising microsoft had a dumb bitlocker thing and having to search for the key (thankfully it was in my microsoft account)
Motherfucker, you can buy me a new PC if you want me to have one so bad. Shit's expensive and nobody has the money to replace something that still works.