An Opportunity to Consider Linux
2025-10-14
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Microsoft is ending support for most versions of Windows 10 today. There have been announcements all over the Internet for months now, and almost everyone I know has already upgraded to Windows 11. But if you're one of the many who still hasn't, your version has likely reached EOL today.
Not every version is being sunsetted right now, but only LTS (long-term support) versions, which are based on Windows 10 Enterprise, will continue to get updates. 1607 LTS is no longer receiving active updates, but it will continue to get security updates until October of next year (2026-10-13). 21H2 LTS and 21H2 IoT (Internet of Things) LTS will both be provided active support until January of 2027 (2027-01-12), at which point security updates will also end for 21H2 LTS. 21H2 IoT LTS has the longest support schedule, with Microsoft supplying security updates for 21H2 IoT LTS all the way until January of 2032 (2032-01-13)--almost six and a half more years.
Of course, LTS licenses are very expensive and are closely tracked by Microsoft. They are generally only available to enterprise customers, so unless you activated Windows through "unofficial" means, you likely don't have one of these versions installed. In particular, all Home and Pro versions of Windows 10 will no longer receive security updates, so if you have either of those versions, you should upgrade to something else.
That "something else" doesn't have to be Windows 11. From a Microsoft account requirement to including Copilot and Recall by default, Windows 11 is the most privacy-invasive OS ever developed at Redmond. Linux could be a better option: if your primary use case for a computer is to browse the Internet, manage MS Office documents, and occasionally watch local media or edit photos, then a Linux distro can replace Windows for free while giving you much more control over your data and processing power. Now might be a great time to explore a user-friendly distribution like Linux Mint.^
Some use cases require Windows, such as heavy gaming or specific software that only works on NT. In that case, there are options available to help regain some control and privacy in Windows 11. Rufus,^^ a tool that creates bootable USB images, can patch the Windows 11 ISO to easily create local accounts and bypass hardware checks. Other projects, like Ameliorated^^^ and Chris Titus's Windows Utilities,^^^^ provide extensive customization and modifications to the base Windows 11 image to improve the experience. However, these tools are workarounds that are not supported or condoned by Microsoft, and they can cause major problems down the road.
It's a different experience using Linux than Windows, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Distros like Linux Mint make the move very simple. I love that I can update all the programs on my machine at the same time using a single utility, rather than having to update everything separately. Linux has far fewer security vulnerabilities than Windows--though contrary to popular belief, it is not invincible. It can even run native Windows applications with Wine and other tools.
Here on Gemini, I'm probably preaching to the choir regarding Windows and Linux. I find myself bemused, though, at how many people I know in real life who express their frustration with modern software design from companies like Microsoft and Google, then resign to their fates and upgrade anyway. Free and powerful alternatives are just a few clicks away, and they can help extend the life of your current hardware, too.
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[Last updated: 2025-10-14]